Volcanic crater and lively beachside suburb, Takapuna has a lot going for it, including one of the most vibrant food and drink scenes in the city. <\/p>\n
\n From places you can stroll into still in your togs, to places you need to book ahead and wear some pants for,
\n Takapuna\u2019s bustling main hub and outlying areas boast a diverse array of options. There are far too many decent establishments to squeeze into this snapshot, so consider the below as trusted markers on a busy map.\n <\/p>\n
Stroll <\/p>\n
Stroll offers consistently good espresso and signature drinks like the Dirty Troll Latte. Photo \/ Anna King Shahab<\/p>\n
Ordering coffee in the suburbs was once a risky gamble but the game\u2019s lifted to the point that in Takapuna, you can pick your beans, your roast and your brewing method. Along with consistently spot-on espresso, one of the talking points of Stroll is the Dirty Troll Latte, an iced oat latte enriched with earl grey syrup and topped with a shot of espresso. <\/p>\n
Seoul Roastery 1946<\/p>\n
The Chi Bap on the menu at Seoul Roastery 1946 in Takapuna. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Sister establishment to little Stroll, this much bigger space takes a design cue from its more industrial surroundings, blending concrete floors with dark wood cabinetry and jaunty Klein blue-painted beams. It offers the full Korean cafe experience: freshly roasted coffee, loads of Korean-inspired baked goods and sandwiches, soft-serves and desserts, and an array of hot cooked dishes throughout the day and evening \u2013 it\u2019s open from early morning until 10pm. <\/p>\n
Kinship <\/p>\n
Takapuna’s Kinship is as much of a community hub as it is a cafe. Photo \/ Anna King Shahab<\/p>\n
Shore local Macie Stewart was only 20 when she opened Kinship several years ago, in a former dairy outside the main bustle. The tradition of large ice cream scoops lives on in what has become as much a community hub as somewhere to get a caffeine, carb and sugar fix. Eye-catching eclectic decor (Stewart\u2019s family own secondhand trove Junk & Disorderly) friendly banter make this a place to linger, and the 6am opening on weekdays is a balm for early risers. <\/p>\n
St Mar\u00e9e <\/p>\n
St Maree is an elegant seafood-focused bistro in Takapuna.<\/p>\n
Seafood is the star at this elegant bistro overlooking Hurstmere Square. Start with oysters shucked to order, marvel at arancini made with p\u0101ua and squid, and splash out on a lobster tail burger. Or just hit the express lunch option: two courses for a tidy $24.80, it even comes with a soft drink, coffee, or tea (option to add a house wine or beer for $6). <\/p>\n
Glory Patisserie <\/p>\n
Glory Patisserie in Takapuna. Photo \/ @glorypatisserienz<\/p>\n
It might have a complicated street address, but there\u2019s nothing complicated about the offering: straight up, butter-laden pastries and cakes that live up to the name of the place. Head baker and owner Keith Kar cut his teeth in Hong Kong at places like the Mandarin Oriental, and it shows in the attention to detail here. <\/p>\n
Doki Doki <\/p>\n
Doki Doki celebrates Japanese comfort food. Photo \/ Anna King Shahab<\/p>\n
This cheerful spot celebrates Japanese comfort food. Katsu, curry, omurice, ramen, udon, sushi, sandos and desserts all feature, tasting as good as they look. Best in show however goes to the fruit sandos winking from the chiller: thick slabs of squidgy shokupan (milk bread) sandwiching sweetened whipped cream studded with chunks of fresh fruit. How they manage to keep the fruit pristine when slicing the sando in half is quite the mystery. <\/p>\n
The Place <\/p>\n
The Place Takapuna serves Korean soups, hot pots and fried chicken. Photo \/ @theplace_takapuna<\/p>\n
Two words that will help you thrive on a cold winter\u2019s day: Korean soup. Whether pork backbone, spicy beef, oxtail or tofu, sipping your way through a bowl at The Place will warm your cockles thoroughly. The sharing-sized beef tripe hot pot is surely the dream order for an offal club. <\/p>\n
Glass Sushi Boutique <\/p>\n
Takapuna’s Glass Sushi Boutique. Photo \/ Anna King Shahab<\/p>\n
