We came here for a dessert after dinner. Had to wait 20 minutes for a table for two, which wasn't…read morebad since we left our number with them so we could wander around. I chose to have the lemon and yoghurt bombe alaska that was fantastic. The right amount of sweetness and tartness. There was a bit of confusion that kind of spoiled our experience as we also ordered the passion fruit and peach chocolate bon bon and was only told after the dish arrived that the passion fruit and peach were only available as shards, which was eight dollars more. We would have appreciated the waitress explaining that some of the chocolates came as shards and the others as bon bons, so we felt like we were tricked into ordering something. The cookie dough macaron was good but didn't remind us of cookie dough, more of a chocolate macaron. We left wanting a lot more from our experience chocolate- and pastry-wise.

The lemon yogurt bomb Alaska is the best "popsicle" ice cream bar I've had. It's not too sweet or…read moretangy and balances our dessert well. It has a crispy lemony coating over a frozen yogurt middle, finished off with stripes of meringue on the top. It all case together so well! The cookies and cream rocher was also very delicious. It was topped with edible gold, had a crunchy cookies and cream outer layer before you hit a velvety chocolate mousse later. Finally, the inside had bits of cookie. It sounds very sweet and sickly but was pleasantly well balanced. I wish they had a Milse where I'm from! Actually maybe not, or else I'd be so broke.

Everyone has heard of Milse. Now famous for the long queues outside the little shop, I can still…read moreremember the first time I stepped inside. Now taking it into their own hands, husband and wife duo Brian and Roselle Campbell have created Sweet Cuisine pop-ups as real time crowd funding for their own dessert shop. I met them and interviewed them earlier this year and they are just the sweetest and most talented team. Clooney had always been on my radar for special occasions but other places had always gotten in the way. When word got out that we would get to dine at the flash Belle Epoque room downstairs with the open kitchen, all my excuses seemed irrelevant. It was the first time Sweet Cuisine had a communal dining format with a long table seating only 18 people. At the beginning, most people talked within their groups but being opposite interesting strangers, it was easy to start conversations. I went with fellow foodie and blogger Amy from My Dining Journey and we found out we were right next to amazing chefs and bakers. Convenient right? Turns out it was all planned with the thoughtful intentions of Brian and Roselle. Haha! Talk about knowing your customers well :) First course: Granny smith apple, feijoa, Heilala vanilla and ginger. Once I got over the initial thought that the egglets were not white chocolate, it was even harder to get over how cute they were. As a first course, I loved how light it was and almost teasing because soon everyone was scraping their eggs to get to that beautiful ginger which lay at the bottom. The combination of granny smith, vanilla and feijoa was a winner. Second course: Pineapple, passionfruit, coconut, banana and dulcey. It had the look of a beautiful Milse dessert but it didn't have the dark imprint of the overshadowing HIP group. I LOVED the small moichi-like balls on the side. Luckily the red chocolate ball was already halved. The rest of us just had to exercise our demolition skills as we tried to calmly break the case without sending shards across the table to our new friends. Third course: Figs, quince, honey, chestnut and oats This is where the flavours got interesting and complex. I'm not a fig person so I wasn't sure where my tastebuds would take me. If it was a normal degustation, I would consider this the mains. It was quite filling from the oats. The conversation took a funny turn with someone tentatively asking whether we were meant to eat the skin on figs. Even as "self acclaimed foodies" we didn't have a straight answer! Most people though, ended up eating the whole thing. Even I enjoyed it, although I couldn't expect any less coming from the Campbell kitchen! Fourth course: Valrhona chocolate, blackcurrant, coffee and hazelnut. Oh my. Totally the climax of the night. Not only stunning to look at, I was so inspired by the different textures that Brian had created on the dish. From the marshmallow to the mini magnum, my thoughts were only affirmed by the "oh wow"s around the table as everyone tucked into it. It was a pleasure watching Brian and his team at work. There was a calm aura as they lovingly put the desserts together. All the dishes were so clever and I know I left more inspired. As I came home to finish my marking, I knew I didn't make a mistake in breaking out of my nana mode. Starting off the week sweet was an uplifting start to the week. And knowing that macarons and cookies would be my morning tea for the next day kept the smile on my face. Even if I had accidentally squashed them in my bag (sorry Roselle!). Keep an eye out for their next pop-up! There's always something interesting about each one and they're popping up at restaurants like Orphan's Kitchen, Meredith's and Ima Deli. And if you haven't already seen it, here's the interview with Brian Campbell if you didn't catch it the last time.

