The Viva Top 50 Restaurants In Auckland 2025
The most anticipated event on Viva’s food and drink calendar returns for 2025, ready to inspire your summer of restaurant dining. Viva’s dining out editor Jesse Mulligan is this year joined by new judge, food writer Kelly Gibney, and the pair have been busily eating their way around Auckland to find the best of the best. This is their top 50 for 2025, including a Supreme Winner, a top 10, and some special category winners.
A word from our judges
Jesse Mulligan, Dining Out Editor
Welcome to the list that took 10,000 mouthfuls of food to write. We’ve been quietly making our way around Auckland’s best restaurants, and we’re so excited to share what we’ve discovered with you.
I’m joined this year by Kelly Gibney, who I’ve been fan-girling for more than 10 years in her various roles as cook, restaurateur and recipe writer. As a critic, she notices things others would completely miss, and she can interpret them to work out what might be going on behind the scenes. If a chef is feeling stressed, she can taste it in his consommé.
Where would we send you without hesitation? For all the technical notes and observations, it really comes down to this question. Every dollar counts right now, and there is nothing worse than feeling like you’ve spent your hard-earned money on a dud. Well, there are no duds on this list. It is a sparkling, shiny list of restaurants that feel good from start to finish.
We live in an age of disposability, but this is not a disposable list. We want you to cut it out and paste it to the fridge (or whatever is your online equivalent).
Congratulations to all the restaurants that made it and remember that there is great eating to be had outside the 50, too. It’s a brutal process, and we send our love to all the restaurants who only narrowly missed out.
Kelly Gibney, Food Writer
You might be curious – yes, being a part of the judging team for the Viva Top 50 is as enjoyable a task as it sounds. I have had a brilliant time eating my way through Auckland’s restaurants over the judging period.
Creating an exceptional dining experience is a true high wire act. Obviously, the food needs to be phenomenal – the perfect scenario is that I’m served a meal I’m still thinking about days later – but this must be scaffolded by a dining space that is lit, scored and staffed with great skill. And all these elements need to be working together perfectly at all times, every single night. Sounds almost impossible, doesn’t it?
I can happily attest to having witnessed, as a diner, this remarkably high level of excellence at so many restaurants in Auckland.
Along with incredible food, exceptional service was a hallmark of our experiences this year. Charming, knowledgeable and deft front of house teams are doing a superb job supporting the work of their kitchens.
It was unbelievably hard to narrow the list down to just 50. We stretched out our deadline and went back and forth, agonising over the final ins and outs. We’ve ended up with a Top 50 we’re very excited about.
We promise that the restaurants on this list are worth your money, worth your time and will likely – as they did for me – leave you feeling incredibly positive and proud about the dining experiences Auckland is dishing up nightly.
Have your say
Did our judges get it right, or do you have some other ideas for who should have been included? Nominate your favourite restaurants using the hashtag #vivatop50 on social media, or email us – viva@nzherald.co.nz
Supreme winner
Tala
What Jesse Mulligan said:
Choosing a supreme winner usually takes hours of discussion and negotiation, but I will be honest and tell you that this year it only took a few seconds.
Of course we had to eat at more than 50 restaurants first. But after writing each name on a card and laying them out in front of us, the name Tala shone brighter than the rest. This is Tala’s year; the top award was never going anywhere else.
Pasture was one of the best restaurants in the Southern Hemisphere, and when the owners vacated suddenly in 2023 it was hard to imagine anyone having the courage and vision to take over this unique space. Enter Henry and Debby Onesemo, who had dreamed of creating a fine dining menu inspired by Henry’s impecunious childhood in Samoa. They have filled this restaurant space with love – for food, for each other and for the rituals of communal eating. The evening feels special from the moment you walk down their cobbled lane and somebody opens the door to welcome you in.
Your meal is delivered over eight to 13 courses, each one a tribute to or interpretation of Pasifika village eating. That means fresh tropical ingredients, but also references to the cheap supermarket food that has infiltrated the local diet. Chef Henry doesn’t romanticise a childhood where luxury was sprinkling Raro powder on a piece of apple, but he does turn it into something worthy of a bespoke ceramic plate in Parnell.
