I visit the Downtown Shopping Centre on a regular basis for work related issues, and every time I…read morego there, I wonder what the point is in having a shopping mall on Queen Street, and not even a good shopping mall. But I guess it makes sense, there is a Warehouse and a food court, and not everybody can afford to buy their groceries at Smith and Caugheys... As a mall it is no good, there are few A-List stores, and unless you're getting your hair done or buying a mobile phone, there is not much to see there. You can get good sushi though, and there are plenty of restaurants to choose from, so not all bad really. Hopefully the new owners will bring new life to this mall, because as a Westfield it just didn't work.

This place just seems terminally unnecessary to me. Why do suburbs have malls? To collect all the…read morechain branches they need in one place so people can do their shopping without having to go to town. What suburb doesn't need that? Town. Queen Street is just one long mall already, why would you bother to put another one at the bottom of it? And not even a good mall. Tiny, crowded, it feels like there wasn't enough room for it to lie flat so they sort of piled it on top of itself. With the possible exception of the Warehouse (and it'd rank low on a list of Warehouse branches, ordered by range and quality), there is nothing here that you can't get at multiple other places in town. And town has sunlight, which very few malls can boast, especially not this one.

If you've ever been to Melbourne and enjoyed the arty, old fashioned atmosphere of the malls, you'd…read morelove this part of Auckland City. Just off Queens & Custom's Streets, Queens Arcade is for those with slightly vintage, classy tastes, with plenty of shiny hallways filled with boutique shops. I suspect its logo with the Queen on it gives away its slightly superior air to the rest of Queen Street, but not in a pretentious way. More inviting for a good old window shop of some of the finest products you can find. The tea rooms are a splitting image of some I saw in Melbourne, just calling out to be explored. There's a chocolate shop, jewellery stores, fashion shops and the last of the few record/DVD stores, Marbecks, to enjoy.

So interesting to visit the Queens Arcade…read more The historic arcade is actually a combination of three buildings. The south arcade is a combination of the Victorian Darby's Building constructed in 1909 and the A.B. Donald Building which was built in 1863. The Arcade was completed in 1929. The completed arcade featured marble, fine woods and beautiful storefronts. Today, it is a shopping arcade filled with shops. Go up and down the escalators to get a closer look. Make sure to go to the rear of the arcade to see the display of New Zealand flags. Not as interesting as the Royal Arcades in Sydney or Melbourne, but nice for a short stop while exploring Auckland.

Bargains, bargains, bargains! Dress Smart is a great outlet shopping mall and filled with treasures…read morewhich you don't need to swap for large chunks of your own treasure. I mean, I tried on a $119 cocktail dress going for $5 the other day - flip, if it fit, that would've been the best deal in the galaxy! The problem with dress smart is the maze you have to get through. Like previous reviews have already pointed out, it's absolutely monstrous trying to find your way around. I always have to make a mental note as I walk out of the car park as to which shops are around me, and even then, I may not find them for quite some time. Having said that, there is much to like about this mall. It has a generally good feel to it, and a wonderful Esquires coffee shop with an outdoor sanctuary to enjoy a good long coffee after a busy morning's shopping. All my friends plead to go here when they are visiting Auckland, and it really is a good place to introduce them too. Go forth, but take a compass with you!

If you're looking for a bargain and a great day of shopping then Dressmart is the place for you!…read more Dressmart is a mall that houses over 100 stores and offers up to 70% off the normal retail price, all year round. No need to wait for end of season sales to be able to spend up large! My last trip to Dressmart I was looking for work clothes and ended up buying three dresses, a blouse, and a singlet top for $60 - a feat that just wouldn't happen anywhere else. However, my real find of the trip was the chunky wedge sandals I found in Glassons. Down from $59.99, I ended up purchasing them for $10, and when I took them to the counter found out accessories were buy one get one free, so ended up walking away with a great black flower hairclip for free as well! Talk about a happy shopper! Though predominantly a clothing outlet, Dressmart also houses eateries, sports shops, shoe shops, health and beauty stores and book stores. The only thing that is missing is a jewellery store, but when you're saving so much money on everything else I guess paying full price for jewellery isn't so bad! Located near Auckland transport stations and with lots of customer parking and a free shuttle service operating Monday-Friday between the mall and Auckland CBD, despite being in Onehunga Dressmart is easily accessible.

