The weekend before our Friday flight to AKL, we made reservations for dinner at Orbit 360, Sky…read moreTowers revolving restaurant. We didn't even bother with booking tickets to the observation deck since the restaurant was going to take care of that for us while we sit and dine. Our first dinner in AKL and we weren't going to miss this opportunity. We got to the Sky Tower via the hop on off bus that stops right in front of the building. We got there 1 1/2 hour earlier so we could walk around, check out the casino, just look at the equipment of the adventurous activities they provide and browse the gift shop. Our reservation was for 5:30 pm but they allowed us to go up at 5 as the popular time for dinner is 6-7. And there was plenty of seating. We were told not to leave our belongings near the window because that part doesn't revolve and it would take 45-mins to get back to that spot. Where we sat initially faced the harbor. And for what was supposed to be a cloudy day, it was nice that we could actually see across the harbor. We were also able to see the back of our hotel that only had slivers of windows as all rooms have harbor views. As far as I know, dinner at Orbit 360 offers a 3-course pre-fixe menu. Each course has at least 5 items to choose from. And on weekends it is $129 NZD pp. That converts to approximately $77 per person. Additionally tipping is an option in New Zealand. However, we enjoyed our dining experience that we ended up tipping our waiter. Everything that we had was really good. And although the portions look small, we were full that I couldn't finish steak. I don't normally eat steak, but I wanted to try things that NZ was known for. Unfortunately, lamb wasn't on the menu for this specific evening. Venison was on the menu and I was willing to try it, but the waiter recommended the angus steak. Because we were in the City of Sails, we wanted to try the local fish in the area, and I still don't know what that is. However, my sister's snapper was also really good. Before dessert came, they gave us a mini cupcake to celebrate Easter. Although we were full, there's always room for dessert. I can't remember what we ordered other than it was really pretty and very good. And lastly, we got to enjoy the sunset. What a way to end our first day in this lovely city.

Orbit 360 was a nice experience. I booked it waaayyyyy in advance and was surprised how easy it was…read moreto go to. We stayed near the quay because we were cruising out of Auckland and Orbit was a quick walk. The entrance is inside the hotel/casino behind it. Food was pretty good. Drinks were great. Views were magical. Service was okay. It's a pre fix menu and they pretty much only have 2 reservations per table per night so they are just pumping out orders of the same stuff. Felt fancy enough to celebrate an occasion. Elevator was fast. Exit through the gift shop. I would recommend for the experience.

Food was amazing but service was shocking! Worst I think I have ever had. Went to get drinks at the…read morebar initially and was told to be seated and they would come to us, Ten minutes later had to get. up and go to the bar. Young Maori girl took the order of someone who. sat down after us and was clearing tables when we were obviously waiting to have our order taken. Every time we needed something had to get up and ask. This girl and another staff member chatting with each other when there were empty drinks on table and I we had our plates removed with empty drinks on the table and no one asking if we wanted another - whoever owns this place lost a fortune in sales this night. Finally approached this girl about her behaviour and she sneered at me rather than apologise! 5 minutes later she was chatting with her friend again!!! Wouldn't go back.

I brought my boyfriend here for a casual birthday dinner. He wanted pub food, so we chose Flying…read moreMoa because he could get some classic NZ fish and chips, and there was even a vegan option for me. Win-win! The ambiance of this place is really cute. The lighting is really nice. The service was okay, not great but not bad either. It was rather unremarkable. When we first arrived, there were a ton of guys there watching the UFC fight - if you're into UFC, this appears to be the place to go. We started with drinks, I ordered a prosecco and the bf got a beer. The beers didn't have prices on them, but we were still surprised when we got the bill and the beer was $15 - almost as much as my dinner. I'm not sure if that's normal or if I'm still getting adjusted to New Zealand prices, but when my boyfriend asked the kiwis at work, they said it's definitely not normal. I ordered the vegan buddha bowl (was really excited to see a vegan option on the menu at a pub that isn't chips) and my boyfriend ordered the fish and chips he was so excited about. The food came out pretty quickly. Mine was fresh but lacked flavor - it became obvious really quickly that the chef who invented this dish is not vegan nor do they know any vegans. Vegan food is more than just vegetables without dressing ;) Nonetheless, I did enjoy the mashed sweet potato in the middle and I was very happy to be able to eat something healthy at a pub! My boyfriend was very happy with his fish and chips and it came out looking perfect. All in all, the Flying Moa is a standard pub. I do hear that they have a good trivia night which I would be interested to try out, and their drinks list looks enticing - I wouldn't mind trying some of those jam jars and cocktails.