The handwashing ceremony towards the end of the meal is the most memorable thing I’ve experienced in 20 years of Auckland eating. In a world of grim realities, Tala is enchanting. There is nothing like it in the city, or the world.
Favourite dish: Roadside BBQ, a tribute to the small bites you’d pick up on the way to the beach in Samoa. It features the best sticky pork rib you will ever eat, rubbed with spices and molasses, then grilled over the coals and brushed with chili, lemongrass, honey and cumin salt.
What Kelly Gibney said:
Great storytelling through food is something many restaurants strive for, but few can pull off. It’s no easy task.
To be truly able to have the food do the talking – overexplaining by humans tends to quickly kill a vibe – is real artistry. Tala does a beautiful job of this.
From the non-alcoholic welcome drink that is handed to you upon arrival, to the first few courses that are eaten without cutlery, you very much feel that you are in the home of co-owner and chef Henry Onesemo. This is his vivid vision of what modern Samoan cuisine can be.
The dining room is inviting and polished with warm tones throughout. Hyper competent staff, including the chefs themselves, walk you through each course tableside with care and knowledge (but zero pretension) and there is, ever present, the incredible smell of fire-kissed food.
Executive Chef Onesemo and head Chef Tommy Hope walk a knife’s edge perfectly here when it comes to the food. Presenting absolutely delicious dishes that feel entirely real and grounded in Onesomo’s fondest memories, with a surgical level of detail and care. This is fine dining, without a doubt, but there is a generosity and playfulness here, not always readily associated with that level of dining.
Favourite dish: Among all the dishes I found to be brilliant, the Pisupo course was a standout. A tartare of beef inspired by the canned corned beef that’s a household staple in the Pacific Islands. Tala uses dry aged Sirloin from Hawke’s Bay, seasoned with burnt onion, dried tomatoes, and daikon. The dish arrives covered by a shiny, black, unbelievably thin tuille made with charcoal and fermented red pepper. A light tap from the back of your spoon shatters it, revealing the tartare, and the tuille becomes a key textural element as you eat.
Cuisine: Fine dining. Address: 235 Parnell Road, Parnell. Website: Tala.co.nz
The top 10
In alphabetical order
Ada
Arguably Auckland’s most visually exciting dining room, Ada is housed in an old Grey Lynn convent, with high ceilings and huge windows and religiously themed artwork that adds to the sacredness of the space. Despite all that, my favourite place to sit is at the kitchen bar, chatting to the chefs about the food and smelling each delicious dish as it’s prepared. Chef Alfie Ingham cares deeply about ingredients and changes the menu seasonally to keep up with the best of the morning market. He creates exceptionally tasty, broadly European dishes while, somehow, managing to keep prices very reasonable. – JM
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: The Convent Hotel, 454 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn. Website: Adarestaurant.co.nz
Ahi
You’ll feel thoroughly wooed once you find your way through a downtown mall (albeit a quite fancy one) and step into Ahi’s very beautiful interior. It’s stylishly outfitted with grounded touches like furniture made from reclaimed swamp kauri. The outlook to the harbour and neighboring heritage buildings is gorgeous – this is a perfect place to bring visitors to New Zealand.
The full working kitchen, with open fire, is on display here. A transparency that’s echoed in the menu, with each core ingredient listed alongside the distance it’s travelled in to be in the kitchen – 1200km from the Bluff Coast for the octopus and 108km from Ngāruawāhia for the long-finned eel. Ahi also has its own kitchen garden, committed to growing with a permaculture philosophy.
Ingredients are prepared with passion and imagination. Every plate is stunning, with fascinating textures and clever flavours.
If you walk into Ahi, not really sure what “New Zealand” food is, you’ll walk out feeling blown away by all that it can be. Ahi’s obsession with provenance is pushing forward New Zealand’s food story with massive heart. – KG
Cuisine: Modern fine dining. Address: Commercial Bay, Level 2/7 Queen Street, central city. Website: Ahirestaurant.co.nz
Alma
Here resides, perhaps, the most beautiful open kitchen in Auckland. A textured, tiled counter piled high with earthenware dishes and ceramic olive oil pourers, enticing bowls of heirloom tomatoes and other seasonal produce alongside it. At its heart sits a gorgeous open fire, from which many of Alma’s best dishes are produced. Chef Jo Pearson’s menu, which champions flavours from Spain’s Andalusian region, delivers memorable food every time. Their famed beef tongue is not just Instagram-worthy, it eats beautifully, perfectly wood-fire smoky and tiled with sliced green olives so that every bite is rich, vibrant perfection.
