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    Depot

    Depot

    4.5(346 reviews)
    1.6 kmAuckland CBD
    $$$

    Loved it!!! Had our first meal at Depot after arriving in…read moreAuckland, New zealand. The food was absolutely delicious. Every bite is unexpectedly delicious. We had falafels and the roasted eggplant. The sauces are amazing. We ended up ordering more of the same dishes as they were so good. We are going back for dinner tonight with friends as we have to try more of their dishes. The service was warm and friendly. The atmosphere was relaxed and dining al fresco was great at lunch time.

    My friends and I went there for my last day in Auckland. We went around lunch time and we were able…read moreto get seated very quick. The ambiance was still so chill and not as packed because it was early afternoon, which was nice. The staff again were super friendly and answered any questions we had. Sadly, we didn't get the fish sliders because they were sold out! But we did get some of the same dishes I had ordered before but got oysters as well. The oysters were fresh and tasty, especially with their vinegar sauce. My friends also loved the charred eggplant and a couple of them don't really eat eggplant. The crispy potatoes were so good! The truffle wasn't too overpowering and they were perfectly crisp. The steak was super tender and juicy and the wedge salad helps cut the fat and compliments the steak as well. Can't wait to come back to Depot. Already miss it so much!

    Photos
    Depot - Chef's counter.  See it all!

    Chef's counter. See it all!

    Depot - Potato skins, pecorino and truffle oil

    Potato skins, pecorino and truffle oil

    Depot - Skirt steak

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    Skirt steak

    Swashbucklers - Spicy tuna & avocado.

    Swashbucklers

    4.2(41 reviews)
    2.7 km
    $$$

    Very busy at 6.30 on a Wednesday, we tried to book but they told us they only had one table free…read moreand they kept that for walk-ins - so we moved out asses pronto and got over there to claim it! Really good choice of seafood dishes; we had the market fish (red snapper) in a ginger and garlic sauce, just delicious, melt in the mouth stuff. They were a bit short on dairy-free desserts, but we had the sticky toffee and date without the ice cream, which managed to fill in those few small holes that remained. We're booking again for the weekend! Three times we've eaten here. Definitely our favourite place in Auckland.

    On our second-to-last day of roaming around Auckland and discussing the costs of owning a home in…read morehistorical or modern redeveloped areas with our New Zealand friends, Geoffrey and Margaret, they brought us to stroll around Wynyard Quarter, a waterfront area located on Auckland's Waitematā Harbor. They showed us the modern architecture, focused on sustainability, public spaces, restaurants and bars, and vibrant marina living in this redeveloped harbor area, which had quickly become a destination for tourists and locals. From the Jellicoe Harbor Breakwater built in 2020 to calm the waters for race boats and supporting yachts since Auckland's Waitematā Harbor hosted the 36th America's Cup, we could clearly see the cruise port from where we disembarked and the city center. Geoffrey and Margaret insisted on showing us the waterfront and promised to take us to a seafood restaurant. We mentioned that we love eating seafood, but were "preserving" our stomachs for casual, comfort, or unfussy food because we had been eating gourmet cuisines over the past 17 days while in Australia and during our cruise. We were thankful that they understood our request and dropped us off at our hotel to freshen up for dinner while Margaret made the reservation for an early dinner. We returned to the Wynyard Quarter's waterfront to Swashbucklers seafood restaurant, where we immediately felt comfortable with the vivaciousness of the hostess and server. We started our meal with icy-cold Peroni beers while sharing the tasty steamed mussels and garlic bread. Our server mentioned their fresh catch of the day was a snapper, which I adore, so I ordered it while my husband, Geoff, and Marg ordered the Fish & Chips, which we were told was a signature dish to Swashbucklers. All the food was flavorful and well-prepared. We were mostly impressed with the quality, quantity, and flavor of the steamed mussels. My husband gushed about the crispy, light-battered fish and the excellently textured chips. I enjoyed the tender pan-fried snapper with garlic butter, and complemented the fish with a slice of garlic bread. We'd love to return for the camaraderie, flavors, and flavors at Swashbucklers. 4.4 stars

    Photos
    Swashbucklers - My new best friend

    My new best friend

    Swashbucklers - Snapper in ginger and garlic sauce.

