This butchery has been around for decades. As an independent family owned business, Better Butchers…read moreof Mt Eden gives off a friendly, trustworthy, reliable vibe and is a proud part of the Mt Eden community. All their meat is locally grown and the animals receive the best care during this time - you don't have to worry about pigs in cages, and battery chickens here. Quality is what this butchery prides itself on, as evidenced by their good cuts of meat, fresh boned chicken and REAL MEAT SAUSAGES. The Better Butchers of Mt Eden are also well known for their amazing Christmas hams. We get our ham from them every year and are always really impressed with the flavour and quality of the meat, as well as the price! Unlike other butcheries and supermarkets, you actually get what you pay for with Better Butchers. No one I know has ever been let down by these guys, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone after some decent meat - and some friendly banter! Bonus: Not only is this a great butchery but the staff are really welcoming and have a great sense of humour. Every visit is a delight!

So if you've read a few of my other reviews you'll know that I'm a bit fussy about eating meat. I…read moream however also a mother of three and am not ready to discount whole food groups on behalf of everyone else. Known to locals as the Wairiki Butchery (it's on the corner of Mt Eden and Wairiki Roads), I feel lucky to have this place close by. While whole carcasses really do freak me out, I'm a typical hypocritical consumer and meat in its prepared and packaged form does excite the cook in me. I go here often for the Chicken Nibbles, Lean Beef Mince, a log of Eye Fillet for a special occasion and also some really interesting sausages - the Wild Thar are always a hit at my BBQs. There is something about shopping at your local butchery that makes me feel like a small girl with my nana and I think it's so important to support specialty businesses like this. The guys are always so lovely; really helpful and I don't feel stupid asking them for advice on temperatures and timing. A lot of the basics I buy are priced comparatively to supermarkets so if you have the time, it's well worth dropping in here to get your meat. They also have some flash stuff in the fridge (marinades and the like) so it's one stop shopping if you have a dinner panic.

This place is absolutely fantastic. Very cost effective, huge range of different products, items of…read moregood quality. Given supply issues still impacting supermarkets you can 9 out of 10 times find an equivalent here. Big range of herbs, spices, ingredients, both local and imported. Staff are friendly. The ambiance is enhanced by the huge variation of people who shop here. Broad cross section of the community. I would hazard a guess, if you know this place you will come back repeatedly. If you don't know this place pay it a visit.

This place was a great wee find! Tucked in the corner of the Wendy's carpark in Mt Eden, it's very…read moreeasy to go about your life without ever realising Bulk Food Savings exists. Bulk Foods stock a very wide range of products, including dried fruits, nuts, organic products, flours and cereals, and all sorts of international food I'd never even heard of. Pepperdews, pomegranate molasses, Ceres organics muesli for only $9 and literally the biggest jar of gherkins I have ever seen - Bulk Food Savings was a delight to explore. I was stoked to find pure vanilla extract and vanilla pods in this store - they were much cheaper than at places like Nosh, and are great to use in baking. The only downside of Bulk Foods was the staff. They weren't particularly inviting nor were they very friendly, but hey - when the variety of food is that good and the prices are so low, who cares? You can't have everything! Bonus: It smells fantastic in Bulk Foods - all the different spices merge in to one mouth-watering fragrance that instantly inspires you to cook delicious Indian curries.

I once stopped here for some burger patties as I wanted to make handmade burgers for dinner than…read morenight. Despite there being none made up, the butcher was happy to make some up for me. Less than ten minutes later they were ready, and they made for an excellent dinner. Another time I was asked if I would like to sample a sausage that they had cooking away, and as it was conveniently at lunch I obliged. It was a sausage from the Pokeno Butchery (Mt Eden Butchers have only recently started selling these, along with their award winning bacon). It was very tasty indeed and I think they make a great option for an easy dinner. If you're after friendly, helpful service with an emphasis on quality - visit Mt Eden Traditional Butchery and see if you too become a fan.

