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The Garden Shed

3.5 (27 reviews)
ModerateBistros
Open 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

The Garden Shed Photos

THE GARDEN SHED ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Good for groups
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

Recommended Reviews - The Garden Shed

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Reviews With Photos

Fancy fish n' chips. Looks more amazing than it was.
James W.

I have yet to write a review which wasn't glowing. Simply put this place is meh. Service staff were lovely, personable, but lacking actual personality. A forced smile does nothing for me I am afraid, which our waitress had absolutely. Food: terracotta bread with smoked butter. A cute idea, bread didn't have any salt, so it was a touch bland. Smoked butter was awesome. I had what they called fancy fish n' chips. It was okay. Yes the fish was cooked perfectly, the batter wasn't heavy, but the onion rings, shoestring fries were lukewarm. Which is completely unacceptable. Plus a slice of green tomato, gherkin, and room temperature fried capers, a strange collection of bits & pieces. Really not what I personally would have put with the fish & chips. Finally dessert, fruit pie with gingerbread icecream..... Icecream was yummy, the tart, meh. Tasted of nothing really.... It was just hot. The last thing I will say is they had an awesome selection of drinks. I being someone that doesn't drink had a ginger beer. It was & is the best ginger beer I have ever had. From the Hawkes bay independent brewing company, look it up try it out you will be surprised (well I hope). Three people, two beers per person, plus my two ginger beers, two courses each $177 dollars. A little steep for me, especially considering I felt there feeling 'my' money wasn't well spent.

Cecilia W.

Attention to all Nike-clad health food addicts and/or lovers of cute cafes, here is some good news and #fitspo for you. Perfect for Junk Free June, I went to The Garden Shed on Mt Eden Road to see what's the dealio with the new café block. Mind you, I'm too weak for Junk Free June but I do my best to ingest goodness into my body most times. There I was in my Adidas gear and we went on a fine day where the outdoor area really had a chance to shine. So shiny that I felt like a bit of a pom sitting in an outdoor/indoor area with my sunnies on but girl, there are just days when the flu makes me feel like my contact lenses had been soaked in onion solution. It felt a bit like I had gatecrashed into someone's garden party with a waterfall trickling in one corner and beautiful plants overhanging. The attention to detail was amazing - from the waiting area which had a sign saying "Please wait to be plotted" to the garden spades with tap beer names, The Garden Shed truly lives up to its name without being too tacky. There were so many things I wanted to order from the "Share with Friends" menu like the Spiced Chicken and Goats Cheese Pate but strictly there for brunch, I could not muster the energy to convince everyone else to share. The Weekend Brunch menu was enticing itself with lots of healthy options like Buckwheat Pancakes and Grandma's Granola. I opted for the Garden Breakfast with quinoa cakes, portobello mushrooms, poached eggs and salsa verde. I recently had a round of obsession with quinoa, because it's so fast to cook and makes my salads more filling so I was keen to see this quinoa cake goodness. When it came, alas, the poached eggs were overdone! I could literally bounce it on my plate and I actually pushed my knife on top to squeeze the egg yolk out. You can probably tell I like my poached egg yolks runny like that waterfall next to me, but the nice girl in me said "it's ok, it's just an egg". The boys at the table ordered the Shed Burger which came like a drama queen with a knife stabbed in the middle of the burger. Filled with giant onion rings and a big patty, it looked like quite the deal. Bonus, it even came with chips. My friend ordered the Maple Pork Belly Bites and I have to say, the small size does not make it ideal for sharing! There were probably six pieces in total, and while they looked scrumptious it was a bit pricy for $15.90. The staff were gracious and friendly, apologising several times for moving our group to a smaller table which was totally ok - we were hogging a bigger table for some of our friends who didn't end up making it. The last cute gesture was the sachet of seeds of a mystery plant which came with the bill (which I have still yet to plant). I appreciated the small gestures which elevated the experience and made you feel that bit more special than in an average café. I want to go back for dinner - I had spotted Salted Caramel Chocolate Pot on the dessert menu. Going there with the flu wasn't ideal, I felt like I had the top layer of my tongue stripped because I was adding an unnecessary amount of salt and pepper to my food when I knew it was my senses being muted. Which makes it another excuse to go back and try their food. If you've been to The Garden Shed, let me know what to order next, and tell me if their food is naturally low in salt or if my senses were really off that day!

Garden board
Laura J.

Sadly im going to have to give this one an average rating, nothing bad but nothing that great either, we ordered the Shared Garden Board described on the web site as "char-grilled and pickled vegetables, goats cheese paté with beetroot jelly, marinated olives, brie, beer battered haloumi, house onion rings, roasted pepper and aubergine spread, pesto, baby bell peppers and house terracotta bread" While most of it was there the beer battered haloumi, house onion rings and pesto seams to have changed to beer battered beans (weird) for which no explanation what given (the menu we ordered from may of been different from what was listed on the web site) but overall I thought the dish was a bit average for the $39 price tag. Didn't venture inside as the dog was hanging out at my feet getting pats from passerby's but it looked like there was thought that had gone into the decor. the downside to being seated outside was hard to flag down a server to order drinks and food. Not sure if I will be back by choice there is too many amazing restaurants to try to settle for something average.

