Wondering where to eat when wandering Auckland\u2019s waterfront? Here are our picks.<\/p>\n
\n From the glossy mixed-use laneways of Commercial Bay on the doorstep of Waitemat\u0101 Harbour, through the picturesque maritime scenes of Viaduct Harbour and over the bascule bridge to Wynyard Quarter, this trifecta of waterfront precincts in the central
\n city offers a plethora of eating and drinking opportunities. Here\u2019s where to check out when you\u2019re in town.\n <\/p>\n
Commercial Bay<\/p>\n
Kokako <\/p>\n
Fairtrade, organic coffee \u2013 your straightforward caffeine fix will be sorted expertly on level one.<\/p>\n
Kokako Commercial Bay cafe. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Gloria\u2019s<\/p>\n
At this friendly deli counter on the ground floor, morning tartines roll on to lunchtime offerings of the fattest focaccia sandwiches, toasties and pizzas. <\/p>\n
Harbour Eats<\/p>\n
This lively food hall on level two boasts a diverse range of eateries sharing communal seating. No stressing about different tastes when dining with a group: bags a table and grab what you fancy. A few must-try dishes include Fatima\u2019s lamb chawarma, Eden Noodles\u2019 dumplings in spicy sauce, Loco Bros chicken tinga tacos, and Needo\u2019s generously portioned mac and cheese. Hot tip: The long table with a canopy of blown glass lights, looking over Te Komititanga Square, might look like a fancy private dining area but it\u2019s yours to occupy \u2013 grab a plate of oysters and flute of bubbles from Billy Pot and settle in. <\/p>\n
Harbour Eats brings together a diverse mix of eateries in a lively food hall designed for easy group dining. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Kome<\/p>\n
One of the newer openings in the north-facing One Queen Dining section, this sake bar takes inspiration from the seemingly simple Japanese staple of rice to create dishes as palate-pleasing as they are photogenic. Case in point, the Sashimi Garden, an eye-catching platter showcasing oysters, prawns, caviar-topped scallops, and selected cuts of salmon, tuna, and white fish, garnished with flowers and herbs.<\/p>\n
Kome sashimi garden. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Ghost Donkey<\/p>\n
A Mexican bar by way of NYC, this bar and eatery acts demure during the day, but its fairy light-filled interior pops off after dark when the margaritas flow thick and fast. <\/p>\n
Ahi<\/p>\n
The New Zealand food story in restaurant form, Ahi brings the best of Aotearoa\u2019s garden (including from the restaurant\u2019s own garden in South Auckland) to an open kitchen run by celebrity chef Ben Bayly, and comfy, airy dining room boasting views to Rangitoto. <\/p>\n
Ahi restaurant in Commercial Bay. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Origine<\/p>\n
Ben Bayly is behind the menu here, too, and while the atmosphere in this beautifully designed space filled with northwestern sunlight has a Kiwi relaxedness, the fare is firmly French, from escargots and French onion soup to beef bourguignon, with a spectacular lineup of French wine to go with. <\/p>\n
Origine. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Canting<\/p>\n
The fresh, satisfying flavours of Cantonese cuisine are celebrated in this fun space led by chef Nic Watt. The yum cha menu features dim sum, small and large sharing plates including housemade barbecue meats, or you can go \u201clucky\u201d with an $88 set menu. An unmissable dish is the roasted duck, cooked in a traditional duck oven to render the skin crackling crisp and the flesh marvellously moist. <\/p>\n
Mixed dumplings on the menu at Canting restaurant in Commercial Bay. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Kemuri Hi-Fi<\/p>\n
This uber cool subterranean bar, inspired by Japan\u2019s listening bars, specialises in whisky, Champagne, cocktails and vinyl \u2013 pretty much all the good things in life in one classy little pocket.<\/p>\n
Queens Rooftop<\/p>\n
Caviar bumps and seafood towers come with a distinctive backdrop \u2013 a green roof planted in soft tussocks and artist Chris Bailey\u2019s Ng\u0101 Pou Atua sculptures from totara wood, with 270-degree views of the sparkling blue Waitemat\u0101 beyond. <\/p>\n
Advieh<\/p>\n
From breakfast to dinner, this sophisticated spot offers a tapestry of Middle Eastern flavours curated by chef Gareth Stewart. Its newly launched high tea, served afternoons from Thursday to Sunday, offers a refreshingly unique take on the occasion, and the bar\u2019s \u201cminute\u201d cocktails are a masterstroke when you need to go light, or can\u2019t make your mind up. <\/p>\n
Advieh Restaurant’s whole duck tagine.<\/p>\n
Honest Chocolat<\/p>\n
A gifting godsend, this chocolatier stocks a range of hand-painted bon bons and single-origin tablets made in small batches in Matakana, alongside a small menu of chocolate drinks and treats to enjoy at the counter or take away. <\/p>\n
Honest Chocolat is a boutique chocolatier specialising in hand-painted bon bons and small-batch chocolate made in Matakana. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Viaduct Harbour<\/p>\n
Soul Bar & Bistro<\/p>\n
Arguably the city\u2019s landmark waterfront dining destination, the flower-festooned verandah of Soul is a prime spot to park up and enjoy top-notch hospitality. It\u2019s a place to pop Champagne while perusing the interesting cocktail list. Chef Gavin Doyle\u2019s menu strikes the perfect balance of classic and hearty, with refreshing light touches. Don\u2019t miss the \u200b\u200bsalt and pepper squid; it comes with skordalia and is one of the best renditions around. <\/p>\n
