Eat in Karangahape Road, Auckland

Bar Magda ★ 4.6

Bar Magda runs Carlo Buenaventura's modern Filipino kitchen from a basement room on Cross Street off Karangahape Road in Auckland. Cuisine-hat listed.

Signature: Adobo, Kinilaw, Halo-halo

Pici ★ 4.5

Pici hand-rolls pasta in Shop 22 of St Kevins Arcade on Karangahape Road in Auckland. Tuscan-style cooking, natural wines, a queue-only counter.

Signature: Hand-rolled pici pasta, Cacio e pepe, Beef ragu

Gemmayze Street ★ 4.4

Gemmayze Street has run Lebanese cooking from Shop 16 of St Kevins Arcade off Karangahape Road, Auckland since 2016. Mezze, charcoal grill, family recipes.

Signature: Lamb shawarma, Mezze board, Manakeesh

Apero ★ 4.5

Apero is a narrow bistro at 280 Karangahape Road in Auckland with rustic European sharing food and a tight natural wine list. Cuisine Good Food one-hat list.

Signature: Charcuterie, Roast chicken, Steak frites

Bestie ★ 4.6

Bestie runs a sunny cafe in Shop 13 of St Kevins Arcade off Karangahape Road, Auckland. Brunch plates, seasonal cakes and specialty filter coffee.

Signature drink: Filter coffee with seasonal cake

Bar Magda ★ 4.7

Bar Magda runs a tight low-intervention wine list alongside Carlo Buenaventura's Filipino kitchen at 25B Cross Street, Auckland. Cuisine-hat listed.

Signature pour: Natural wines by the glass

Wine focus: Lo-fi and natural wines with a Filipino kitchen

Food: Modern Filipino small plates

Apero ★ 4.6

Apero at 280 Karangahape Road in Auckland is the city's tightest natural wine list, paired with rustic European sharing plates. Cuisine Good Food hat.

Signature pour: Natural Loire chenin by the glass

Wine focus: Natural and biodynamic wines, European-leaning

Food: Rustic French bistro plates

Pici ★ 4.5

Pici pairs Italian natural wines with hand-rolled pasta from Shop 22 of St Kevins Arcade, Auckland. Tight list, intimate counter room, queue-only entry.

Signature pour: Italian pet-nat by the glass

Wine focus: Italian natural wines

Food: Hand-rolled Tuscan pasta

Atelier ★ 4.2

Atelier at 292 Karangahape Road is one of the K Road strip's newer cocktail rooms in Auckland. Airy room, after-work cocktails, first-date energy.

Signature drink: Seasonal cocktail menu

Food: Bar snacks

Sly ★ 4.5

Sly is a hidden K Road speakeasy at 354A Karangahape Road in Auckland with cocktails, hot dogs and a tight 20-seat room behind an unmarked door.

Signature drink: Cocktail and hot dog pairing

Food: Hot dogs and snacks

GG x Flamingo ★ 4.1

GG x Flamingo at 271 Karangahape Road in Auckland is a tropical tiki room on the K Road strip. Tiki cocktails, kitsch decor, late Friday-Saturday hours.

Signature drink: Tropical tiki cocktail

Food: Bar snacks

Gemmayze Street ★ 4.4

Gemmayze Street in St Kevins Arcade off Karangahape Road, Auckland runs Lebanese family recipes with mezze and manakeesh at sub-NZD $30 main prices.

Try: Mezze board and manakeesh

Bar Magda ★ 4.7

Bar Magda is a basement Filipino wine bar off Cross Street, Auckland; Cuisine-hat-listed three years running, 30 seats. Carlo Buenaventura's kitchen leads.

Why locals love it: A basement Filipino wine bar off Cross Street that punches above its 30 seats, Cuisine-hat-listed three years running and tucked off the K Road strip.

Tip: Book the front pair of high-tops if you can; the kitchen window is right there and the wine pours land first.

Sly ★ 4.4

Sly is a genuine K Road speakeasy in Auckland behind an unmarked door at 354A Karangahape Road. Cocktails, hot dogs and a 20-seat room you book ahead.

Why locals love it: A genuine speakeasy at 354A Karangahape Road behind an unmarked door, with cocktails and hot dogs on the menu in Auckland.

Tip: Look for the half-illuminated sign next to a tattoo shop; the door is unmarked and the room small.

Bestie ★ 4.3

Bestie sits inside St Kevins Arcade off Karangahape Road in Auckland. Brunch plates, seasonal cakes, filter coffee and a neighbourhood corner-room feel.

Why locals love it: An arcade cafe in Shop 13 of St Kevins Arcade with bright food and house cakes, in an arcade most Aucklanders walk past without entering.

Tip: Take the late-Sunday window; the queues clear after 14:00 and the cake counter still has stock.

Bestie ★ 4.5

Bestie in St Kevins Arcade off Karangahape Road, Auckland runs brunch through to 4pm on weekends. French toast, seasonal cakes and filter coffee.

Order: Brioche French toast with seasonal fruit

Bar Magda ★ 4.6

Bar Magda runs Filipino kitchen and natural wines from 25B Cross Street in Auckland until 1am Friday and Saturday. Magda is the city's tightest counter.

Try: Adobo and natural wines

Sly ★ 4.4

Sly speakeasy at 354A Karangahape Road, Auckland runs late on weekends. Hot dogs at 1am, cocktails to match; the strip's K Road late-night anchor.

Try: Hot dogs and cocktails

GG x Flamingo ★ 4.1

GG x Flamingo at 271 Karangahape Road in Auckland holds the weekend late shift, with tiki cocktails running to 3am Friday and Saturday on the K Road strip.

Try: Tiki cocktails and bar snacks

Sly ★ 4.4

Sly is a genuine K Road speakeasy in Auckland behind an unmarked door. Cocktails and hot dogs on a tight 20-seat counter; weekend-only late nights.

GG x Flamingo ★ 4.2

GG x Flamingo at 271 Karangahape Road is a tiki bar on Auckland's queer K Road strip. Late-night Friday-Saturday tiki cocktails, mixed crowd.

Atelier ★ 4.3

Atelier on Karangahape Road, Auckland is a casual cocktail bar with after-work and late-night DJ rotations on weekends. Airy, casual room on the K Road strip.