Beautiful ambiance and friendly service, but disappointing value two years ago. Three small pieces…read moreof chicken surrounded by breads for well over $40, with extra charge for tzatziki; flavors tasted not okay but lacked authenticity. Great looks and ambience, but expect pricey breads over meats.

We booked for two and both our meals were below average. I had the prawns, they were nice but came…read moreon a whole bed of mesculin salad, no dressing, just that. No other veges and the excuse was chef is away? I mean hello, we are paying full price for a half meal. The lamb my husband had was salty. The waitress was nice but the overall place was reaklly ordinary.

10's across the board. I finished my whole plate the chicken was grilled perfectly. The salad was…read morefresh. Even the French fries had the right amount of salt on them. This was a good meal after walking around City Centre..

I realize Kiwi's don't often use Yelp as much as compared to Google Maps, but Celine was a…read morefantastic find in the heart of Auckland. I stopped by to check out the menu and left. I wanted to see what else was around the vicinity. Ultimately, I came back to order. The owner recognized me immediately and thanked me for coming back! To much of my surprise, i felt very valued and honored. My wife and I ordered the kebab plate and shared it because we knew the portions were very generous. It was supremely delicious and I wish the USA places would take note of Celine's platters. Definitely would come back again.... only if I didn't live half way across the world!

Great, GREAT place to have tapas Spanish cuisine! This restaurant is nice and quaint, very Spanish…read moreflavour with styling and great food! Our start to dinner was a bit bumpy with a dire alarm evacuating two buildings... but quickly resumed service upon coming back in (about 25 min outside waiting for fire dept to clear call)! We ordered several tapas to share for four of us, which was plenty! The ceviche taste very fresh and the mixture of all the juices and citrus explodes in your mouth! The calamari was freshly fried, not rubbery at all and was light to the taste. A perfect blend of fried, yet light and not oily. All of the food paired great with red wines we ordered. The chorizo taste amazing with the meat being juicy and seasoned just right! We were not disappointed with anything in the menu. Ambiance was great and service was great!

We were wondering up and down K rd. looking for something a bit different. Dropped into Carmen…read moreJones and were very pleasantly surprised. Happy hour had 500ml draughts at $10. We started off with the Chorizo and fried bread. A simple, but very tasty bit. Continued with more small plates. Had the Bombas- crunchy potato with meat and a great horseradish sauce. Had the hummus for Syria -a great blend of hummus, fried lamb and fresh salsa. The last item was a Spanish fried cheese on bruscheta. A fantastic place to eat al fresco right on the sidewalk!

Five very well deserved stars!! New favourite restaurant without a doubt. Just... Amazing!! The…read morefood was exceptional. Wine was great. Service and interior, wonderful. Good hearty food, generous portions, quality ingredients and beautifully prepared. Go hungry. Leave satisfied, impressed and happy to have found a hidden gem in Ponsonby/Grey Lynn. I cannot wait to return. ** Don't you dare leave without trying their signature baklava, made with almonds and coconut and soaked in the most amazing orange syrup.

Our first time there and we absolutely loved it. The food was amazing and the service superb. Very…read moreimpressed. A very fun vibe as well. A++

