Guidebook for Auckland

Maria
Guidebook for Auckland

Food Scene

It's the closest coffee shop to the house. Opens at 7am. Has cabinet food only (no menu) but nice cakes, salads, sandwiches, pies and wraps. Also great for single take out meals that you can reheat in the microwave at the studio!
8 locals recommend
Jess' Underground Kitchen
203 Jervois Rd
8 locals recommend
It's the closest coffee shop to the house. Opens at 7am. Has cabinet food only (no menu) but nice cakes, salads, sandwiches, pies and wraps. Also great for single take out meals that you can reheat in the microwave at the studio!
Great for breakfast or lunch. Terrific salads, bakery and breakfast menu and walking distance!
26 locals recommend
Catroux
129 W End Rd
26 locals recommend
Great for breakfast or lunch. Terrific salads, bakery and breakfast menu and walking distance!
Cute hipster vibe. Interesting breakfast and lunch options, and good coffee. Has a lot of GF and vegan options.
51 locals recommend
Dear Jervois
234 Jervois Rd
51 locals recommend
Cute hipster vibe. Interesting breakfast and lunch options, and good coffee. Has a lot of GF and vegan options.
One of our favourite restaurants. Peruvian Japanese. You often need to book, but can usually also get a seat at the bar. Be sure to try the tostadas and the lamb chops.
29 locals recommend
Azabu Ponsonby
26 Ponsonby Rd
29 locals recommend
One of our favourite restaurants. Peruvian Japanese. You often need to book, but can usually also get a seat at the bar. Be sure to try the tostadas and the lamb chops.
Cheap and cheerful rotisserie chicken place. Super casual and fun - walk up. Great sides and appetisers, and the chicken is always great.
Boy & Bird
222 Ponsonby Rd
Cheap and cheerful rotisserie chicken place. Super casual and fun - walk up. Great sides and appetisers, and the chicken is always great.
Our favourite fine dining restaurant in the city. A fixed degustation dinner, with a dining room that has a lovely view over the city. You'll need to book. There's also a chef's table with a view into the kitchen.
28 locals recommend
Sidart Restaurant
283 Ponsonby Rd
28 locals recommend
Our favourite fine dining restaurant in the city. A fixed degustation dinner, with a dining room that has a lovely view over the city. You'll need to book. There's also a chef's table with a view into the kitchen.
Great family-owned Middle Eastern casual dining. Doesn't have a license so no alcohol but the food is fantastic...and it's casual and well priced.
13 locals recommend
Petra Shawarma
482 New N Rd
13 locals recommend
Great family-owned Middle Eastern casual dining. Doesn't have a license so no alcohol but the food is fantastic...and it's casual and well priced.
Great place to catch the vibe at the waterfront. Good food and great bar.
29 locals recommend
Headquarters
103 Customs St W
29 locals recommend
Great place to catch the vibe at the waterfront. Good food and great bar.
Sensational fitout, great service and excellent food. Hard to book so book in advance, or risk it and show up on the night - but you might have to wait for a table.
87 locals recommend
Amano
Britomart Place
87 locals recommend
Sensational fitout, great service and excellent food. Hard to book so book in advance, or risk it and show up on the night - but you might have to wait for a table.
Our local fish and chips joint. They have a few seats out front or takeaway and pop down to one of our neighbourhood beaches in Herne Bay to enjoy them - or bring back to the studio! Do great fish tacos as well.
11 locals recommend
FishSmith
200 Jervois Rd
11 locals recommend
Our local fish and chips joint. They have a few seats out front or takeaway and pop down to one of our neighbourhood beaches in Herne Bay to enjoy them - or bring back to the studio! Do great fish tacos as well.
It's not really a street market but more a cooperative food scene with a bunch of excellent casual food spots - awesome during the day or at night. Also has a juice bar, coffee bar, meat market, and wine shop. Choose from asian street food, pizza, meatball bar, Burger Burger for the best burgers in Auckland, grilled cheese spot, noodles, Japanese, Middle Eastern, rotisserie chicken, Argentinian bbq, or Blue Breeze Inn restaurant - all are great!
298 locals recommend
Ponsonby Central
146 Ponsonby Rd
298 locals recommend
