Restaurants in Auckland

The French Cafe

Consistently rated as one of the finest restaurants in the world, the French Café specializes in – you guessed it – French cuisine. Head chef Gideon Landman chooses the best local ingredients, including lamb, venison, crayfish and other seafood, to create modern dishes with delectable flair. Diners love seeing their meals being cooked in the open-plan kitchen; there’s also a cosy courtyard, heated in winter.

Cibo

Situated in a converted chocolate factory and led by its award-winning chef, Kate Fay, Cibo is one of Auckland’s top restaurants. The menu is eclectic and offers fish and chips alongside confit of duck or fillet steak, there is a splendid selection of cheeses available and the wine list is well chosen. Service is exemplary and the setting superb - try to secure a table in the courtyard during the summer for the best seats.

Antoine's Restaurant

Despite – or perhaps because of - its conservative tone and décor, this sophisticated restaurant is a favourite among Auckland's gastronomes. Opened in 1972, Antoine’s is widely held to be one of the best French restaurants in the country. Situated just 10 minutes from the city centre, the restaurant offers some splendid dishes cooked with Gallic flair. The most popular are grouped together in the small but classic Nostalgia menu. All mains are accompanied with fresh seasonal New Zealand vegetables.

Jack Tar

This hugely popular gastropub sits in a refurbished old goods shed on the waterfront in upcoming Wynyard Quarter. Fresh seafood is a speciality, as well as pizza, pasta and burgers, with some global twists: Moroccan lamb pizzas, Greek salads and Mexican fish tacos are some of the menu choices. Its open courtyard packs out on warm summer nights, so it’s worth booking ahead.

SPQR

Thin-crust pizzas and Italian-influenced mains, such as fish stew and risotto, dominate the menu at this trendy Ponsonby Road hotspot. A packed house on most nights means there’s a steady hum from the constant chatter of diners, who sit amid a chic-industrial design. From stylish to intimate, be warned, the lights are very low - leave the newspaper at home.

Toto Pizza

For 21 years, Toto’s was arguably Auckland’s finest Italian eatery. Now, it has moved upstairs at the same address, but loosened its collar a tad to offer more casual dining. Still with a grand setting, in a long dining room with a floor-to-ceiling window, Toto Pizza offers huge, freshly-baked pizzas by the metre if you’re eating out with a hungry group of friends.

Depot Eatery and Oyster Bar

Owned by Al Brown, a celebrity New Zealand chef, this place stays true to its philosophy: only seasonal best ingredients, beautifully cooked and enjoyed with friends. Most of the cooking is over charcoal or hard wood to get the beautiful smoked aroma and succulent flavours.

Zarbo

Zarbo, a deli-cafe, is renowned for delicious breakfasts and lunches using a fabulous range of ingredients from New Zealand and all over the world. The décor in this busy 120-seat eatery is simple but stylish. The food takes pride of place in a long glass-covered deli counter, stuffed to overflowing with fresh cheeses, meats, dips, spreads and breads, from which diners will be hard pushed to make a quick selection.

Tanuki’s Cave

This Japanese sake bar makes a great pit stop, especially if you’re planning to hit the city nightlife on lively Queen Street later on. It’s underneath a more formal restaurant and offers grilled skewers - yakitori, kushiage (deep-fried meat and vegetables) and other inexpensive Japanese snacks. Prop yourself at the bar in this stylish, loud and lively place, grab a bite and wash it down with some sake.

Satya

If you fancy a change from lamb and seafood, how about a curry? This little restaurant tucked away in a residential neighbourhood serves up delicious South Indian cuisine, including vegan options. Try the spicy mirch bajjis, and other specialities from Andhra Pradesh. Satya’s is a no-frills place to eat, but regulars flock here from across the city for its excellent value and tasty food. There are three other branches of Satya across the city.