Love the Farmers Market at the Showgrounds. The food sold is grown or produced by the Owners…read morethemselves. There is high quality honey about half way around this market which we highly recommend especially with winter coming up. A nice Country outing to purchase food and produce.

Relaxed atmosphere, fresh produce, speciality foods, love music, and a large variety of food…read morestalls. We had a great time strolling through this farmers market. The permanently installed covered stalls made it even nicer. Less of a market, more like a great place to spend a Sunday morning.

OMG. I love this place!!! It is so cute. We came here yesterday when it was pouring down. Not that…read moremany people inside. They sell lots of different products that you would not often see in central Auckland. I think the guy serving everyone had had a rough day as he didn't seem very cheery. Service was still good though but a happy face would have made it top notch. I ordered a soy hot chocolate which was yum but I guess you can't really mess that up. He had a long black which was made very well. I ordered the curry of the day (Thai chicken) and it was ok, I have had better as the chicken was dry and the courgette flavour was strong, quite fusion. He had their big breakfast which apparently was a lot nicer than any other one he had back in Auckland. I thought they are all the same hahaha. When leaving was I tempted to try their cabinet food so I got a cheesecake brownie and a strawberry brownie to take away. LOVED IT. He usually doesn't like sweet food (like most guys) but he loved it too! Kitchen closes at 2.30pm but cabinet food goes until close. I would highly recommend this cafe and then you could stop by clevedon coast oysters before or after = perfect day

So you've gone on your country drive down south and you're feeling parched. Perhaps you are on the…read morehunt for fresh veges, fruit or a jar of jam? Well, Ciao Bella has both a nice, homey looking country cafe with an Italian twist, as well as all your farmer's market needs. They hold the Italian Country Market here every weekend, but don't hesitate to venture here another day. They also have the most amazing bathroom, covered in multi-coloured tiles. Feels like an acid trip from the 60s. Basically, it's a breath of fresh air on your journey to Clevedon or beyond.

Needed to update this farmers market to 5 stars as I revisited recently and reviewed my own review…read more- all of what I previously stated still stands true. So, why then the extra star? - The surrounds are very, very beautiful. making for an uplifting environment (and would be great for artists - note to self, take the camera next tme!!), particularly since it is nearing Spring. Plus the vendors are consistantly very friendly and chatty, giving useful hints and recommendations, they seem genuine. This recent visit I tried some rice wrapped in a banana leaf with banana and coconut cream/milk from a lady from Laos; it was delicious! Thankyou lady from Laos... and for you pre-made dried spice and herb pack and sesame balls I bought too:) Yummo! Tip: Free parking as far as we are aware, never been instructed to pay yet whilst onsite.

Saturday mornings begin with an early dog walk followed by a trip to the farmers market at Oratia…read more It's here I pick up a cup of coffee, inevitably meet up with heaps of friends, and best of all purchase the most yummy ingredients for the coming week. Stall holders are well representative of the bounty our region offers, organic breads, organic butchers, fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, olive oils and preserves. And there are plenty of yummy treats to taste whilst here because shopping for all of this delicious fresh food makes you hungry. If we are early enough there is street parking, or you can park on the facility for a tiny fee. Next door is Artisan Wines and their gorgeous restaurant.

This cute farmer's market was fun to visit precovid. It wasn't incredibly big, but had a good…read morevariety of produce and ready made items. I got a delicious coffee and some pastries.

Wow what a great find. Stopped in while we were staying in town. Coffee was super hot, but the…read moreturmeric bread was spectacular. Had the best vegan pasty of my life. The popcorn was the perfect snack for the road, not too sweet. Also got some feijoa chutney, I had never had it before but now I'd highly recommend. Sad we couldn't go another weekend.

WOW!!! What a market!…read more Produce, dairy, pies, eggs, cheese, plants, fish, breads, olive oils, sweets, savories, liqueur, beer, knife/scissor sharpener, etc. etc. etc. All first class from friendly people, at fair prices. I will be back in two weeks and will have a light breakfast at home so I can enjoy the hot foods here for an early lunch. Best to arrive by 10am. Parking is a couple of blocks away.

Right. Now I see why so many Aucklander's have packed their bags and settled an hour North -…read moregorgeous beaches (Omaha, Tawharanui and Snells to name a few) , a laid-back lifestyle and this absolute gem of a market! Full of fresh, locally grown produce, there's everything here from cashew nut butters, to buffalo meat, to fresh figs (if you come after March, that is) as well as gorgeous flowers. Not too mention the options for breakfast/lunch are plentiful! Although we'd heard the croque monsieur was a must, we just couldn't go past the buffalo burger served in a fresh bun with lettuce, tomato, melted buffalo pecorino and beetroot relish. So so juicy! To finish we popped around the corner for a simple lemon and sugar crepe. Oh and we may or may not have got a fresh strawberry ice cream to share on the way out.... Well worth the 40 min drive from the North Shore. Matakana, we will be back soon! p.s no dogs allowed but they have dog sitters by the entrance who, for a gold coin, will look after your pooch whilst you roam around the market!

