This is another place on my list of recently opened restaurants in Auckland to try. We visited on a…read moreTuesday night and had a great experience. The food leans towards bistro style or shared plates, depending on your mood. We did a combination of both: shared starters, our own mains and shares desserts. Do save room for dessert. The salted caramel tart was perfectly salty & caramel-y & gooey and the chocolate fondant was also divine. Before that we shared the octopus & chorizo (seems to be a trend at the moment) which was a tasty combo. Mains were lamb gnocchi and steak with frites which were both beautifully presented and perfectly cooked. Service was very friendly and there when you need it. This spot is where Mondial used to be in the Grey Lynn shops. The refit gives the place a cleaner, less cluttered look, but retains the cosy neighbourhood feel.

Came here with friends for a casual dinner, easy parking on the street outside. The menu's…read morepredominantly tapas styled share plates with the addition of a few bigger plates. Very noisy once the place fills which is a bit unpleasant. I chose the roasted baby vegetables (carrots, turnips, beets) with hummus & dukkah (exactly that, flavours not really exciting). Baked crispy skin salmon with fennel, zucchini & preserved lemon salad (good, bit on the bitter side overall). Shared the handcut fries (good). Didn't order desert, but would have tried the salted caramel and chocolate option if I had. Overall the dining experience was good, just not so great that I'd recommend you visit.

You probably know there is a St Pierres in mid city but did you know there is a tiny Japanese…read morerestaurant up on level 1? It is called Nikko, and the sushi is better up a level. Sure it isn't as quick because your food is made for you but it tastes better and if you are eating in Nikko is quieter. (Largely I think this is because no one knows it is here). Occasionally I pay Nikko a visit, not great sushi but still we can't be too picky, this is still good, much better than all those chain take out places. The service is very good, the guys are friendly and each time I have come I have had off the menu sushi made for me, so they go the extra mile. You also get complimentary green tea here, nice touch.

Not a bad little hole in the wall. I enjoyed the Unagi Bento dinner box. The staff was courteous…read moreand attentive. Good luck finding it! :)

Got the OG Large (10 piece) with sesame sauce. Personally wouldn't classify these as dumplings but…read moremore baos if anything because the wrapping is so thick and doughy. The store itself is small and kind of like a pop up to go store type front. Food was made fresh to order and they are tasty. Would love it more if they came with more sauce than what was drizzled on top but you'll need to purchase additional sauce on the side if you want more of the same sauce or other sauces to go with your order. What was a little bit confusing was we walked up to it thinking it was open since the doors were wide open but they don't open until 11 as stated on the front doors and here on yelp.

Very nice flavours. I would like to have STEAMED dumplings…read more Fried ones are a bit greasy for me. Music was very heavy beating drums, you'd get a headache quickly. pleasant staff. Place seems very clean.

More of a mid-week takeaway bar than a restaurant, The Sushi has a few seats at the side and so…read moremakes it a good spot to meet a friend for lunch. If you do eat in you can also get a carafe of water rather than buying a drink, saving a few dollars and helping the environment along the way. I like the range of sushis available here. Not being a fan of the raw fish (I do realise that is what sushi should be) I like the fact there is cooked fish/meat/chicken sushi and vegetable sushi available. As well as all those delectable deep fried goodies that are like Japanese KFC. Every time I've been in/walked past there's a queue out the door so this must be a regular lunchtime haunt of local Parnell office workers.

This is the most reliable sushi place I've experienced in Auckland…read more There's always a lunchtime queue which means there's a good turnover of food and the sushi is fresh. There's a good range on offer and the quality of ingredients means the selection you choose isn't padded out with rice, like you may get at the standard takeaway chains.

