I had my first experience at Paper Moon just before Easter weekend and I loved it. We were a little…read moreearly for our reservation so my partner and I made the most of Mairangi Bay Beach being a stone's throw away. We had actually made the reservation while we were on the way there, and luckily we were able to secure a table. The person on the phone did ask if we were okay with being seated at the back of the restaurant, which was fine with us. As it turns out, the back of the restaurant was completely separate from the loud groups drinking at the front of the restaurant- added bonus! It wasn't particularly rowdy but it was nice to have dinner and be able to talk at a conversational volume. Our waitress was so lovely, she took great care of us and is the best waitress we've been served by in a long time (we left a tip, of course!). We were really impressed by her service, and my partner loved that she asked if we wanted a break between out entree and main (we definitely did, and had never been asked that before, at any restaurant). For our entree, we shared the tapas platter. This is seriously ideal if you're wanting to try a few things at a good price. We were treated with risotto balls (the best i've had!), deep fried camembert and other great treats- it was the perfect way to start a meal! The tapas combination changes everyday, which means you can try something a little different each time you visit. Our mains were excellent- the fish of the moment and the chicken burger. Both were excellent and perfectly cooked. Paper Moon provided one of the best meals I've had in a long time, and while it's a bit of a drive for me (living on the other side of Auckland), it's a great spot that's definitely worth the drive.

Went for breakfast and was persuaded to have the special - smashed avocado, which came accompanied…read morewith bacon, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. I requested crispy bacon and the hollandaise on the side. When the meal came out it was clear that the smashed avocado was not he star of the meal. Two slices of toast were the central focus with eggs and bacon slapped on the plate. The avocado was more of a blended purée in a small pile to the side of the plate. The bacon was undercooked (relative to my request). When asked how I found my meal I responded "pretty average". The waitress responded with "oh well everyone is different" and walked off. When I went to pay the bill I had the same waitress so said "the thing I didn't like was that the avocado was far from the being the star of the show and was purée baby food, the eggs were barely warm and the bacon wasn't crispy". She stopped me at that point to tell me the bill was $25.90. I paid, walked out and will not go back as they clearly don't care.

The Marvel Grill is my go-to place for special occasion. In my experience with this restaurant, I…read morefind I have to go big or go home- there's always so much I want to try here! Marvel Grill has everything you want- supreme location smack bang in the city but very close to the water, A-grade service and its beautiful to look at; the decor of this place is spacious, comfy and sophisticated. The semi-outdoor area provides more dining space and a nice view onto the viaduct. What sets apart this place from others is their attention to detail. They have a great range of skillets to start you with and those alone show a great combination of ingredients and flavours that really compliment each other. The best I've tried so far has to be the maple chilli glazed pork belly with an apple slaw, which is a sign of thing to come, especially when it comes to Marvel Grill and meat. I'll never forget the first time I tried Marvel Mixed Grill; a large hot skillet filled with four types of meat. While I had to have my boyfriend finish my meal for me, it was a great experience. The meat was cooked perfectly (I'm a medium rare girl) and we definitely got our money's worth. For exceptional side dishes, I recommend the iceberg wedge, blue cheese dressing, walnuts & bacon salad and the scalloped potatoes- both delicious! I could talk about Marvel Grill for hours- I love this place. If you feel like splurging on a meal that has been cooked to perfection with the utmost care and the best ingredients available, you can't go past it!

This Vineyard takes you to somewhere in Europe, maybe Italy, Spain or France with its European…read morestyle building. I had thought this place might be a bit posh, but its not really, its very relaxing and casual. The food is very delicious and lots of lovely places to sit with different views of the vineyard, they also have a child's play area which is great for us with little ones. And of course what we came here for, the wine, I loved the Ascension Methode Traditionnelle, now I don't know all that wine talk but it has some lovely flavours and was just delicious on a summer's day. This is also a beautiful location for a wedding with the vineyards at the back, you could really get some stunning photos that you would cherish for ever (and maybe say you got married in Europe).

Have been here a couple of times for a work functions. The staff were very efficient and helpful…read more Food was very good and the wine was flowing of course. Took a wine tour including the vines was very informative and loved trying the various samples. Would love to visit during one of the concerts.

