I'm not a Buddhist at all but I still love everything about this Buddhist Temple situated in what…read moreseems like the middle of nowhere. The temple structure and design is massive and simply beautiful, it really looks like it just doesn't belong where it is. When I first saw this place under construction, I was really shocked at the sheer size of it. The architecture of the finished building is a very traditional design and reminds me so much of being in Japan. Perhaps this is why I enjoy visiting this temple, to get my nostalgic fix. It's a little bit of the orient in NZ. Anyway, the inside is just as spectacular as the exterior and has enormous space. It's so quiet and peaceful, with monks walking around and everything! It's free to enter the building, and I strongly suggest that you check it out at least once. They have a pretty cool gift store near the entrance too.

This Temple is truly a captivating sight. It yelled out, 'FILM ME' the moment I saw it. Sort of…read morereminds you of those Kung Fu movies Bruce Lee was famous for, or perhaps more ornate ones, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. For all its superficial beauty and splendour, I found the people who run it to be very focused on commercialism. They are wonderful at it by far, but it's not something I would expect from humble, Buddhist monks. I like that they reach out to the community, but the commercialism took away from their religious aspect. Still, it's a nice place for a spot of tea.

Quaint little breakfast/lunch spot. The food was delicious, great coffee and tea options, and the…read morestaff was super friendly and helpful. There is a cute bookstore right next door as well. We had the lemon poppy pancakes that were on special and they were delicious! However, they were not fluffy pancakes. They were flatter and more dense, but still very delicious!

I have a vegan in the family and it can be tricky to find good vegetarian food, let alone vegan,…read morebut this place is wonderful. I've had the portobello bene here which is always excellent. The granola is wonderful. The fried upma is light and tasty, and perfectly spiced. The courgetti is a lovely break from the ubiquitous pasta found elsewhere. They often have specials, a favourite of which is the taco - literally haven't had a bad meal here! The coffee is also excellent. There's a small courtyard out the back with outdoor tables. The restroom leaves a little to be desired, but it's a tiny gripe to be honest.

amazing food first time in my life we been there and so amazing it feels like totally home food…read moresure we will recommend to every one ek number wow

This is another one of those restaurants where the regular Indian customers get a warm welcome and…read moreI get a cold one for some reason. Which is odd, and kind of annoying. Their menu is basically all cafeteria-style platters. The beans I got, which I guessed were chickpeas, was told were kidney beans, and now believe to have been pinto beans, were nonetheless delicious. The rest of the platter wasn't warm and wasn't impressive. The fries I got on the side to have something fresh and hot were as basic as the come. This place seemed to cater to working-class Indians from downtown on their way back from work. It gets the job done on that level, but I think I could do better.

Oh the good old green croc aye. I have lived in Auckland all my life and only found out about this…read moreplace last year. If you don't know about it, I suggest a visit. It doesn;t look like anything special from the outset but boy is it special. The Green Crocodile is basically a sandwich bar, but they also do salads and wraps. Pop in there and the lovely old lady will ask you what you'd like. You pick you bread and then fill the sammy with a mountainload of ingredients. Then you can either get it toasted or leave fresh. Yes, it seems like 'just a sandwich bar' but it;s so much more than that. Ther service is so great, and after one visit you'll be treated like a regular, and the amount you get for what you pay is like something from a bygone era. There are no processed ingredients in site and you can really taste the home made freshness. I think that's why it's so good - every sandwich is like the best ever sandwich you could make at home, but canlt be bothered doing. The place is popular, but if there is a wee queue outside, stick it out, it's worth it.

Green Crocodile seems to be one of those "secret" places that not many people know about. It's just…read morea sandwich bar; but nothing's pre-made, and everything made just for you how you like it. It's a little bespoke lunch without the usual bespoke price tag. A cheese toasted sandwich is sometimes all that you need, and these are pretty good: the cheese oozes out, and it's all delivered to you hot and tasty. They don't take eft-pos here, so come with cash, although you won't need much; most sandwiches are less than $5. There's also only two tables, so be prepared to takeaway; you can always sit outside on the recently flashed-up Derby Street.