    Snapper in ginger and garlic sauce.

    Swashbucklers - Big place

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    Big place

    FISH Restaurant - Bliss

    FISH Restaurant

    4.1(45 reviews)
    2.0 kmViaduct
    $$$

    I had the opportunity to eat dinner here twice while staying at the Hilton, and both were…read morephenomenal experiences. First of all, the ambiance is spectacular, with gorgeous views of the harbor. My first night, dozens of sailboats were out, singly and in groups. The staff was welcoming - a sense of formality, but not pretentiously so. The first night, I had the Signature West Coast Whitebait Fritter, Kūmara Fries, and Mango and Mānuka Honey Cheesecake. The second night, I had the Signature Mediterranean Crab Cakes and the Herb Crusted Mt Cook Alpine Salmon. All were wonderful. The small plates were the Whitebait Fritter and the Crab Cakes. New Zealand Whitebait is a real delicacy, and they were perfectly cooked in what would better be described as a thin omelette rather than a fritter, topped with a deliciously rich buerre blanc and fried capers. Stunning! The Crab Cakes were served with a crayfish lemon mayonnaise and balsamic vinegar. Quite tasty with a nice crunch - use the lemon, it really helps bring out the flavor. Of the two, I would recommend the Whitebait Fritter hands down. It's something I will remember. I got the Kūmara Fries (New Zealand's sweet potato) as a side, and they are delicious. Coated with some parmesan cheese and served with black garlic mayo! So good. And it's a large serving - from looking around, all of their sides are designed for more than one person. That said, I did a pretty good job with the fries by myself. The Herb Crusted Mt Cook Alpine Salmon is another New Zealand-centric dish. The dish is exquisite and overwhelming. The salmon itself was perfection - perfectly cooked and rich in flavor. Then add the delicious pickled fennel, the red capsicum marmalade, the horseradish cream, herb oil, and the saltiness of fish roe? Explosions in your mouth. The Mango and Manuka Honey Cheesecake was rich and delicious with a nice crust. They also had a nice selection of New Zealand beers, wines, and liquors.

    Oh my. Not the best first impression of Auckland. We checked into the Hilton and, tired from a…read morelong journey, decided just to have dinner at Fish, right in the hotel. If it was the only place we had eaten, during our visit, we would have thought that dining in New Zealand was awful. The room is very nice, with wonderful views of the Bay and cruise ship port, although a little less formal than I would expect for the price range. The problem began with the staff who, while trying very hard and being very polite, did not seem to understand a word we said. They were very good with the phrase "Thank you, sir," though, and I realize language barriers must be accommodated while traveling. This IS an English speaking country, though. Anyway, everything seemed to go wrong. Ordering wine was an ordeal, and it arrived halfway through our meal. The food presentation was mediocre, and everything needed some spice or seasoning. It felt like a meal served at a retirement village where everyone has diet restrictions. The kicker, though, was the steak. We ordered medium rare. It arrived burned to a crisp. For the first time in years, we actually sent something back. The next attempt came back nearly raw. It was inedible and almost felt like chef was being a jerk. We just left it pretty much untouched and later, noticed the staff huddled in the corner pointing over at our table. To the restaurant's credit, our steaks were removed from the bill, without our even asking, but that is a bit beyond the point. There are many fine dining options within walking distance of Fish. We wish we had known.

