From a seafood buffet to plates of pasta, these are ways to treat someone you love on May 10.
Mother’s Day is coming and Auckland restaurants are certainly embracing the occasion. On this list you’ll find a range of kitchens serving up special menus for the day.
To avoid a last-minute rush or disappointments, book now.
Ada
Choose one of the best venues in Tāmaki Makaurau to celebrate your loved one – Ada is set in the Convent Hotel and boasts a grand interior for the dining experience. On Sundays, the kitchen presents a long lunch for sharing, which could be an apt choice for Mother’s Day celebrations, too. On the menu, there’s focaccia, paella, crema catalana and a glass of bubbles. Other dishes, including iberico ham, croquetta and Brussels sprouts, can be added for bigger meals (servings can also be adjusted for a range of plant-based preferences).
454 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn
The rainbow sushi, chicken and salmon yakitori and artichoke dumplings on the menu at Azabu restaurant in Mission Bay. Photo / Babiche Martens
Azabu
You’ll find a special four-course set menu on offer at both Ponsonby and Mission Bay locations for Japanese restaurant Azabu this Mother’s Day. It begins with a bowl of edamame and a platter of assorted sashimi, before heartier servings of shiro koji chicken thigh and Akaroa salmon. For dessert, you’ll be treated to scoops of sorbet and ice cream. Best suited to someone who loves seafood.
26 Ponsonby Rd, Grey Lynn
44 Tamaki Dr, Mission Bay
Photo / Alex Burton
Bar Magda
Within the warming underground dining room, Bar Magda will be serving three courses to mark Mother’s Day. On the menu, you can expect excellent local produce and Filipino fare from Chef Carlo Buenaventura, including scampi and crab lumpia, lamb rib pyanggang and tres leches (with orange butter cake, dulce de leche, almond barquillos and queso ice cream). Bookings are available from 2 to 7pm – best suited to a late lunch or an early dinner.
Price: $75pp (including a glass of bubbles)
25B Cross St, central Auckland
Cazador
Gather for a special autumnal lunch at Cazador this Mother’s Day. On the four course menu, seasonal produce like persimmon, parsnip and baby gem lettuce is celebrated. The hero serving is a roasted poussin, served with a spiced pistachio stuffing by ‘OG Cazador Mama’ Barbara Lolaiy.
Culprit
Sticking to their well-known culinary expressions of nostalgia, Culprit will be serving a ‘breakfast-not-in-bed’ this Mother’s Day. The menu is divided into bites and mains, and finishes with a single treat (ambrosia with boysenberry marshmallow, chocolate and yoghurt). Among the more savoury servings there’s a crayfish bisque dip, marmite-spiked fermented shiitake butter buns and pickled pork shoulder. Cocktails are also on the menu, complete with pun-filled names – think a Mom-Osa, Ma-jito and a Mum-ba slushie (the latter has blackberry, rum and red wine).
Level 1/12 Wyndham St, central Auckland
Savor Food Fest’s Oki No at Ebisu. Photo / Jono Parker
Ebisu
An all-you-can-eat buffet filled with sushi, sashimi and more contemporary Japanese dishes will be in full swing on Mother’s Day at Ebisu. Highlights include hot mains like teriyaki roasted beef and market fish with yuzu miso, and desserts like honey coconut custard and chocolate brownie. It’s a coveted offering from the Britomart restaurant and is currently only available for Mother’s Day (so get in and book now). The buffet is open from 11am to 4pm.
Price: $85pp (and half price for children)
116–118 Quay St, central Auckland
Gilt
Gilt will be open for regular European brasserie-inspired service, with a few added treats. Alongside the all-day menu (think crudo, cheese souffle and squid ink linguine), there will be tortellini en brodo with mortadella and Parmesan and lemon tart. The dining room is open for the occasion from 11am to 3pm – you’ll need to book now.
2 Chancery St, Chambers, central Auckland
Hill House Cafe & Farm House Cafe
On both Saturday and Sunday, these cosy cafes will be serving High Tea. Both kitchens provide savoury and sweet on their stands – scones, pastries and gelato can be expected at both. The time slots are quite specific, so you need to get in quick with your bookings for both Hillsborough and Clevedon.
72 Hillsborough Rd, Hillsborough
Kingi
The seafood specialists at Kingi are celebrating all month long, with a cocktail series that sees $1 from each pour donated to Women’s Refuge. For the special day, there is also a set menu for dinnertime (from 5 to 9pm), which includes wood-fired flatbread, gamefish tartare, venison and snapper with smoked eel sauce.
Price: $65pp (add a glass of bubbles for $15)
Tuawhiti Lane, 29 Galway St, Britomart
Mama restaurant in Newmarket. Photo / Babiche Martens
Mama
This Italian restaurant founded by Mimi Gilmour is an apt choice for this occasion – not just for its namesake, but for its set menu. With plenty of autumnal influence, Mama will be serving three courses for Mother’s Day, including signature pillowy pasta (along with a glass of prosecco). Pumpkin & ricotta agnolotti, roast chicken and a surprise sweet treat will be on the menu – vegetarian options are also available.
Osborne Lane, 3B York St, Newmarket
Metita
A Toana’i is on the menu at Metita for Mother’s Day, welcoming diners to share three courses for the occasion. Oysters, corned beef steamed buns, kingfish oka and slow-braised lamb shanks are just some of the dishes on offer at the inner-city restaurant. You can also choose between a glass of bubbles or something less spirited.
Price: $110pp (and $65 each for children)
90 Federal St, central Auckland
Inside Milford restaurant Olle. Photo / Babiche Martens
Olle
Find four courses of seasonal fare on the set menu at Olle. Granny Smith apples will be served with smoked salmon and crab, cacio e pepe will accompany beef katsu on brioche and a lemon-tinged creme brulee will be brightened with a passionfruit sorbet.
52 East Coast Rd, Milford
Onslow
A long and luxurious lunch is on offer at Onslow – the kitchen promises duck sausage rolls, smoked duck breast and a selection of cakes and tarts. There are takeaways too: a Sans Ceuticals mask will be gifted to every mum who dines on the day. The dining room is open from 11am to 7pm, but you’ll need to book to secure a table.
Price: $150pp ($80 for children 12 and under)
9 Princes St, central Auckland
The dining room in Commercial Bay restaurant Origine. Photo / Babiche Martens
Origine
Take in views of the harbour for Mother’s Day at Origine, while dining on a very cheffy menu. The set servings, which allow you to choose between various dishes at each course, include pāua, shucked oysters, smoked duck tartlet and lamb shoulder. Dessert is the same for everyone: a chocolate & raspberry eclair with rosewater gel.
Price: Canape with two courses, $85pp. Canepe with three courses, $105pp.
Commercial Bay Level 2/172 Quay St, central Auckland
Soul Bar & Bistro
Find a one-off Mother’s Day menu at Soul, which is inclusive of excellent seafood and satisfying mains: think yellowfin tuna tataki, salt and pepper squid and grilled tarakihi. These specials are also being served alongside Soul’s regular service, so if you have a preference for dishes tried and tested, you could opt for those too.
Price: $75pp (children for $25)
Corner of Lower Hobson St, Customs St West
A mussel dish on the menu at Trivet. Photo / Babiche Martens
Trivet
Mother’s Day coincides with a special launch for the kitchen at Trivet. Kai Moana Pasifika invites patrons to dine on a seafood buffet, which encompasses trevally oka, tiger prawns, steamed mussels, palusami and chop suey. The buffet will run through until the end of June. A complimentary cocktail on arrival for all mums is included for the Mother’s Day celebration.
22 Albert St, central Auckland
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