Five of the best: Sandwiches

Pork and fennel sausage sandwich at Ceremony Cafe, Grafton. Photo / Michael Craig

A well-crafted sandwich is a beautiful thing. You know, when the composer picks the perfect kind of bread to hug together a delicious combo of fillings — that’s heaven. A good sandwich should have your mouth watering at its mention. Here are five of the best we’ve tried around Auckland.

1: Ceremony Grafton

7 Park Rd, Grafton

This newish joint - run by childhood best buds, Connor Nestor and Charles Williams - has breathed new life into Grafton. Specialising in brioche buns inspired by LA hipster hangouts, the menu is a short, sweet list of $12 sambos, with a common theme of eggs over-easy. The pork and fennel sausage with cheddar, slaw and sriracha mayo is our
pick but it's worth asking about the special.

We suggest eating in and soaking up the community vibe these beanie-clad boys are doing so well.

2: Federal Delicatessen

86 Federal St, Auckland

Al Brown's take on a New York-style diner features a full list of bagels and sandwiches - but if we had to pick one for you to try it's the chicken salad sandwich for its crunchy chicken skin, shredded iceberg lettuce and a tiny jug of the most delicious dipping gravy you've ever tasted. Do yourself a favour, take a friend so you can justify a side of poutine as well. The service here is great and despite being crammed most lunch hours, you don't usually have to wait too long for a seat.

3: The Return of Rad

397 Mt Eden Rd, Mt Eden

Take your pick from the four Rad rolls baked fresh each morning - they all read, well... rad. Owner, Duke Tran, will always suggest Grandma's pork banh mi ($13.50) for first-timers and you will see why. The light and crispy roll is brimming with Viet-style marinated pork, pickled daikon, carrots, cucumber, coriander, mild red chilli and a slick of chicken cognac pate. The coffee here is also a major drawcard - they're dedicated to brewing some of the best from Eight Thirty beans and on a flash Strada espresso machine.

4: Goodness Gracious

2A New North Rd, Eden Terrace

On a read of the lengthy list of alluring New York-style bagels at Goodness Gracious you will already be planning your next visit to try another. We see pulled pork and find it hard to go much further - the $11 Wilbur bagel is adorned with the spiced meat, house-made slaw and apple chutney. We dig it best on a dense, delicious sesame bagel and there are gluten-free options available if that's your deal. This pocket-sized cafe will make them for you to go, but the fillings are so generous we suggest pulling up a pew out the front and really get your chops around them.

5: The Store

The Pavilions at Britomart
5B Gore St, Britomart

The cabinet food here is some of the best you'll cast your eyes over - The Store is a perfect place to pick up a sandwich and find a sunny spot on the lawn across the street. This Hip Group eatery bakes artisan bread and pastries in-house and they smell so good you'll find it hard to make up your mind. Don't leave lunch too late or you may find your options limited. If we could choose it would be the seasonal vegetable baguette with hummus, emmental, mayo and greens ($7) - they pride themselves on the freshest of produce and are a vegetarian's delight.