    Photos
    FISH Restaurant
    FISH Restaurant
    FISH Restaurant - The deck

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    The deck

    Di Mare - Black Oysters

    Di Mare

    4.2(32 reviews)
    0.2 kmParnell
    $

    I had a craving for beef after walking around Mt Victoria so I happened upon this lovely restaurant…read moretucked away in an alley with a garden setting. I had great black malt beer, black oysters, and beef stuffed with black oysters. The oysters were fresh briny with a very good delicate flavor. The beef was cooked a prefect medium rare with a very nice seared crust. The combination of the beef and oysters was unusual -very good -but nothing I will order again. I wanted to try it being a NZ thing. Service was wonderful and attentive at all times. The Home made tiramisu, custardy and rich, was one of the best I've had! And an awesome cappuccino!

    I stumbled upon this amazing place after a little search on yelp while walking down the beautiful…read moreParnell neighborhood. A tiny alley leads you into a lovely garden where this wonderful restaurant is tucked in. Marcia is the sweetest lady who runs this place and is from Brazil. She hand picks the lambs , oysters and all the produce. I was seated right away and started with a Sauv ( while in NZ , you have to ). I order the " al naturale " oyesters which are plain oysters with no condiments or add ons with lemon on the side. These oysters were as good as it gets - fresh and true reflection of the flavor of ocean ! I would highly recommend them - skip adding bacon , hot sauce or what not - try it with just a splash of lemon juice. Rack of lamb followed next , ordered it medium and that's the way it was served , paired with a mint sauce. Flavorful and well paired. Mouth watering would be the word , I wasn't super hungry yet I managed to finish it all and left craving for more. If you're visiting Auckland or an Aucklander - this place should be on your list of places to visit. Hospitality - 5 stars Food - 5 stars Ambience - 5 stars Value - 5 stars

    Photos
    Di Mare - Daily special

    Daily special

    Di Mare - Home made tiramisu, custardy and rich, one of the best I've had! And a awesome cappuccino!

    Home made tiramisu, custardy and rich, one of the best I've had! And a awesome cappuccino!

    Di Mare

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    Fang - Interior

    Fang

    4.8(4 reviews)
    0.2 kmParnell

    Best of the best! I can't say enough good things about this place after just one lunch visit. The…read morelettuce cups, an ornate chicken salad, explodes with flavor, texture and shear beauty. I followed the bang bang with the most meaty seafood shu mai ever. There is no question that the seafood shu mai are seafood, the shrimp are large, delicious and plentiful in the filling. The dishes of dipping oil and soy were also seasoned and not just poured from a bottle. Service was friendly and the decor beautiful and comfortable. A must visit place in Auckland !

    We went here for dinner for the evening of Sat 22 June…read more Fang is tucked away in the middle of a newish building at 100 Parnell Road. Parking is pretty good that part of Parnell and so once we walked all the way into the depths of the building on the ground floor all was well. We were seated quickly, and had our waitress come with water and to answer any additional questions promptly. She recommended a number of sharing plates, which was fine by us as we thought that would probably be a good way to go anyway. We started off with some of the lotus chips which were awesome. We then received a selection of dishes including lamb short ribs, crispy pork ribs (a winner), supposedly very spicy bang bang chicken in lettuce cups (it wasn't that spicy but had a bit of kick and was delicious too), Crispy squid tentacles were also a popular choice. The kung pao soft shell crab was tasty but a bit small serving wise, and the dumplings all tasty too. The pork belly was average, nothing wrong with it but not a standout. My wife especially liked the slow cooked beef shin. Service was excellent, food was tasty and interesting, restaurant a little dimly lit but very cool nevertheless (perhaps better for dates than family dining but I'm being picky here). My only quibble is value, it's not bad value for money but it wasn't great value either. If it were slightly cheaper I wouldn't hesitate to score it 5/5. However, that is not a deterrent to me wanting to try the restaurant again, as the Rest of the package was all of a very high standard. We will be back for sure.

    Photos
    Fang - 10 Hours Braised Pork Belly - yummmm!

    10 Hours Braised Pork Belly - yummmm!

    Fang - Reception

    Reception

    Fang - Sticky Soy Garlic Pork Ribs

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    Sticky Soy Garlic Pork Ribs

    Gion - japanese - Updated June 2026

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