First and foremost... it was the welcoming feeling of walking in... feeling like I was at home with…read morefamily. KOSTAS is an amazing human being! The food is the cherry on top. Hospitality is surreal and the food was delicious! Some of the best Greek food I have ever experienced and the pasta was exquisite. I had many places to go eat in Auckland but this was by far the best choice. I went almost every day - i was on vacation for 15 days. Ordered something at least 10 of those days! Didn't regret it ever Coming back soon! Thank you for the best experience and Sweet memories

Probably one of only two true Greek restaurants I've found in NZ, the other being Akropolis in…read moreWhangārei . The food is great. The ambience is a nice Mediterranean décor. I rate it a 4.5 only because they're missing dsoutzoukakia) and kritharaki on the menu, which I'd prefer over most Italian dishes, but both cuisines are great at El Greco, just like the service. Still, it's easily close to a 5 and my favourite Greek spot in NZ. But it's not a full 5 yet, but 4 would be too low :)

I was surprised with the negative reviews, but base on my daughter's experience we thought the food…read morewas good. We ordered the pita bread, beetroot hummus, prawn manti, spanakopita, kataifi prawns, sokolata, cheesecake, and butterscotch and tahini dessert. I agree that the dishes were not Greek food based on other Greek restaurants I have visited, but I found the food in Oceania lacked flavor (which might be because I am pollo-pescatarian). The food here was flavorable, and had a very nice presentation.

Such a great find while exploring Parnell Rd. Had a great Pisco Sour and spanakopita on tzadiki…read more Staff was attentive. Really cute bar with indoor and outdoor seating.

The food is okay but obviously the waitress didn't mention that I almost ordered the same salad as…read morethe side dish ... The creamy mussels are my favorite though.

Wonderful night at Nicolino in Devonport. Great food & service, with a warm, genuine atmosphere…read more The waitress was very helpful with offering menu suggestions and we were not disappointed. The beef moussaka accompanied by a Mythos beer were a delicious pairing. We'll definitely be back!

This is definitely the shining star of the new Brickworks development! I've never had a bad meal or…read morebad service here. Love it!

I really tried to like this restaurant but unfortunately I don't think I'll be back for the food…read more My friend and I came here for a quick lunch - she ordered the egg benny and I grabbed a steak kebab sandwich. My steak was over cooked and I am not sure what cut of meat they used because it was really chewy and tough to cut - however the hoagie roll was really nice and soft. I ended up eating the bread with the salad. My friend decided to play it safe and ordered the egg Benedict with a Mediterranean hash - to her disappointment there were egg shells throughout the meal. On the plus side they do a lovely Whittaker's Mocha which I would probably get again :)

If you want to have authentic Greek food in Auckland then Niko's Pizza on the North Shore is…read moreperfect for this occasion. Located on Anzac Street a short walk from the busy Hurstmere road, is this awesome eatery that brings you tasty Greek food with flair. The happy and charming Niko was at hand for my first ever experience, full of laughter and entertainment. As my partner and I were the only inside diners that evening, he recommended a lovely bottle of Pinot Noir which was accepted. I really wanted to try the Greek Special Pizza- and accompanied by a Greek salad- I was happy to sit, and sip wine and eat pizza for a while. I felt like I could have been back in Greece, I was surrounded by Greek food, music, decor, and great service. I had to try the Kataifi for dessert and this recipe I was told came directly via Athens. A delicious Greek pastry filled with almonds, walnuts and pistachio. Just divine. I know there are not many places in Auckland like Niko's Pizza, you have genuine service from the owner, and you can sense his passion for what he does and the love of his home country.

I almost gave Niko's four stars because the owner (Niko maybe?) is so lovely but at the end of the…read moreday their pizza isn't amazing and it's quite expensive ($25 for a plain Napoletana) given the quality of the ingredients and the size of the pizzas. Don't get me wrong the pizzas are tasty - super thin crust with liberally applied, fresh ingredients but my Napoletana had way too much Oregano (which was dried, not fresh) and not enough basil pesto. Plus when we called to order our takeouts we got the answering machine, which told us to leave a message with our order but when we called back 15mins later to confirm they say they never got it. Plus we wanted delivery and they simply said they weren't doing delivery tonight. Perhaps it was too busy, it was a Friday after all! Judging by the wait time and how busy the restaurant was when we picked up our pizzas at 9:45pm, it's clear that Niko's is a local favourite but for me, i'd rather make the hike across the bridge to Dante's or Toto's!

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

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.

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.

Mezze bar is a great place to go to if you want some small plates to share for the table. This was…read moreour first restaurant that my family and I had the time to sit down and eat while on holiday. We didn't make a reservation and was still able to be seated which is nice since there's five of us. The food was all pretty good. We all felt satisfied and enjoyed it. My favorites were the Parmesan polenta chips and mushroom risotto. All the food on their menu looks great to try and it's hustling and hustling inside as well. They also have sangrias to go with the tapas as well.

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.

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