Clever inside-but-feels-outside street-facing seats connect Alma to its downtown location, providing excellent people watching and showcasing the best of what buzzy all-day city dining can be. – KG
Cuisine: Andalusian. Address: 130 Quay St, central city. Website: Alma.co.nz
Cibo
I am never so happy as when I’m about to have a meal at Cibo. Though chefs and menus have changed over the years, it still feels like the same restaurant we fell in love with 10, 20 or perhaps 30 years ago: a buzzy dining room, a beautiful and romantic courtyard and a service team that creates a playful, sophisticated experience unlike anything in the city. You’ll increasingly find tropical Asian flavours on Cibo’s menu and it’s particularly strong on vegetarian eating and desserts; if you’re going to eat pavlova outside of Christmas this is the place to do it. But there are some other iconic Kiwi options among the sweets that make this a first-class choice for overseas guests. – JM
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: 91 Saint Georges Bay Rd, Parnell. Website: Cibo.co.nz
Culprit
We are so lucky to have Culprit in Auckland. The team here is doing something entirely its own. You could find yourself missing the very high level of skill and attention to detail they are serving up because you’re swept up in the irreverent charisma of chef Kyle Street’s food. With his take on New Zealand cuisine, you’ll see ingredients and flavours you love, served in his clever, inimitable style. Running only a tasting menu ($99pp, with optional $75pp beverage match), Culprit delivers generosity in its approach to food and service, and also an eating experience that will delight. Sit at the bar to get a front-row seat to the kitchen action. – KG
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: Level 1/12 Wyndham St, central city. Website: Culpritdiningroom.co.nz
Gemmayze Street
To describe chef Samir Allen’s food as “contemporary Lebanese food” does not begin to properly explain the sophisticated, vivid dishes that this Karangahape Rd restaurant – last year’s Top 60 Supreme Winner – serves. There is generosity in bucketloads here, in the warm service, and also in the tasting menus (Jeeb, on the menu, meaning: to bring). You can opt to order a la carte but you’d be crazy not to leave yourself in the kitchen’s capable hands.
Order one of the perfectly constructed cocktails and enjoy the buzz of happy diners, the charming surrounds of century-old St Kevins Arcade and the view out the huge wrought-iron window onto Myers Park and the city skyline. – KG
Cuisine: Lebanese. Address: 183 Karangahape Rd, central city. Website: Gemmayzestreet.co.nz
Gilt Brasserie
★ Special category winner: Best for a date
It takes talent and some incredible systems to make a machine this big operate at such a spectacularly consistent level. Gilt is the city restaurant Aucklanders deserve, offering a space for long, decadent lunches as well as romantic evening dining. They crank the French music and create a real bistro feel, offering mostly classics with the odd lovely surprise – their “tomato schnitzel” is back in season and one of my favourite ways to taste the New Zealand summer. Food aside, one of the best things about Gilt is the service: well-trained charmers in crisp white uniforms make you want to plan your next visit the moment you’ve paid the bill. – JM
Cuisine: Brasserie. Address: 2 Chancery St, central city. Website: Giltbrasserie.nz
Paris Butter
★ Runner Up
★ Special category winner: Best service
It takes longer than you would think for a great restaurant to become a busy restaurant. Paris Butter launched as a more traditional French kitchen almost 10 years ago before co-owner Nick Honeyman’s girlfriend one day asked him “why aren’t you cooking the food you love?” In its second incarnation, this Herne Bay modern-dining restaurant has made slow but steady progress towards stardom: first the industry buzz, then the awards, some high profile international collaborations and, finally, being booked out most nights of the week. The food is spectacularly good; it’s too hard to try and absorb everything the waiter tells you about each dish so you’re better to turn your brain off and absorb it with your taste buds. Though the tasting menus, pressed table cloths and stern prices all put this at the top end, there is a warmth and kindness to the service that makes this not just a gastronomic temple but a genuinely fun place to eat. – JM
Cuisine: Fine dining. Address: 166 Jervois Rd, Herne Bay. Website: Parisbutter.co.nz
The Engine Room
