Hangi Master chef Rewi Spraggon. Photo / Faanati Mamea, Supplied
Auckland is awash with great options for dining, drinking and playing so sometimes the choice can be overwhelming. To get some help, we turned to local experts.
Where is your favourite place in Auckland to go for breakfast/brunch?
Amano in Britomart. They're consistent, the bakery is fabulous, and you know what you're going to get - you can guarantee you're going to get fed well and consistently. The staff and the food are top level. My favourite is kingfish and I always ask for their raw dish.
Where would you go for a long lunch?
Peter Gordon's Homeland on Westhaven Drive. It's just beautiful there and he's got a great menu. I like the story of Homeland and it's all New Zealand produce. They've put in time to get to know the suppliers, which is important. You're not guessing where the buffalo cheese is from or where other ingredients are from. The narrative and the story comes through the menu pretty well.
Is there a different place you'd choose for a romantic dinner?
I'd always go to Ahi at Commercial Bay. The food is off the planet, it's another level. Luckily my friends are all foodies and chefs and they appreciate good food. Every time you go, there's something new they've experimented with and the flavour is phenomenal. It's like there's a party going on in your mouth. They're just another level, creative, and they use a lot of indigenous produce as well.
How about for dinner with a group of friends?
Saint Alice has a cool vibe, looking out on to the Viaduct. With friends I'd rather be there, there's a DJ in the background and the Kiwi tacos are my favourite - because they use my hangi pork shoulder in a fry bread.
What are some of your other favourite places to visit in Auckland?
Where I live, Bethells Beach Te Henga - that's the best beach in the world. And the Arataki Visitor Centre up in Titirangi, that's just cool looking over boat harbours and into the bush. They're two of my favourite places. Bethells is a very spiritual place - rolling landscapes, the wetlands are amazing, the lakes are superb and the coast is rugged. It's just open, wild and you appreciate nature whether you go on a blustery day or a calm day. It's more about the feeling of the place and the spiritual connection. I'd also go to one of the maunga, Maungauika North Head. They're magical - these ancient cones are like big monuments that have always been there.
Rewi Spraggon, aka Hangi Master, is a chef and TV presenter. hangimaster.co.nz
Where is your favourite place in Auckland to go for breakfast/brunch?
Ozone in Grey Lynn. I love it because the atmosphere is really fun. They've put their kitchen in the centre of the restaurant, so you can sit at the counter or at the tables. It always feels kind of buzzy and there's always something going on, something to watch.
Where would you go for a long lunch?
I love Beau in Ponsonby Rd. They've only been open for about a year and the menu changes all the time - at least once a week, probably more. It's run by this young, vivacious couple - she runs the wine, he runs the kitchen. And they do a lot of snacky things that are perfect for a long lunch. You can have a glass of wine, have a snack, change it up, try this and that. You can easily find yourself eating the entire menu.
How about for dinner with a group of friends?
For that I would go to Churly's Brew Pub & Eatery, which is where The Lady Butcher is based. The food is amazing, and you don't need to worry about getting a bit loud - and my friends and I can get a bit loud. I would specifically go on a Wednesday for the prime cut night when they do big steaks - wagyu, tomahawk, T-bones. They're all large and perfect for sharing, so you need a group to get through it.
Is there a different place you'd choose for a romantic dinner?
I'd go to Apero on K Rd. The ambiance is so cosy and welcoming. The food is perfect for sharing - on a date you want to be as engaged with your date as you are with the food. And the service is so good - it's like, here's more wine, here's more food - you don't need to think about a thing. I go for their charcuterie and especially the pate en croute - it's a terrine cooked in pastry and served cold. Any of their terrines are fantastic, and they often contain some foie gras, which is definitely my guilty pleasure.
What are some of your other favourite places to visit in Auckland?
I love on a Saturday morning to get up early and go to the Parnell farmers' market. It's just behind the library at the Newmarket end of Parnell. I pick up a coffee, pick up some veges, and if I'm feeling a bit naughty I get this frozen yoghurt from the Lalele food truck - you can have it with granola so it feels like breakfast.
Hannah Childs, aka The Lady Butcher, makes charcuterie using New Zealand produce. Find her at Churly's Brew Pub on Dominion Rd, or at aladybutcher.co.nz
Where is your favourite place in Auckland to go for breakfast/brunch?
I love being able to walk to a local cafe for breakfast. For us, that's either Marua Cafe or Open Table, which are both close to home in Ellerslie. Both are busy with families, which is always a good sign when you also have a young family.
Where would you go for a long lunch?
Hallertau in Riverhead has an awesome selection of super fresh beers that are brewed on site. This is very important to a brewer. They also have great food, a relaxed setting and space for the kids to play. This is all I need to settle in for a few hours as a family or with a group of friends.
