I usually like to stick with "local" cuisine on my travels, so its rather odd I chose Turkish food…read morefor my first meal in New Zealand. The wife and I shared "The Feast", $30NZ for two meat skewers and a good variety of colorful extras I can't name except the hummus. Everything was flavorful and plenty enough food for a light meal for two people sharing. If you need a break from the local NZ cuisine, Miss Istanbul makes delicious flavorful meals.

Tasty, authentic Turkish food that reminded of my time in Istanbul. Great breakfast plate too!read more

Mezze is a very charming space, that gives indulgent traditional vibes. It came up in a search of…read morerestaurants near my hotel and I was able to walk there. I didn't get the ordering situation right off the bat. You get a menu from the bar then sit, decide what to order, then place your order at the bar. You also pay when you place your order. I went with the lamb burger and a cider. The fries with the lamb burger were amazing as was the cider. The burger was well prepared but not seasoned the way I prefer. I'd totally return to Mezze and try something else. It's a very cool spot, worth the visit.

tried this tapas bar/ mediterranian food when we travelled to Auckland. the food was amazing. we…read moregot the chicken risotto, arancini, kofta kebab and the chorizo. we also tried their cocktails. the ambiance is very hippy. the staff were pretty cool and welcoming. also gave is a recommendation for a dessert which we ended up getting. we got the almond tart which was a good way to end our dinner. would definitely recommend if you ever visit this part of New Zealand.

Traveling around NZ for the last month and looking for something different. Cafe Midnight Express…read moreoffered us a fantastic meal with great, attentive service. I honestly feel my chicken shish was the best meal I've had since we started the trip! We were told that everything was prepared in house and the flavors were delicious. House wine was a bit of a disappointment but the food more than made up for that.

Had a good dinner here. BF had the kofte and I had the doner kebab. We finished with a slice of…read morechocolate cake. Everything was great! The place was busy, but service was still quite good. Our waiter was seriously multitasking! I'm always appreciative when somebody works that hard so I have a good experience.

I stopped here one night after a night out in New Zealand and glad I did! I asked for extra chicken…read morewhich they were able to provide and the food was seasoned pretty well. The restaurant is located on a busy street so it can be hard to find parking, but overall good food for the price.

Very great food and awesome customer service... Lovely place to eat or take out…read more.................. ................ ..................... M......... .,,......... Love it love it love it..........

For many years this place was run by a depressed man who wanted to find a wife. Seriously, he told…read moremy boyfriend so when he was picking us up some dinner. Back then it was also caled the Cedar Café but it appears to be under new ownership and has got its game together. It's a great place to pop in and buy a big tub of hummus or some Turkish delight and stocks many other Middle Eastern products as well in the shop at the back. The cafe part is more a takeaway with a couple of tables, but the food is delicious. We do frequent other kebab places but this is my favourite - especially if they have the mini Spinach Borek rolls.

When you're bored with all the Asian offerings on Dominion Road, head to Shefco. This place does a…read moremean kebab. The produce is fresh, the hummus tastes authentic and they have the most amazing garlicky, lemony chickpea salad. It's a fantastic find for vegetarians, with a large range of vegetarian salads to choose from along with the fresh falafel. Meat eaters are well catered for too: none of this processed lamb-on-a-spit crap that the food hall kebab shops serve. And moist, flavourful chicken. The servings are big, the prices are low, and there is a shop at the back where you can stock up on baklava, dolmades and other Middle Eastern delights. There are a few tables available inside, and a couple outside in a small sectioned area overlooking Dominion Rd for those who can't wait to dig into their kebab. Otherwise this is more of a takeaway option.

Over the weekend, two friends and I were invited to dine at Bodrum Market in Westfield Newmarket's…read morenew rooftop dining precinct. It was a fantastic lunch, thanks to the lovely food, cocktails, ambience and service. Bodrum Market is run by one of my favourite hospitality companies - Nazar Group. Founded by Alex Isik and Nigar Ivgen, they own restaurants all over Auckland, including Feriza's, Miss Istanbul, Ottoman Mezze Lounge, NOA Chargrill + Burger, Devon on the Wharf, Mozaik Caffe, Deco Eatery, Casablanca and Bodrum Kitchen. All of their restaurants bring a slice of the Mediterranean to the table - featuring Turkish, Greek, Moroccan and Middle Eastern dishes... so we were really excited to check it out! Walking in, we absolutely loved the interior of Bodrum Market, which is inspired by Istanbul's Grand Bazaar and the streets of Bodrum City. While I have not yet been to Istanbul (it is on the list!), I immediately felt transported to an exotic city! We were seated in one of their booths, which overlooks the dining area and bar. If you dine at Bodrum Market, you must order a cocktail! We tried three which were all refreshing and delicious. My top picks are the Bombay Masala Talkies - Gin infused with masala tea, butterfly pea flower syrup, lemon juice and Mediterranean tonic water; the Sultan Treat with Russian vodka, rose petal water, fresh pomegranate, lime juice and pomegranate molasses; and the Aam Pana Cooler with Tequila, orange liqueur, raw mango puree, roasted cumin powder, lemon juice and lemonade. (Seriously, typing this now makes my mouth water!!!) And now for the most important part, the food! Bodrum Market is offering diners an authentic experience by serving four different cuisines - Indian, Italian, Turkish and Latin American Asado, just like the traditional food markets of the Mediterranean. Their aim is to showcase unique flavours from each of their teams' homelands. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peak through their kitchen and admired their Wood-Fired Pizza Oven, Asado Grill and Doner Kebab machine. There are many options on the menu to suit a range of palates, and I recommend sharing if possible so you can try a few dishes. We trusted the team to bring us a few of their favourites from each of the four cuisines to try, including Olives and Feta with almonds and dates, Chicken Lollipops with chili sauce, Grilled Octopus with new potatoes, paprika butter, garlic aioli and parsley, Beef Short Ribs with Chimichurri sauce and Prosciutto Pizza with fresh rocket, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan. We loved that everything was super fresh, flavourful and tasty, plus every dish was full of colour. Our favourites were the Beef Short Rib - lathered in a beautiful Chimichurri sauce and the meat was melting off the bone! The Chicken Lollipops were also a highlight, and we surprisingly enjoyed the Grilled Octopus... must admit those tentacles freaked us out a bit! For dessert, we tried their Loukoumades - light and fluffy Greek honey puffs, drizzled in chocolate sauce and served with pink fairy floss, ice cream and pistachios. You will definitely want to save room for this dessert! For a further sweet treat, head outside to the entrance of Bodrum Market to admire the displays of Baklava, Chocolate Baklava and Turkish Delight - definitely recommend buying a few pieces for the ride home. Thank you Bodrum Market for a FAB dining experience - we cannot wait to come back! x