It's not really a street market but more a cooperative food scene with a bunch of excellent casual food spots - awesome during the day or at night. Also has a juice bar, coffee bar, meat market, and wine shop. Choose from asian street food, pizza, meatball bar, Burger Burger for the best burgers in Auckland, grilled cheese spot, noodles, Japanese, Middle Eastern, rotisserie chicken, Argentinian bbq, or Blue Breeze Inn restaurant - all are great!
Contemporary New Zealand food with great service. Smart decor, attentive staff, and excellent food under the vaulted ceiling and fairy lights at Britomart. https://www.thedenizen.co.nz/gastronomy/new-opening-ortolana/
56 locals recommend
Ortolana
33 Tyler St
56 locals recommend
Contemporary New Zealand food with great service. Smart decor, attentive staff, and excellent food under the vaulted ceiling and fairy lights at Britomart. https://www.thedenizen.co.nz/gastronomy/new-opening-ortolana/
Another great place for modern Kiwi food - with plates to share, terrific terrace and it's open for dinner, lunch and brunch. Great decor.
25 locals recommend
Odettes Eatery
90 Wellesley St W
25 locals recommend
Another great place for modern Kiwi food - with plates to share, terrific terrace and it's open for dinner, lunch and brunch. Great decor.
Crazy popular casual dining spot opposite Skycity casino...small tables and you're cheek to cheek but excellent food and raw bar. Be prepared to wait, or pop next door to the asian bar for an excellent cocktail while you wait! No bookings taken - and the wait at peak times can be longer than 30mins.
101 locals recommend
Depot
86 Federal St
101 locals recommend
Crazy popular casual dining spot opposite Skycity casino...small tables and you're cheek to cheek but excellent food and raw bar. Be prepared to wait, or pop next door to the asian bar for an excellent cocktail while you wait! No bookings taken - and the wait at peak times can be longer than 30mins.
If you're craving a corned beef sandwich and pickle come here! It's the closest thing we have to a NY retro styled diner. We recommend the schnitzel and the banoffee pie - killer! Small tables only so not great for 6+. They don't take bookings but there are nearby places where you can grab a drink while you wait.
79 locals recommend
Federal Delicatessen
86 Federal Street
79 locals recommend
If you're craving a corned beef sandwich and pickle come here! It's the closest thing we have to a NY retro styled diner. We recommend the schnitzel and the banoffee pie - killer! Small tables only so not great for 6+. They don't take bookings but there are nearby places where you can grab a drink while you wait.
Open during the day for breakfast and lunch only this new popular cafe is fully vegan, and easy walking distance from the house.
6 locals recommend
The Butcher's Son
204 Jervois Rd
6 locals recommend
Open during the day for breakfast and lunch only this new popular cafe is fully vegan, and easy walking distance from the house.
Best location upstairs in the Viaduct - good food and drinks and lovely place to sit late afternoon and into the evening.
8 locals recommend
Saint Alice
204 Quay St
8 locals recommend
Best location upstairs in the Viaduct - good food and drinks and lovely place to sit late afternoon and into the evening.
Features a range of counter order casual eafood eateries – poke, wet bar, Thai, pizza, and try the mini pop up from Azabu (our favourite Peruvian Japanese from Ponsonby Rd). Also great position near the downtown waterfront and America's Cup area.
54 locals recommend
Auckland Fish Market
22-32 Jellicoe St
54 locals recommend
Features a range of counter order casual eafood eateries – poke, wet bar, Thai, pizza, and try the mini pop up from Azabu (our favourite Peruvian Japanese from Ponsonby Rd). Also great position near the downtown waterfront and America's Cup area.
Just along the road in walking distance, this well-loved local eatery and bar is always popular. Modern Italian classic and great snack food to accompany a cocktail or two. You don’t need to book but it wouldn’t hurt to on a Friday or Saturday night.
23 locals recommend
Andiamo Eatery
194 Jervois Rd
23 locals recommend
Just along the road in walking distance, this well-loved local eatery and bar is always popular. Modern Italian classic and great snack food to accompany a cocktail or two. You don’t need to book but it wouldn’t hurt to on a Friday or Saturday night.