It can sound like faint praise describing a restaurant as “consistent” but The Engine Room proves that predictability can be exciting. How good is this restaurant? Good enough that if you book a meal and don’t enjoy it, I’m afraid the problem is you. Some of the dishes here are so perfect they haven’t changed them in years; others represent current interests or seasonal experiments. The wine list is long and wonderful, and presided over by Natalia Schamroth, one of Auckland’s very best restaurateurs. Meanwhile, Karl Koppenhagen runs the kitchen (and the blackboard menu), ensuring every dish that goes out adds another rivet to The Engine Room’s iron-clad reputation. – JM
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: 115 Queen St, Northcote Point. Website: Engineroom.net.nz
The Rest Of The Top 40
In alphabetical order
Advieh
Serving up what is arguably the tastiest food in Auckland, the Advieh team treats each dish like a multi-layered artwork. The theme is primarily Middle Eastern but the menu has a “whatever it takes” feel and the standards are incredibly high for what is essentially a hotel dining room, with space for 100. Chef Gareth Stewart oversees the food, and the warm, highly trained staff are a big part of the experience. – JM
Cuisine: Middle Eastern. Address: 1 Queen St, central city. Website: Adviehrestaurant.com
Amano
Amano has been a safe bet for an excellent meal for years, and this large, beautifully outfitted restaurant is still a very impressive space to enter and dine in. We can, in part, thank Amano for the handmade pasta wave that has swept Auckland. The quality of their food has never wavered, with a seasonal ingredient focus and little additions, and clever techniques, to make each plate memorable. – KG
Cuisine: Italian. Address: 66-68 Tyler St, Britomart. Website: Savor.co.nz/amano
Azabu
Reliability isn’t the sexiest of words when it comes to dining, but Jesse and I mean it sincerely when we say it’s one of the things we love most about both Azabu’s locations. A dinner at this modern Japanese mainstay will always be fantastic and it’s a no-brainer when recommending it to friends. The sushi in particular is always excellent; inventive and fresh. – KG
Cuisine: Japanese Peruvian. Address: 26 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby and 44 Tamaki Dr, Mission Bay. Website: Savor.co.nz/azabu-mission-bay; Savor.co.nz/azabu-ponsonby
Baduzzi
Maybe best known as the fancy meatball restaurant by the water, you’d do yourself a disservice if you didn’t also devour some of Baduzzi’s phenomenal pasta or wonderfully prepared proteins like wood-fired prawns wrapped in pancetta. There’s a conservatory dining space but choose the stylish banquette seating and cosy booths in the main dining room to ensure you experience the full character and energy of this restaurant. – KG
Cuisine: Italian. Address: 10/26 Jellicoe St, North Wharf. Website: Baduzzi.co.nz
Bar Magda
Nobody in the restaurant business works harder than Carlo Buenaventura, the charismatic owner of this subterranean off-Karangahape Rd restaurant. Bar Magda must get zero walk-up business but the feeling of discovering somewhere secret is one of the things that makes dining here special. Expect modern food with a nod to Carlo’s Filipino heritage.– JM
Cuisine: Modern Filipino. Address: 25b Cross St, central city. Website: Barmagda.co.nz
Bianca
Chef Hayden Phiskie always seems so relaxed for somebody running a restaurant that has three sittings a night. As with Amano, he has a strong claim to having started Auckland’s handmade pasta trend and he brings experience from a number of big city restaurants to this little, lovable Ellerslie local. – JM
Cuisine: Pasta. Address: 4/2 Robert St, Ellerslie. Website: Instagram.com/bianca.akl
Bistro Saine
★ Special category winner: Best new restaurant
Although only launched in April, Bistro Saine already delivers warm, polished service with the ease of a restaurant that has been around for many years. A classically inclined French bistro, in a very beautiful room, the menu is delivered with contemporary energy and skill. Share perfect versions of favourites like steak tartare and chicken liver parfait over exceptionally well-made cocktails, before enjoying a must-order roast chicken or a steak frites with spectacular béarnaise sauce. Though officially a hotel restaurant (located within Hotel Indigo), Bistro Saine stands entirely on its own. – KG
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: 51 Albert St, central city. Website: Bistrosaine.co.nz
Blue
★ Special category winner: Best kept secret
