Day-by-day eating plans for Auckland. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Auckland weekend: the classics, done right ★ 4.7

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A weekend through Auckland's strongest food precincts: Britomart for Italian and Spanish breakfast through dinner, Karangahape Road for the new wine bars and natural wine lists, and the Ponsonby strip for tasting menus.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: Britomart, La Cigale, K Road

    Morning
    La Cigale French Market on St Georges Bay Road, Parnell at 09:00. Cheese, pastry, fresh fruit; eat your way through the stalls.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Ortolana on Tyler Street, Britomart. Pappardelle with lamb ragu, market fish, half a bottle of Italian.
    Evening
    Cocktails at Caretaker basement on Customs Street East in Britomart, then dinner at Bar Magda's Filipino room on Cross Street with natural wine pairings.

  2. Day 2: Day 2: Ponsonby, Britomart, SkyCity

    Morning
    Daily Bread Ponsonby at 108 Ponsonby Road at 08:00. Kouign amann and a flat white from Coffee Supreme.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Amano on Tyler Street in Britomart. Hand-rolled pasta, wood-fired sourdough and a wine list two stops deep.
    Evening
    Dinner at Metita on Level 3 of The Grand by SkyCity on Federal Street. Michael Meredith's Pasifika room; modern Pacific cooking with whole reef fish and coconut sharing plates.

Waiheke Island wine day from Auckland ★ 4.6

Day-tripper, single day1 day

A full day from Auckland's downtown ferry to Waiheke Island's vineyards. Three winery lunches, a ferry back at sunset.

  1. Day 1: Auckland to Waiheke and back

    Morning
    Ferry from downtown Auckland Ferry Building to Matiatia (Waiheke) at 09:30. 35 minutes across the Hauraki Gulf.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Mudbrick Vineyard on Church Bay Road, then tastings at Stonyridge Vineyard on Onetangi Road for the Larose Bordeaux blend.
    Evening
    Sunset ferry back to Auckland from Matiatia, then a late drink at Caretaker on Customs Street East in Britomart.

Auckland three-day deep dive ★ 4.7

Returning visitor, longer stay3 days

A three-day plan ending at Matakana on Saturday morning. Britomart and Ponsonby Friday, Mount Eden and K Road Saturday afternoon, Matakana Saturday market on the way out.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: Britomart and Ponsonby

    Morning
    Breakfast at Amano on Tyler Street; soft-boiled eggs and prosciutto. Walk Britomart's restored warehouse streets.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Hugo's Bistro on Shortland Street, then Atomic Rocket Store on Ponsonby Road for filter coffee.
    Evening
    Dinner at Azabu Ponsonby at 26 Ponsonby Road. Nikkei Japanese-Peruvian small plates, then cocktails at Clipper down the strip.

  2. Day 2: Day 2: Forest, K Road, Mount Eden

    Morning
    Brunch at Bestie in St Kevins Arcade off Karangahape Road. French toast and filter coffee.
    Afternoon
    Walk Karangahape Road from Pici to Apero. Lunch at Pici hand-rolled pasta with Italian natural wines.
    Evening
    Dinner at Forest on Dominion Road in Mount Eden. Plabita Florence's vegetarian tasting room; Metro Restaurant of the Year 2024.

  3. Day 3: Day 3: Matakana on the way out

    Morning
    Drive 1 hour north to Matakana Village. Matakana Farmers Market at 2 Matakana Valley Road runs Saturdays 08:00 to 13:00; time the trip for a Saturday.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Sawmill Brewery's Smoko Room on Leigh Road, Matakana. Brewery-and-pit-cooking pairings.
    Evening
    Drive back to Auckland for a final dinner at Ahi at Commercial Bay; fire-cooked Modern NZ tasting menu.

Auckland coffee and cafe crawl

Coffee lover, one day1 day

A single-day Auckland walk threading the Atomic Coffee chain with the city's Bestie and Ortolana brunch anchors.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: Atomic morning, Britomart brunch, Ponsonby dinner

    Morning
    Open at Atomic Kingsland at 08:00 for a pour-over and pastry.
    Afternoon
    Brunch at Ortolana at Britomart with the seasonal NZ menu.
    Evening
    Aperitif at Apero on K Road. Dinner at Azabu Ponsonby with the Japanese-Peruvian tasting.

Auckland modern NZ tasting weekend

Fine dining lover, two days2 days

A weekend threading Auckland's modern NZ fine dining anchors: Amano, Ahi, Cazador and Culprit.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: brunch, lunch, Amano tasting

    Morning
    Brunch at Hugos Bistro with the Auckland morning plate.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Depot Eatery with shellfish and small plates.
    Evening
    Dinner at Amano with the contemporary NZ tasting menu and a NZ Riesling pairing.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: brunch, Ahi tasting, Bar Magda finish

    Morning
    Brunch at Ortolana at Britomart.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Cazador with the modern NZ wild-game menu.
    Evening
    Dinner at Ahi at Commercial Bay with the fire-cooked modern NZ tasting. Nightcap at Bar Magda.
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