There are heaps of places to buy plants now, however if you are keen on gardening and getting…read moresomething special in the ground then you need to take a look at Kings. As the core business of the place is plants, and the staff are actually gardeners who are passionate about plants, you are going to find if you want something different and a choice of size and variety, then you need a specialty store like Kings. You can also get on the mailing list, and get a 'heads up' about what is coming up in the next week. This summer with all the hot weather my partner and I fell in love with hibiscus, and as we were told via the weekly email about the 50% hibiscus deal we managed to pick up 5 varieties of hibiscus! Kings staff will be able to advise you about plant problems you may have, and also sell all of the fertilizers and sprays that you may need, plus pots, soils, stones, bark, and tools. They can get very busy on the weekend, and if you have a tricky question it may be better to go in mid week when there will be full-time staff to answer your questions.

King Plant Barn renewed my love for garden centers. You see, these days I find Garden Centres to be…read morea bit lackluster, full of dizzy lizzies and petunias and whatnot. Sure, Kings had these too but they also had a number of other interesting options - succulents (not as good as coromandel cacti, mind you), ferns, mosses and bonsais as well as plenty of beautiful floral options. They even sell fake flowers and a great range gardening tools and accessories. We came here recently to get a couple of white flowered plants to liven up my Marketing booth. There were so many to choose from we spent a good hour making up our minds. In the end we got a couple of Kalanchoes and a Chrysanthemum and some white pots to match. The total spend was v.reasonable! I know it's heading into Winter but I have a feeling I am going find excuses to get here on the reg.

I got high tea during their Christmas season, so the menu had some holiday touches with the food…read more I'll give a review of each dish below for any foodies. Atmosphere and service was good, very attentive and a good view. I also received some Manuka honey as an additional gift. Food review French earl grey tea: Very fragrant, light, and smooth with such a nice aroma. I highly recommend. Cured kingfish in puri: It was alright, not a lot of flavor but I could taste the coconut. Puri was not crisp but slightly chewy and the kingfish had a mild flavor. Prawn toast: One of the best savoury dishes, both buttery and savoury with a delicious touch of sour with the lime pearls that wasn't too overwhelming. Parmesan shortbread: A little dry, the ricotta did not balance the dryness of the toast enough but the pickled onions cut through the grease well. Wagyu sausage roll: Not a hit, the roll was dry and oily. The black garlic purée was nice but I did not like the flavor of the roll as a whole, I tasted a sour undercurrent that was not a good fit. Hoisin smoked chicken sandwich: Nothing spectacular, I could not taste much hoisin flavor and there's was a little too much sesame that it got everywhere as you ate. Christmas ham brioche roll: I was not that wowed, the roll was mediocre and no flavors stood out. The bread reminded me of something I could get at any Asian bakery. Scone: The scone itself was good but the whipped honey butter was too heavy with the dense scone, would have preferred clotted cream or more whip so that it was lighter. Christmas tree: The wafer was too sweet and made the whole dessert overly sweet since the mousse itself was already on the sweet side. Orange almond cupcake: it was alright, not dry and a refreshing fruit flavor. Too much cream though the bee was cute. Mango mousse: Beautiful presentation, mousse was light and I liked the sesame wafer. Cheesecake: My favourite as I liked the shape and the jelly was an interesting addition. Ice cream bon bon: very fun with the smoke Champagne: they offer a non-alcoholic version, which I opted for. Very delicious and bubbly.

Super nautical theme (in a good way) overlooking the water from the Hilton. We had the fish…read moresliders with fries and they were excellent. The staff was also very friendly and accommodating.

Yes, I love the quirky cows lining up at the entrance of The Design Store, they actually got me…read morethrough the door. This store has a cool as range of designer things for your home, office and garden. They have nice furniture and on this particular day there was an excellent sale price on a very nice 3 + 2 seater couch set. I loved all of the furniture, in fact I really could not take my eyes of every next thing I came to. Here is another example of what I fell in love with, ring holders, yes you bet! This designer range was stainless steel and included upturned umbrellas, animals, flowers, all fashioned to hold rings and jewellery and priced under $20, not bad. I think I will make a mental note to add The Design Store to my favourite shopping spots because the purchases I'll make here would be unique and would turn an eye. Check them out for yourself.

The design store has been around forever or for as long as I can remember anyway! This is my…read morefavourite location it's so fun to look around. It has a warehouse feel just packed with amazing furniture. If you are a busy person, this store has a lot of their products on trademe, their prices are really great and they don't charge ridiculous prices to post them. They have heaps of iconic inspired designs like those totally awesome chrome stools but they don't cost as much as the originals. They also stock the infamous tin cow statues which you either absolutely love or absolutely hate. I couldn't afford any of the big items like couches etc not to mention I have no need as I don't own a house but I did purchase this beautiful cushion that I absolutely love!

This bakery is a bit of a surprise find at the top of Onehunga Mall. There is a good range of…read morefreshly baked cakes, slices etc, also paninis and croissants and they also have a big section of delicious Cronuts in many flavours. And even a "Bronut" which has bacon and egg in it! I think everything is cooked on the premises and it's clean and well run. Get there early before the Cronuts are gone.

The couple that run are very friendly and speak very good English. Love their range and their…read morecronuts are cheap and delicious. Everything is decent priced. Don't go too late in the day because all the good stuff gets sold pretty quick. Free parking outside

we were told about this place from a local who said the coffee was good, that's enough for me to…read moretry it. Well have been there several times now and yes the coffee is good, so is the baking their savory scones fresh out of the oven at 715am. there is no cooked food menu, but the homemade pies and roll and sandwich selection is well worth a visit. It has become a favorite for my morning coffee and the paper sit in the window and watch all the workers head off to another day in the dream factory

Very cute little cafe! It can seem a bit confusing that The Kitchen Pantry decided to set up shop…read morenext to Chinoiserie & L`oeuf as that would be some stiff competition but because of the size of each is quite compact you get this tiny cafe strip for whatever you fancy. The Kitchen Pantry is the most classic type café with a sandwich cabinet with some out of the ordinary choices like pulled pork and chicken salad. They offer a few sweets and a luscious selection of pies including pork & apple cider, red wine beef & bacon, creamy chicken & leek and classic mince & cheese. I had the pork and cider which hit the spot after a night of a few too many cocktails! Beautiful flaky crust and a generous flavoursome filling. Will have to go back to try their coffee but am certainly jealous of the owairaka residents to have this as place as one of their locals.

Good service. Great selection and knowledgeable staff…read more Went for painting items and they had everything needed

What an amazing craft store! Knitters, spinners, weavers, artists and quilters will consider this a…read moreone of a kind place to just take in the variety of products and goods here.

Westfield St Lukes is a cross between hell and that stair scene from the end of The Labyrinth…read more Actually, it's so bad that having a tights-wearing David Bowie chasing you around be something of a relief. It would at least add an element of intrigue to what is otherwise a long march along the bright fluorescent corridor to a brain aneurysm. Do not go here if you want to buy the following things: 1. Interesting things. 2. Good things. Also the parking is terrible.

No matter where you go in this world, there's one thing that doesn't change -The Mall. Money has…read morethe ability to make everyone the same, if you have it. The Starbucks here doesn't do the App rewards but there is free wi-fi, which is great if you're googling the Foreign exchange rate so you know what you're supposed to get at the banks or exchange stores. Compared to American Malls this place is pretty average.But I really love the fact that at the food courts here - you can leave your tray and rubbish on the tables and the attendant will take care of it for you. The Movie theatre here is a great place to waste time.

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!