I first discovered Little High Street when I was in high school. A secret wee gem tucked between…read moreHigh St and Queen Street, it is accessed via the second floor of the Whitcoulls building or from Durham St East, opposite the Blue Dude swimwear store. Little High Street used to be relatively unknown and was home to up and coming New Zealand designers, however over the years this has changed quite drastically and now largely consists of Asian clothing stores. Smoove is one of the exceptions, and actually takes up two of the stores on the Street. If you're in to rock, vintage and street-type clothing and accessories, definitely make sure you pop down to Little High Street and check out Smoove. Mezze Bar is also located on the Street by the Durham St entrance and is a great licensed cafe/bar that does fantastic iced coffees and has a great lunch menu.

Little High Street is my favourite place to come for those vintage and quirky threads that you get…read morean inkling for time to time. It holds such stores as Smoove, Smoove Reworked Vintage, Tango, and Pencil Boutique with some off the wall Asian fashion stores amongst it all too. Little High Street definitely isn't for the faint hearted fashion types, it holds rather unique and bizarre attire and accessories not to say there are classic items amongst the bunch, but think K Road op shoppy style and you would be more on the mark. This rather secret arcade is one of Auckland's best kept secrets and the only thing that would improve it in my opinion is more shops of the likes of Smoove as it is getting a little overrun by the Asian fashion stores.

This a quaint small mall with all the essential amenities and few fashion stores. You can find a…read morevery well stocked supermarket called New World which attracts most of the customers. Outside there is a post shop, key cutting service and dry cleaners and inside a stationary shop. Feeling sporty? Hot the upstairs gym 360 which has just been refurbished. Health wise there is a medical centre attached and large Unichem pharmacy. The Health 2000, eyewear store and walk in massage store are always busy as well as the low cost hairdresser and the more upmarket Rodney Wayne's. You can get low cost mani and pedis with free wifi at ProfessioNail. There is one clothes and accessories store for infants called Hatch opposite an older ladies fashion shop and even a DVD store. Great handy mall close to the beach!

I am a fan of St Kevin's Arcade, a very big fan! I love the crowd that attracts the arcade, it's…read morenot people you would see anywhere else in Auckland. It is people who are interesting, lead interesting lives and are extremely friendly. Each time I have gone to have a coffee at one of the cafes in the arcade or gone to check out the thrift shops, I have always talked to someone about life and everything else in between. My life has seemed so boring and dull after talking to these people. I love the arcade, as it is under stated, different and beautiful. The coffees served at the cafe at the end of the arcade on the right side are absolutely amazing. The cafe also serves some gluten free and a menu that consists of almost all egg everything. Egg lovers, this is heaven for you. The price for everything on the menu is reasonable, plus $4 for a big slice of freshly made carrot cake is a steal! Apart from the cafes and interesting characters, St Kevin's Arcade also houses some amazingly quirky thrift shops. They are worth a peep!

Such a cool place. A half a dozen restaurants to choose from. We stopped at a place that had…read morevegan pies. Sooo darn good. Fabulous atmosphere.