Excellent meal all the way around. Started with a delicious…read moreginger-based Cognac and coffee liqueur cocktail. Not too sweet at all and delicious! Moved on to kingfish Andre/ appetizer which was served with a coconut/ cream and delicate sauce. The fish was raw but a delicious flavor combination Then the lamb !! Wow ! Served with a delicious, reduced glaze and delicious trimmings. The meat fell off the bow and delivered an amazing flavor The mane was venison medallion steak which Was served rare, but just tender as can be and also excellent. We finished with the caramel and cheese based little tart that you can see in the photo, which was really just amazing! We also had good chocolate dessert which was a little bit of a misnomer because it was mostly chocolate shavings and a little puffy sponge type chocolate thing. No heavy chocolate heavy flavor. Very interesting. The decor is plain andofern with a lovely garden outside Servers were knowledgeable and efficient - refined I would say A truly memorable meal

I ate at one of their special 'test' dinners over the weekend. I think they do these once a month…read morewhere it's a community table and they try out new dishes. I had gone to Sidart a few years ago and loved that tasting menu so was looking forward to this meal, even though it would be a completely different experience. I loved this as well - not all the dishes were amazing, but they were interesting and the overall experience at a community table was great.

Overall very nice although very very salty. Presentation was also very nice. Decor is nice. so…read moreeverything was nice lol. We went in a group of 5 so we ordered 5 meals each and about 4 sides. We ordered the soup of the day, pie of the day, fish of the day, pork belly, steak, fries with garlic aioli, Broccoli gratin, roast pumpkin, and 2 steamed chicken buns. I DIDN'T get to try everything (sadly, some eat way too fast to let me try hahahha) I had the pie of the day which was a chicken ginger (and something else, maybe just vegetable) pie and boy was it delicious!!! until i got half way and then it was just WAAAAAAY too salty and strong to handle. The mash on top was velvety smooth and very creamy which i liked. Chicken and ginger is such a winning combo!! if only it wasn't that salty/strong/rich then i could have eaten the whole thing.... The charred vegetables on the side were very tasty tho! Fries were... over fried but no one can't stop me from finish fries lol and extra crunchy and golden is good enough for me. Also very salty tho. Aioli was delish as always! Broccoli gratin was all white sauce... and really rich. i think it would have been a tad better if it was balanced better (vegetable to white sauce ratio) Roast pumpkin was the highlight tonight. It was soooo tasty, the combination of everything on the plate was magical. Feta cheese, sweet roasted pumpkin, some sort of sauce? and this crunchy herb (sage) but really... so good. Service was... ok... two waiters/waitresses came to serve us and a few orders were forgotten or confused along the way... we had to ask a few times? Overall everything is way too expensive for what we were eating ... especially portion size... i thought it was quite casual eatery rather than fine dining? oh, a hybrid.. i would have given a 4 star if it weren't so salty and a tad cheaper.

If you need some quietness and great atmosphere to talk, this is the place. The interior is soft…read morewith dim lights, clean and modern. You are served with complementary brown bread rolls with olive oil when you dine which is pretty nice for a restaurant. I've been here for a few times so will tell you how they were. Soldier Boy Jammers ($16), seemed to be their signature plate, was slightly average with just minimal filings. I think I still love the Monsoon Poon one the best. We also had fish pie, fried chicken and the duck which was all just okay. Display/presentation of these dishes were wonderful though especially the fish pie - they looked so adorable with little mashed potato swirls we didn't want to ruin it! However we could only taste the potatoes in those... (I have noticed that their menu changed since I last visited) It is so nice to have a place on Ponsonby road where you can have a conversation without shouting at each other. Tin Soldier lets you do that as they have a bar area separated with a restaurant side. Service was good and you can enjoy yourself if you go there for just a few drinks like we did last week. Hand-cut chunky fries ($9) were really good with crispy skin and soft insides - so good they were gone before we knew it!