Most of you would have heard of Milse. The amazing dessert bar and patisserie that opened up in…read moreBritomart a few years ago. Serving gelato on sticks, gateaux, chocolates, sweet tarts, plus their stand out macarons, Milse has become a bit of a phenomenon. Because really, who doesn't love chocolate and dessert?!?! The mastermind behind creating all of Milse's desserts is pâtissier, Brian Campbell. He has 15 years' experience working in Michelin star restaurants in the United Kingdom and at award winning restaurants here in New Zealand, at the likes of Kermadec and The French Cafe. Most recently, Brian has left Milse and has started up his own company, namely Sweet Cuisine' A Dessert Pop Up. So far, he and his wife, Roselle Campbell have hosted a dessert night at Fred's Espresso in Ponsonby where they teamed up with Giapo to create ice cream sandwiches, sundaes and drinks and they also had a dessert pop up at Merediths last week. And, a few nights' ago, I attended their second dessert pop up (however this one was special because all the desserts were made using Valrhona chocolate - the best quality chocolate in my opinion, you can buy it here) AND it was held at Sidart in Ponsonby. I have always wanted to dine at Sidart however it is quite expensive - will definitely need to save up one day! Brian and his team used the kitchens at Sidart and for about 20 minutes, my friend and I had the whole restaurant to ourselves, which was a pretty great feeling! The dessert pop up at Sidart involved a 3 course degustation - $45 per person, and an optional 4th course for $9, however sadly we were too full for the 4th course! All the dishes were beautifully presented and almost too pretty to eat! To accompany the desserts, they were also serving sweet Italian dessert wine, sparkling water, teas and coffee. My friend and I decided on a glass of the 'Prunotto Moscato d'Asti 2013′. With aromas of peach and honey, this was the perfect drink for our dessert night. The first dessert was a white chocolate panacotta, made of Ivoire 32% Valrhona chocolate. Surrounding the panacotta were bite-sized raspberries, blueberries and peaches, all topped off with freeze dried raspberries and fresh basil. It was a refreshing way to start the meal and the basil brought out all the flavours. I never thought to use herbs in baking, but I will definitely try it out now! The second course was a sponge like pudding with stewed apricots, hazelnut praline and a sauce inside using Dulcey 35% Valrhona chocolate. While the apricots were delicious, my friend and I could hardly taste the Valrhona chocolate - we felt like the apricots were too overpowering. This could possibly be due to the fact that the chocolate is only 35% - it might have a very subtle flavour. Last but not least, a to.die.for chocolate sphere, made entirely of Guanaja 70% Valrhona chocolate. Dark chocolate being one our favourite foods, my friend and I were amazed by this wonderful creation. Roselle explained the dish in great detail - two mousses, one with hints of tonka beans (vanilla bean substitute), and the other being rich and chocolatey. There was also a chocolate 'soil' surrounding the sphere, consisting of macadamia nuts, nougat and cacao nibs. But Roselle left out one surprise... Yes, popping candy! We were not expecting that at all, and it was truly the most exciting dish I have ever tasted. Every mouthful was full of joy and my friend and I couldn't stop smiling! It was a great night overall, with brilliant and creative desserts, a lovely host and a stunning venue. I cannot wait to see what is next in store for Sweet Cuisine! Note: If you would like some more information, check out Sweet Cuisine's website and Facebook page ("Sweet Cuisine' A Dessert Pop Up by Brian Campbell"), so you can keep up to date!

