Very cute decoration as you walk in. Feels like a Moroccan sitting area. The place is quite big,…read moretables for days. Very comfy chairs. The menu is great and the food is better. Head chef is Jordanian so you can expect authentic middle eastern tasty food. The charcoal BBQ menu is probably what most people would be going there for. And it won't disappoint. The whole family loved it. Will be our regular.

GREAT MID-EASTERN RESTO…read more This joint was near our hotel, so my wife & I went for a take-out meal and had it in our room. We had the Shish Kebab meal together with an order of Hummus with pita chips and a baklava for dessert. Cost = $33. We devoured it all and thought it to be delicious. I may be a bit over-enthusiastic because we are somewhat deprived of good ethnic restaurants in Southwest Florida, but I must say we loved this meal.

I had heard this place was an Auckland classic for a cheap, good meal…read more Tonight I visited here and I'd say it's a good option if you're after a casual dinner. A pretty small menu, full of lamb and falafel versions of kebabs. I ordered a $22 special of lamb sis kebab - and I was delivered a full plate of lamb, lentils and salad. I was really happy with my meal choice and didn't have any order jealousy! This place isn't a BYO. But it is small and cheerful, with it's interesting décor (so many camel figurines around the place)! A couple of kids were having a great time playing with a box of toys that were in the cafe, which I haven't seen around at many other cafes!

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.

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.

Their menu includes most of their items in a "small" format, so we had a selection of these between…read moretwo of us. Lovely tasty food; the mantu were good enough that we ordered a second serving. Complementary cardamom-flavored tea. Reasonable prices, the staff were very helpful and friendly. Presentation is elegant; linen, heavy tableware, nice ceramics. Outside tables next to a pocket park on the corner of Pt Chevalier Road, so a few opportunities for people watching; they also have large-group tables inside, which were buzzing with happy punters.

Amazing food, authentic Middle Eastern selections and a great ambiance in the middle of town…read more Plenty of choice and the service was prompt. A little pricey but probably worth it.

Israeli and Middle Eastern food in a trendy CBD location with intriguing decor. I was drawn in by…read morethe "Real Falafel Dish," which was clearly marked "Vegan" on the menu outside, so I dragged my meat-and-potatoes parents in here for lunch. The Vegan Real Falafel Dish was nice, with lots of salads (diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and greens) stuffed into pita bread with a generous amount of falafels. It came with homemade hummus and this interesting green dip that is apparently from Yemen and was super-spicy! (Mr. Google tells me this dip is called "zhug" and is made out of cilantro, parsley, and hot peppers.) The falafel balls had a nice flavour, but they tasted a little too greasy and oily for my liking. Falafels are a tricky thing and everyone has their own preference -- to me, these were just a little too deep-fried and crunchy (I prefer softer, less oily falafels). But they were still nice. My dad had the "Brick Lane Salt Beef Sandwich" (pastrami, kosher pickles and mustard) and complained that the meat was still way too salty for his liking, in spite of the name. I don't think any of us have ever had Israeli food before, so maybe that explains it? The atmosphere of the place was cool, with interesting art and tapestries on the walls, and curtains dividing up the space. The service wasn't great. We arrived at the beginning of the lunch hour (11:45am) and several other tables were approached and served before us even though we had arrived first. They were also very slow to bring us the bill. The table itself was rickety and kept swinging every time we moved. Almost made me knock over my water glass -- should really be fixed. All in all, I won't hurry back although my dish was interesting and not bad for a unique dining experience.

I tried Petra and although it wasn't the kind of shawarma that I was looking for (in a pocket-type…read morebun) I decided to support them as the place was empty. The lamb shawarma I ordered was tasty but far too expensive for the ingredients. $27 for a small lunch is too much.

If you are after your typical 2am kebab - you know, the kind that is drenched in sauce and stuffed…read morefull of dry doner meat - this is not your jam. Instead, come here expecting fresh, made to order and packed full of flavour authentic Middle Eastern dishes. I am still making my way through the menu but my favourite dish to date is definitely the Lamb Shawarma - a delicious flatbread wrap stuffed full of grilled meat, herbs, pickles, tahini and a delicious garlic sauce. Incredibly satisfying but still somewhat healthy or at the very least, nourishing. Also worth a try are the Kooba - bulghar wheat dumplings stuffed with spiced lamb. I think they could do with a little more seasoning but nevertheless, they're pretty damn tasty. Although Petra's decor suggest it's more of a takeaway joint than eat-in restaurant, for a mid-week dinner I think it's legit. You will have to dine off paper plates but they have some preeetty sweet sequined chandeliers and if your lucky you may even be treated to some never-heard-before K.Perry remixes.

