Mikano offers good looks, reliability and a sense of comfort with a touch of excitement.

It never ceases to amaze me how wide the range of opinion - or experience, which may not be the same thing - can be about a given restaurant.

We came here because we were on an expedition to Devonport and decided to try this cafe away from the main thoroughfare.

A Ponsonby Thai eatery is full of fun and freshness.

The end has come for Auckland restaurant Cin Cin on Quay, host to classy dinners on the waterfront since the late 1980s.

We came here because it’s something of a classic.

Hearty French fare is sometimes just the ticket to ease woes.

The chooks are dead. I did it. In the carport. With the secateurs.

Hanoi Village hasn't quite got it right when it comes to dinner but there are some tasty reasons to be hopeful.

We hadn't quite known what to expect at the Roxy, part of the massive remake of the old Imperial and Everybody's Buildings bordering both Fort Lane and Queen St at the Britomart end of town.

We came here because we were at the Mount for the weekend and thought this place stood out as having a bit of character.

If you can handle pushy service and bland decor, you'll be rewarded with some exceptionally good Malaysian cuisine at this New Lynn eatery.

The menu may be brief but still leaves something to be desired.

A Newmarket tapas bar can help you relive those hot nights in the streets of Spain.

The sophisticated menu at Waiheke vineyard Te Motu's restaurant The Shed is astonishingly good.

I have spent more of the Professor's money than I really should have at the Auckland Fish Market. Whenever my Vespa gets within a whiff of the place its handlebars seem to take on a life of their own.

I don't take great trouble to disguise my identity when I eat out. The photo above may suggest some coyness, but I am unmasked on the Herald's website. I book in an assumed name and the Professor usually takes the lead when we arrive. But that's it.

Auckland's newest bistro will appeal to all.

A neighbourhood Thai eatery lets itself down by resting on its laurels.

Canvas reviewers have found some great spots to enjoy a flat white and bite to eat this summer.

Peter Calder rounds up the best places he's dined at this year.

Heading over the Shore? Why not pop by to the Swiss Bakery for pastries and divine coffee.