Over the weekend, two friends and I were invited to dine at Bodrum Market in Westfield Newmarket's…read morenew rooftop dining precinct. It was a fantastic lunch, thanks to the lovely food, cocktails, ambience and service. Bodrum Market is run by one of my favourite hospitality companies - Nazar Group. Founded by Alex Isik and Nigar Ivgen, they own restaurants all over Auckland, including Feriza's, Miss Istanbul, Ottoman Mezze Lounge, NOA Chargrill + Burger, Devon on the Wharf, Mozaik Caffe, Deco Eatery, Casablanca and Bodrum Kitchen. All of their restaurants bring a slice of the Mediterranean to the table - featuring Turkish, Greek, Moroccan and Middle Eastern dishes... so we were really excited to check it out! Walking in, we absolutely loved the interior of Bodrum Market, which is inspired by Istanbul's Grand Bazaar and the streets of Bodrum City. While I have not yet been to Istanbul (it is on the list!), I immediately felt transported to an exotic city! We were seated in one of their booths, which overlooks the dining area and bar. If you dine at Bodrum Market, you must order a cocktail! We tried three which were all refreshing and delicious. My top picks are the Bombay Masala Talkies - Gin infused with masala tea, butterfly pea flower syrup, lemon juice and Mediterranean tonic water; the Sultan Treat with Russian vodka, rose petal water, fresh pomegranate, lime juice and pomegranate molasses; and the Aam Pana Cooler with Tequila, orange liqueur, raw mango puree, roasted cumin powder, lemon juice and lemonade. (Seriously, typing this now makes my mouth water!!!) And now for the most important part, the food! Bodrum Market is offering diners an authentic experience by serving four different cuisines - Indian, Italian, Turkish and Latin American Asado, just like the traditional food markets of the Mediterranean. Their aim is to showcase unique flavours from each of their teams' homelands. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peak through their kitchen and admired their Wood-Fired Pizza Oven, Asado Grill and Doner Kebab machine. There are many options on the menu to suit a range of palates, and I recommend sharing if possible so you can try a few dishes. We trusted the team to bring us a few of their favourites from each of the four cuisines to try, including Olives and Feta with almonds and dates, Chicken Lollipops with chili sauce, Grilled Octopus with new potatoes, paprika butter, garlic aioli and parsley, Beef Short Ribs with Chimichurri sauce and Prosciutto Pizza with fresh rocket, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan. We loved that everything was super fresh, flavourful and tasty, plus every dish was full of colour. Our favourites were the Beef Short Rib - lathered in a beautiful Chimichurri sauce and the meat was melting off the bone! The Chicken Lollipops were also a highlight, and we surprisingly enjoyed the Grilled Octopus... must admit those tentacles freaked us out a bit! For dessert, we tried their Loukoumades - light and fluffy Greek honey puffs, drizzled in chocolate sauce and served with pink fairy floss, ice cream and pistachios. You will definitely want to save room for this dessert! For a further sweet treat, head outside to the entrance of Bodrum Market to admire the displays of Baklava, Chocolate Baklava and Turkish Delight - definitely recommend buying a few pieces for the ride home. Thank you Bodrum Market for a FAB dining experience - we cannot wait to come back! x

This place has a very good alcohol selection but absolutely no tea at all…read more I wandered in one day literally wanting a cup of tea but ended up with a very nice gin! I'd go back of I wanted a drink in this area. It felt like the local watering hole but nicer than most and the staff was very friendly. There was a drinking Scotsman there but I guess that's the same as saying there was a Scotsman there. Perhaps there is always one there... Ok I'll go back again and report on that!

The Gypsy Tea Room is everything a good neighbourhood bar should be; unpretentious with a great…read moredrinks list and staff that treat you like you're a local, even if you're not. I've been to The Gypsy Tea Room a few times, normally in the afternoon. They've got great street-side seating with just the right amount of shade. The bartenders have a good knowledge of their wine list,as well as the hard stuff, and are friendly but in a laidback, casual sort of way. Although primarily a bar, they do have a short menu feat. bar snacks like olives, calamari and a couple of woodfired pizzas. Take note, the pizzas are small so if you're hungry I reckon you could polish off a whole pizza solo. I've never been here late at night so don't know what the vibe is like but as an casual afternoon watering hole, you'll struggle to find better.

Great italian eatery in Auckland CBD - amazing setting, great drinks and the bruschetta's are just…read moredelicious. Service is great and prices are more than reasonable. We will return soon!

I was in the city on a mission to have a lunch date with my partner, and we decided on the Italian…read moreflavour of Bruschetteria, which was nicely situated at the front of the Elliot stables. If you're after a slice of Italy, this is 100% the right place to be seated. They have a Fantastic menu with over 15 selections of Bruschette. My pick of the day was Dal Fiume- Marscopone Cheese, Herbs, Salmon, Capers, Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil. Was sensational, and a pleasure to eat- just delicious. I was served my Bruchette so fast, that I was sure, they had mixed up someone else's order, but no, it was a quiet day, and the staff were in top form, as I am sure they always are. Coffee was Italian roasted and just smooth and silky. Service was friendly and fast, and the setting sophisticated and stylish. I really enjoyed my lunch date and will return to sample the crostini and ensalada's.