Essentials

dry cleaning and wash & fold service
8 locals recommend
Herne Bay Drycleaners Ltd
66 Jervois Rd
8 locals recommend
dry cleaning and wash & fold service
Full size grocery 10 minute walk from the house across Bayfield Park and Cox's Bay Reserve. NZ supermarkets don’t provide plastic shopping bags so grab the one under the sink to take with you.
48 locals recommend
Countdown Grey Lynn
271 Richmond Rd
48 locals recommend
Full size grocery 10 minute walk from the house across Bayfield Park and Cox's Bay Reserve. NZ supermarkets don’t provide plastic shopping bags so grab the one under the sink to take with you.
Premium food store with loads of deli items, takeout meals, flowers, wine, fresh produce and meats and cheeses. Adjacent to a couple of homewares stores and a great bakery called Bread & Butter. And there's a hardware store next door.
90 locals recommend
Farro Fresh Grey Lynn
34 Westmoreland St W
90 locals recommend
Premium food store with loads of deli items, takeout meals, flowers, wine, fresh produce and meats and cheeses. Adjacent to a couple of homewares stores and a great bakery called Bread & Butter. And there's a hardware store next door.
One of the better all purpose grocery stores near by.
157 locals recommend
New World Victoria Park
2 College Hill
157 locals recommend
One of the better all purpose grocery stores near by.
Closest coin-operated laundry to the house
7 locals recommend
Easy Wash Laundromat
1-3 Cowan St
7 locals recommend
Closest coin-operated laundry to the house
This is our closest coin operated laundromat.
7 locals recommend
Easy Wash Laundromat
1-3 Cowan St
7 locals recommend
This is our closest coin operated laundromat.

Drinks & Nightlife

Access via the entry to the REC bar - start to enter, then head right down the stairs into the basement - you'll see CARETAKER on the glass door in front of you. Low ceiling, underground, bespoke cocktails, cool music vibe..what's not to love. open late. https://www.thedenizen.co.nz/bon-vivant/caretaker/
23 locals recommend
Caretaker
Britomart Place
23 locals recommend
Access via the entry to the REC bar - start to enter, then head right down the stairs into the basement - you'll see CARETAKER on the glass door in front of you. Low ceiling, underground, bespoke cocktails, cool music vibe..what's not to love. open late. https://www.thedenizen.co.nz/bon-vivant/caretaker/
This tiny bar, we said tiny, is an institution on Ponsonby Road. Always plenty of retro music and friendly people.
6 locals recommend
Lime
167 Ponsonby Rd
6 locals recommend
This tiny bar, we said tiny, is an institution on Ponsonby Road. Always plenty of retro music and friendly people.
14 locals recommend
Mea Culpa
175 Ponsonby Rd
14 locals recommend
Always packed on a Friday, this place is a great people spotting venue on the waterfront. Bowling lanes, pizza, good honest food, DJs later in the week, and did I say people watching...
55 locals recommend
Dr Rudi's Rooftop Brewing Co.
204 Quay St
55 locals recommend
Always packed on a Friday, this place is a great people spotting venue on the waterfront. Bowling lanes, pizza, good honest food, DJs later in the week, and did I say people watching...
Elegant small locals wine bar in Ponsonby Road - walking distance (if you're wearing your flats!) https://www.thedenizen.co.nz/gastronomy/charming-new-local-wine-bar-opens-doors-ponsonby-three-lamps/
10 locals recommend
Annabel's
277 Ponsonby Rd
10 locals recommend
Elegant small locals wine bar in Ponsonby Road - walking distance (if you're wearing your flats!) https://www.thedenizen.co.nz/gastronomy/charming-new-local-wine-bar-opens-doors-ponsonby-three-lamps/
If you need a quick drink and want to walk, this is our neighbourhood bar. Fishsmiths is next door, so you can order your takeaways then take them next door and sit outside the bar with a glass of wine and eat them.
49 locals recommend
The Grill by Sean Connolly
85 Hobson Street
49 locals recommend
If you need a quick drink and want to walk, this is our neighbourhood bar. Fishsmiths is next door, so you can order your takeaways then take them next door and sit outside the bar with a glass of wine and eat them.
Terrific small cocktail bar on Ponsonby Road. The team really know their drinks. Trust their recommendations!
8 locals recommend
Deadshot
45 Ponsonby Rd
8 locals recommend
Terrific small cocktail bar on Ponsonby Road. The team really know their drinks. Trust their recommendations!