We came here on our way home, conveniently at 5.30 on the dot when the clearway outside stops,…read moreenabling us to park right outside. All I wanted was a couple of pieces of eye fillet, so I wasn't in a position to say 'hey, what should I have for dinner?', but in saying that, I feel this is totally the kind of place you could. You know the New World ads where they pretend that's what the butcher will do, but really it's just some 17 year old who doesn't give a crap about what you have for dinner... Here is where they might give a damn. Will totally head back, especially if the head is in a bit of a jumble about what's for dinner. Parking is a little bit of a mission in Mt Eden, but sometimes you can wing it - like we did! The meat itself was beautiful, and for two big pieces of eye fillet it was $12.00. I don't think that's any more than I would pay in the supey. I was also eyeing up all those delicious sausages as well... I'm sure they'll make it into the basket next time.

If you feel like a big bowl of Ramen... then this is the place to go…read more There are so many different options of soup and also toppings (my favourite is the bamboo shoots), and the prices are pretty decent for the amount of food you get. I haven't come across a decent Ramen place in Auckland... and this one comes out pretty much on top :)

Found this place on trip advisor and was excited to have handmade, fresh pasta. Unfortunately, we…read moreunderestimated how tiny and popular this place is because we showed up only to be told that we needed a reservation. Sadly for us, they were totally booked up that night. We were about to turn away when my cousin thought to ask about takeout. I'm kind of surprised the server didn't ask us if we wanted to do that and was ready to let us walk out. We ordered 3 pasta dishes, a side of meatballs, and 3 pieces of tigella bread. That came out to about $70 USD. I might be a little off because I'm not sure about the conversion. Price wise, I'm not entirely convinced it was worth it. $70 for 3 people is expensive, but at the same time, FRESH, HANDMADE pasta! The food was good. No doubt about that. I'm glad we got a mix of flavors to share though, because it was one of those meals where you can only eat so much before your mouth starts to reject it. I LOVE cheese, but the tortellini with cream and parmigiano reggiano started feeling very heavy. It went perfectly in between bites of the tagliatelle with Bolognese though. The spaghetti alla chittara with gorgonzola and walnuts was my least favorite, but it was my cousin's favorite. Just a matter of preference. I was still willing to eat it though. The meatballs were so good. Perfectly seasoned and paired with the sauce. I was disappointed to see an order only had 4 pieces, but I don't know how much it cost. The bread was also delicious. The texture reminded me of a waffle, not quite crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. One order is only one disk-shaped pieced about the size of your hand. If I could, would I come again? I'm very tempted by the other items in their menu. As a person on vacation with little thought to budget, I absolutely would come again. If I was a local and had to watch my wallet, this place would be a treat, not something I could have often.

omg I LOOOOVE this place. I am a big fan of pasta (and carbs in general) and after complaining to…read moremy boyfriend about how much I miss Italy, I was sooo happy to find Pasta & Cuore. I walk by here all the time on my way to Rad coffee, and I'd really been wanting to go in. The restaurant is TINY, and reservations are required, but it's so worth it. I came here with a group of friends and we wined and dined for a good two hours. I ordered the gnocchi with vegetables and it was fluffly, light, and freaking delicious. The portions are small but enough to fit dessert after and an appetizer first. The selection of Italian wines is fantastic, I was so excited to try as many as I could. I'm pretty sure I spent more money on wine than on food that night. My boyfriend ordered dessert after dinner and was happy about that. They have a tiramisu which I would die for if it was vegan. I would definitely recommend this place for a relaxed dinner with friends if you love pasta, wine and Italy!

Eden Foods in Mt Eden is more than a convenience store really, it has specialty foods not just…read morefoods you get from a normal supermarket but marked up 40%. Eden Foods has a great range of organic products, they stock a lot of Ceres products and Sabato as well as many ethnic foods and some imported specialty items. You can also find oob ice cream and sorbet here (I love the blueberry sorbet) and there is a wide range of drinks available and not just your usual, you will also find pomegranate and blueberry juices, coconut water and Turkish iced teas. You can also pick up fresh breads that are supplied by artisan bakery Wild Wheat which is just down the road which is very good bread. Other items such as flowers, wine, magazines, lotto and other items you would expect to find in a convenience store are available but this is just much nicer.