I do not think I have ever spent this much on ice cream before, but it was well worth it. My…read morefavorite thing here were the ice cream cones. The cones are just so unique, whimsical, and just outright fun. We got the helicopter cone and the picture frame cone. If you are like me, then you might be spending quite a bit of time taking pictures with the cone. I was a little sad when my ice cream started melting so I had to start eating it. My sadness than became joy because the gelato is excellent here. I tried a couple of different flavors and it was so difficult to not just get all of them, but we ended up getting the hokey. The gelato was smooth, creamy, and tasty. This is definitely worth the one time visit if you are in the area. I do not regret spending this much on ice cream at all.

Ice cream as an experience, heck yah. New flavors made 2x a day. Free tasting on wooden sticks…read more(eco friendly). Crazy shaped toppers, cones or cups. You can even split flavors in a cup because you won't be able to pic a favorite. Tried some Kiwi favorite and a few true US flavors. The ice cream, gelato?, is made by an Italian and it is so creamy, rich and flavorful. There are also cookies and pastries. Well worth a trip to find this gem of a dessert. The JW Marriott reception recommended it and I do as well Highly recommend and will go back when I return to Auckland in 25 days. Ps - spray bottles of water to shew the pigeons.

We stopped into this place for a small dessert option after dinner. Husband went with the sea salt…read morecaramel and brownie flavor. It was good but didn't get as much caramel as he was hoping. I chose a raspberry macron which was good. Perhaps because it was later in the day but the macron didn't taste as fresh as I prefer them. Service was excellent. Some dessert options were beautifully decorated. It was a nice stop for a quick sweet treat.

Cute place with gelato and a few baked desserts. They have a few unique flavors so make sure you…read moresample.

Definitely as good as it gets! Great place to pick up amazing deserts to impress. The only problem…read moreis that it's too hard to choose. Great selection of sweet treats for all tastes (including some gluten free choices). It is a tad pricey, but what you get is well worth it! Great place for those day when you feel like spoiling yourself a little. Also staff is very attentive and helpful. Also heard good things about their breakfast and lunch selection, but yet to try. To sum up, amazing French patisserie well worth the trip and the money.

There is a reason I keep going back to Vaniye despite the price, which is $8-9 per mini cakes. They…read moreare simply gorgeous. The cakes are carefully designed to visually appeal to everyone. My friend really liked the Zen, a green tea flavoured mousse with red bean paste inside. I am not a big fan of green tea flavour but this was amazing. My Caramel cake, called Chou-chou, has chestnut cream profiteroles on top (which is crisply and creamy) and a brownie and caramel mousse as a base. I have also tried their Guanaja, which is a Valrhona chocolate marquise which had a great soft chocolate taste. But it lacked of a crème brulée flavour mentioned on its description. I felt that the Rasberry mousse, apple slice and lemon slice does not jump out as much as others. But that could be just me. They use Kokako for their coffee beans which is nice, but couple of instance I received burnt coffees. Bummer. However all were forgiven because of the cakes. The flavour, the design and tiny but great atmosphere.

food great but rushed out at the end while there were still empty tables. bought the bill while we…read morewere still eating dessert. spent over $200 for 2 people and rushed out like we'd gone for takealways . nice food

Everything you'd want in a small, Italian, family run restaurant. You can tell the three…read moregenerations who work here put a lot of effort into serving great quality, traditional italian food. The servings are generous and the flavours are bold and robust. Not to mention, they have a fantastic wood-fired oven that pumps out perfectly imperfect pizzas and calzones - great for takeaways! We came here for dinner recently with the extended family and it was an absolute treat. Whilst the majority of the table went for the veal, I opted for the linguine with prawns, chilli, garlic, lemon and olive oil. Such a classic combination but an absolute winner in my book. The pasta was cooked al dente and the chillii /garlic/lemon ratio was spot on. My dad raves about this place and after our most recent visit, it's not hard to see why!

