This lonely vegetarian outpost on the vacation-y peninsula east of Auckland was probably the most…read morestereotypical vegetarian spot I've seen in New Zealand, from the menu to the overheard conversations about digestive enzymes to the sign asking you to literally pay forwards someone's meal. I found it expensive enough paying for my own on my increasingly limited vacation budget, but the corn-based fritter I ordered, while largely inscrutable in composition, was nonetheless satisfying. I ordered some feijoa juice not knowing what it was (apparently it's South American, but New Zealanders seem to like it as I've seen it elsewhere), an intriguing concoction to be sure. If I were looking to eat something before visiting some of the remote beaches, I would want to stop here rather than taking a chance on finding something good elsewhere.

I LOVE Cafe Sola! Fabulous menu and fresh ingredients, a…read moredelight for a vegetarian like me to find. I recommend the Corn Fritters and the Ginger Crunch. A double whammy of goodness with an espresso (short black thank you) in a takeaway cup with a chocolate covered espresso bean perched on top. Mmmmwah! Bustling, busy, and a darling little outside seating area that's mostly for locals I'm guessing as they don't advertise it! Don't pass through Thames without getting your lunch here. As good a cafe you'd see anywhere in the world, I'd sit SOLA up there with London or Santa Monica for sure.

Govinda's is a K Road hot-spot for students, backpackers and, I presume, collection-can-rattling…read morehomeless people. This "restaurant" has the typical miasma and funk anyone from outside of Auckland would expect from the dirty and infamous road. Wobbly, unclean tables and prison food served in divided tin plates. I have nothing against vegetarians or vegans and have a lot of respect with some of the delicious dishes they can conjure up, but the food here tastes of coloured water with rice and chick peas for substance. Curry with no garlic or onions? Untitled lumpy custard dish made me feel like I was in a very old, very poor school cafeteria, gagging on the religious peace and love and feel-good that should kill any appetite I have left. Maybe if they put some of the natural herbs they're smoking into the dishes we could laugh this off and paint each other's toenails in a log cabin in the woods and name all the stars this place will never get.

The Hare Krishna eatery on K'Road has stood proudly for years, feeding poor students and curry…read moreaficionados alike, and completely on the cheap. On the day before payday, I am one of those people standing in line waiting for a $2 samosa or $2 onion bhaji. For just $5 you can also get a huge platter of food that will fill you up good and proper. If you're looking for something a little different, give their lasagna a go - non-meat eaters will love being able to eat something like this again, even if it is a little on the wet side.

You don't go to Legend noodle house for the ambiance, nor do you go for the décor. It's actually…read moreprobably not even somewhere you want to sit in and eat (except to try the complimentary green tea). Legend Noodle house is all about the Singapore Noodles. I'm not sure what goes into these noodles (I'm not sure I really want to know either) but they are greasy, hang over curing, perfection. A takeaway serving could feed you for the rest of the week. They are in the traditional style with prawns, chicken, beef and LOADS of bean sprouts. I've only once strayed and tried something else on the menu. It was good, but not nearly as good as the noodles. I actually can't vouch for anything else on the menu (except maybe the won ton soup which is ok). But the Singapore noodles are suberb!

Wonton noodles are good here. The other stuff we've tried is ok too. Reasonable prices and run by…read morea nice old couple.

Oh the good old green croc aye. I have lived in Auckland all my life and only found out about this…read moreplace last year. If you don't know about it, I suggest a visit. It doesn;t look like anything special from the outset but boy is it special. The Green Crocodile is basically a sandwich bar, but they also do salads and wraps. Pop in there and the lovely old lady will ask you what you'd like. You pick you bread and then fill the sammy with a mountainload of ingredients. Then you can either get it toasted or leave fresh. Yes, it seems like 'just a sandwich bar' but it;s so much more than that. Ther service is so great, and after one visit you'll be treated like a regular, and the amount you get for what you pay is like something from a bygone era. There are no processed ingredients in site and you can really taste the home made freshness. I think that's why it's so good - every sandwich is like the best ever sandwich you could make at home, but canlt be bothered doing. The place is popular, but if there is a wee queue outside, stick it out, it's worth it.

Green Crocodile seems to be one of those "secret" places that not many people know about. It's just…read morea sandwich bar; but nothing's pre-made, and everything made just for you how you like it. It's a little bespoke lunch without the usual bespoke price tag. A cheese toasted sandwich is sometimes all that you need, and these are pretty good: the cheese oozes out, and it's all delivered to you hot and tasty. They don't take eft-pos here, so come with cash, although you won't need much; most sandwiches are less than $5. There's also only two tables, so be prepared to takeaway; you can always sit outside on the recently flashed-up Derby Street.

amazing food first time in my life we been there and so amazing it feels like totally home food…read moresure we will recommend to every one ek number wow

This is another one of those restaurants where the regular Indian customers get a warm welcome and…read moreI get a cold one for some reason. Which is odd, and kind of annoying. Their menu is basically all cafeteria-style platters. The beans I got, which I guessed were chickpeas, was told were kidney beans, and now believe to have been pinto beans, were nonetheless delicious. The rest of the platter wasn't warm and wasn't impressive. The fries I got on the side to have something fresh and hot were as basic as the come. This place seemed to cater to working-class Indians from downtown on their way back from work. It gets the job done on that level, but I think I could do better.