Channie S.

Came here for dinner, overall this place is amazing great food and friendly staff. Would come here again, high recommend to others.

Fish cakes
Cliff L.

Nice decor, nice menu. Staff friendly and keen on helping. Family friendly place as well, they have a kids menu and coloring sheets.

The Shed Burger! So goooood. (More photos on Instagram @edibleauckland)

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2 years ago

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Photo of Joanna W.
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11 years ago

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11 years ago

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9 years ago

Good atmosphere, definitely go outside. Meal was tiny, smoothies overpriced and the waiter was rude. Did not know anything about gluten?

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11 years ago

Fantastic coffee, friendly staff and good atmosphere. Highly recommended place for a relaxing vibe.

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Review Highlights - The Garden Shed

We had a table in the truly lovely outdoor area at the back.

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Banzai - The kitchen

Banzai

4.0(17 reviews)
1.5 kmMt Eden
$$

Hidden amongst a few other Asian restaurants, Banzai is lovely. Great space and vibe…read more Food was awesome and reasonably priced.

Banzai has been one of our family favourites ever since it opened quite a few years ago. Small but…read moreperfectly formed, it's best to book as it gets busy, although every time we've turned up they've managed to shift things around to give us a table. They go out of their way to make kids welcome and will supply books. pens, paper and often lollypops - they even ask the parents first if the lollypops are ok. The drinks list is basic but the few wines are well chosen and affordably priced, as is the incredible food. They do the usual Japanese favourites but I would recommend going for the Yakisoba or my favourite, especially in Winter, the Soup Noodles. The Lemon Chilli is the best and comes with your choice of Udon or Soba noodles. I get my Vegetarian version without the tempura batter and easy on the tofu. Indeed I am a person who struggles to order off the menu (I want it my way y'know?) and Banzai is another of my favourite establishments that has no problem with this. The salads are also delicious, particularly the not-very-Japanese-sounding Feta and Sundried Tomato. New visitors should definitely try the Korokke (potato cakes with sweet dipping sauce) and the creamy Potato Salad. The staff are absolutely lovely and never complain about us customising our dishes in a myriad of ways. You can phone ahead for takeaways or ask for a doggy bag if you over-order and they even have a small library of truly classy coffee table books to read while you wait for your takeaway. We always leave to a chorus of "thank you very much" from the entire staff. Me and mine have a lot of love for Banzai, so much so, we have even learned to copy the correct cultural protocol when paying at the end of the evening. Banzai makes me very ureshii.

Photos
Banzai
Banzai - Kitchen

Kitchen

Banzai - Banzai Roll for mum & puzzles for the kids!

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Banzai Roll for mum & puzzles for the kids!

Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle - Yummy hot and spicy prawns

Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle

4.0(25 reviews)
1.5 kmMt Eden
$

Friends selected this place for an early dinner during my recent visit to Auckland, specifically…read morecharging me to order dishes they'd never had before. Having lived for a long time in China I felt up to the task, but was not sure how a restaurant with a somewhat corny name would perform. On arrival I was put at ease by the exclusively Chinese clientele and the Mandarin-speaking young staff, who didn't bat an eye at my speaking with them in Chinese. Though there was no seating available in the main dining room, seats were available upstairs so we sent up there. Decor-wise, the place is a bit lacking, but in a way that adds to the atmosphere. The menu is the attraction anyway, and it is extensive. Since the chef is a member of China's Muslim minority Hui nationality, there is no pork on the menu, but there is lamb aplenty. And being a northern-style restaurant there are loads of wheat-based dishes (noodles and dumplings) rather than rice. Our order consisted of the following: an order of pan-fried lamb-fennel dumplings (羊肉茴香锅贴); cleaver-sliced noodles with beef (刀削牛肉面)); eggplant with garlic sauce (鱼香茄子); peanuts in vinegar (醋泡花生); and one each of the lamb and beef Chinese "burgers" (肉夹馍). We had hoped to order lamb kebabs as well, but they were out (and while I'd have loved to have had the chicken gizzard kebab, my friends insisted on no offal, and there is a minimum of five kebabs per order). The only slight disappointment was the beef "burger", since the meat was a bit dry, and the vinegar peanuts were not as punchy as I like, but the other dishes were spot-on. And the prices are very reasonable so you can afford to try new things without a budgetary concern.

Oh man, that's too much with the Beef Pao Mo, a totally big bowl with full beef and Pao Mo but the…read moreprice of it was just normal. I didn't finish them, so I have to say sorry to the chef, next time I would get a small one, lol.

