Tapas sounded good so we checked it out and ended up getting the lamb with roasted veggies a cheese…read moreplate and some wine. All were delicious and the service was excellent. Spoke to the owners for an hour or so while we ate - one from Christchurch and the other is from Madrid. Super nice people. Everything was excellent and authentic Spanish - the cheese, olives (free), wine and bread. It's in the alley with seating outside. People from the neighborhood stopped by just to hang out. Very cool spot.

The reviews I read were right. The food and drinks were delicious at Madriz. The Sangria was a fun,…read morerefreshing choice and we enjoyed everything we ordered. The tapas plates were so nicely seasoned, perfectly cooked and fun to share. The charcuterie plate was decadent with melt in your mouth Iberico ham. The little alley the restaurant is located in makes you feel like your in a small cafe in a European location and makes for fun people watching.

Most Authentic Spanish cuisine in Auckland. Great service,wine and Food…read more Muy Bien!!!

A cool little bar and eatery..it used to be Ruby and El Toro from memory. We stopped in for a…read morecouple of drinks. We were greeted with smiles and even though the kitchen was closing they were more than happy to open for us. Nice. We ended up just drinking and were very pleased with the friendly table side service. All staff seemed to be Spanish, happy and welcoming. We drank Spanish beer and wine. Good reasonable prices. Although we didn't eat, we definitely plan to next time and I can recommend the cold drinks and excellent service. I'm sure the food would follow suit. Seating options are tables and leaners and outside there is a courtyard with seating. Decor is pleasing and I'm looking forward to heading back in to see those smiling faces.

The Dalmatia (aka Bean Rock) is a pleasant enough place with decent food. It is probably a 3.5 but…read morenot a 4 star for food. The scallop and prawn salad was good but the scallops needed to be cooked a little better to enhance their flavor. The salman, capers and feta pizza was great. Probably the best out of the 3 dishes we ordered. The mussel fritters were also ok but not outstanding. You certainly could do a lot worse than here but they need to make the most of their setting by upping the general quality.

Came her last night for a birthday dinner. Found this…read morerestaurant on one of the one-day deal websites and was keen to try their tapas. Their front door was confusing but once we were in, we were allowed to pick our table which was nice and we chose one near the kitchen so we weren't near their side door with the chill coming in. Good waiter- showing us the drinks and tapa menu and explaining items. We had the wrapped oysters with bacon and cheese (which were delightful with lemon juice squeezed over), the cavapcici w onion & capsicum stirfry, ajvar & mustard (the sauces were great) and the panfried prawn cutters w garlic & white wine. Took some time to come out was great to have them out at the same time. And for dessert, stayed for the warm almond chocolate pudding w raspberry, chocolate sauce & vanilla ice cream. Decent restaurant in a lovely setting. Mission Bay sunset before dinner was perfect.

Wow....just unbelievably wow. If you are in Auckland, this is the restaurant to make reservations…read moreat. You will fall in love with this place and will want to come back again and again. First off, hats off to the owners for doing such an impeccable job on the decor and design. From the intricate restaurant design, the lush comfy chairs, the menu layout, the mocktails, and even the rustic bathrooms were all very impressive. Now let's get down to the food. We started off with the shumai dumplings with peanut sauce. The skin of the shumai was so soft and thin which I truly appreciate because you can taste the stuffing better. The peanut sauce was nutty and savory and extremely addicting! Next we had the salt and pepper tofu with a vinegar sauce. The flavors here were a bit flat and needed more of a peppery taste but the presentation of this dish made it worth it. The chicken satay was super tender and juicy. The creamy sauce with the savory clear vinegar sauce worked really well together. The ribs had a yummy flavor but the meat could have been a bit softer. I recommend doing a broil for the ribs at the end so the sauce gets a nice caramel. To top it off we ended the night with the mango pudding. It was a hard decision but we liked the refreshing flavors. There was a lot of stuff going on in this dessert, but was still impressed with the details in textures. We hope to be back here one day!

Very nice! I loved the interior design, the bar looks full and inviting, the tables are not too…read moreclose, great chairs at the bar where you can watch the chefs cook in real time real food, the booths look comfy for a group, nice accessories around the room, really nice clean bathrooms with awesome music in there:) Food is real, fresh and nicely cooked , great presentation to it, and very tasty. I like it how the portions are designed to share and they come out the kitchen when done without seating on a counter to wait for other meal to be ready. Nice timing in serving: extra fresh!!! We went twice and definitely would go back.

Just checked in the hotel and came here before it got too late. The Depot had good reviews on Yelp…read moreso I tried it. It's about 15-20 min walk from the warf. It was busy so I was seated outside. They had overhead heat lamps so I was comfortable without a jacket one (this is in June). The menu is geared for sharing dishes so ordering for one is a challenge. I had the local Lagar on tap, 1 of each of the 2 oysters offered, and the NZ green-lipped mussels with chiriso. They also gave me a complementary pita triangles with hummus. Overall, everything was delicious. I could have gone for more oysters, but didn't want to overdo it. The mussel dish had 7 good size mussels so I was satisfied without feeling stuffed. Glad I came to the Depot.