A good Italian restaurant is at Half Moon Bay Marina. Fittingly named Mezza Luna (Half Moon),…read morelocated next to Grangers Taphouse & Kitchen. I love the teal decor booth seats and throws. Shame the booth I booked dampened the beginning of my night by being given to someone else that was said to have 2 more guests than us and ended up being 3 people short but not before I made the very young Manager (seriously looked like he was barely out of nappies) to swap me back to where I had asked for in my booking a month in advance. Don't mess with a lady with a very sore injured back. I read in an earlier article that the produce is all local with things like flour imported and everything is made on site. The Ragu and handkerchief Taglitelle I had was very good and seemed homemade. The pizza my friend had looked good although I like my toppings a little more closer to the edge than they were. I wasn't too chuffed on my scallops. My friend agreed they were lacking something. Too much citrus and not enough crunch or other elements on the plate. The wine list was good and of course there is chianti from Tuscany on the menu. Twice now though I have been there and the staff are very young and I don't think very knowledgeable, different to when they first opened. Finally, dessert finishes on a good note too with a perfectly cooked and gooey Chocolate fondant with banana smear and ice cream. The Tiramisu looked pretty in a glass. Overall I think the food is good and I would consider going back in the summer when I can enjoy the alfresco dining and summer menu also. They always have great mid-week deals on Facebook and all you can eat pizza nights so go and check them out. Buon appetito!

This place is way off the beaten trail for someone from the shore. Being right next to the marina…read morein Half Moon Bay, I would like to have seen it in the daytime too. The restaurant has a casual beachy feel with a mix of tables and seating arrangements. There's also an adjoining bar for pre-dinner drinks. I ordered the duck ravioli, which really was good, and the chocolate molten pudding for dessert. Great for the locals, and maybe a good day trip if travelling by ferry from the city, but probably too much of a drive for a revisit.

I like the option to just get a bagel with some toppings. Casual, not too expensive, not too crazy…read more Just a bagel with some nice fresh avo, egg and tomato for like 19$. friendly people

I first saw this cafe when I was living a few roads away on Rose Road, and the Grey Lynn shops was…read morethe walk to the supermarket and coffee stores I liked to do, as a change to the rush and hustle/bustle of Ponsonby Road. Also because the name Urban Jungle reminded me of a bar/cafe back in Fiji I used to see growing up, so I was fascinated whether perhaps they were linked.. haha wishful thinking. This cafe has a great amount of seating outdoors as well as in, and the food comes across as Turkish/Greek food, the owners also seem possibly Turkish. They have really good coffee, and delicious slices of cakes, I tried the day I visited a banana chocolate iced cake and some carrot cake which were both sensational. If you more interested in having a beer and a meal here, you can as the cafe is fully licensed as well. Great service, and a nice place to catch up with friends.

A great little sushi bar in Henderson, just across the road from the train station. and who doesn't…read moreeat sushi nowadays? Not much to look at from the outside, but great value for money if you get a selections box, with each piece usually no more than $2. The sushi here freshly made every day, as sushi should be, and it's never been anything short of delicious. The staff are great too, and remember me after being in there twice over the space of 3 weeks!

Perfect rice, friendly staff, and free condiments! absolutely divine sushi…read more Fresh. my favourite is the coleslaw chicken sushi for $1 a piece!

The service was incredible it was delicious and the ambiance was even better than the taste…read moreI ain't lying either

I don't make a habit of going to any of the St Pierre's chain sushi. I must admit it's good that…read moreit exists when you are on the run because the place has such a high turnover, you know the ingredients must be fresh. On stepping into this store you will be bombarded with signage, it's so full on you might get a headache but worth it for the amount of choice there is. They now have a selection of brown rice sushi in the most popular usual suspects like teriyaki chicken, salmon and avo etc... They do salads and fresh seafood boxes and they do some "warm" options such as katsu chicken or fish on rice. In my view, you shouldn't heat those plastic containers and the on rice options are plastered with sauces with no veges so probably not too healthy. They have a sushi value of the day which is 8 pieces for $5.40, a total bargain. I had prawn and avo which was pretty good, not the tastiest but decent.