Though tucked in just a few steps away from Ponsonby Rd, Blue feels a world away from what you might associate with the busy (at times, a bit soulless) Auckland strip. Helmed by a team of talented owner-operators, the small blackboard list of by-the-glass wines and larger bottle list is brilliant; adventurous and playful. Put yourself in their capable hands and try something entirely new. A small menu, with ingredients sourced with real intention, reads deceptively simple, but is full of clever hooks that make you want to order it all. – KG
Cuisine: Bar/bistro. Address: Courtyard, Unit 1/1A Franklin Rd, Ponsonby. Website: Blueonfranklin.co.nz
Bossi
You don’t pay extra for the chef’s table at Bossi but it’s a hot ticket, with a front row view of some skilled Italian chefs creating regional classics for a roomful of lucky diners. A great date restaurant, Bossi manages to balance fancy and rustic in an experience that rates among the best Italian food and wine menus in Auckland. – JM
Cuisine: Italian. Address: 10 Commerce St, central city. Website: Bossi.co.nz
Cassia
For a decade now, Cassia’s modern Indian menu has been turning heads and remaining on our minds long after a meal. Now well settled in its Federal Street location, Chef Sid Sahrawat still has that magic touch with food and menus. We want to eat anything that’s he’s creating. This especially applies when it combines traditional and (for him) nostalgic Indian flavours with the skill and innovation we love him for. – KG
Cuisine: Indian. Address: 90 Federal St, central city. Website: Skycityauckland.co.nz/restaurants/cassia
Cazador
A respect for ingredients and truly warm hospitality are the bedrock of this Dominion Rd gem. Superteam Dariush Lolaiy and Rebecca Smidt go the extra mile, establishing a deep connection to their suppliers, producers and hunters. Cazador uses wild, organic and free-range ingredients deftly in the kitchen. You’ll see a nod to classic flavours here but also a ton of creativity, and that combination produces out-of-this-world food. Choose the feast menu for your best taste of what this passionate restaurant can deliver. – KG
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: 854 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden. Website: Cazador.co.nz
Cocoro
When visitors to Auckland (with a budget) ask me where to go, I always include Cocoro on the list. The problem for me as a reviewer is that the experience is inevitably perfect, giving me little to write about. That’s thanks to chef Makoto Tokuyama, who brings an eye for excellence to everything he does, making this the city’s best Japanese restaurant. – JM
Cuisine: Japanese. Address: 56a Brown St, Ponsonby. Website: Cocoro.co.nz
Depot
Always buzzy and full of good vibes, Depot has reliably been THE place to go for friendly, efficient service and phenomenal casual plates for 14 years now. Chef Al Brown’s trademark approach to food, and his love of New Zealand seafood in particular, is front and centre here. Expect comfort food flavours, seafood dishes that sing with perfect simplicity, wine served in comfortable tumblers and a signature sugar pie you’ll obsess over long after you’ve left. – KG
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: 86 Federal St, central city. Website: Depoteatery.co.nz
Duo/Bon Pinard
It might seem like cheating to include two restaurants in one slot but Duo and Bon Pinard are almost conjoined twins, sharing staff, customers and sometimes even menus, as in-the-know locals demand a favourite dish from the place next door. Chef Jordan MacDonald loves seasonal food, and the menu at Duo changes based on what’s at the market, while the wine bar mixes the bistro’s spillover crowd alongside people looking for an experience that is more casual but just as excellent. – JM
Cuisine: Bistro/wine bar. Address: 134A and 138 Hinemoa St, Birkenhead. Website: Duoeatery.co.nz; Bonpinard.co.nz
Esther
Chef Sean Connolly has created something really special with Esther, which sprawls over the ground floor of the Viaduct’s QT hotel. As soon as you walk over the threshold, a team of professional waiters make you feel like you’re in a dedicated restaurant, and the food is wonderful – both classic and inventive. – JM
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: 4 Viaduct Harbour Ave, central city. Website: Estherrestaurant.com
Farina