My friends and I went there for my last day in Auckland. We went around lunch time and we were able…read moreto get seated very quick. The ambiance was still so chill and not as packed because it was early afternoon, which was nice. The staff again were super friendly and answered any questions we had. Sadly, we didn't get the fish sliders because they were sold out! But we did get some of the same dishes I had ordered before but got oysters as well. The oysters were fresh and tasty, especially with their vinegar sauce. My friends also loved the charred eggplant and a couple of them don't really eat eggplant. The crispy potatoes were so good! The truffle wasn't too overpowering and they were perfectly crisp. The steak was super tender and juicy and the wedge salad helps cut the fat and compliments the steak as well. Can't wait to come back to Depot. Already miss it so much!

Great place for whiskey. They have a lot of choice. Also cigar friendly out on the patio and they…read moredo sell cigars but ridiculously high priced. Would have given 5 stars otherwise.

Exceptional cocktails. Exceptional service. Beautiful place to enjoy a fine drink…read more We tried 4 different cocktails. They have all the usuals and The Old Fashioned and Manhattan were beyond excellent. My partner had a rhubarb tequila concoction and a margarita which was truly truly delicious. The menu is extensive and I'm sure all delivered with precision and perfection. The staff were helpful and go the extra length to deliver and satisfy. Located down the wharf your get great views from the patio and a great place to watch the sunset.

Tasca has the ambiance of sitting in the back streets of a Spanish cafe. Snugly tucked into the top…read moreof Vulcan lane, among cafes, and retails stores, this cosy little wooden nook is a favourite stop of mine, when on the hunt for a vibrant exotic brekkie, or gourmet pizza. Always busy with customers, Tasca caters for every need of the day- breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, pizza, sandwiches, fantastic coffee, and a superb selection of great wine. The menu here has a Spanish flare with delicious choices like Moorish eggs, and Pipierada to single them out from the ordinary. If you are after great food, a comfy and soothing setting, and fab service look no further than Tasca Vulcan when downtown.

I have been to Tasca both for breakfast and for dinner. Bravo for Tasca to being one of the few…read morerestaurants that served my steak the way I like it. When I told the waiter that I did not want to see any pink or red on my steak I thought I would be served a well done steak which was pink. But to my surprise when the steak came I could not find any red or pink. I was extremely impressed. The seat up at Tasca is very cosy! The seats are close together and are covered in cushions, it's a very intimate place to have dinner with a loved one. When I had the steak I had gone there for a date with my boyfriend. We sat at the end of the restaurant and got cosy in an intimate setting.

Wow - amazing fine dining in Ellerslie. No need to go all the way into the CBD! Very, very,…read moreimpressed indeed. We particularly liked the smaller portions - which meant we could sample a wider variety of offerings - rather than being too full after larger servings. And a nice atmosphere too - especially if you get in quick (or book) one of the 1/2 round upholstered alcoves.

Bonita is a cute little bar that has existed in Ponsonby for decades. With a very relaxed…read moreatmosphere and a deck out the bar, it is the perfect place for after work drinks. Bonita rewards its regular patrons by having loyalty nights on Wednesdays, and also hosts live music on Thursday nights. I recently met friends for a catch up and, due to having a big night the previous night didn't want anything alcoholic. Though the mocktail I ended up having was yum and only cost me $5, I was a little disappointed at their lack of juice and ingredients options. Further, we were a bit unimpressed with the bathroom situation - there is no lock on the door, so make sure you have someone standing guard! Despite these slight shortfalls, in all my Bonita experience was pretty good and I was impressed by how attentive the staff were. As soon as we'd finished our drinks they were at the table asking if we wanted another.

Love this quiet late night winebar. Cosy, chill and with great friendly staff…read more More late night spots are what Auckland desperately needs to call itself a real city.

I had driven past The Corner Store a tonne of times and always thought it looked cute but tiny. I…read morehad NO idea there was a back bar with a roaring fire and a dimly lit outdoor courtyard. Just the other day, a friend and I were talking about the lack of cosy wine bars in Auckland. You know the kind with big, leather chairs, a roaring fire and a well-thought out wine list. Enter The Corner Store. It's more a cocktail bar than a wine bar but it ticks the roaring fire box. There's also a sneaky internal courtyard that's blissfully quiet mid-week! Hungry? Try their small but delicious tapas menu. Beautifully tender pork belly and damn near perfect fries!

A nice neighborhood restaurant. Can't beat the location and the the service was great even though…read morethere was only one person working (incl. cooking the food). We ordered a pizza for a family of three and it worked nicely for us.

Affordable and delicious. The man working, who I believe was the owner or a relative of the owner,…read morewas very friendly and checked up on guests regularly. I ordered the Penne Pescatore that came with 5 large prawns and tons of small shrimp. There are two portion sizes for each menu item which makes it easy to order for one person, or to share with a large party. Good wine. Good beer. Reminded me of my time spent in Italy.