Depot Eatery ★ 4.7
Depot is Al Brown's no-reservations Federal Street eatery under the Sky Tower in Auckland CBD. Charcoal grill, raw bar, communal high-top seating.
Signature: Snapper sliders, Tuatua fritters, Oysters from the bar
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Auckland actually eats.
Where to eat well, no fuss
Ortolana ★ 4.6
Ortolana sits on the corner of Tyler Street in the Britomart pavilions in Auckland. Italian bistro by day and dinner; the name means market gardener.
Signature: Pappardelle with lamb ragu, Market fish, Chicken cotoletta
Hugo's Bistro ★ 4.6
Hugo's Bistro on Shortland Street in Auckland CBD runs all-day European cooking from the charcoal grill. One Cuisine Good Food hat 2024 to 2025; Metro Top 50.
Signature: Charcoal-grilled fish, Burrata with seasonal fruit, Bistro steak
Hello Beasty ★ 4.2
Hello Beasty mixes Japanese, Korean and Chinese influences on Customs Street West in Auckland CBD. The city's most-booked Asian fusion room.
Signature: Beef tartare with kimchi, Pork bao, Crispy duck
Azabu Ponsonby ★ 4.5
Azabu runs Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) cooking from a corner at 26 Ponsonby Road on the Grey Lynn edge of Auckland. Sashimi tostadas, pisco cocktails.
Signature: Tuna sashimi tostadas, Pisco-glazed beef, Nikkei tiradito
Non Solo Pizza ★ 4.0
Non Solo Pizza is a long-running Parnell Road Italian room in Auckland. Wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta, garden bar; opened in the 1990s, still busy.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Hand-rolled pasta, Tiramisu
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
Ada ★ 4.3
Ada runs Italian-inspired sharing plates from a former convent at 454 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland. Pasta, wood-fired bread, stocked cellar.
Signature: Fresh pasta, Wood-fired focaccia, Negroni
Azabu Mission Bay ★ 4.2
Azabu Mission Bay is the eastern-bays sibling of the Ponsonby room, with Nikkei Japanese-Peruvian cooking at 44 Tamaki Drive on the Auckland waterfront.
Signature: Tuna tostadas, Nikkei ceviche, Maki rolls
East ★ 4.0
East is a fully vegetarian modern Asian room on the ground floor of the Sudima Hotel at 63-67 Nelson Street, Auckland CBD. Sunday vegan yum cha service.
Signature: Vegan yum cha, Vegetable dumplings, Tofu claypot