I smile every time I think about this restaurant – the location for this year’s Top 50 photo and videoshoot – something I don’t think I can say about anywhere else. The food is delicious, the vibe is exciting – it’s no wonder a table can be very hard to find unless you plan ahead. If you love Italian food, book a table. If you love Italian culture, book a whole afternoon. – JM
Cuisine: Italian. Address: 244 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby. Website: Farina.co.nz
First Mates, Last Laugh
“Every time she tries to leave they drag her back in”. Judith Tabron is Auckland’s most enduring restaurateur and if she was exhausted by all those years at the helm of Soul Bar she didn’t show it, pausing only briefly to rest before opening this brilliant seaside party restaurant. Perfect for a long lunch, it’s also lovely at night, watching the moonlight reflect off the harbour. – JM
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: 121 Westhaven Dr, Westhaven Marina. Website: Firstmateslastlaugh.co.nz
Forest
A restaurant like no other, Forest does things with plants you didn’t know were possible. Vegetarians often feel like they’re missing out, but this menu is one of abundance – for the couple of hours you’re in this Dominion Rd restaurant, you forget that meat exists. Chef Plabita Florence puts her heart and soul into every ingredient, using pickles and fermentation to pair the best of last season’s harvest with produce fresh from the morning’s market. – JM
Cuisine: Vegetarian. Address: 243 Dominion Rd, Mount Eden. Website: Forestrestaurant.co.nz
Hello Beasty
There is a joy to opening up Hello Beasty’s huge paper menu and deciding what to order. Everything is delicious, nothing feels missable. You’re best to sit at the kitchen bar and watch what others are ordering; some dishes, like the potstickers, look nothing like you’re probably expecting, while others, like the lamb shoulder, are so popular you’ll find them hard to resist. – JM
Cuisine: Asian fusion. Address: 95-97 Customs St West, central city. Website: Hellobeasty.nz
Hotel Ponsonby
Choose the casual public bar, lovely dining room or beautiful courtyard in this Gastropub housed in the iconic corner building at the top of College Hill. This is a spot for almost every occasion, and you’ll find a wide breadth of people enjoying it. Spend an afternoon drinking good cocktails by the outdoor fireplace (with a side of very good people watching) or come for the Sunday roast. – KG
Cuisine: Casual bistro. Address: 1 St Marys Road, St Marys Bay. Website: Hotelponsonby.co.nz
Hugo’s Bistro
Though the rest of us sometimes forget it’s there, the well-heeled neighbours of this Shortland St institution keep Hugo’s busy every night. The food is flawless and the service is at the very top of the Auckland restaurant pyramid: maitre d’ Poihaere Eruera is so good she makes the visit feel worthwhile even before you’ve had your first bite. – JM
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: 67 Shortland St, central city. Website: Hugosbistro.co.nz
Jacuzzi
★ Special category winner: Best place to dress up
On a site with a long history as a place to see and be seen, the team behind Jacuzzi, which opened earlier this year, clearly made the decision to take that vibe and turn it all the way up. Arrive here any night of the week (but especially weekends and sunny afternoons) and partake in, or soak up, the glamour. Cocktails and champagne in the pavement-side seats are the obvious choice, but don’t sleep on the lovely tables tucked deeper in the restaurant, or the food – their crab linguine, in particular, is a very craveable dish. – KG
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: 150 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby. Website: Jacuzzibar.co.nz
Lilian
The superb (knowledgeable, friendly, cool) staff of Lilian would be enough to keep you returning but they also happen to have brilliant food at this Grey Lynn neighbourhood restaurant. The puffy-charred bread and the burrata will catch your eye for sure, but venture well beyond that because this is a very sharp menu with classic and inventive European-ish dishes (there’s some other lovely influences in there too). – KG
Cuisine: European. Address: 472 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn. Website: Lilian.co.nz
Metita
Kudos to Sky City for investing in Pasifika cuisine – food that is unique to this part of the world but underrepresented in our city restaurant scene. For a superchef, Michael Meredith is an understated personality, and you sometimes forget how much must be whirring around in his brain as he turns out dish after brilliant dish, surprising you with both his invention and his precision. – JM