First place I hit up after landing in Auckland! Comforting Thai dishes with a super helpful staff…read more I got the Buddha bowl with some fried tofu! Those fresh veggies hit the spot after eating airplane food all day. Highly recommended! I'm def going to come back to try their sweets and mock duck!

Lovely food and staff. Amazing for vegans. My favourite is the peanut sauce and crispy vegan…read morechicken on rice. Of course the classic Thai curries are amazing also.

Went for a lovely walk through the bush today and ended up and the delightfully organic Hinemoa…read morestreet cafe for breakfast and coffee. Great service and amazing coffee. Had the gluten free bene, and it was savory and yummy! Everything looked great and the the food came out perfectly for the whole table. Definitely give this place a go!

Happy happy, cage free, free to roam, organic fed hens that lay eggs. These eggs make their way to…read morethis great Organic cafe on Hinemoa street and are served to you as Eggs on Toast, an Omelette, as Eggs Benedict. They also have a number of other non egg meals on the menu and they use organic ingredients in all their tasty dishes. They also have very good coffee, nice muffins and other baked organic items. All of this combined with great friendly service, a lovely location and you have a new place to visit this weekend.

We were recommended to eat here by a local, so we headed here. The food was alright. I ordered the…read moreveggie pizza - some of the mushrooms were undercooked and not edible. The crust was crunchy and good. My partner had the brisket burger - it was OK. The meal cost $140. In my opinion, this place is overpriced for the quality of food we had.

Worth a second meal!…read more We really enjoyed this restaurant! Table for four on a Friday night at 5:30 in the evening. We had two orders of the fresh fish and chips, the pulled pork pizza, and the fish of the day (tuna). All 4 were prepared well and brought out promptly. I am not certain if it is a New Zealand thing (as it has happened at two restaurants in two days), bit they bring the food out when it is done, not when all four meals are done ... Just something of which to be aware. This is a place where I will be happy to eat at again!

Govinda's is a K Road hot-spot for students, backpackers and, I presume, collection-can-rattling…read morehomeless people. This "restaurant" has the typical miasma and funk anyone from outside of Auckland would expect from the dirty and infamous road. Wobbly, unclean tables and prison food served in divided tin plates. I have nothing against vegetarians or vegans and have a lot of respect with some of the delicious dishes they can conjure up, but the food here tastes of coloured water with rice and chick peas for substance. Curry with no garlic or onions? Untitled lumpy custard dish made me feel like I was in a very old, very poor school cafeteria, gagging on the religious peace and love and feel-good that should kill any appetite I have left. Maybe if they put some of the natural herbs they're smoking into the dishes we could laugh this off and paint each other's toenails in a log cabin in the woods and name all the stars this place will never get.

The Hare Krishna eatery on K'Road has stood proudly for years, feeding poor students and curry…read moreaficionados alike, and completely on the cheap. On the day before payday, I am one of those people standing in line waiting for a $2 samosa or $2 onion bhaji. For just $5 you can also get a huge platter of food that will fill you up good and proper. If you're looking for something a little different, give their lasagna a go - non-meat eaters will love being able to eat something like this again, even if it is a little on the wet side.

Food: tasty breakfast fare and inventive cold lunch dishes. Ordered the First Breakfast - standard…read moreEnglish breakfast with sweet sausages. The muesli yoghurt was amazing: sweet with just a hint of tart, excellent fruit preserves, and delightful muesli. Vegan grain mix: great mix of flavor and texture from the rice, nuts, raisin, and vegetables. The Chorizo + sweet potatoes: delicious, esp the NZ sweet potatoes. Service: excellent and prompt. The proprietress was great at suggesting options among her menu based on your activities. Atmosphere: cheerful little shop with different rooms flowing into each other: quaint cafe, small hobbit-themed backdrop, and the general store.

The nice place for quick lunch! Definitely play into the Lord of the Rings zeal in Matamata, but as…read morea fan myself I didn't mind it ;) Had a really good BLTA and would definitely recommend the blueberry smoothie!