I've been here a couple of times to eat. It's always a lovely place to sit, particularly at one of…read morethe outside tables, to watch the world go by. It's a popular eatery - the service is good but I haven't had any trouble getting a table. The coffee is good and there are lovely muffins for morning tea. I've enjoyed savoury cheese muffin and my companion had blueberry. For lunch, my companion and I enjoyed very nice Caesar salad each - mine with halloumi and theirs with chicken. It was all very nice - I would come again without hesitation. Thank you.caesar Salad

My friends and I went here after a book fair up the road and we had a lovely time. I've also been…read morewith family a few times as it's a favourite of my mums. The food is fairly pricey, even for snack food, although it was compensated by tasting delicious. Being right by the water is an added bonus to the atmosphere, especially if you're able to grab a seat in the front. They have a mix of high and low seated tabling for different occasions - whether you're just there for a quick beer or booked in for a sit down meal.

Great Fish & Chips and friendly service!! Location is perfect for when you're touring about the…read morecity.

We walked into the Shakespeare about 7:15pm on Wednesday. The restaurant was closed but the bar was…read moreopen; we had to sit outside, which was just fine. There were four of us; we each ordered fish and chips and a drink and paid up front; the drinks were in our hands immediately. After half an hour of waiting for the food, I asked the manager what was going on and she told me "10 minutes". 15 minutes later, I asked again - this time, the barmaid went upstairs to talk to the cook and told me "10 minutes". 15 minutes later (an hour after ordering), I went back AGAIN and this time the manager went up and promised we'd have our food in just a few minutes; she offered us a free drink. We finally got the food about 70 minutes after ordering. To be fair, it was hot, fresh, and tasty - but it was NOT worth waiting that long for. Go for the beer; ask lots of questions about the wait for food.

Excellent food in this classic Auckland restaurant…read more Vegetable spaghettini was delicious with charred asparagus, brocollini and olives. Creamy portobello fettuccine mmm. Delicious raspberry and vanilla creamer brûlée. Rich decadent sour cherry chocolate dessert. Great people watching, classy friendly service and a good wine list.

Lovely for the most part, we had a reservation but arrived at 6pm Friday to largely empty…read morerestaurant. I must say the Diamond Clam entree was "Off the charts" incredible! This is a must have dish! We also were fans of the Saltimbocca and Carpaccio that came with prosciutto. The pizza was decent but not a "have again". The most curious of dishes was the Linguine with Scampi. The scampi served in shell and halved were deliciously sweet. Unfortunately the scampi pasta appeared to be prepared earlier and just warmed for serving. The linguini was crispy, hard, dry.

These are the pancakes of a lifetime - they are as delicious as they are beautiful. Everything you…read morenever knew you dreamed of. I need cotton candy (floss?) on all pancakes I have from here on out. That syrup was also to die for, I need to find a way to bring that home with me. Every bite packed so much flavor between all the toppings on the plate. I practically licked my plate before heading out.

3.5/5? I loved the…read morerestaurant decor, service, and presentation of the food... but the taste wasn't GREAT. If you're into a more simple, clean, and perhaps lighter taste, then this is your place! Maybe this place was hyped up too much? Or I was feeling extra hungry when I went and my dish wasn't super satisfying... Things we ordered which were just aight: - Herbed Broken Eggs (asparagus, zucchini, pecorino, onion & oregano salsa served with freedom loaf bread): light & clean, but wasn't very filling. Probably should have added bacon! Haha ... it was also a little on the blander side in terms of taste! - Green Eggs Benedict with House cured slab bacon: bacon and eggs were tasty but overall the dish was a little bland as the traditional eggs benny hollandaise sauce was replaced by a green sauce! - Creamy Mushroom + Poached Egg: tasty but too sweet! Overall the presentation was lovely, the service and restaurant environment were also great, but I really value the taste of the food and this place didn't really satisfy my tastebuds ... BUT this is a place you should try at least once to judge for yourselves! Haha the items are definitely very clean and healthy!