This is a neat place to go to for an after-work drink…read more The Oakroom has recently had a facelift and has a cosy feel. Rohini and Corey are great hosts and the small team of staff are always friendly, chatty and sincere. There's a gastropub style menu; food and drinks are good value. It's also a good spot for a private function with good catering options.

My friend held her 21st party here last night and when I arrived I instantly wanted to have mine…read morehere. It's a lovely looking bar I think it must be quite new because all the furniture looked that way. Not the place itself though, it was really classy but rustic with mood lighting and lots of seats which I love, too many places don't offer enough seating and everyone just has to stand around. Their outside deck area was where we spent most of our night, they had outdoor tables and stools as well as a more comfy option...the outdoor sofa. They had two tv screens which she used to display pictures all evening. The bartender was pleasant and friendly and everyone looked like they had the best night.

Seated right away. Great selection of breakfast items. Perfect coffee to go with my Avo toast…read more Friendly staff. Baked goods were at the counter. Took an almond pastry to go!

Its been a wee while since I have managed to devour the populating Auckland food scene. Looking…read morethrough my list of bookmarked eateries, Sunday called for brunch. Removing myself from the usual spots in the city we tried Crave in Morningside. Situated in a pretty quiet spot, the site itself was light and airy with tall ceilings and is a lot larger than the pictures presented. Extremely busy upon arriving, we added our names to the list, and as accurately estimated by the host the wait was only around 15mins for a table. Between the four of us eating, there were a few hits and misses. Upon being served, two of us received our meals before the other two with about a 3min wait between dishes served which is always a tad awkward watching other people eat before yours is served. Almost after always ordering the Mushroom on Toast dish today wasn't too far from the norm by choosing the Fungi from the menu. Instead of your standard toast option, it was served on a delicious kumara and feta cake, however the herb garlic cream was very lack lustre. It didn't give me that feeling that I wanted more and really missed that umph and body and was fairly under seasoned. It's a shame because the concept was there and presentation was a beaut. If I could make one recommendation, please serve it on a plate and not a bowl, it's frustrating to try scoop the last few bits with a fork and knife. The rest of the dining party were happily pleased with their tasty meals, with each dish having a modern switch up to your classic eggs bene and scrambled eggs. We agreed it would have been great to have a slice of toast or a hash served with the Cottled Egg just to tie the dish together. Otherwise overall the service was on point and friendly topping off a satisfied feeling upon leaving. Rating: Food: 7/10 Service: 8/10 Value for money: Very Good Opening Hours: Mon-Weds: 7am-5pm Thurs-Sat: 7am-late Sun: 7am-4pm 6 Morningside Dr, Morningside

The Floating Pavillion is an event space which literally floats just off the Hobson West Marina in…read morethe Viaduct - you walk along the waterfront towards Te Wero Island/the Wynyard Crossing and the pavillion is the floating grey building on the left. It's aimed at the business launch/wedding/ball crowd, so it's well kitted out to deal with a crowd of around 300. There's two levels so space for sit down dinners on the ground floor, as well as a large dance floor up top. For our inaugural UoA Architecture/Planning ball we hired out the Floating Pavillion, and can report the night went off without a hitch - food wasn't amazing, but the space was perfectly sized and well kitted out for the occasion.

This place right here it the place to have all your events, from your wedding to your engagement…read moreparty, a meeting or even a birthday party. Everything you need is there, all you have to do is call the business, arrange a tour then let them know exactly what you want. After that you can either send them pictures of your ideas or just leave it to them and their creativity. It is a great place for any events as it is located on the waterfront, guaranteeing great views and amazing pictures to upload on to instagram hash tagging aboutthatlife!

The Horse and Trap Tavern is such a great pub, I'm so glad that my friend introduced me to it. It's…read morelocated in a bizarre place off the main road (Mt Eden Rd), and easily missed if you don't look out for the sign. Nice ambience inside, which can get heavily crowded during a big sports event; you need to get in very early or you'll never get a seat. If you do manage to get a seat, definitely order some food from here. The pizzas are especially delicious, and they have different specials throughout the week; for example on Saturdays you can get a beer or wine and a pizza for $20. The bar stocks all the different varieties of Monteith's beers, which is awesome for a Monteith's lover like me. This is a good friendly place.

Quiz night on Tuesdays is the perfect excuse to try out the Horse and Trap. Rigsy is a hoot on the…read moremike. And the bar food is well above average. Pizzas, burgers and salads mingle with steaks and pies on the menu and sit even better upon the tongue. Nothing original, but it's all done well. Just what one hopes for at a local. All that's left to achieve is that elusive 1st place...