Wheels crunching up the gravel, the Tasting Shed looked sophisticated in black. Dining tables that…read morespilled out into the outdoor area are wrapped by the wind + rain proof outdoor gazebo. Everything about it oozed warm comfort and rustic charm. You wouldn't hear the quiet clinking of cutlery on plates and humble conversation here. It was a strict "no-tablecloths" restaurant. And these beautiful wooden tables probably take 5 times more work to maintain. My after-work brain probably took more time than necessary to figure out what the bobbles meant on the Savory to Sweet scale on the menu. With 25 items on the menu (including dessert), it was difficult to nail down what to order. We were advised to order 4 to 5 dishes because they were all entree sizes. Watermelon - smoked olive, goats cheese, baby ganoush This was one surprising combination. I've always been one to systematically eat my way through my plate because I didn't like mixing things together. Give me a fruit and cheese platter, I'd eat each individually. But this is something you'd want to pile a bit of each onto your fork. The watermelon and goats cheese blend beautifully into a creamy smoothie in your mouth. Rich and cooling at the same time - it's a weird sensation. Venison - carpaccio, mushrooms, beets, juniper, walnuts This is a great well-thought out dish with plenty to leave you taste testing, tilting your head and thinking. It was called the Venison dish, and with so much going on, the venison was the solid foundation to bring out the flavours of each ingredient. The sweet tang and slick texture of the mushrooms was paired with the crunch of the walnut and hokey-pokey chunks. We had fun melting the walnut powder on our tongues and poking at the different elements on the dish. The hokey pokey was not your average golden syrup variety but was made with beetroot juice - so even with this explosion of textures, everything blends together. After a mini degustation, one shared sweet dessert was enough! The rosewater was not an understatement - the scent was clear, and sweet, followed by an even sweeter strawberry parfait. It had a subtle summer breeze to this dish and the strawberry parfait an excellent substitute for your average ice cream. The saffron leaves a distinct after taste and cures the dish from being too sweet. With the popularity of restaurants that let you put elbows on tables, tablecloths are stripped away to make way for our laid-back Kiwi culture. If you're looking for a sweet candle-lit dinner, there's other fine-dining restaurants in Auckland CBD. But I'm loving this fusion of casual and fine at The Tasting Shed. The service doesn't make you feel like you're a VIP but more like your host that invited you to their house for dinner. So if you're looking for an excuse out of the city, make this your first stop!

Great tasting summer brunch/lunch place. Beautifully decorated with soft lighting and wooden…read morefurniture. Option to eat indoors or outdoors. Kitchen closed at 1500 to 1700 for dinner prep although small plates are served during that time. European cuisine with heavy Asian influence, think daikon, kimchi, even asam laksa (the Asian snob in me couldn't bring myself to order this). We had the market ceviche (good but we prefer this with a bit more punch), kimchi Mac & cheese (odd pairing which I enjoyed) and the Lamb Shoulder (fantastic!)

Sweet tunes, cold drinks, great food and service with a smile, IronBar Cafe ticks all my boxes!…read moreThis great spot in K'Rd has had a few incarnations since it was built as part of the Iron Bank complex (Which I must say I wasn't a fan of but now that it's here I can appreciate the good usage of space it provides) The outdoor space here is a huge plus, both at the side and the fantastic area in the rear which has far more use during the summer months. The bar staff are always ready to hand without being over bearing, but will take time for some banter if you should wish. I have tried a varity of menu items and chef specials here and have always left satisfied, good portions for the price too. Keep up with them on facebook for food specials/events.

Looks like your average coffee shop from the outside, but we ducked in here for lunch on a rainy…read moreafternoon. We had no idea what a treasure we had stumbled upon. Try the ham hocks and eggs from the breakfast menu (served all day.) Never had anything like it. Sinfully delicious. Going back for the world famous -or soon to be- lamb tonight. Probably many fine restaurants around here but there's no point going anywhere else. Reasonable prices, excellent service. Oh yes, and the coffee's good too.

Excellent service and food!…read more This 24hr restaurant meets everyones needs from just a snack to fine dining. Staff friendly and helpful. Tables well set out and we were able to choose our tables both times we ate here. Tables on the side even have their own TV screen for singles which is fun.. Dinner was delicious and well presented. On our dinner before home they even presented us with a birthday cake!

I liked this place because I was still jet legged from coming in from America and it opened before…read moreall the other cafes! The mocha and americano we had was good as well as the scone we got! Good vibe and cute inside

Amazing food, great drinks, I suggest the wagyu burger it is amazing. I would say this is one of my…read moretop picks for getting something to eat.

Excellent food and service. Seating could have been a bit better however I think they were setting…read moreup for an event.

The Brigham is just great and I am instantly a fan, its the kind of place you would make a special…read moretrip to get to, especially in the warmer months. They are popular for weddings and functions. The restaurant is set on some lovely gardens, so after your lunch you can go and walk in these lovely gardens and hopefully work off some of the calories, if not just grab a picnic rug and lie in the sun for a bit. The food is lovely and fresh, I had the fish and prawns and my husband had the steak and prawns, both dishes were very nice and melt in your mouth cooked to perfection. The service is also great, the owners are very friendly and come and check on you often. I would definitely come here again especially for something special.

This place is the best. We only live down the road but can never go past our local, Clevedon Cafe…read more The girls change up the menu regularly which is unusual for any restaurant. But don't fear, they feature similar meals and ingredients just with a different idea. Their charcoal bao buns, yummmm, and their sweet bao buns on their brunch menu are out if this world. We have never had a bad meal there. The staff are always friendly and helpful.

Fantastic food. I've eaten here at least three times and have always been thoroughly satisfied with…read moremy meals. They are good sized servings, delicious and well presented. The cafe is kid-friendly and has at least a couple of high chairs for its littler patrons. There aren't a lot of vegetarian options but the eggs benedict mushroom dish was superb. Really tasty. Out of the desserts, the cheesecake is great but very rich! I would recommend sharing a portion. There are a number of other delicious sounding options. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner menus and a couple of kids' options as well. Catering and arranging functions here are also options.