Takapuna has a dizzying number of sushi offerings but this takeaway, pick-by-piece spot in the Eat Street arcade is the belle of the ball; a colourful array of sushi is displayed precisely to grab your attention as you walk by, making it impossible not to stop. Pastel petals and dainty dollops grace every piece, and happily everything tastes as fresh and delicious as it looks. <\/p>\n
Dante\u2019s <\/p>\n
Dante\u2019s Pizzeria Napoletana has three Auckland locations: Takapuna, Ponsonby Central and Eastridge Eatery.<\/p>\n
This arcade eatery is one of four outposts by the city\u2019s emerging pizza baron Enis Bacova, and the cosiest. Retreat into the dimly lit, den-like dining room after a windy beach walk and within a matter of minutes, the aroma of dough blistering in the mega-hot wood-fired oven transforms into a perfect Neapolitan pie served to the table. <\/p>\n
Sam\u2019s Mediterranean <\/p>\n
Sam’s Mediterranean Eatery in Takapuna. Photo \/ @samseatery<\/p>\n
Nothing tastes better than Mediterranean-style food when the air is cut through with the tang of salt: briny, lemony and fresh. Turkish chef Sam Cangir sweeps the broad region for the best \u2013 Turkish meatballs, moussaka, stuffed cabbage and vine leaves, and pizza all vie for attention \u2013 but save room for a helping of baklava. A range of takeaway tubs \u2013 dips, salads and desserts, three for $20 \u2013 makes for an easy and excellent platter game at home. <\/p>\n
Takapuna Surf Club <\/p>\n
A Sunday roast from Takapuna Surf Club. Photo \/ Anna King Shahab<\/p>\n
From the team behind downtown\u2019s Queens Rooftop, this spacious restaurant and bar affords views across the tops of p\u014dhutukawa to the water and Rangitoto Island from the beachside terrace dining area. At the other end, a kid-friendly space boasts dart boards, pinball machines and a TV lounge. Daily deals or \u201cTSC Rituals\u201d offer great value, and Sundays are an especially good day to visit – you can tuck into a generous roast meal with live music from 3pm until 6pm. <\/p>\n
Nanam <\/p>\n
Nanam\u2019s beetroot bao, papaya salad, and spicy pork and prawn. Photo \/ Jason Oxenham<\/p>\n
When it opened in 2015, Jessabel Granada and Andrew Soriano\u2019s restaurant Nanam stood out for being one of the few Filipino eateries in Auckland. Today, there are many more, but Nanam still stands out, loved for its warm welcome and bold flavours, merging Filipino traditions with Spanish and other European influences. The longganisa \u2013 sausage made with Wagyu, redolent with lemongrass and served with a punchy chipotle mayo and crunchy atchara pickles \u2013 is so popular they sell it in a kit to go, lest a craving hit when you\u2019re stuck at home. <\/p>\n
Takapuna Beach Cafe <\/p>\n
Takapuna Beach Cafe is open from dawn to dusk. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Few cafes in Auckland can rival the location of this one, on the beachfront with an uninterrupted view of the golden sandy crescent from the dining deck. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus cover territory both classic and more adventurous, satisfying all appetites. The adjoining takeaway store slings pastries, cakes, and freshly churned gelato that has scooped the Supreme Champion gong in the NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Awards. Come summertime, the store transforms into a pop-up fancy fish and chippery. <\/p>\n
Basu Lounge <\/p>\n
Dan dan noodles from Basu Lounge in Takapuna. Photo \/ Anna King Shahab<\/p>\n
Take the plain appearance of this small room with a handful of tables as a sign that the focus at this Sichuan restaurant is solely on the food. The fabric of the place is bowls of noodles and plates of piping hot dumplings that make it look from the outside like a steam room. The dan dan noodles here are exemplary, especially if you like a version heavy on the sesame paste \u2013 perfectly chewy strands capture nuggets of minced pork and pickled mustard greens along with a sauce that merges zesty Sichuan peppercorns and chilli oil with earthy and creamy blended sesame. <\/p>\n
La Trop\u00e9zienne <\/p>\n
Pastries from Takapuna’s La Tropezienne. Photo \/ Anna King Shahab<\/p>\n
Perhaps there\u2019s an unspoken inner city tax on baked goods\u2026 the pastries, loaves and stuffed baguettes seem a little bigger here, and the prices are certainly that little bit friendlier on the pocket. A small coffee for less than $5? A rare species, indeed. <\/p>\n
The Old Lolly Shop <\/p>\n