Soul Bar & Bistro is a waterfront institution offering polished hospitality, classic crowd-pleasing dishes and a prime verandah setting. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Parasol & Swing<\/p>\n
If you like your cocktails designed by experts, with flavour descriptors alongside, this two-level bar and eatery with enviable Viaduct views deserves your full attention. By day it offers a comfortable retreat from the action, and by night it\u2019s where the action is at. <\/p>\n
Hello Beasty<\/p>\n
In my social media community Lazy Susan, no other Auckland restaurant comes recommended as frequently as husband and wife-run Hello Beasty. It\u2019s the poster child for Asian fusion done right, and caters especially well to groups. <\/p>\n
Hello Beasty’s Harajuku Slip. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Esther and Rooftop at QT<\/p>\n
QT hotel is somewhat tucked away from the rowdy main beat of the Viaduct, an oasis of sorts. At Esther, chef Sean Connolly\u2019s menu chases the sun through the Mediterranean from Greece to Morocco via Sicilian shores. Puff bread with taramasalata is a must to begin the affair. Esther\u2019s courtyard is a hidden gem with its own menu of savoury snacks and little pizzettes, and there\u2019s a takeaway hatch operating, too. Take the elevator up and take your pick of indoor or all-weather outdoor lounge seating at Rooftop at QT. <\/p>\n
La Maree<\/p>\n
Wander a little further round the boardwalk to a real hidden gem serving French food with Latin twists in an elegant room inside Sofitel, with the gentle waters of the quay lapping outside. Signatures include the Hawke\u2019s Bay lamb rump with smoky carrot, edamame, whipped goat curd, buckwheat and a fragrant minted jus. <\/p>\n
Wynyard Quarter<\/p>\n
Baduzzi<\/p>\n
New England-Italian roots meet New Zealand premium ingredients at Baduzzi. It\u2019s long been famous for its large, juicy polpette (meatballs) in several guises, but don\u2019t dive straight into them, make time for the delicate small dishes first (the grilled octopus with nduja, petite potatoes and pickled capsicum is a standout) and save room for mains like dry-aged South Island scotch fillet with the best creamed potato you\u2019ve ever tasted. <\/p>\n
Baduzzi. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Park Hyatt<\/p>\n
Cosseted within the soothing surrounds of this five-star hotel are a number of wining and dining options open to the public. Pantry hums to an all-day beat of coffee, cabinet and cafe fare, upmarket restaurant Onemata takes diners on a tour through Aotearoa via premium produce, and The Living Room does an excellent high tea Thursday through Sunday, boasting intricately crafted morsels that change with the season. Retire to Captains Bar for a rare rum cocktail. <\/p>\n
Surrounded by pink hydrangeas, gazing out to the city skyline, flash boats parked up and Rangitoto\u2019s distinctive print on the horizon, here\u2019s a rare chance to try Cristal (2015 vintage) by the glass on its own or as a tasting flight of three Champagnes. <\/p>\n
The Living Room park Hyatt Afternoon Tea. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Mibo<\/p>\n
High-quality artisan baking in classic and thoughtfully twisted renditions have seen Mibo garner a loyal following \u2013 and happily, you can get a fix seven days a week at this branch. Some of owner Emma Zhao\u2019s more inventive pastry creations feature Asian ingredients woven together with French viennoisserie techniques, and on the brunch menu too, where prawn toast leaps free of its dim sum dimensions to become a marvellous main course. <\/p>\n
Mibo’s strawberry Earl Grey danish. Photo \/ @Mibo_bakery<\/p>\n
Auckland Fish Market<\/p>\n
Get your fresh catch for dinner and grab some lunch at the same time at this handy hall of seafood fame. Sandford and Sons Fishmonger\u2019s 120-year legacy is nodded to in the nostalgic tilework and consistent quality of the fish and seafood. Staff can fillet your pick of whole fish, or if you love a bargain, check out the good value bags of frozen fish at the adjoining wholesale shop which is, despite the name, open to the public. Casual eateries within the space include the likes of Chao Vietnamese, Lobster & Tap, OJI sushi and The Fishmarket Grill which cooks your choice in front of you on an open-fire grill. <\/p>\n
More food & drink<\/p>\n
Bold new bars, brilliant restaurants and festive inspiration all in one place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wondering where to eat when wandering Auckland\u2019s waterfront? Here are our picks. From the glossy mixed-use laneways of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":222531,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[3952,6128,1561,3390,138,48706,3088,191,78,111,139,69,27560,13420,10270,223,42916,112784,42580,1316,540,57006,84515],"class_list":["post-222530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-aucklands","tag-bars","tag-bay","tag-best","tag-business","tag-cafes","tag-commercial","tag-here","tag-in","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-picks","tag-quarter","tag-restaurants","tag-the","tag-viaduct","tag-wandering","tag-waterfront","tag-when","tag-where","tag-wondering","tag-wynyard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=222530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/222530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=222530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=222530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=222530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}