I want to give The Wine Cellar a few props from the perspective of a door bitch at gigs. We are the…read morebitches who take your money - we put silly insignias on your wrist and hand you cheap EPs. Getting a gig together at The Wine Cellar is easy - the bar staff are really friendly people who don't seem to mind when the door bitch once again forgets a pen. Rohan who runs the technical side of the shows clearly loves making people sound good and takes his work seriously enough to do an excellent job of it. It's also massively cheap to rent the place - $100 for a PA and Rohan.

Awesome cosy venue for a gig. I saw Tiny Ruins here and although I wasn't in quick enough to get…read moremyself a seat on one of the couches, I love that they have them and that there's still plenty of standing room as well. Very intimate music venue, cool character and just a neat space. One downside is that if you haven't been before and don't know where you're going, might be a little hard to find. Down some stairs and through a non-descript side door you'll find it. The bar area is separate to the couch-filled room, which is nice in some ways but then of course if you're all comfy in your arm chair and don't want to lose your seat you'd better hope your friend doesn't mind getting your drink for you!

What's not to love about a quiet little wine bar and great service? The folks at Apero were so…read morefriendly and welcoming, that alone would earn them 4 stars. We chatted with our server for a bit, who recommended a few additions to our New Zealand adventures. Perfect. Apero is also a large contrast to the other bars, pubs, and restaurants that seem common on K Road and I liked that. I had a glass of wine, while my lover had a beer - we tried the snapper special - which was pretty unique and tasty. Snapper (sashimi style) topped with some yummy pom seeds and lord knows what else but all I know is it was pretty AND delicious. It's nice when that combo actually works out. Loved this place!

Amazing - perfection every way - ask for the match recommendation…read more The menu is perfect

This was a delicious breakfast. The whipped yoghurt was amazing. The fluffy, airy sweetness was so…read moregood and the granola was also great. Fresh and crunchy with sweet stone fruits on top. The sourdough and eggs were great as well. I personally don't like parsley garnish so I didn't enjoy that on the egg as much but everything else was fantastic. Tomatoes were really juicy. Everything just tasted super fresh and of great quality.

we loved everything about this restaurant when we had dinner there. so much so that we went back…read morefor breakfast a day later! All the people there are friendly and efficient. The seating is comfortable. Go here.

Love this quiet late night winebar. Cosy, chill and with great friendly staff…read more More late night spots are what Auckland desperately needs to call itself a real city.

I had driven past The Corner Store a tonne of times and always thought it looked cute but tiny. I…read morehad NO idea there was a back bar with a roaring fire and a dimly lit outdoor courtyard. Just the other day, a friend and I were talking about the lack of cosy wine bars in Auckland. You know the kind with big, leather chairs, a roaring fire and a well-thought out wine list. Enter The Corner Store. It's more a cocktail bar than a wine bar but it ticks the roaring fire box. There's also a sneaky internal courtyard that's blissfully quiet mid-week! Hungry? Try their small but delicious tapas menu. Beautifully tender pork belly and damn near perfect fries!

Well ladies and gentlemen I've found my new ponsonby favourite! A friend and I stumbled across this…read morelittle beauty on Saturday night, and we lingered here till about 2am. It's dark and moody with great music and the bar staff are good fun. But the two things that turned this little bar into my favourite spot are; asahi on tap and the peppermint chocolate shots. I'm not much of shot taker but this little marvel is heaven. Well worth stopping in and enjoying the people watching with a peppermint shot to warm you up.

Harry's is a charming, wee bar located next to that new "workingman's club" on P' Road…read more We went last week when it had only been open a couple of weeks and was still sorting a few things out. No sparkling water (...yet) and no espresso for the espresso martinis we ordered off the menu. "I could whistle something up using the cold brew?" the bartender offered. We weren't fussy and they tasted delicious. They even let us order snacks a couple doors down from P.Road Bistro! Dream result. Great for a couple of lazy drinks, their outdoor tables get good afternoon sun. Just keep in mind it's pretty small so perhaps not great for groups.

On our last day, it was just non-stop rain as we were killing some time before heading to the…read moreairport. We walked nearby our hotel to My Bar, a tiny place with more outdoor tables (although obviously not the best place to sit on a day like that). Heading inside, we were greeted with a cozy place; mood lighting, exposed brick, wood floors, and tiny table nooks along the wall. The bartender was friendly and got us some drinks. They have a full selection of hard drinks, but I was here for the beer. They have six tap handles, all from the larger breweries of the country. I chose a flight of three. We slowly sipped our drinks and listened to the rain. Prices were reasonable, it was definitely worth a few minutes for some drinks!

Great bar! Stopped here one night & sat outside. Relaxed, friendly service; beer was great. Had a…read moreramen dish from a restaurant next door. Liked it so much, went back the next night.

Intimate setting that also serves well towards larger groups…read more There's a list of proposed wine tastings - upwards of $12 for three wines from NZ or around the world. You can choose your own tasting (or full glass or bottle) from the menu which gives you the chance to try a nice range. We selected food from the small plates menu but were unimpressed. You'd probably do better were you to order a cheese platter or to come here for after dinner drinks.

From the owner: Wine, well that's what really matters isn't it? Bored with…read morethe usual generic wine lists popping up all over town? At Wine Loft we have a vast array of wines available by the taste, glass or bottle. Many of which you will not find anywhere else. Also available is tap & bottle beer, spirits and other drinks. We pride ourselves in our platters and pizzas which are all designed for sharing. There is also a good selection of hot and cold small plates to choose from.

Very good food! I found them in the Air New Zealand in-flight magazine and the hunt-to-table story…read moreintrigued me. Very meat focussed menu, but everything was done really well and with very comfortable portions (I feared heaping piles of meat lol ). I would definitely recommend this place. It is in a restaurant-lined street as well, so there is a lot to explore if I had more time in Auckland.

Amazing pies at the deli. People were super nice and friendly. Ultimate Kiwi service!…read more Cute little venue.

Quick back story and fun fact: In 1911 there was a Zoo in Royal Oak! Of course, everyone complained…read moreabout the smell and the sound and never really embraced the beauty of the whole operation until the animals escaped and everything was eventually shut up and sold off. So now we have this voluminous pub with a fun, purple branding that doubles as a throw back to Auckland's past. There is plenty of seating (including the small cluster of outdoor couches everyone is vying for) and plenty of beers on tap. Inexplicably you are only allowed to smoke on one half of the outdoor seats. Staff seem to stay behind the bar unless they are trying to top up your barely finished drinks, which they do with hunter-like efficiency and a portable EFTPOS unit. Slightly too overpriced to be your local-after-work.

I went to the Zookeeper's Son on a double date and wasn't too sure about it at first to be honest…read more It's a pub and I'm more of a city girl but I thought I'd go along for the ride. I'm so glad I did because I was pleasantly surprised! We had so much fun. It's quite a big place but there were loads of people eating, laughing and having a good time so it didn't feel too big at all. We had a really intimate corner where we ate which was really nice. The menu is amazing. It's pub food but not as you know it. There's loads of twists on the traditional meal. For example we ordered the roast but it came out on a chopping board for us to share with the whole table. A brilliant approach to an old favourite. Their Yorkshire Puddings were SO good, good enough to break any diet for. There was a live band playing and at the end of our meal which was a really nice addition to the atmostphere. We had loads of delicious drinks but my pick would be their Long Island Iced Tea, it was so good. So as it turns out I was completely wrong, this place is a winner.