Whenever we used to go to the Video Ezy in Mt Albert shops I would look at this little kebab van in…read morewonder. Was the food there actually nice? It wasn't until last year that I actually found out the answer to my question. YES. The food from this weird van in the middle of the Video Ezy carpark is delicious. Like most kebab stops, Delicious Turkish Style Foods offers lamb, beef, chicken and falafel kebabs, as well as rice dishes, salads, burgers and an array of sides including chips and Turkish garlic bread. Unlike most kebab stores however, this van also has pieces of fish, onion rings, and milkshakes available. All the food prepared in the Delicious Turkish Style Foods van is Halal and all the salads always look fresh, crisp and delicious. If you're in the mood for something Turkish, stop by the little icon of a van in Mt Albert and try some food from Delicious Turkish Style Foods, you won't be disappointed!

I have this preconception, and I'm guessing I'm not the only one, that any food sold out of a…read morecaravan is inevitably greasy, stodgy, and riddled with diarrhoea-inducing germs. I don't know why I have this idea - probably from British television, where everything sold out of a cart is grey and comes with peas. It's not fair though, because in real life my experiences have all been positive. White Lady is fine if a little overpriced, and this place is actually pretty good. If you ignore the fact that it's a caravan this could be any Turkish takeaway, and it'd be quite a bit better than a few I've tried. And once you accept that the food isn't full of botulism the fact that it is a caravan gives the place a certain roguish charm. I haven't tried their burgers (call me a traditionalist) but you can't go past a kebab and chips on your way home from the video shop.

Although it's not something that springs to mind when the usual 'what do you fancy for dinner'…read morequestion arises, I love Turkish food. This is a popular place on the Northern end of Ponsonby road and it's usual to see it buzzing. The menu is full of mouth watering temptation and I struggled to narrow down my choice but ended up with a HUGE portion of Moussaka - there was no need to have a starter! I wasn't brave enough to try one of the platters available, but know already that when I return in future I won't have to read the menu further than checking they are still available.

Went there for lunch and had a good experience. Staff were attentive and friendly, menu had a good…read morevariety of food for the '$12 Ponsonby lunch' standard that seems to be the rage with the other local restaurants. I had the donner kebab and it was well presented and tasty. Would definitely return :)

Food was delicious! Friendly atmosphere. Quick service. We ordered the lamb kebabs. Will come back…read moreagain!

Grilled chicken breast rice plate was one of the best I've ever had. The chicken was packed with…read moreflavor and was not dry, which can easily happen if grilled the wrong way. The salad and the hummus were also delicious. I was also shocked how tasty the rice was. This is a great spot. I will definitely go back.

Four of came in for a dinner on a Thursday night…read more I ordered the Moroccan Lamb, a slow roasted lamb shank, carrot, chickpeas, sultanas, couscous, yoghurt, mint gremolata. My spouse ordered the Citron Chicken Tagine, a Ras el hanout, preserved lemon, carrot, chickpeas, apricot, couscous, yoghurt, almonds. Both meals were very yummy. The servers were attentive and polite but the ambience was still to "mall" like for me,even though we were in a mall.

Wanting to continue enjoying the company after a movie, we headed here for some drinks, which…read moremainly consisted of chocolate oriented items. I ordered the calamari because I felt that's a pretty safe item and it can be compared across restaurants. It arrived and I was slightly surprised as it was spiced and lightly sauced, not tempura-ed or breaded or fried. Once I got over that, the taste was good; granted that this was most likely a sharable dish, I'd recommend getting something else to pair with it because eating the entire thing by yourself is not the way to go. Especially when everyone else is enjoying baby churros with shot glasses of melted chocolate. Also, make sure to make your order well known. A lady at our table ordered the same drink three times and hadn't received it until we were about to go. The manager came over and served her personally, explaining that they had some new staff and apologized for the confusion. By this point, she was already over not receiving the drink, but once she sipped it, she was wishing she had received it a lot earlier.