Being from Boston and staying at the Hilton nearby, I passed by the Culpeper countless times during…read moremy 12 day stay in Auckland. What really caught my eye was the humorous sidewalk sign that read "I like pig butts and I cannot lie...." followed by "Boston Butt, Pulled Pork". With that alone, I was sold on making that a dinner destination during our trip. Pulled pork is a favorite of mine and having traveled extensively thought the US from the Carolinas to the midwest to the south east and of course Texas I have tasted many varieties. The char of the BBQ is the key and only after that can the various rubs and sauces compliment the meat. Hours of dedicated low and slow cooking will make the meat fall of the bone and tear or shred in a unique preparation of pulled pork. The tomato based (sweet or spicy or a combo) or vinegar based sauce only heighten the experience. I can't say that I haven't had better, but for being half way across the globe, Culpeper represented well. Available via the meat board menu item, the Boston Butt Pulled Pork was the main course. The purple slaw and curly fries added to the feast. The table also enjoyed the Mac N Cheese and roasted cauliflower. Being located on the warf doesn't lend itself to many passers by, but I was lucky enough to see and smell the fine offerings of this establishment during my stay, and I am thankful we tried it. A seat with a view of the harbor was also appreciated and if the sun were out this day, it may have provided a nice sunset as a means to end a wonderful day in Auckland.

Ok, I hope this is the future of dining. This is a good place to go. Fun on a Saturday night…read more Near the reviving viaduct area and Wynyard quarter. Instead of getting a plate of fries, here you can get awesome cauliflower than is slightly burned and then covered in light breeze of Italian cheese. Or an huge mound of spicy cold slaw. We were in a Latin mood and had Mohitos to start. Then the Asian prawn lettuce taco. The cold slaw was generous and spicy but could have used some sesame oil and soy sauce. A bit disorderly so not 5 stars but a darn good place to feed and very fun.

Hidden inside the International is this gem…read more Great service, excellent food, overall awesome experience. Elegantly cooked food in an approachable setting. Look at the food. And go.

Great place!!! Amazing food and service. From Fried Bread with goat cheese, honey, rosemary to…read morecrawfish eclairs to beef cheeks to heirloom tomatoes with gazpacho to Vegetable Bouillabaisse to Lemon Sorbet - all beautifully plated and beyond delicious. Highly recommend!!!

The Velvet Gypsy is an amazing place!!! Amazing specials every night of the week and great food…read more There are two sides of the restaurant (one quieter and sleeker, the other lively and facing the beach). The decor is awesome and keeps in line with the name of the place. Everyone looks like they are having an amazing time. I saw a huge age range - groups of 20 and 30 something as well as families and older folk. They also have a great range of food and beverages. We got the 2/$20 gourmet pizza special and both were delicious!!! We will be going back for steak night and the summer platter. Love this place!

This is a cool place to go in Browns Bay, its got 2 faces, one that faces the beach and one that…read morefaces the road. On the Beach face it has some comfortable lounge chairs and bar tables to admire the beauty of Browns Bay Beach and its more for eating. The street face is more of the bar side and yes the drinking side. We came here this week and had Pizza and some drinks, we received really good service and the pizza was pretty good too. They have a pretty good menu with a variety of tasty sounding dishes. During the day you can come and have lunch, and later in the evening dinner, then they come alive after dark for drinks and dancing. I will be back soon.

Great service. Great food, never disappoints. I've been going to Avenue 28 casually for a while now…read moreand I have never once had a bad experience. The food is great, well prepared delicious and quick. The staff is always friendly and the premise is clean and stylish with a great semi outdoor dining area. Always a great night out at Avenue 28. Cons. The menu: The food is always great but the menu has few meals to chose from, however the menu is constantly being updated and improved so there is always something new to try with every visit now and then

One of Albany's best kept pizza secrets! If you've never been here you are missing out. Let me tell…read moreyou! Located on The Avenue just outside the Albany Village this place is a total gem. When I could eat pizza/non paleo foods I would head here. Amazing wood fired pizza's in a charming small restaurant. They also have half price Wednesday's which means their large pizza's are $25. The service is so personal and this place really shines at night time. They have a lot of fairy lights which really add to the ambiance of the place. I would say their drinks are a little on the pricey side but over-all this is a great place for sneaky pizza! Probably one of the best pizza places on the shore side.

tried this tapas bar/ mediterranian food when we travelled to Auckland. the food was amazing. we…read moregot the chicken risotto, arancini, kofta kebab and the chorizo. we also tried their cocktails. the ambiance is very hippy. the staff were pretty cool and welcoming. also gave is a recommendation for a dessert which we ended up getting. we got the almond tart which was a good way to end our dinner. would definitely recommend if you ever visit this part of New Zealand.