The Old Lolly Shop in Takapuna. Photo \/ Anna King Shahab<\/p>\n
The lollies themselves aren\u2019t old \u2013 those can be found in my third desk drawer down \u2013 but the idea is: a shop (should that be shoppe?) dedicated to confections in all their chewy, soft, stretchy, flavoured, colourful glory. This is the place that may just be able to satisfy your craving for whatever niche candy you happen to have, with imported sweets from around the world, from cult favourite brands to Dutch licorice and British mega-sours. <\/p>\n
Cousin Scott\u2019s <\/p>\n
Cousin Scott’s is a family friendly American sports bar that caters for dietary requirements.<\/p>\n
A true blue, red and white American sports bar, please \u2013 but make it family and dietary-friendly, with pool tables, arcade games and famously good Nashville fried chicken, and wings, boasting a crisp, gluten-free jacket, cooked in a dedicated gluten-free pressure fryer. You pick your Nashville heat, and pick your sport \u2013 plenty of screens means there\u2019s always choice. Proprietor Scott Ruddock has worked in Scotland, Hawaii and New York, and helped set up some of Auckland\u2019s most popular hospitality haunts. At Cousin Scott\u2019s he\u2019s combined all the good bits to make for a place that works for everyone. <\/p>\n
Mussel & Chip <\/p>\n
Mussel and Chip is a new casual diner in Takapuna. Photo \/ Anna King Shahab<\/p>\n
Oysters get the ritualistic culinary glory while our Perna canaliculus, the greenshell mussel, gets crushed to powder, packed into capsules and sent round the world as a supplement for joint and cartilage support. Not so at Mussel & Chip, a brand new casual, licensed diner highlighting mussels freshly harvested in Coromandel and delivered every few days. Second-generation mussel farmer Jake Bartrom has partnered with hospo expert Jake Luke for the venture, which the pair hope will be the start of something bigger \u2013 after all, mussels are not only powerhouses of protein (so on trend), they\u2019re also incredibly tasty when prepared well. Here, that means in the shell \u2013 steamed and infused in your choice of six broths \u2013 from Paris butter and wine to Thai coconut and coriander. Or out of the shell \u2013 in a satisfyingly rich chowder, gently marinated kokoda-style or in a Japanese dressing, or battered and fried a la \u201cOld Bay\u201d. Equal care is taken with the chip component \u2013 cooked in beef tallow, they come part and parcel with your dozen in the shell for a grand total of as little as $18. <\/p>\n
Strand Wine Bar <\/p>\n
Strand Wine Bar in Takapuna. Photo \/ @strandwinebar<\/p>\n
All we needed to complete the picture was a lovely neighbourhood wine bar, and here it is. It\u2019s equal parts cosy wine cave and delicatessen, with a large selection of bottles from around the world to open onsite or take home, and breezy beachside bar, with Peroni on tap and sunny outdoor deck seating. Sunday sees drinks specials and live music from 3pm until 6pm, and Tuesday lunching is a bargain with all fancy sandwiches slinging for just $10 a pop (normally $16). The dinner menu features snacks, breads and spreads, and share plates, or for larger groups on a trust the chef basis. <\/p>\n
More neighbourhood dining guides<\/p>\n
From Michelin moves to wintry warmers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Volcanic crater and lively beachside suburb, Takapuna has a lot going for it, including one of the most…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513522,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[6128,46399,3390,48706,2199,29587,36979,156,564,22220,78,8454,85776,3025,111,139,69,10270,28464,51212,17294,18477,223,82104,125742],"class_list":["post-513521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-bars","tag-beachside","tag-best","tag-cafes","tag-city","tag-crater","tag-drink","tag-entertainment","tag-food","tag-going","tag-in","tag-including","tag-lively","tag-most","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-restaurants","tag-scenes","tag-shops","tag-suburb","tag-takapuna","tag-the","tag-vibrant","tag-volcanic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513521","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=513521"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513521\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}