The Strand Arcade is a very thin corridor of shops that has a nice kind of Victorian feel to it,…read morewith hanging signs and the odd ornate decoration. This classiness ends with the stairs leading down to the foodcourt however, which is a Spartan white-tiled affair. It's not a bad food court though, and a good option if you work in town and want a quick, tasty lunch. Of special mention is the South American / Middle Eastern place, which not only has delicious food - burritos, kebabs, lots of variations on steak - and massive portions, but also has one of the nicest guys behind the counter that I've encountered in a long time. Not only was he really friendly and welcoming, but he was also helpful in a way that seemed genuine rather than sales-technique. My girlfriend ordered a vegetarian enchilada and he suggested she get a burrito instead - he reckoned for a vegetarian it was heaps more food for the same price. It's that sort of helpful friendliness that loyalty gets built on. We'll be coming back to him again.

Arcades offer a different type of shopping experience, usually small boutique stores that make a…read morewelcome change from the usual chain stores that are everywhere. This arcade however is devoid of anything really decent with the exception of the mini mart at the end and the hair salon. These are all small businesses, clothing and skin care mostly with a cafe and a sushi place thrown in for good measure. There is also a food court below ground. Don't go down there. It is in the bowels of the earth because if there is a hell, that would be their food court. It is horrible. A friend of mine took me down here a few years back. The memory still haunts me. It is dirty, I saw cockroaches. If you cannot see the ratings, there is a reason. I saw a few D's, so I am not exaggerating about the state of this hole. I felt like I had to disinfect my coke zero can before drinking from it. Very unpleasant, I can't believe my friend ate from down there, did she have a death wish? You have been warned, unless you want a side of a trip to Auckland hospital, do not go to this food court.

Wow, what a great find! Latin America Family Day Event…read more Discovered this event while just walking around the area. Quality/Quantity - Many food booths, see pictures. Shopping booths for my wife; I just like to eat. :) Atmosphere - Live festive music. Cool decor. Service - Good, everyone was friendly and welcoming. Price - See pictures as it depends on what you buy or eat. Owner Comment - Glad we were able to visit, thank you!

Dear Chancery lane ,…read more What happened to you ? You used to "be" the place to be and be seen ,but sadly you are now the poor long lost cousin to that hip child britomart ! I hope you get your mojo back cause I remember having a very good steak there . With the random stores and mish mash of eateries it's time to get it together! Yours regretfully, A concerned Yelper

This is a large mall where the Kmart was located…read more It reminds me of a typical mall, but with larger department stores that cater more to you every day needs. They have a Kmart for clothing and department items, and a Woolworth for grocery shopping, inside the mall! They also had some of the typical mall shops of namebrand clothing, a food court, and downstairs a little convenient store, kiosk, and even a massage parlor! I could've easily stayed here all day and explored for hours on end!

An American mall that we wouldn't have stopped and except we were so hungry I couldn't find…read moreanything opened near the museum. We took the escalator up to the eatery food hall. We had chicken & salad, it was just okay. There were many American chain stores @ some New Zealand as well. It wasn't too busy the week before Christmas.

Aside from its food court, which has a great multi-cultural variety to tickle your taste buds, the…read moreshopping at the Atrium is asian-centric to the max. The well laid-out mall contains wonderful independently owned businesses: high-class fashion, cheap and cute numbers you admire on your Korean classmates, and merchandise from the oriental corners of the world. Some of the shop owners are truly lovely, and others will ignore you the entire time. My friend found everything Hello Kitty she desired, another found Super Junior band stuff you can't get in NZ, and I've found some sophisticated clothes that actually fit my petite self. It's a different mall for those tired of the same old styles, and perhaps a slice of home for Asians living in Auckland.

The Atrium on Elliot Food Court is a staple mid-town pit stop for anyone looking for a great…read morevariety of cheap eats. Unlike other food courts in the CBD, the Atrium has always been bright and clean, with decent places to sit and eat, and with a busy, happy vibe. Here you'll find all the usual suspects - Indian, Korean, Chinese, and Malaysian cuisine, along with sushi, kebab, and bakery places, as well as more exotic stuff like Halal Indonesian. There are also other cafes, restaurants, and food stalls dotted around the Atrium, selling everything from shaved ice and cupcakes, to fresh-squeezed juice and gelato.