Cuisine: Pasifika. Address: 90 Federal St, central city. Website: Skycityauckland.co.nz/restaurants/metita
Milenta
Nestled under pōhutukawa trees, with a roof that opens completely to the skies in summer, Milenta is a dreamy space for dates or group dining. It’s just as inviting in winter when the louvres close and it’s transformed into a super cosy spot, with heaters and the glow of the open fire, where much of the menu is cooked. Here South American flavours take centre stage. The meat is, unsurprisingly, very good, and so is the service, which is wonderfully warm and welcoming. – KG
Cuisine: South American. Address: 210/218 Victoria St West, central city. Website: Milenta.co.nz
Mr Morris
After some speed wobbles in the kitchen last year, Mr Morris is back to the level that won it our Supreme Award in 2022, and you’ll often see owner Michael Meredith on the tools, ensuring every dish that goes out lives up to his high standards. His kitchen counter is one of the loveliest spots in Auckland to sit, and if you’re ever wondering how you can wow someone from out of town, this should be your first stop. – JM
Cuisine: Modern NZ. Address: Corner of Galway & Commerce St, Britomart. Website: Mrmorris.nz
Onslow
With a gorgeous, grand entrance, located on a street you might not find yourself on very often, Onslow is the perfect “destination restaurant’ in the heart of the CBD. Inside, the menu is bistro-dining with a ribbon of luxury running through it. You’ll need to try the snacks of course, including the iconic Chatham Islands crayfish eclair. You should also experience a perfect martini, given all the reverence it deserves when it’s made for you tableside from the martini trolley. They’ve got fabulous Saturday and Sunday fixed price lunch menus worth checking out. – KG
Cuisine: Modern bistro. Address: 9 Princes St, central city. Website: Onslow.nz
Ooh-Fa
You’d be hard-pressed not to be completely besotted after a night spent at Ooh-Fa. There’s a wonderful smell that hits you as soon as you enter, then once you look at the delicious food on everyone’s table, it all starts to get very exciting. The obsessively perfected sourdough pizzas are the obvious stars here, but the starters never disappoint, and the wine list (chat to the knowledgeable staff to get a great recommendation) is very sharp.– KG
Cuisine: Pizza. Address: 357 Dominion Rd, Mount Eden. Website: Oohfa.co.nz
Otto
Easy-to-love Otto brings warm, good vibes in its atmosphere, and very good handmade pasta from its kitchen. Located amidst – but an oasis from – the bustle and noise of Karangahape Rd, this is modern Italian, including some excellent vegetarian options, designed to be enjoyed with great drinks. Their little west-facing balcony is a brilliant spot to catch the sunset. – KG
Cuisine: Italian. Address: 375 Karangahape Rd, central city. Website: Otto-krd.nz
Parro
There is a lovely energy to this Dominion Rd restaurant, where the chefs and service staff work in a beautiful, happy union. It all takes place inside a small room, so you can watch the chefs work as you sip your first drink. Though barbecue-led, the food is colourful, beautiful and inventive – the skin-on snapper with guanciale sauce just one delicious example. – JM
Cuisine: Mediterranean. Address: 359 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden. Website: Parro.co.nz
Pici
Pici’s cacio e pepe and olive oil cheesecake are now the stuff of legend. They keep it fast, simple and quite perfect here. Pici resides in a small, high-vibe space tucked in St Kevins Arcade. It’s just far enough away from Karangahape Rd to create a distinct, very-cool pocket all their own but connected enough to benefit from the grit and character of the strip. – KG
Cuisine: Pasta. Address: Shop 22, St Kevin’s Arcade, 183 Karangahape Rd, central city. Website: Picipasta.co.nz
Ragtag
Lucky Westmere! It’s one thing to have a restaurant you can stumble home from on foot, but quite another to have it serving food of this quality. Auckland’s Mexican food scene has been a little stop-and-start, but hopefully Ragtag is here to stay, serving food inspired by the cuisine of Mexico without being beholden to it. Asian ingredients pop up here and there, too – whatever it takes to make the flavour bomb go off. – JM
Cuisine: Mexican bistro. Address: 162 Garnet Rd, Westmere. Website: Ragtagnz.com
Rhu
Eating at Rhu is a quite magical experience. A very small team creates food with exquisite patience and technique, but they’re in pursuit of flavour rather than fussiness. A great wine list, a lovely Parnell dining room and staff who are invested enough to answer any question you might have. They should be as famous for dinner as they are for brunch. – JM
