We walked into the bistro ready to have a terrific dinner experience based on their website photos…read moreand the warm, inviting appearance as we walked up. The ambiance was nice and felt like a cozy ski lodge. However, the hostess wasn't exactly warm or charming. She seemed to have a bit of a control issue. When we moved one of the 2 chairs at the 4-top to another side of the table, she expressed her displeasure and stated that we had to make sure that we gave the table next to us enough space, but there was definitely enough room for a small pony to walk through. The server was pretentious. The vibe we got was that he was busy with something else and could barely be bothered to share the specials and take our order. Because we weren't getting a great vibe, we decided just to order overpriced drinks instead of drinks and overpriced food. Do NOT order the old fashioned unless you like them super sweet. My husband is a fan of old fashioneds and had never had a ridiculously sugary drink as this before. The espresso martini was okay. Definitely not worth $26 though. This place is definitely overrated.

Wow, went last weekend on a magic day Went to the casual…read morerestaurant and had half the menu it was so good Service was great really good vibe Bread starter is a must Loved it

I am not a health food fan. Anyone who knows me knows that. I love real food, tasty food. But every…read morenow and again, one of these new-fangled health food places gets to me. Bowl and Arrow did just that the other day. Tucked into a corner of the new Orakei shopping centre, it serves bowls of porridge, granola and frozen smoothie (but strangely not bowls of coffee). The 'six pack' smoothie is made of pineapple, mint, spinach, avocado and banana and it's delicious. I even felt fitter after eating it. So I had another.

Great Fish & Chips and friendly service!! Location is perfect for when you're touring about the…read morecity.

We walked into the Shakespeare about 7:15pm on Wednesday. The restaurant was closed but the bar was…read moreopen; we had to sit outside, which was just fine. There were four of us; we each ordered fish and chips and a drink and paid up front; the drinks were in our hands immediately. After half an hour of waiting for the food, I asked the manager what was going on and she told me "10 minutes". 15 minutes later, I asked again - this time, the barmaid went upstairs to talk to the cook and told me "10 minutes". 15 minutes later (an hour after ordering), I went back AGAIN and this time the manager went up and promised we'd have our food in just a few minutes; she offered us a free drink. We finally got the food about 70 minutes after ordering. To be fair, it was hot, fresh, and tasty - but it was NOT worth waiting that long for. Go for the beer; ask lots of questions about the wait for food.

I attended a work Christmas lunch here on 28 Nov. We had about 50 people attending a buffet style…read morelunch that cost about $58 per person but they have options depending on your budget. The range of food offered for the menu was wide and varied and pretty good for the price. The buffet included 3 roast meats, two hot dishes, seafood dishes, hot vegetables, salads, and desserts. There was certainly plenty of food for everyone and no complaints at all about quality. They perhaps struggled to keep up with demand occasionally but the food did keep coming. The venue is pretty cool. It operates as a restaurant and an event venue in an old refurbished dairy factory. I didn't see it all but I believe they have a few separate function rooms for different size groups and occasions. They also have some fairly large outdoor areas. We were in the Game Keepers restaurant which had a dining room and bar inside with the food presented on the covered patio outside. There is also a garden area outside. The dining room seating was a little crowded leaving some people to prefer taking their meal outside to an unset table. A little disappointing since We paid a $500 venue fee. This did give us exclusive use of the area though. They also charge a %2 credit card surcharge. I'm not a fan of this practice and I don't believe it's widespread in the catering industry. There are arguments for and against this but each individual will decide whether it's acceptable. It should be noted though that they generously agreed to invoice us and let us pay in a few days - this was a kind gesture that many wouldn't offer.

Absolutely chuffed that not only has Southern style BBQ made it to NZ but that it's as good as the…read morebarbeque I've had in both Texas and Memphis. Bareknuckle BBQ does it all - ribs, brisket, hot wings, pulled pork. Why's it so good? Well, firstly because they've shipped home the mother of all BBQs from Texas, a massive, 16ft smoker but, perhaps more importantly the owner, Jimmy knows how to use it. The meat has an incredible smoky flavour but is still deliciously tender, which is hardly surprising considering Jimmy drove around Texas learning off the famous pitmasters before opening up shop in NZ. Currently you can sink your teeth into Bareknuckle at their pop-up at No.1 Queen St but I'm crossing my fingers and toes that they'll have a permanent location soon. Until then, keep up with their menu and locations on their Facebook page.

Until recently, this was primarily an event space with a beautiful atmosphere at Fort Takapuna…read moreoverlooking the water and it has just recently opened for Sunday brunch. An absolutely wonderful spot up on the hill, with outdoor seating (no reservations) and a nice selection for coffee and brunch. The food ranged from fresh granola and berries to a hearty New Zealand breakie with bacon, eggs, potatoes, and more. We went for a Mother's Day brunch with my brother and sister-in-law and it couldn't have been a better spot. Would definitely earn five stars if it were not for the incredibly slow and inconsistent service. It took nearly an hour after ordering to receive our food which came out piecemeal with potatoes coming out first, then a couple mains, followed by a couple coffees, then my granola (were they making the yoghurt from scratch?) and lastly the three orange juices we ordered. The waitstaff was quite disorganized and forgot the three children's bacon and eggs altogether. Hopefully they can work out the kinks, because this place has a lot of potential!

Amazing food, fantastic coffee and wonderful staff. Couldn't think of a better place for brunch in…read moreAuckland! I recommend highly.

The Oyster Inn is a totally fine option located in the main village close to the ferry (~5 min bus…read moreride). We ordered the grilled broccolini and cos salad, Mac and cheese, fish and chips, and half a dozen oysters. The oysters were massive, maybe the largest I've ever eaten, which was interesting because our waiter described them as medium sized lol. The food was decent and with huge portion sizes - in retrospect we could have skipped the Mac and cheese. Our food was quite slow to come out to a point where we had to speed through the rest of our visit to make the ferry in time. This plus the average food made it a totally ok stop, but I'd likely pass if I visit the island again.

Super great great Little island love the menu. The people that work. There were great places really…read morecute. It's right in the middle of town doubt many people are gonna make it to this place cause specifically to get to. Make the attempt is worthwhile. Don't forget to have an espresso and dessert too bye

Beautiful ambiance and friendly service, but disappointing value two years ago. Three small pieces…read moreof chicken surrounded by breads for well over $40, with extra charge for tzatziki; flavors tasted not okay but lacked authenticity. Great looks and ambience, but expect pricey breads over meats.

We booked for two and both our meals were below average. I had the prawns, they were nice but came…read moreon a whole bed of mesculin salad, no dressing, just that. No other veges and the excuse was chef is away? I mean hello, we are paying full price for a half meal. The lamb my husband had was salty. The waitress was nice but the overall place was reaklly ordinary.