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Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle
Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle - Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle

Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle

Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle - Cumin infused chicken kebab

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Cumin infused chicken kebab

La Voie Française - 06.25.24 croissant

La Voie Française

4.1(15 reviews)
2.3 kmMt Roskill
$

Ok y'all. We are from LA and were starving for some deliciousness. When you walk in, there are…read morethings coming out the oven- warm displays of fresh pastries and sweets and a coffee bar to the left. And it smells LIKE HEAVEN. It's toasty and the selections of things are incredible. We got lots of things I cannot pronounce or attempt to spell,but they consisted of : the croque monsieur, almond croissant, cheesy bread, croissant with onions and nuts and cheese(yes and it's SO GOOD). If you're looking for a go to, quick breakfast, and a delicious latte. The prices are great and the lady owning it was super sweet. GO, don't wait.

Now I'm no connoisseur of French baked goods, but this place is a definite pleaser. Someone brought…read morehome an olive bread from La Voie Francaise that got me hooked, so I decided to have a late morning pastry feast of my own. A raspberry chocolate croissant, a chocolate brioche, and a canele topped my plate. The canele was my highlight, crispy and sweet on the outside and gooey on the inside. The brioche was freshly warm and soft but not too rich. The croissant was on the verge, somewhat stale around the edges but still enjoyable. The ups: these pastries and the olive bread were delicious. Prices are very reasonable too, only $10 all up for the three sweets. La Voie Francaise also boasts an inviting atmosphere that's relaxing but well kempt. The downs: I'm not convinced by these tastings that La Voie is all the rage, but that's probably just because I've been spoiled by the French market in Parnell. I'll be back for a croque monsieur at some stage, maybe my mind will change.

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La Voie Française - Croque monsieur

Croque monsieur

La Voie Française - Cheese, nuts and goodness

Cheese, nuts and goodness

La Voie Française

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Belly Worship

Belly Worship

4.5(2 reviews)
1.5 kmMt Eden

I enjoyed my experience at Belly Worship. Service was friendly and helpful. The food was not too…read morespicy. I also tried a drink which was great.

Neon lights? Check. Cheap and delicious Asian-fusion food?…read moreCheck. Friendly service? Check. Unlimited corn chips and fizzy and closing time of 2am? Bonus. You will find all this and more at the newly opened Belly Worship, a Chinese-fusion style restaurant located on Dominion Road. On the menu, there are a range of dishes available - steamed and fried dumplings, taco buns, spicy pancakes, stir-fried noodles, chicken, pork, beef and tofu dishes. The restaurant is not licensed, but they do offer a self-service bar where you pay just $3 for unlimited soft drink, alongside popcorn, corn chips and pretzels. This is a great idea - something to snack on while you wait for the rest of your party. It is also self-service for plates, bowls, cutlery and added sauces. Between three of us, we ordered quite a feast: - Spinach Taco Bun with Pork Belly ($7) - Shrimp, Pork and Chive Dumplings ($12) - Litchi Pork ($9.90) - Spicy Pancake ($5), with Duck (+$8) - Bamboo Chicken Wings ($14) - KungFu Kebabs with Fish Tofu and Beef ($16) - Scallion Fried Broccoli ($14) - Coconut Rice ($3) We enjoyed every dish (except one, see below), with our favourites being their signature Litchi Pork - similar to sweet and sour pork, but a little less rich and accompanied by potatoes and whole litchi (lychees). Priced at $9.90, it is a steal! The Spicy Pancake was also a highlight - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You can choose to have one of six fillings if you like (at an additional price) - we chose Duck. The pancake was huge, and with the extra duck and bean sprouts/slaw, this could be a meal in itself! It was also spicy, flavourful and the duck was cooked perfectly. We also liked the deliciously spiced and crispy Bamboo Chicken Wings, the arrival of the Shrimp, Pork and Chive Dumplings sizzling in the pan, the KungFu Kebabs with tender beef (not sure about the fish tofu), and our two side dishes, Scallion Fried Broccoli (YUM!) and Coconut Rice. The only dish we did not enjoy was the Spinach Taco Bun. Having read many great reviews, I had high hopes. Plus, the bun is green! (Thanks to the fresh spinach infused into the soft taco bun). However, we were super disappointed and left half of it. The bun was dry, the pork belly was dry and there was no flavourful sauce to tie all the ingredients together. Serving sizes for all dishes were plentiful and everything is reasonably priced. We also had more than enough to eat (for three) for lunch the following day. So, what did I think overall? Belly Worship is definitely worth checking out, for its cheap and cheerful menu, Instagram-worthy decor, and quirky self-service bar offering unlimited snacks and soft drink.. bring on the Fanta!!! [P.S. If you are Googling 'Belly Worship', make sure you put Dominion Road or Auckland too... otherwise you will be in for a surprise!]

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Belly Worship
Belly Worship - Spinach Taco Bun with Pork Belly

Spinach Taco Bun with Pork Belly

Belly Worship - Self service unlimited sides and soft drinks station

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Self service unlimited sides and soft drinks station

The Garden Shed - bistros - Updated May 2026

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