Every Sunday from 8am till 2pm, The Pokeno markets are on in the large paddock just nearby the…read morePokeno stores. Has a lot of things on offer- including fresh fruits, veges, plants, flowers, arts and craft, jewellery, clothes etc as well as live music. Noticed a small corner dedicated to takeaway food in trucks- with a range of cuisines. Parking available nearby on the street and well worth a wander to see if there is anything you want to take home.

The Pakuranga Night Market is the newest addition to the Auckland Night Market roster, operating on…read moreFriday nights from the Hunters Plaza carpark. Whilst there's lots of the same stalls at all three markets, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others, and that's purely because of its location: pushed into a far corner of the carpark, on humid summer nights it's pretty tough going there without any ventilation, natural light or through breeze! It would be great to lose some of the carparks and move the whole market over towards the entrance so that at least some air can circulate. Saying that, the food is good, as you'd expect, and the night I went there was a cover band playing mostly blues tunes, which was a good addition to the experience.

For us, the monthly visit to the night market is really just entertainment for the kids and a very…read morecheap dinner. I love any Asian/Indian/ethno food so can always find something to keep the wolf from the door. There is a wide range of cuisines: Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Philipino, Hungarian, Hong Kong, Pacific Island, and more plus a plethora of post prandial sweets. The food quality at some stalls might be a bit iffy - I suppose at $6 they won't be using the best ingredients, but I have never been sick!!. Sometimes I wonder about the hygiene too but fingers crossed... A lot of the food is in bain maries pre-cooked but the last two meals I've had have been cooked on the spot. It always amazes me that there is a huge queue for churros, which must be the most over-rated snack ever - flavourless dough sticks covered in a sauce of choice. Having said that though I wish I owned that business because the queues reach out the door and they are making a killing!! As at the time of writing this, the Pakuranga market is getting overcrowded. We went last night, arriving at 6pm opening time and it was already extremely busy. We were glad to be in and out within 30 minutes because it was becoming uncomfortably congested. If the crowds continue to grow, the market will need to expand its area. If I was designing the space I would move the "dining" tables to an area away from the throng of hungry punters trying to buy food. And in my perfect world pushchairs would be BANNED from all pedestrian areas!! Why, oh why, do people bring push chairs into crowded pedestrian areas? Dumb. I recommend the night market for a bit of frivolous fun on an evening when you have nothing else on and want to take the kids out for some low key entertainment and dinner. The "shopping" is best avoided unless you want fruit and veges. However, if on the other hand, you have an urge to offload your cash on $2 Shop junk, costume jewellery, flannelette onesies, carvings, mobile phone covers and accessories, a (fully-clothed) back/neck massage, ear candles, cheap and nasty nail polish and nail art, a dubious fortune telling, or second-hand bric-a-brac then this will be your Shangri-la!

Awesome place to have a super unhealthy Friday night dinner. The cuisine there is just so varied u…read morecan have anything u cud think of.. Obviously cheap food.. As for the shopping.. There are a few vege stores and a lot of cheap low quality stuff, items that may entertain children..

I have found my new happy place. Farro & Nosh - you won't be seeing me for a while now I have this…read morebad boy just down the road. The fruit & vege selection is understandably great, considering all the market gardens in the area. It's awesome to see signs letting you know this is NZ- and locally-grown, even the garlic! And the prices are dirt-cheap for all the seasonal produce. They even have a small range of seedlings, herbs & vegetable plants. My kitchen counter is proudly displaying a big bowl of micro-green radish sprouts & I feel healthier every time I look at them! But Boric also has: a fresh fish counter, butchery, deli, icecream by the scoop, coffee, homemade cakes, dinners & salads, a kids' playground AND a boutique selection of homewares & the finest artisan products. And friendly staff. And a great wine, beer & cider selection. And I've probably missed something out. This is the kind of place that you could easily wander around for ages, progressively filling up that trolley more & more. I can see that will quickly become my new hobby!

If I was ever in of need motivation to start that new healthy lifestyle, this would most definitely…read morebe my first port of call. Row upon row of fresh vege, plump apricots the size of cricket balls, purple carrots AND purple broccolini... they even have potted wheatgrass! As well as produce these guys boast an impressive range of artisan products. Everything from elderflower cordial to Moroccan-spiced couscous. Plus they have a small but well-crafted wine section. However perhaps, the best thing about this place, is that everything seems to cheaper than what you would pay at a Food Market like this in AK. Don't get me wrong, you could still spend plenty of $$ up in here but I bet if you did the same shop in AK it would be substantially more expensive.

A2Z is probably my favourite dollar store in the mall, simply because they sell some pretty good…read morestuff and the staff here great. On my last-minute shopping trips to pick up ribbon, crepe paper or something similar I usually stop by here. The prices are awesome and a little cheaper than similar stores in the mall. It's quite a big store too, with two sets of aisles (front and back of the store), with the back wall just filled with children's toys. They're not the best quality but what you'd expect given the cheap price. There are great little knick knacks here for stocking fillers, prank gifts or that difficult Secret Santa gift for your co-worker. These things take a bit of a hunt through the store to find though, so I'd suggest a couple of extra minutes out of your shopping time to see what you can find. In all my experiences here, the staff have been awesome. If you're in a rush and don't have time to look for what you're after, they'll know exactly what aisle and where to find it. I've found this to be pretty rare in retail these days.