Had a lovely high tea here - it's like stepping into your grandma's (poshed-up) sitting room; all…read morechandeliers & mis-matched tea sets. There's even a wee courtyard out the back. The cabinet food is a drool-worthy selection of gourmet pies, sausage rolls, sandwiches & filled rolls. If you fancy something sweet with your cuppa, you're also in luck - lamingtons, cupcakes, scones, brownies & cakes galore hide under beautiful cake trays. We had booked for the High Tea - $40 for 2 people, and had managed to get a sweet spot in the courtyard on a balmy Saturday autumn morning. The tea list came out first with a good selection of black, green & herbal teas. You can also order milkshakes, smoothies & coffees. I went for a Gorgeous Grey blend of black Earl Grey leaves with citrus. Other options chosen were Japanese Lime green tea, Berrylicious herbal & Red Vanilla herbal tea. All were leaf teas leaves served in individual teapots with lovely china tea cups & saucers. To be drunk with your little pinky extended of course! The cake stands arrived laden with our high tea, consisting of a selection of club sandwiches, brownies, cupcakes, pecan & blueberry tarts and the most amazing date & orange scones served with cream & yoghurt. We really struggled to get through all the food. It was so fresh & tasty; the sandwich fillings of ham & cheese, egg & cress and chicken & avocado were a big hit. A super cute little suburban spot to read the paper, shout your nana or start writing that novel!

This place looks fabulous from the outside and it looks fabulous inside, but what a lot of people…read moredon't know about this place is that it has a courtyard outside! It's a great place to go if you are wanting some outside time away from Auckland noise and traffic. I would describe the décor as decadent and elegant and the food is...dainty? It's like delicious little cakes and biscuits and things that go well with english breakfast tea if you catch my drift. I had always driven past this cafe and had always wanted to go in, when I finally did I kind of wish I didn't because now I regularly think about it and want to go back. The only niggle I have is that they close quite early I wish they were open till four it's much easier to get there for then and much more appropriate for afternoon tea, but other than that...love it!

The cafe is surrounded by plants and trees. It's located across the street from the main gardens,…read moreor Tropical House and Fernery. The patio is perfect with tables and umbrellas. The dining room is somewhat formal with white tablecloths. It is spacious for a luncheon cafe. Come nicely dressed. You can have breakfast and lunch here. This venue can also be rented for special occasions. The menus have a variety of better, healthy foods. GF breads are included. The kids menu selection looks delicious.

Way back when in 2015 we visited this garden outside Auckland as part of our 10 day tour of NZ…read more Also the tour guide had to keep us out and about for a few hours after long flight from USA before hotel rooms available. I took a few photos and posted them here. Not too far from Michael Joseph Savage Park so swing by there afterwards. We just walked around the grounds but there there is a cafe there.

Stopped by for afternoon tea. The estate had quite the view of the rolling tropical hills and of…read moreAuckland at a distance. Tea and food was very nice- our bellies were full by the end. The hotel portion seems to be high end and even has a helipad for guests. Parking was free and the drive was about 30 min from downtown. If you need a bit of an escape, this would be a good option.

As the Maid of Honour, I organised high tea for my sister-in-law this past weekend. I changed the…read morebooking a number of times during the process (why are groups of ladies so difficult to organise??) but the staff at Waitakere Estate were always lovely and obliging. The location is lovely with breath-taking views and at $32 per person, their high tea is the best value in Auckland AND even available during winter! The food was great, I had my own vegetarian stand with lovely sandwiches (that focaccia though) and sweet treats. Their tea menu could be a bit more varied and intensive, but everything else was great. The girls and I had a wonderful time and even wandered through the lawn after our meal for some epic photos. I'd definitely return again!

Amazing experience! I live in the USA but was told I could order signed Nalini Singh books from…read morethem. I reached out to Frances who was more than happy to help me out! I was able to order 4 signed and personalized books for my sister with shipping to the USA. It made my sister so happy to get signed books from an author she's been a long time fan of and Frances was incredible and so friendly throughout the entire process!

I first stepped through Chapter's door about two years back when the weather was really bad and I…read morehad a 30 wait for the bus, it seemed like a good time to try it out. I think I was the youngest in there by 30 years that day but tea is not just for old people. I also didn't let the romance novels put me off, I had my own reading material anyway. Chapter is little but the shelves are crammed with an incredible range of teas, I had mango paradise, often I go for Granny's Garden, I like the fruity ones. Down the back of the store is all the tea paraphernalia, if you're serious about your tea drinking and want all the right tea gear, you'll find it here. A nice little shop/cafe and the lady who owns it is really nice, Chapter is a pleasurable place to sit over a pot of tea and the black board outside often has funny tea related quotes which is a nice touch.

Cute tea room located in the Victoria Park Market…read more Happy Auckland Day! They were actually open for business.

To be honest, I have always been rather dubious of these concoctions they call 'bubble tea'. I…read morethink it has usually been the floaty accompaniments in the drink that have put me off trying it till today. I mean who wants floaty balls in a drink?! Well apparently I do cause the drink I tried here was so good, seriously. I had one of the yoghurt milk varieties, of the lime flavour if I can remember correctly and when asked if I wanted toppings on it, I agreed to the pearls willingly! I don't know what was wrong with me, I guess I went with the "try something new every day" thing, and Im glad I did. I now have super good feelings in my mouth and I want them to continue so I may go back tomorrow.