Gemmayze was one of my fav places to eat in Auckland (in spite of the low Yelp reviews, which seem…read moreService focused and an area I fortunately had no issues with). We had a rez and were able to get seated ~5 min after arriving on time. Place was packed at 8:30pm on a Friday. Cocktails are delicious - really flavorful . Easy to order multiple. Orange Blossom Martini was good and easy; Jiddi Sour was unique delicious For food, Hummus and pide a great start. Bread is fresh, warm, and tasty. Lamb was delicious and filling. Carrots an excellent side - roasted well and the fennugreek sauce was on point. Chill vibe in what feels like an open atrium mall

Wish I saw all the reviews about how the rude host staff is before I went. They asked us to wait 30…read moreminutes, which was no problem. I ask if we can leave our name on a waitlist somewhere and they say they don't do waitlists, so we have to just wait there on the side. Weird but again, no problem. 45 minutes pass by so I politely ask if there's an update to the table. The hostess literally yells "I told you guys the status of the table multiple times." And storms away. I'm from the States so I'm not sure if I was breaking some cultural rules, or something, but I was really polite when asking, and I only asked one time. I was never told the status "multiple times" and I don't know who "you guys" is. This place needs a reality check, the food was awful and service was miserable. I don't recommend this establishment to anybody.

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.

Really disappointed in this place tonight. An American girl…read morenamed Dee ( on the docket)stared at me condescendingly every time I tried to catch her eye for 45 minutes and didn't call out my order name once. Other orders ready were called out multiple times but not once did she say my name. I didn't ask was it ready as I didn't want to be a pain when they were obviously onto it calling out the names. Finally I asked 45 minutes later and she looked under the bench and said oh yeah here it is.My food was totally cold when I got it and I wanted to say something to her but she flipped her ponytail and turned away. I get that it was just forgotten or whatever but there was no apology offered at all. I love the food at this place but the staff needs talking to about customer service and using their brains if they see a customer waiting a long time.

Fatima's has been around for some time now and I have been quite a regular customer to the Ponsonby…read morebranch, the other being in Takapuna. Fatima's is a great takeout option for a filling and tasty feed. They offer pitas, as shown below, chawarmas and salads. The pitas are a tightly filled wrap with most of them offering chicken, lamb or tofu for the protein. If you're feeling adventurous give the 'Catch of the day' a go to have fish or if you are a fan of mango and avocado, opt for the 'Pacific Pita'. To be honest most of the time I choose the Fatima's favourite with Lamb and no cheese. Its my favourite and I can't get enough of the combo of the tomato relish, aioli and chilli together. This place is great as they cook their meat to order and use fresh ingredients, giving you a nice hot pita or charwarma. So far all the proteins have been cooked to the right degree. Ive had a chawarma once, its better if you don't have a huge appetite as they are smaller but the bap bun is a nice difference from most eateries. If you are eating with someone share a side of the koftas. Who doesn't love little balls of fried potato. Served with their sweet chilli aioli it's so unhealthy but soo good. My only small issue is I wish their chicken was Free Range, as their chicken options look delicious and i think they could widen their demographic offering FR Chicken. Great 'Quick Bite' on the run or if you live near by and can't be bothered cooking. Huge fan of Fatima's and yet to be disappointed. Service is quick, online ordering is also on offer. Rating Food: 9/10 Service: 8/10 Value for Money: Good 240 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 1130-10pm

When looking for a date night spot on our trip to NZ, we came across Chargrill. I am seriously…read moreupset we haven't come every time we've been! The food was delicious. My partner got one of their pizzas and it honestly was so nicely cooked, the crust was perfect, and there was a generous amount of toppings but not overwhelming. I had one of their pasta dishes and loved it. The portion size was just perfect and the flavour was great. The service was excellent. The woman that took our orders made small talk with us and even joked with us. She was lovely. There is limited seating inside so keep that in mind if you're visiting during peak hours. There is seating outside, but it is next to a street (not much traffic but the occasional car). Overall we had a lovely experience and it was one of the most affordable meals we had while visiting. We will definitely be back

We had 3 entrees at this visit. We got a burger, kebab wrap and fish and chips. The fish and chips…read morewere good but not great. The burger and kebab wrap were both disappointing. The staff members were friendly but for a location with 4.2 stars, it was a let down.