I really wanted to like this little store, as it's close to home and does have a number of organic…read moreproducts. However, I've found the customer service and check-out experience to range from grumpy to downright rude. Consequently, I'd have to say on the whole, over a dozen or so shop visits, I've found it to be an unpleasant experience and will be making my purchases elsewhere in the future.

Food lovers rejoice!!!…read more If you enjoy cooking, baking, complimentary food samples, or just gourmet food in general, then get to Sabato now! Located on Normanby Road (very near to Citta Design and BLOC), this store is one of a kind! I could literally spend hours walking through Sabato tasting every olive oil, balsamic, chorizo, cheese, chocolate and dipping sauce imaginable! While some of the products are sourced around New Zealand, you will mostly find products from Spain, Italy and of course, France (thank you France for the best chocolate in the world aka Valrhona!). As well as selling amazing food products, you can also buy cookbooks, kitchen supplies and they also hold cooking classes and cheese classes. I haven't been to one yet, but they always sell out! Highly recommend Sabato for all you foodies out there, it will seriously become your new favourite weekend activity (and you won't even need lunch!)

Sabato is every food lovers' dream. Tucked away on Normanby Road in Mt Eden, if you don't know it's…read morethere Sabato can be easy to miss, and what a shame that would be! Sabato stock gourmet, rare and exotic foods - foreign oils, spices, herbs, sauces, pastas, nuts, grains, baking goods, olives, vinegars, preserves - my mouth is watering just thinking about all the goodies this store has to offer. Unlike similar stores such as Nosh, Sabato does not stock much fresh produce or meat, but their range of cheeses, preserves, hams, chorizos and confectionary make this store a great place to find wee treats and things for special occasions and/or dinner parties. Though predominantly a food store, Sabato also have a range of kitchen supplies and utensils for sale, as well as stocking cookbooks, hampers and information regarding local cooking classes. A great gluten free range is also on hand at Sabato. Bonus: Sabato also offer you free coffee and have many of their products open for taste testing while you shop - this is a definite bonus, especially because though undoubtedly delicious, quality products, Sabato is quite pricey, so it's nice to be able to try items before you buy them.

A hidden gem. The tandoori chicken and spicy lamb sausages are the best in NZ. If your anywhere…read morenear St Luke's or want to go for a drive to find a decent butcher this is the place.

Someone just asked me about my experience with their holiday hampers, so here it is. At the time…read morethere was nowhere to leave a review (still not, on their website). This time last year I ordered their hamper for a couple in Palmerston, they both had Covid. After a week of no delivery, I tried to email Farro, no response. Managed to find their ph no, no answer, left multiple messages, no response. After another week I emailed saying I was going to reverse the visa transaction, got a call back within hours. They said they had lost it, they would give me a partial credit for the trouble, and deliver. I didnt like the tone of the grumpy caller! Neither hamper or credit arrived. Dont give them your money, untrustworthy

This might be one of the smaller Farro's. Overall, I was not impressed…read more They should enlarge the store and offer a greater variety. Additionally, their prices are outrageously and unjustifiably expensive. I stopped here to uy "special treats" for New year's Eve, and then went to New World Victoria Park, and saw some of the EXACT same items for 15-20% LESS!! Farro's is like Whole Foods in the U.S. used to be a few years ago, with some of the more interesting and specialty items, but you pay a price for it.

Break the piggy bank before you come here. They stock all things natural, organic and local with a…read morefew imported items. I came looking for a natural tooth paste. They had a small selection from $6.30 to $22.80. I may be all about organic and natural, but I'm no fool - you can keep that $22.80 all to ya self! The staff is well versed in the products they stock, which meant the cashier was helpful when I asked her to recommend a product. Turns out she was familiar with Toms of Main. I wanted something comparable, so she helped me make an informed decision. I was also pleased to see they carry Dr. Bronners soap. If you don't know about Dr. B's magic soap, get some and have your world rocked! Aside from toiletries, they also stock locally grown produce and dairy. Dry goods such as lentils, rice, pasta, teas and coffee are also readily available. Overall a friendly store. Most of the natural or local organic items you may be seeking can be found here.

Lovely health food store in a nice neighborhood of Auckland. I enjoyed chatting with the friendly,…read morehelpful staff. Thank you!