How about for dinner with a group of friends?
Depot at Sky City has a fantastic menu with a great beer and wine list and really knowledgeable staff. We often go there and let the staff handle the majority of the ordering so we can just relax and enjoy the evening. Bone marrow shots with a heavily peated single malt whisky are a memorable food experience that I first encountered there.
Is there a different place you'd choose for a romantic dinner?
Oyster and Chop at the Viaduct is a favourite dining experience for my wife Caroline and I. I really enjoy the freshly shucked oysters at the bar during happy hour, matched with a glass of bubbles. We usually follow this with dinner at a quiet table for two.
What are some of your other favourite places to visit in Auckland?
We're spoiled in Auckland with so many great outdoor spaces that are easily accessible. I love climbing our local maunga with the kids: Mt Wellington, Mt Eden, One Tree Hill and North Head are our favourites. Going for a swim at Stanmore Bay at the peak of summer is definitely a highlight. The wild West Coast beaches are also a favourite. We love walking to Whites Beach from North Piha. There are spectacular views on the walk over and the beach is like an amphitheatre carved out of the bush. You can feel alone in the world only an hour from the centre of the city.
Hamish Ward is head brewer for Isthmus Brewing Co, whose Isthmus 3D IPA is one of the beers featured in the New World Beer & Cider Awards Top 30. newworld.co.nz/Top30
Where is your favourite place in Auckland to go for breakfast/brunch?
Choosing a favourite brunch spot is like trying to choose a favourite child . . . but here are a couple. Firstly, I love Odettes. It's a place where they've paid such much attention to detail. From the warm and welcoming interior to the absolutely delicious food centred around seasonality and locality. Secondly, I love Kind in Morningside because of its luscious hanging plants, the light-filled space, the sustainability and community-focused approach. All of it translates into wholesome, delicious kai.
Where would you go for a long lunch?
I recently had a brilliant long lunch at The Candy Shop with an old friend. Once inside, you wouldn't know that you're in the middle of Newmarket. I love the exposed brick walls and really enjoy how they've developed the space to feel so open and yet private. The food and drink options are vast and variable, perfect for sharing. A diverse range of flavours, from refreshing and light to comforting and moreish. And there were treats for after lunch for when we were still catching up.
How about for dinner with a group of friends?
Sri Panang on Karanghape Rd is the best place for a group catch up. The menu is just so vast, meaning there's something for everyone. The best way to eat here is to order a bunch of dishes to share. The staff and kitchen are incredibly accommodating and helpful, making any necessary adjustments and giving the best recommendations. The maitre d' commands such a presence, putting everyone at ease. They're down to earth and the food is delicious. It's such a great time. Just make sure to book!
Is there a different place you'd choose for a romantic dinner?
Forest in Eden Terrace is the place I often recommend for a romantic dinner. It's intimate, considered and curious. Plabita, the owner and chef, is a wizard with food. She sources her produce locally from Kelmarna Gardens and crafts things you wouldn't even think to create. She makes you rethink what food is and how it's prepared. It's big enough that you're not in another table's pockets, and small enough that you can converse effortlessly about how amazing the food is. Definitely try the carrot Fanta.
What are some of your other favourite places to visit in Auckland?
OMG at Upper Symonds St, to see an amazing regenerative urban market garden in action. Duck Island (Newmarket, Ponsonby) for the best icecream (dairy-free too) in town. Wise Boys Burgers in Grey Lynn for the best vegan burgers and fries in town.
One of my favourite things to do on a Saturday is cycle The Twin Streams path to Shed Collective Markets in Oratia to enjoy the plant-based food, gardens, and music. Federal Deli is a great place to catch up with friends or go out for a casual date night with my partner. Ponsonby Food Court has casual cheap eats and the best people-watching. Cielito Lindo in Henderson has some of the best Mexican food in town. Afterwards, you can visit the Tipping Point Recycling shop just down the road at the Waitakere recycling station.
For more shopping I'd go to Kowtow and Twenty Seven Names in Newmarket - beautiful stores, beautiful clothes; Widdess in Ponsonby for dreamy dresses and trinkets; Moana Fresh in Avondale, which celebrates Pacific and Māori artists and designers; and The Hospice and Salvation Army op shops in New Lynn - sometimes we find a gem, sometimes nothing and that's the thrill.
Yeshe Dawa, aka The Midnight Baker, is the creator of the Freedom Loaf, a gluten-, dairy-, refined-sugar- and yeast-free bread, served at cafes and restaurants across the country. Her bakery is on Dominion Rd in Auckland. themidnightbaker.co.nz
For more New Zealand travel ideas and inspiration, go to newfinder.co.nz and newzealand.com
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