Cuisine: Modern bistro. Address: 235 Parnell Rd, Parnell. Website: Rhuakl.com
San Ray
Auckland needs more excellent all-day eateries. We see a superb example of what this type of restaurant can be in Ponsonby Rd’s San Ray. Their very good food, influenced by Southern California and Mexico, is made even better by cooking over coals or woodfire. There’s a warmth and ease in service – from a team of hospitality pros – that will make you never want to leave. San Ray has a lovely dining room and a covered patio garden – plus a very appealing hard-to-pick-just-one drinks list to choose from, so maybe you never have to. – KG
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: 118 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby. Website: Sanray.nz
Soul Bar & Bistro
One of Auckland’s oldest and most reliable restaurants, Soul refuses to stand still. The energetic team behind this Viaduct goliath are constantly reinventing what they do, striving to earn their reputation every time they open their doors for service. It’s a huge menu with a mix of light meals, alongside rich and indulgent options. Some of the best service in Auckland. – JM
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: Cnr Lower Hobson St & Customs St West, central city. Website: Soulbar.co.nz
Tempero
To eat here is to fall in love with Tiffany Low and Fabio Bernardini, the couple behind this Karangahape Rd indie stunner. Low manages the floor with humour and grace, while chef Bernardini turns out dishes inspired by his Brazilian childhood. They have worked through some brutal winters to get to where they are now – proprietors of a wonderfully busy restaurant on Auckland’s iconic strip, making food you won’t find anywhere else. – JM
Cuisine: Latin. Address: 352 Karangahape Rd, central city. Website: Temperoakl.com
The French Cafe
The French Café has been synonymous with excellence in Auckland dining for years now (decades, in fact). In the hands of hospitality superstars Sid and Chand Sahrawat since 2018, these masters of adaption have shepherded the iconic restaurant through the hospitality industry turbulence of the last five years, cleverly introducing things like their Tuesday Test Kitchen menu to ensure exceptional fine dining is that little bit more accessible. – KG
Cuisine: Fine dining. Address: 210 Symonds St, Eden Terrace. Website: Thefrenchcafe.co.nz
The Lodge Bar & Dining
Chef Matt Lambert reached the top of the New York food scene before returning home and launching this clever adjunct to the Rodd and Gunn clothing store downtown. But this is no gimmick – the food is some of the best bistro fare you can find (now with a lovely tasting menu), and it’s been successful enough that Matt has opened several just like it around Australasia. – JM
Cuisine: Bistro. Address: Commercial Bay, 7 Queen St, central city. Website: Roddandgunn.com/nz/the-lodge-group/auckland
The Wine Room
It started as a College Hill wine bar but when you have one of the city’s best chefs in the kitchen, you just know he won’t be satisfied making snacks for long. Ryan Moore now offers a full, accomplished food menu and though some of the tables aren’t naturally suited to easy dining, we couldn’t leave one of the most exciting openings of the past 12 months off our list. – JM
Cuisine: Bistro/wine bar. Address: 2/43 College Hill, Freemans Bay. Website: Ateliernash.co.nz/pages/the-wine-room
Kazuya has been removed from the Viva Top 50 Auckland Restaurants Awards after owner/chef Kazuya Yamauchi was sentenced on November 21 for a criminal offence. Viva was unaware of Yamauchi’s offending during the judging period and when the Top 50 was first published on November 19.
Team credits
Judges / Jesse Mulligan and Kelly Gibney
Editor / Stephanie Holmes
Design / Paul Slater
Interactive / Chris Knox
Photographer / Babiche Martens
Video producer / Jakob Karrasch
Videographers / Sasha Sadlier, Jack Brabham, Aislin Hook
Video editor / Susan Bridges
Stylist / Sarah Stuart
Grooming and makeup / Carolyn Haslett
A special thank you to Farina for the shoot location and the beautiful food and drinks.
Jesse wears: Shirt, scarf, blazer, pocket square, pants from Crane Brothers. Shoes from Working Style.
Kelly wears: Earrings by Jasmin Sparrow; Shirt from Camilla and Marc; Necklace and belt from Harris Tapper; Skirt from Trelise Cooper; Bracelet from Stolen Girlfriends Club; Pearl bracelet from Silk & Steele; Rings by Jasmin Sparrow; Shoes by Kathryn Wilson.