I must say this little Tea house located on Anzac Ave in the city is a cute little find…read more I was introduced to the cafe by a Malaysian friend who recommend I try a bubble tea drink and the chocolate Belgium waffles, how unique? Walked in after work one day, and the place was packed to the brim, a really busy time of night maybe is 6-8pm, so we ordered a drink each instead of having a meal in. I ordered Mango Milk Tea iced with bubbles. You may be thinking what is a Bubble tea? Well this tea drink originated in Taiwan, and consists of flavoured milk tea or fruit tea and small tapioca chewy like balls that are called pearls. Was all a bit of a cultural experience for me, which I enjoyed a lot. The inside decor of the cute cafe is bright and cat themed which is a neat little quirk too. If your after a catch up with a friend, and you want a slightly different themed venue, here's your chance.

This dry bar is amazing, the concept was bought to Newmarket by Louise Pilkington who owned the…read moreServilles in Ponsonby for many years and wanted to do something of her own. Dry & Tea is really something else, so feminine it makes you gush when you step inside. Beautiful flower arrangements, the fluffy white chair and largely white interiors filled with beautiful things and fashion and beauty coffee table books. The level of customer service surpasses expectations. You receive a complementary tea of the day (they serve in house T2 teas) while you wait and depending on what you've come to have done, select from their menu (food and drink not the dry bar) as Allpress coffee is served here and scones and cakes. If you want you can enjoy this out in their beautiful courtyard. Coming here is an experience in itself. It isn't just to have your hair styled or cut (they do cut hair too, not just dry services). Coming to Dry & Tea is not just going to the hairdressers, it's like being transported to the land of pretty and the staff do make you look and feel that way.

Dry & Tea adds to the the 'blow wave bar' trend in Auckland. It's basically a beautiful place to…read moreget your hair done (you can also get it cut, but the focus is on the styling). I feel like that kind of thing is more common in Europe but it's becoming more popular here. I mean, it's really nice to get your hair done. Especially for events or just for upkeep. The place is very nice inside - beautiful and relaxed and clean. They have tea, obviously (T2) and coffee and food if that's your thing. There's an outdoor courtyard for relaxing. They're big on the 'pampered' feeling - staff are very accommodating and friendly. You can also get your nails done here Prices are pretty good for an award winning 'best beauty bar' - blow waves start at $40. Perfect place to buy a gift voucher for someone who has everything.

So interesting to visit the Queens Arcade…read more The historic arcade is actually a combination of three buildings. The south arcade is a combination of the Victorian Darby's Building constructed in 1909 and the A.B. Donald Building which was built in 1863. The Arcade was completed in 1929. The completed arcade featured marble, fine woods and beautiful storefronts. Today, it is a shopping arcade filled with shops. Go up and down the escalators to get a closer look. Make sure to go to the rear of the arcade to see the display of New Zealand flags. Not as interesting as the Royal Arcades in Sydney or Melbourne, but nice for a short stop while exploring Auckland.

Jason and Team Photo warehouse…read more Your extra assistance for me today was so very much appreciated. Printing off my ad hoc photos AND the document was going beyond. A most professional and efficient service. I would highly recommend this business.

This cute and cosy setting within a knitting shop isn't your standard setting but makes for the…read moreperfect spot for scones, petit fours and a delightful range of tea. You could bring granny here or your bestie for a catch up or mum for a treat. It has to be said there scones (the recipe recently featured in the paper) are the prefect mix of crunch on the outside and soft on the inside. Combine with jam and a pot of tea on a pretty tablecloth, you have a winner. Don't go past this place if your after scones, tea and a touch of homely comfort.

Trying to find a cafe that's open after 4pm and stumbled upon this beauty. It felt like I found…read morelittle red riding hoods grandmothers tavern and it was absolutely adorable. We had excellent coffee and vanilla grapefruit tea from an extensive tea menu served in vintage tea cups. I wanted to try the Devonshire scones with strawberry jam and cream but unfortunately they were all out for the day so we had finger sandwiches with asparagus and almond meringue cake which was freshly made and delicious!

Customs Coffee House is an absolute mecca for coffee and tea lovers in the CBD…read more This a great place to take people who are fussy about their hot drinks, as they are real specialists. i can't imagine anyone being disappointed here, as they stock more than 60 different kinds of tea! The really distinguishing part about the shop is the incredible array of coffee and tea gadgets that they sell. There's everything from stovetop espresso makers and plungers, to every variety of teapot you can image. This is an excellent place to take your nana too, becasue they have all that tiny, delicate food that makes me want to say "pardon" and "luncheon".

Every time I have ever been past here all I have ever seen is really old people drinking tea and…read morethis place has a lot of tea. I like tea myself and decided to go and reduce the mean age by entering the shop a couple of weeks back. The tea variety is impressive and I found the service to be pretty good. I wasn't interested in staying for tea, the place is sort of dark and the environment isn't one in which I would want to stay for any length of time that it would take me to drink a pot of tea. What had caught my attention was the teapots in the window, cast iron, glass, ceramic, you name it they have it and all the accessories. I was after one of their heavy cast iron teapots which is what I went in for. The service was good and I was happy with my teapot. If you are into tea or know someone who is, or who is old, then this is one place to take them to.