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
- 2 days
- First-time visitor, two 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.
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Day 1Day 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.
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Day 2Day 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
- 1 day
- Day-tripper, single day
A full day from Auckland's downtown ferry to Waiheke Island's vineyards. Three winery lunches, a ferry back at sunset.
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Day 1Auckland 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.
StopsMudbrick Vineyard (Waiheke)Stonyridge Vineyard (Waiheke)
Auckland three-day deep dive
- ★ 4.7
- 3 days
- Returning visitor, longer stay
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.
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Day 1Day 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.
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Day 2Day 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.
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Day 3Day 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.
StopsAhi
Auckland coffee and cafe crawl
- 1 day
- Coffee lover, one day
A single-day Auckland walk threading the Atomic Coffee chain with the city's Bestie and Ortolana brunch anchors.
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Day 1Day 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
- 2 days
- Fine dining lover, two days
A weekend threading Auckland's modern NZ fine dining anchors: Amano, Ahi, Cazador and Culprit.
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Day 1Saturday: 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.
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Day 2Sunday: 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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Making a trip of these plans? Where to stay in Auckland, what to book ahead, and a car for the day trips. Prices and availability open on each partner's site.