Quaint little breakfast/lunch spot. The food was delicious, great coffee and tea options, and the…read morestaff was super friendly and helpful. There is a cute bookstore right next door as well. We had the lemon poppy pancakes that were on special and they were delicious! However, they were not fluffy pancakes. They were flatter and more dense, but still very delicious!

I have a vegan in the family and it can be tricky to find good vegetarian food, let alone vegan,…read morebut this place is wonderful. I've had the portobello bene here which is always excellent. The granola is wonderful. The fried upma is light and tasty, and perfectly spiced. The courgetti is a lovely break from the ubiquitous pasta found elsewhere. They often have specials, a favourite of which is the taco - literally haven't had a bad meal here! The coffee is also excellent. There's a small courtyard out the back with outdoor tables. The restroom leaves a little to be desired, but it's a tiny gripe to be honest.

First place I hit up after landing in Auckland! Comforting Thai dishes with a super helpful staff…read more I got the Buddha bowl with some fried tofu! Those fresh veggies hit the spot after eating airplane food all day. Highly recommended! I'm def going to come back to try their sweets and mock duck!

Lovely food and staff. Amazing for vegans. My favourite is the peanut sauce and crispy vegan…read morechicken on rice. Of course the classic Thai curries are amazing also.

I'm not a Buddhist at all but I still love everything about this Buddhist Temple situated in what…read moreseems like the middle of nowhere. The temple structure and design is massive and simply beautiful, it really looks like it just doesn't belong where it is. When I first saw this place under construction, I was really shocked at the sheer size of it. The architecture of the finished building is a very traditional design and reminds me so much of being in Japan. Perhaps this is why I enjoy visiting this temple, to get my nostalgic fix. It's a little bit of the orient in NZ. Anyway, the inside is just as spectacular as the exterior and has enormous space. It's so quiet and peaceful, with monks walking around and everything! It's free to enter the building, and I strongly suggest that you check it out at least once. They have a pretty cool gift store near the entrance too.

This Temple is truly a captivating sight. It yelled out, 'FILM ME' the moment I saw it. Sort of…read morereminds you of those Kung Fu movies Bruce Lee was famous for, or perhaps more ornate ones, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. For all its superficial beauty and splendour, I found the people who run it to be very focused on commercialism. They are wonderful at it by far, but it's not something I would expect from humble, Buddhist monks. I like that they reach out to the community, but the commercialism took away from their religious aspect. Still, it's a nice place for a spot of tea.

Everything is an upgrade to our included breakfast. Want hot chocolate even though there is a hot…read morechocolate packet in your room? No, that's an upgrade. Want a flat white? Same thing. Real orange, another upgrade. And pancakes which cost less than the scrambled eggs, you guessed it. Another upgrade. Otherwise, everybody seems to love the breakfast here....

Based on the earlier reviews, I selected this restaurant for their veggie and salad options…read more However, the menu must have changed since the reviews of more than a year ago, as the non-meat options were limited. The setting is open and pleasant. The kitchen is in easy view and there are palm trees scattered thoughout the large room. Service was inconsistent. It started off great, perhaps because we were early, and later by 7 pm we were searching for our waiter to bring us the check. This is a slightly overpriced restaurant, perhaps because it is in a hotel. Yet, this is not my definition of "fine dining"...it is strictly a casual affair, both in service and quality/presentation of food. We had a grilled chicken breast , w/ salad, $38. My King Salmon w/ pesto slaw (see photos), was $32. A side of steamed veggies was $8. A reasonable option to dining in downtown.

This restaurant has a wonderful menu that includes many deli favorites. I was torn between the…read morejackfruit barbecue ribs and the croque monsieur. The barbecue jackfruit plate one, and it $22 was basically enough food for two people. The jackfruit barbecue ribs were incredible: I've never ordered a jackfruit dish before and this was delicious with fantastic barbecue sauce that was tangy but not too sweet and had lots of smoky depth. The corn fritters for like dumplings and very tasty. The garlic bread was just like I would make it home and the rest of vegetable salad was very delicious. They do not have decaf coffee since they only have one coffee grinder - But I tried a couple of chicory as a flat white with coconut milk and was very pleased with the flavor and the drink it's self. The owner of the restaurant was raised on a dairy farm! She and I talked about all the problems that dairy farms and people are causing to the environment generally and especially in New Zealand with use of chemicals and the runoff from agriculture. Peace begins on the plate - and a full belly begins at Kaiaroha!

Definitely a high class vegan joint. The emphasis here is more on savory (sorry, savoury) items…read morerather than more sweet bakery items like we have in the United States. Still, comparisons with Timeless Coffee (Oakland, CA) and The Butcher's Son (Berkeley CA, not the one in Auckland) are apt. On my first visit I had a classic kiwi item, which is hard to find in the US, a sausage roll and second visit cheesecake. My only complaint is that it probably could have been half the size! The owner was super friendly and we exchanged notes on vegan biz here and in the States. Finally, the coffee was excellent and more like my American coffee expectations with a bolder flavor. Must stop for any vegan in Auckland.