Guidebook for Auckland
Food Scene
This place is for chocolate lovers, with plenty of chocolate drinks and desserts! Try the Chilli Denso for a thick chocolate drink with a bit of a hot spice kick (it's so thick you can practically stand your spoon in it).
Tables can be hard to find in the evenings. Last orders are taken at 9:50 pm and it closes at 10pm.
21 locals recommend
Chocolate Boutique Cafe
323 Parnell RdThis place is for chocolate lovers, with plenty of chocolate drinks and desserts! Try the Chilli Denso for a thick chocolate drink with a bit of a hot spice kick (it's so thick you can practically stand your spoon in it).
Tables can be hard to find in the evenings. Last orders are taken at 9:50 pm and it closes at 10pm.
Non Solo Pizza
259 Parnell RdItalian upmarket restaurant. Great food and decor.
This cafe is extremely popular with the locals, open early morning until late evening for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. It can get noisy.
Seems to be the meeting point for the local Police for their coffee break, so possibly the safest place in Auckland! Semi-infamous for the Prime Minister's "ponytail-pulling incident"...
34 locals recommend
Rosie
82 Gladstone RdThis cafe is extremely popular with the locals, open early morning until late evening for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. It can get noisy.
Seems to be the meeting point for the local Police for their coffee break, so possibly the safest place in Auckland! Semi-infamous for the Prime Minister's "ponytail-pulling incident"...
It's practically outside the gate! Go up the steps/Whaiti Lane and you're there. Good food and coffee.
6 locals recommend
Brighton Road Cafe
58 Brighton RdIt's practically outside the gate! Go up the steps/Whaiti Lane and you're there. Good food and coffee.
Authentic Japanese food, at very reasonable prices. It's down a steep flight of stairs.
17 locals recommend
Renkon
211 Parnell RdAuthentic Japanese food, at very reasonable prices. It's down a steep flight of stairs.
Big burgers. I recommend the veggie burgers and the kumara fries.
9 locals recommend
BurgerFuel Parnell
187 Parnell RdBig burgers. I recommend the veggie burgers and the kumara fries.
Foundation On George
8 George StNice spot for coffee or lunch - decent salads. Has an outdoor courtyard too.
Hip cafe in the midst of the boutique shops of Teed St and Osborne St.
12 locals recommend
Teed Street Larder
7 Teed StHip cafe in the midst of the boutique shops of Teed St and Osborne St.
Ponsonby Central has cafes and restaurants, all under cover if it's raining.
298 locals recommend
Ponsonby Central
146 Ponsonby RdPonsonby Central has cafes and restaurants, all under cover if it's raining.
Parks & Nature
Known locally as the Parnell Rose Gardens. Beautiful flowers, amazing pohutukawa trees and near a great outlook over the harbour. Stroll down the hill to the Parnell Baths (outdoor salt walter swimming pool).
35 locals recommend
Dove Myer Robinson Park (Parnell Rose Garden)
85-87 Gladstone RdKnown locally as the Parnell Rose Gardens. Beautiful flowers, amazing pohutukawa trees and near a great outlook over the harbour. Stroll down the hill to the Parnell Baths (outdoor salt walter swimming pool).
A tidal walkway. It can be muddy - at high tide parts are underwater - so be prepared. You can reach it from the bottom end of Tohunga Crescent. Turn right/eastwards to walk along the wooden walkways towards Shore Rd Reserve, or turn left/eastwards to get towards Awatea Reserve and the steep (!) walk uphill to Awatea Rd.
7 locals recommend
Hobson Bay Walkway
Hobson Bay WalkwayA tidal walkway. It can be muddy - at high tide parts are underwater - so be prepared. You can reach it from the bottom end of Tohunga Crescent. Turn right/eastwards to walk along the wooden walkways towards Shore Rd Reserve, or turn left/eastwards to get towards Awatea Reserve and the steep (!) walk uphill to Awatea Rd.
Tropical plants in greenhouses, surrounded by the Auckland Domain (Auckland's largest park). Free to enter, very pleasant space.
69 locals recommend
Domain Wintergardens
Wintergarden RoadTropical plants in greenhouses, surrounded by the Auckland Domain (Auckland's largest park). Free to enter, very pleasant space.
Arts & Culture
Great intro to NZ and Maori history. Fantastic view over the city too, and surrounded by the green Auckland Domain. Stroll over to the Wintergarden to see the tropical plants too.
787 locals recommend
Auckland War Memorial Museum
Great intro to NZ and Maori history. Fantastic view over the city too, and surrounded by the green Auckland Domain. Stroll over to the Wintergarden to see the tropical plants too.
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki
Wellesley Street EastFree entry. Rotating exhibitions.
