This is a relaxed and comfortable eatery, upstairs in the Queens Arcade. My companion and I arrived…read moreclose to the time that the kitchen would close, but they welcomed us in and explained we would need to order quickly. We enjoyed a delicious salad of roasted cauliflower, goats cheese, edible flowers, lentils and greens. It was colourful, fresh and very enjoyable. There is a lovely outdoor patio, also plenty of indoor seating. The atmosphere is calm and we did not feel any pressure to leave, which was appreciated. I would come again.

Very cute, chic, urban dining area. I especially like the fact that it's on the second floor and…read morethere's an outdoor dining area. The outdoor area is equipped with a very convenient awning; I know because they used it when it started to rain. It was nice not having to move or getting rained on! Their kale, apple, mint smoothie is to die for! Chips and poutine was great. Meatballs were ok. 10/10 would go back

One of the best places I ate in New Zealand on this visit. Whoever is in the kitchen is cooking and…read morecreating with love. Dishes just bursting with flavor, beautifully presented. Attentive service, lovely decor.

Happened to stumble upon this place was found it absolutely adorable so decided to give it a try…read more I arrived at 4:45pm and didn't know their dinner menu began at 5. My party was seated in the noisy section of the bar so I asked if we could be moved to the dining room as we wanted to have an early dinner. The waiter said "NO, you cannot sit there. The dinner room is being set for dinner service" He then proceeded to point at the area whilst a table of guests were getting seated. Does this mean 5 pakeha guests get different treatment from 3 asian ones? Who knows. Don't need to find out though. Drinks are good and food oily but delicious.

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.

We stopped in for a quick lunch after our trans Pacific flight, and our family of 7 loved our…read moremeals. Three of us had the crumbed fish and chips - outstanding! Two had the brisket sandwiches and found them to have a great mix of flavors. The other two had breakfasts - avocado toast and Belgian waffle. Both were top notch. You have to love a place that serves both breakfast and lunch in the middle of the day. The staff was very efficient and friendly. We sat outside and enjoyed a nice Sunday afternoon lunch. Georgia was our server and could not be lovelier. We highly recommend this place for a quick bite.

Came for coffee, but ended up ordering iced mochas on my daughter's recommendation. We had a good…read moreseat by the big open window and the mochas hit the spot. Nice surprise to be offered a topup of our drinks. Thought we must have been special but Chelsea, our waitress, said they do it for everybody. Give this place a try, I hear the pizzas are really good too.

Siostra is perched unassumingly in the middle of the Grey Lynn shops and has a lovely warm &…read moreinviting feel. The menu is full of small plates with simple, bold flavours (there are also a couple of full sized meals too). We loved the scallops with a creamy cauliflower puree and crispy guanciale (I know, I'd never heard of it either but it's cured pork - similar to bacon) and the octopus & chorizo skewers with Ouzo aioli, although the Ouzo was very subtle. The wine list also deserves a special mention. It's full of boutique NZ wineries with some interesting European reds and plenty by the glass (BIG tick)! We ended up playing it safe and ordering two glasses of Chard - one Mt Edward and one Man O'War - both were delicious but the waiter forgot which was which, which was a pity! My one teensy complaint was that we ordered several small plates to share between the two of us and they all arrived at once leaving us hardly any room on the small table for our side plates! Considering how fast we inhaled the delicious scallops it wasn't an issue for long but it would have been great to have had some time to enjoy our olives and skewers before the rest of the food arrived. Also, keep in mind that the portion size is generous. We definitely over ordered. All in all, Siostra is a charming neighbourhood bistro with equally charming staff.... I just wish it was in my neighbourhood!

Headed over here for brunch this morning after reading about it in the Denizen and following their…read moreFacebook page for a few weeks. It did not disappoint me one bit. I went for their twist on a veggie eggs benedict - a yummy hash brown cake with two poached eggs, asparagus, hollandaise sauce, and some incredible tomatoes that appeared to perhaps be poached to remove the skins and somehow infused with basil... oh my god. It was heaven! Those tomatoes, I could have eaten them all day!! It all came together to be fresh and delicious, and wasn't an overly heavy breakfast. They also had cold brew coffee - brewed from All Press. It was yummy, as cold brew should be! Most of us ended up getting the same thing, and we were pleased. Another friend got the salmon dish over a buckwheat waffle, which she wasn't as in to -- I had a bite of the waffle and it was interesting... it tasted very earthy and almost like patchouli. Perhaps it melded well with the other flavors of the dish, but I didn't love it on it's own. I was surprised on a sunday around noon there was virtually no one there! I wonder if it's more popular for dinner or if it just hasn't taken off yet. As well, don't jump straight for the seats out front - they have a beautiful patio out back that I wish we had gone for if we had known! The place looks deceptively small, as when you come in, it looks like there is just some counters for eating at, but there is also a dining room, and then out back the patio, plus seats out front. I'll definitely be back, maybe to try dinner (if they've got enough veggie options), but definitely back for brunch. It was a hit!

Always a favorite, we always get the beef pie. We prefer outside as there is no mobile reception…read moreinside. Appreciate the Steinlager light for a low alcohol brew. Mussels in red curry were super fresh but the curry was somewhat bland. Cheers

Very pleasant staff and good food. Has the authentic feel of an English pub lots to do in the area…read morewalking around Auckland.

Citizen Park is like a quirky, modern, all American diner. There are glowing neon signs, gingham…read morehalf curtains across the windows, giants shelves of kitschy Americana (think football helmets and model planes) and of course, baskets full of mustard and ketchup. Maybe it's because I've just moved home from America but I absolutely love it! We came here on a Sunny Sunday arvo to catch up with friends over a few quiets. The outdoor area here is huuuge and with several long tables with bench seats it is the perfect place to catch up with a group. It must also be said they have done a great job of making the outdoor area as sheltered as possible and they even have a retractable roof for when it inevitably starts raining (this is Auckland after all!). As for the drinks, both us girls where in the mood for a refreshingly, cold beer and opted for a jar of the Monteith's Pilsner ($8). I thought the list was pretty reasonable in both price and variety although I do think they could do with a few more boutique beers on the list as opposed to the usual mass produced varieties. The boys on the other hand were nursing rather significant hangovers and were in need of a drink of the non-alcoholic variety. ASAP. They ended up settling on a Sweet Alice; a strong cup of Kokako filtered coffee with condensed milk on the side. Heaping the rather generous serving of condensed milk into their coffee both of them seemed pretty chuffed with their decision. All in all this is a very pleasant way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon and I am looking forward to coming back soon to try their rather tasty looking menu.

I came here for the first time the other night, had been meaning to, always looks so inviting, the…read morebig brass gates to the private park for citizens dining under the strings of lights. It was, I liked it, plus they have outdoor heating. Often it can be hard finding places that accommodate groups of citizens, you can here. Large tables and a menu meant for sharing (depends how close your citizen friends are), Citizen Park would be perfect. Cool bar, good enough selection of drinks, they do coffee too. Don't be shocked when you see the beer missing from the menu, it isn't on there so ask the lovely wait staff. Gluten free options are available. Based on my experience you can request variations to menu items to fit your dietary requirements. I was impressed with my salad which not only looked good but tasted amazing. Greens with thin sliced mango, cherry tomatoes, micro greens and walnuts with a vinaigrette. Friendly staff, good surroundings, indoor and outdoor seating options and a decent menu. I'll be back, with a bigger crowd.

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!