The Best Places To Eat In Auckland’s Eastern Suburbs, From Pakūranga To Clevedon

A round-up of what’s great to eat and drink in the Eastern reaches of Tāmaki Makaurau, from Pakūranga to Clevedon

Hallertau

Hallertau’s biergarten nails the “friendly country pub, but elevate it” brief. The kids’ playground and live music line-up lay the foundation for enjoying hearty food and drinks made with passion, including Hallertau’s own. Wine comes on tap and award-winning beers are named by number, 1 to 10. I always make a beeline for the seasonal brews that make the most of local laden trees such as grapefruit, tangelo and feijoa. Hallertau has just celebrated its 20th birthday, a milestone that proves its mettle.

Daisy Chang

Its fans reckon the Asian fusion that’s dished up at Howick’s Daisy Chang is the best in the city – from silken tofu and soft shell crab bao to eight-hour smashed braised beef. The handsome interior adds to the experience, with plenty of remnants from the antique shop that formerly occupied the space woven into the lively design by renowned stylist and East Auckland resident Fiona Hugues.

Despensa

Also in Howick, Despensa brings the Mexican magic: margaritas, tacos and more, and live music on Sunday afternoons.

Behind petite pizzeria Posto is a young couple who swapped Sydney’s Surry Hills for suburban Auckland several years ago. They do things the traditional way; a biga starter kicks off the high-hydration dough, toppings are classic rather than kooky, and the pizzas cooked to puffy perfection in a woodfired brick oven. It’s licensed, too.

Ghorka

Ghorka sits on the promenade overlooking pine tree-lined Eastern Beach and offers Indian, Indo-Chinese and Nepalese dishes.

The Burbs Cafe

If the shoreside suburb of Farm Cove already feels like a tucked-away idyll, a relaxing brunch at The Burbs Cafe confirms it – all the classics and great cheese scones, too.

Dear Deer Coffee Roasting Bar

Yukichi Shikano’s great uncle and father paved the way for coffee culture in Japan, and Yukichi continues the legacy, his Dear Deer Coffee Roasting Bar showcasing Japanese coffee culture, with four branches now including one in Pakūranga. This is your chance to explore beans from all over the coffee-producing world, blends and single-origin, and to try them brewed via various methods.

Water Drop Vege Cafe

Farm House Cafe

In a pretty white villa surrounded by gardens amid the pastures of Clevedon, Farm House Cafe is quite the bucolic hideaway. The sister business to Hill House Cafe at Pah Homestead is the home of what many deem to be Auckland’s best cinnamon buns – and not the mass-produced kind. There are plenty more treats to be had too, including gelato churned in-house.

Picasso Cafe

Get your fix of Middle Eastern-meets-French baking at Picasso Cafe in Burswood. This halal cafe takes the croissant in many directions – classic au natural, loaded with sweet toppings including Biscoff and Dubai Chocolate, or filled with a variety of interesting savoury combos. Or perhaps you fancy a fatayer, a boat-shaped pide with various Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-leaning toppings.

Clevedon Village Market

Each Sunday from 8am till 1pm, the showgrounds in Clevedon come alive with Clevedon Village Farmers Market. Now in its 20th year, the market has more than 60 stalls and you’ll meet the very folk who grew, raised or made the produce. It’s dog-friendly, and kids love the pony rides on offer. Nibble on a Bloom’s stuffed pretzel while you peruse the wares – this is a food-focused market, there are no craft or bric-a-brac stalls getting in the way of your tastebuds, but plenty of fresh produce, artisan products and things to scoff on the spot.

From spring to early winter when tomatoes are in season, a photo with the Curious Croppers’ famously cranky looking heirlooms, coaxed to ripeness just down the road by Angela and Anthony Tringham, is a must while buying a bag to take home and savour. Try a twist on the usual beef mince pie – pasture-raised buffalo mince is wrapped in buttery pastry by Clevedon Buffalo Co, who also make the most lusciously soft buffalo milk cheeses imaginable.

An array of Asian restaurants

There are so many great places to enjoy a diverse range of Asian cuisine in these eastern reaches of the city – spin a bottle in Botany Town Centre and see where you land. In Meadowlands, check out Eden Noodles for Sichuan, Hungry Head for Cantonese and Anh’s Vietnamese for steaming bowls of pho. In Highland Park, Welfare BBQ excels at Chinese barbecued meats, and popular Korean restaurant Daamso in East Tāmaki is under new ownership and has a new name, New Seoul – on a cold day its gamjatang (pork bone soup) is the answer.

A local’s top picks

I asked Flat Bush-based Vanessa Zhao, a photographer who runs the hugely popular social media account Foodies Table alongside her partner Anthony Gray, for some of her favourite places in her neighbourhood.

The Dining Hall

Tucked away in a big plaza of Asian restaurants in Meadowland, it serves some of the best Chinese barbecue in Auckland. The owner brews his own beer and yoghurt, a rare and impressive touch which makes a perfect combination with barbecue. The meats are always top-quality, marinated to perfection and consistently served with warm, welcoming hospitality.

9 Gooch Place, Somerville

Heng Zone

Perfect for indecisive eaters like us, Heng Zone offers affordable small portions. The roast chicken on rice and spicy baked rice are the standouts we keep going back for.

22A Torrens Rd, Burswood

Show-Wa Noodles

The best spicy tonkotsu ramen is East Auckland’s best-kept secret – a rich, deep broth with just the right kick, paired with perfectly chewy noodles. If you’re a ramen lover, this is a must-try.

39 Bishop Dunn Place, Flat Bush

The Rustic Pizzeria

Halal-certified, Neapolitan-style pizzas with a perfect char from the woodfire. The airy, bouncy texture of the dough means you won’t want to throw away the crust. We had the pleasure of collaborating on a limited-edition Korean spicy pizza with them.

2/1 Bellingham Rd, Flat Bush

Jax Burger Shack

This is the spot to go to if you want the most massive loaded burgers, milkshakes and loaded brownies. If Anthony could eat one thing for the rest of his life it would definitely be burgers, and this spot is one of his picks.

2/64 Ormiston Rd, East Tāmaki

Anna King Shahab is a food and travel writer and the founder of Lazy Susan, an online community with Auckland food and drink recommendations.

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