Mezze is a very charming space, that gives indulgent traditional vibes. It came up in a search of…read morerestaurants near my hotel and I was able to walk there. I didn't get the ordering situation right off the bat. You get a menu from the bar then sit, decide what to order, then place your order at the bar. You also pay when you place your order. I went with the lamb burger and a cider. The fries with the lamb burger were amazing as was the cider. The burger was well prepared but not seasoned the way I prefer. I'd totally return to Mezze and try something else. It's a very cool spot, worth the visit.

Wonderful setting and best fish and chips we have had…read more Waitress (Nitee)was very helpful with perfect wine selection

By far the best restaurant out by Half Moon Bay marina. Great setting, friendly and easy going…read moreatmosphere and pretty decent food. I often drop in for a coffee and a breakfast. Portions are good and if I'm not too hungry, big enough to share. Do not order their Poke Bowl - extremely terrible. Everything else is good though! Good beer selections and photogenic plates. Would definitely recommend!

Not busy and attentive service - food was quickly prepared as were drink orders. Our party of four…read moreeach ordered something different , ranging from chicken to beef to eggplant. The pie and pint options were chicken with truffle mushrooms or beef - the chicken was ordered with a lovely crisp pint of cider.

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! Popped in for a big lunch and decided to add a spritz cocktail. The food is…read morethe best I've had in Auckland! I ordered the steak which came with big beautiful, crazy delicious mushrooms. The steak was done beautifully for the cut and served with a truffle au jus, the mushrooms were charred on the outside, I substituted the potatoes for a veg, and was delighted that asking for a substitution was met with care for the customer's satisfaction and when the veg arrived it was a perfectly cooked. Broccolini kissed with a bit of garlic and citrus. SUPER HAPPY with the meal... giving the food a run for it money is the cocktails, I had "The Cav Spritz", as a fan of the Aperol Spritz, THIS was an improvement! A must try for spritz fans, or people generally looking for the right day drink with delicious food. Will try them out for dinner sometime, but I feel like I already found my new go-to in Auckland.

Awesome vibe at this food court. They're also open later than the neighboring mall food court on…read moreElliot Street. Variety of options, including Thai, Singaporean, Mexican, burgers, and Japanese. We got the Singaporean food and fish and chips. Both were great!

A lively, energetic food hall with tons of variety and a unique vibe that somehow manages to merge…read morethe Asian street market scene with a cozy European pub feel. Location is excellent- right in the heart of the CBD - and the food is all excellent! We loved it so much we ate here several times on our trip. The space is huge with plenty of small, intimate tables or large family style tables if you're feeling sociable. The building is one of Auckland's historic buildings dating back to 1910 and the space is decorated so nicely. Definitely a great spot to relax and hang out. The seating in the core is totally British pub style with dark wood tables, benches, and dim lighting to add to the ambiance. The seating around the outer rim is lit with skylights above and decorated like the streets of Europe. And all around the walls you'll find some really fun neon Asian street signs - such an interesting mix and makes it really fun. Our fave restaurant is Lepak. They serve up Malaysian deliciousness and our fave dish was the Nasi Lemak - coconut rice, chicken curry, nicely fried egg - fabulous!! We got this several times and it was consistently excellent. We also tried their chicken satay, Malaysian milk tea (hot), and mini curry puffs - all of it was lovely - highly recommend! Our second fave is Bao Baby Bao - their buns are soft and delicious- especially the Angry Bird Bao which is like a mix of bao buns and trendy hot chicken. We also tried the pasta carbonara from De Niro on one visit - it was just ok, a little heavy and a tad bland but otherwise ok. The Asian food genre is definitely the way to go here imo. Prices are pretty reasonable, especially by US standards - and the quality is definitely there. It gets pretty packed but we always found a seat easily. Staff were all welcoming and friendly. They have large, clean bathrooms but I'm not sure about the parking situation since we walked from our hotel in the CBD - it's a very walkable city.