Even though the Stardome is now named after a benefactor (can't be helped I guess), it is still as…read morecool as it ever was. The staff don't mind if you just wander in and have a look around and the foyer alone has enough to amuse the kiddies for at least half an hour, probably longer. During the school holidays they run all kinds of fun stuff and if you haven't been before, it's unlike anything else you can do around the town. You absolutely have to be organised and book in advance and maybe the movie is a bit dated, but it's fascinating and presented in a way that makes astronomy accessible to everyone - even 3 year olds. There's an arty crafty session where the kids get to make their own (artistically questionable) souvenir but the highlight is that the film is shown Cinema 180 style on the ceiling. A bit hard on the neck but SO worth it. You can hire the Stardome for functions but when I looked into booking it for an event, I ran in to the problem of how to keep kids from playing unsupervised in the lobby so that's something to consider. I'm ashamed to say I have never been here in the evening and actually looked through that giant telescope at the night sky. I intend to do it every Winter but late nights out in Winter just don't seem to happen. This is the year.

We were thinking about what show we should pick and have chosen "The winter sky". It was just…read moreamazing, to see what stats and planets we can see with our naked eye from Auckland. At least in good weather. After the show we went outside to see the Saturn through telescopes. Not the Zeiss one, but smaller. I saw the Saturn through the telescope for the first time and it was the biggest happy moment I have had in years! You can actually see the planet and the rings! Super cool! We haven't had a chance to use the Zeiss telescope because of the weather, but we are definitely going to do this next time.

A really beautiful historic building that you can visit and explore, and is also a venue for…read moreweddings. I was involved in a wedding here and at the dress rehearsal we had the opportunity to take in the building, and it's really like walking into another era with the old-fashioned wallpaper and pictures on the wall, and seeing into the past as you head upstairs and have a look around. It's a beautiful space for a wedding; the ceremony was on the steps out the front of the house and the hall inside was a nice intimate space for speeches and socialising. The man who we liaised with regarding the function was really great - friendly and flexible. If you are thinking about having a wedding here just keep in mind - no stilettos inside! (Which, if you're me, is a great excuse to take off your bridesmaid shoes that you can't walk properly in anyway.)

Alberton was definitely in the running when I was choosing a wedding venue as it is just so…read morebeautiful. It's one of those places that is constantly used for fashion, film and even music video shoots because its historic character is so well preserved. It is grand, old and beautiful but there are some rules and regulations that apply to keeping it that way so keep that in mind if you are thinking of using it for an event. The great thing is that it's open to the public so all you have to do is wander on in and explore all its nooks and crannies at your leisure. You will have to pay for the pleasure but that's as it should be in order to keep preserve places like this for future generations. The grounds are stunning as well and a visit here can take you back in time for some romantic day-dreaming. Great for kids too - history is so much more interesting when it's tangible.

"Ivy Cottage and the Enchanted Garden" is exactly that!…read more This is certainly a remote, isolated location for townies, however local for Northshore folk. Never spent anytime in Greenhithe, it's a 30 min drive from Central city, traffic dependant. On arrival, you need to park on the road outside, past the venue due to yellow lines. When entering, you are lead down a fairy path to a small cottage to meet and greet everyone (including the fairies), before the festivities begin. The children have the option of changing into a fairy costume or pirates outfit, if desired. The fairies then take the children around the enchanted forest, looking at all the magical places. The birthday celebrations take place inside the cottage, that is heavily themed as a grotto or fairies den: beautifully captivating. The storytelling continues with biscuit decorating session in the fairy craft room and the children are given a small drawstring bag of fairy dust to take home. This is the only fairy garden in Auckland, definitely a special place to celebrate birthdays and other noteworthy events! Cute!!

Great place to start the night on the Viaduct, had a few drinks before heading out to other places…read more Nice view as well.

Great lunch burger and beer special. Location was perfect to enjoy a delicious burger, fries, and…read morebeer.

Like most folks in auckland it have heard of Mantells for some many years now but never really had…read morean occasion ... That was until we had the opportunity to photograph a wedding that was held here. The wedding itself was just simply fabulous. The bride and groom and family and guests were fantastic and really made the day. Being part of the "service" folks we got to see first hand all the things that happened in the background. The staff at Mantells worked tirelessly to ensure that the event went as slick as possible. The kitchen was running implacably and kept churning out fantastic dish after dish! The waiters and front staff were smooth and paid attention to all the details. The venue itself was well kept, groomed, and had this air of magnificence! I can go on and on about this place and how wonderful it is ... The 5 stars is truly well earned!

I've been hearing about this spot for years so when I attended a wedding at Mantells recently I was…read moreall curiosity and was not disappointed in the slightest. Tucked behind the old post building on Mt. Eden Road this intimate function venue is all class - you actually feel as though you're at a beautiful private residence somewhere in France. Wedding ceremonies can take place in either the courtyard or the indoor lounge and dining room areas. If the weather permits it the courtyard area with its amazing stonework and pillars and outdoor fireplace is probably the pick of the spot. The food was amazing and the service very, um, effiecient, no mucking around on eating your meals or they were gone before you knew it! I'm personally not a fan of pork-belly but I heard more than half the guests palpitating over it. A really stunning place.