Essentials
Countdown Auckland City
76 Quay StLarge supermarket, open 24hours.
Large supermarket. Hidden inside the 277 shopping mall. Free parking in the building if you spend $10 or more.
11 locals recommend
Countdown Newmarket
277 BroadwayLarge supermarket. Hidden inside the 277 shopping mall. Free parking in the building if you spend $10 or more.
Glengarry Wines
118 Wellesley St WGood selection of wine, beer and spirits.
Mobil
506 Parnell RdPetrol station / gas station
Ubertec
3 St Georges Bay RdApple/electronics store. Handy if you need a charger or a phone repair.
Oobe
142 BroadwayAnother Apple/electronics store. Handy if you need a charger or a phone repair.
Drinks & Nightlife
Restaurant and bar. Great for a glass of wine or beer, or to have a dinner meal. Nice decor.
31 locals recommend
Woodpecker Hill
196 Parnell RdRestaurant and bar. Great for a glass of wine or beer, or to have a dinner meal. Nice decor.
LGBT-friendly bar and nightclub. Open late. Part of the relaxed, vibrant, old-school city nightlife scene. A place you're more likely to see drag queens than suits or dinner jackets!
18 locals recommend
Family Bar and Club
270 Karangahape RdLGBT-friendly bar and nightclub. Open late. Part of the relaxed, vibrant, old-school city nightlife scene. A place you're more likely to see drag queens than suits or dinner jackets!
One of a selection of bars in the area. Hip part of town is around Fort Lane, Britomart, Takutai Square. Pricier and dressier, gets the after-work crowd and groups of mates out for a big night.
32 locals recommend
Everybody's
7 Fort LnOne of a selection of bars in the area. Hip part of town is around Fort Lane, Britomart, Takutai Square. Pricier and dressier, gets the after-work crowd and groups of mates out for a big night.
Hipster bar and live music venue. Non-descript entry - you can usually tell it's open if there's a queue to get in about midnight.
63 locals recommend
The Golden Dawn - Tavern of Power (R.I.P)
134 Ponsonby RoadHipster bar and live music venue. Non-descript entry - you can usually tell it's open if there's a queue to get in about midnight.
Good sports bar. Serves big meals and great selection of beers on tap.
The Paddington Bar and Restaurant
117 St Georges Bay RdGood sports bar. Serves big meals and great selection of beers on tap.
Shopping
There are bustling French markets carpark on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The place to go if you want a decent French croissant or Nutella crepe, but go early before they sell out! Can also get fresh vegetables, kitchen gifts, wine, coffee, clothes... Goes until 1pm.
67 locals recommend
La Cigale French Market
There are bustling French markets carpark on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The place to go if you want a decent French croissant or Nutella crepe, but go early before they sell out! Can also get fresh vegetables, kitchen gifts, wine, coffee, clothes... Goes until 1pm.
Parnell Village has boutiques along the main Parnell road. Known for art, antiques, gifts, with cafes and restaurants between. Generally more expensive than Newmarket.
25 locals recommend
Parnell Road
Parnell RoadParnell Village has boutiques along the main Parnell road. Known for art, antiques, gifts, with cafes and restaurants between. Generally more expensive than Newmarket.
Newmarket has shops on Broadway, and in the small streets behind (on the west side, Teed St and Osborne St, and on the east side, Nuffield St). Mostly clothing and fashion stores. Eating places are also on Nuffield St. There is also a mall at 277 Broadway.
23 locals recommend
Broadway
BroadwayNewmarket has shops on Broadway, and in the small streets behind (on the west side, Teed St and Osborne St, and on the east side, Nuffield St). Mostly clothing and fashion stores. Eating places are also on Nuffield St. There is also a mall at 277 Broadway.
Iconic building on an iconic, colourful, urban street - known as K Road locally. St Kevins Arcade has a cafe, burger place, second-hand/pre-loved clothing stores, and is considered the heart of K Rd. Cheap food, shopping, drinks.
19 locals recommend
St Kevins Arcade
183 Karangahape RdIconic building on an iconic, colourful, urban street - known as K Road locally. St Kevins Arcade has a cafe, burger place, second-hand/pre-loved clothing stores, and is considered the heart of K Rd. Cheap food, shopping, drinks.
Large discount retailer. Great for if you need to pick up something you forgot, whether that's clothes, household goods, toys, pretty much anything...
10 locals recommend
The Warehouse Newmarket
64-74 BroadwayLarge discount retailer. Great for if you need to pick up something you forgot, whether that's clothes, household goods, toys, pretty much anything...
Sightseeing
Best view of the city, plus a pleasant walk up the hill. Awesome steep volcanic crater to look into from the top too.
140 locals recommend
Mount Eden Summit
250 Mount Eden RdBest view of the city, plus a pleasant walk up the hill. Awesome steep volcanic crater to look into from the top too.