Dear oh dear oh dear. Under new management. I really don't like to see my local businesses slide…read moreoff down the hill but this one has well and truly hit rock bottom. Before I explain why, I will say that I don't think the food is the worst element here as a couple of the dishes our group ordered were ok. The woodfired pizza oven is no longer employed. Sad and ignored behind blinds in the corner. So no more of the thing they used to do best. The menu is now 3/4 Thai and the rest Mediterranean. That means exactly what you'd expect - mezze plate, falafel, kebabs etc. All in the most massive American-sized portions you can imagine. I'd prefer less food for a cheaper price. The husband's Chicken Kebab thing was ok but unfortunately I ordered the Vegetarian Fettucine ($21!!) from the Specials and while again it wasn't bad, it really wasn't good. Advertised with mushrooms, spinach and parmesan in a creamy sauce, it was three parts vegetable, one part pasta and zero part sauce. They also decided to put pickled artichokes (you know, from the deli) in it along with some strange and strongly flavoured varieties of mushrooms. Overall, a vinegary, full-on mushroom casserole with a few strings of pasta and an oily coating that could not, in any way, be referred to as sauce. The one kid we had with us had a Thai Chicken Soup that we requested without mushrooms. He enjoyed it but unfortunately there were issues. It was a Monday night, there was no one else there. Our waiter seemed like a nice man but we could barely hear a word he said and clearly interacting with people was not something that made him terribly comfortable. We watched him take our drinks order to the barperson/manageress, who we then watched do several other things at a very leisurely pace (clearly not customer-related) before eventually pouring our drinks. Our son's soup came before the Breads & Dips and was full of floating mushrooms. We said the wait for the one WITHOUT mushrooms wasn't a problem because that was his main course and really we wanted the starter first. It still came back while we were eating the bread so he was finished by the time we were getting started. Worst of all, upon telling the woman at the counter that we weren't happy to pay for my pasta as I barely ate it (and giving her the reasons why), she argued. She didn't seem to understand the concept of ratios and kept telling me I had the normal portion of pasta and that no one else had complained about it. Well that would be because no one else has ever eaten it in your vast empty restaurant! Her excuses and justifications went on and we ended up paying for half. A better establishment wouldn't have charged us at all. Like I said in my first review of Apadana, setting up with Thai food directly opposite two of the area's best Thai places was not a smart move, no matter how good it is. Taking away the pizza is just plain crazytown. Please can someone come and take over Apadana and turn it into a lovely neighbourhood Italian restaurant? Or a bistro? Balmoral is full of delicious Asian eateries as now the whole of Auckland knows, but it would be great to have a place to go where you could eat say, a bowl of pumpkin soup with garlic bread or fish with salad or for those so inclined, a steak. Hey, I'd also be really happy with a pub - this place is big enough. I'll be watching the space for its next incarnation that I predict is not too far away.

Horrible. A real disappointing experience. The food came…read morelate, when it arrived the yoghurt was off. The server became defensive vs being accommodating. The worst place to eat in Auckland.

Genuinely, one of the greatest , and maybe most understated, gems in Newmarket. Be transported away…read morefrom the bustle of traffic and pedestrians, behind the fountains and summer cicadas and small knolls of Lumsden Green, and enjoy a sample of the Mediterranean under a flock of bright red parasols. Above the reasonable prices, the great food and the wine selection, the service is impeccable- testament to why Safran has been here for over 20 years. Staff comfortably approach you before you enter, without looking like the starving hyena that is often encountered walking past a restaurant. Even though I had only stopped in for a summery Pinot Gris this time around, I had a tall glass of ice water almost before I sat down with the wine, followed by a smile, not long after. A positively enjoyable restaurant for their lunch time specials, a hot date or a small group of friends for dinner.

When I worked in Newmarket we came to Safran at least every 2 weeks, there were many other…read morerestaurants/cafes in the area which we also tried, however we always preferred Safran. When we first started going they had a $10 menu, then it was $12 and now its $14, oh inflation and rising prices. Anyway the lunch meals were always good and tasty, I think over the time I tried every lunch meal and they were all good and they had around 12 or so lunch specials. Probably the most popular one would be the Safran sandwich which is like a gourmet sandwich and very good. The food has a Spanish/Mediterranean influence. The service was always very good, somehow much better than all the other nearby places.

Very nice place.) Cosy interior and delicious craft beer! We are coming to Beer Jerk runner club…read moreand it was great )

From the owner: Your new favourite local. Formerly Montage bar, situated in the entrance way to the iconic…read moreAmbassador theatre building. One of Pt Chev's best kept secrets. Delicious cocktails, local craft beer.