We stopped by after lunch one day during our trip to try their Pavlova dessert and it did not…read moredisappoint! We were scouring the area specifically for pavlova as it's one of my faves and the adorable vibes drew us in. The dessert was lovely and so were the staff. Prices were good and their menu was massive with so many intriguing dessert options. You don't often see pavlova in the US so when I read that it's a popular dessert in New Zealand, I had it on my radar lol. They offer theirs with either passionfruit sauce or "berry" sauce. We went with the passionfruit which is quite unique for pavlova and it was a fantastic combination! The tart passionfruit sauce was a lovely compliment to the soft, sweet merengue. Chocolate Boutique is packed full of handmade chocolate bonbons, cakes, and all sorts of unique dessert gifts and options. They have hot or cold desserts and drinks and much more than just chocolate - like lemon tarts, apple crumble, carrot cake; and all sorts of other things like numerous hot chocolate drink flavors, teas and coffees too. If we weren't so stuffed from lunch I'm sure we would've tried more lol! They have options to order their chocolates online but you can also order desserts at the counter if you're dining in and they'll bring it out to your table. The seating areas quaint little nooks with wide open windows and street views of the cute Parnell area and a large red phone box - total European vibes - loved it! They're a locally owned business with numerous accolades and awards - and fun fact: even former US president Bill Clinton has stopped by!

Parnell is the oldest district in Auckland and in my opinion, the most beautiful. You really…read moreshouldn't miss spending an early afternoon here, shopping its many boutiques, browsing through the art galleries or simply just exploring. Of course, one of the first places I had us go to was the Chocolate Boutique. It might be tempting to eat your way through all those nearby markets (like at La Cigale), but you'll want to save some room for dessert. This shop sells what I consider the best hot chocolate you'll ever taste called the Italian Denso. It is thick, rich and decadent hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and chocolate flakes. Think of it as a cup of a molten lava cake. And the best part, nobody will judge you for drinking your dessert. Okay, maybe SOME skinny model from LA? But she isn't here!

Miann came up in a search for dessert/pastries. I made my way over to the Britomart location which…read morewas closest to me. This location is high traffic as a lot of folks walk through to catch an elevator at the back of the facility...I still have no clue where it goes. Otherwise the space is well appointed with tables and chairs and a large case near the door with some is the most beautiful treats I've ever seen. It took me a long time to order, it was hard to decide. I even asked which dessert was recommended. I went with that, and cannot recall the name of pastry to save my life. I also ordered a latte with oat milk. Both were shortly delivered to my table and looked great. While the latte was perfect, I didn't love the pastry. I didn't dislike it either, I hustled wished I'd ordered something else. Ah well.

It was late, my coworkers and I were craving ice cream post-dinner. Miann was the sole option open…read morepast the usual closing time, so we decided to go there. While they didn't offer an extensive selection of ice cream flavors, as they aren't exclusively an ice cream shop, the fundamental ice cream options were delightful, and the servings were generous. Another colleague opted for cake and found it to be quite delicious. In general, a suitable spot for desserts, though it wouldn't be my top pick if it weren't for the time of day.

At first we couldn't find the place and then we realised it was actually partially in the parking…read morelot on Elliot Street behind the grassy area. There is little space for standing while ordering - and there were lots of flies in the area. Not sure what kind of flies exactly but similar to the likes of fruit flies. I ordered the 'Lemon Baked Alaska' and my friend got the 'Salted & Sweet'. We tried each others and preferred the Lemon Baked Alaska! The meringue was the right amount of sweetness and went well with the tartiness of the Lemon sorbet. We also enjoyed the vanilla waffle much more. The Salted & Sweet was kind of underwhelming in comparison. We were like 'meh'. The presentation of the dessert was definitely instagram worthy if that's what you're into (I'm acting all cool like I don't care.. but let's be honest I went here for the photos). It's okay, but I don't know that I'd come here all the time compared to other dessert places. Maybe for the gram I would.

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.