The 10 Best Restaurants In Inner City Auckland

Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city, and is home to many of the country’s most innovative modern restaurants. The range of cuisines on offer is impressive, including Japanese, Italian and American, as well as authentic Kiwi cooking and New Zealand’s famously fantastic coffee and cafés. Take a look at the best restaurants in the Inner City area; perfect places to eat after a busy day exploring the city.

Depot Eatery and Oyster Bar

Bar, Restaurant, Seafood, Oceanian

At Depot Eatery and Oyster Bar you can expect the food philosophy of chef Al Brown, where what is important is the fresh seasonal produce, that the produce is cooked beautifully, and that the food is enjoyed with friends. Come down and pass around a few plates of sharing food, masterfully cooked over charcoal, and don’t forget to try some of the fresh, local Kiwi oysters.

Ngopi

Restaurant, Indian, Malaysian, Indonesian, Oceanian

Ngopi is a cool and quirky cafe in Auckland’s centre, serving mostly Indian and Malaysian cuisine. Ngopi comes from an Indonesian term which loosely means an informal get together between good friends, and Ngopi is certainly the perfect place to do that. This cafe run by volunteers and they distribute their profits to local charities. The food is delicious, so come down for a kopi tarik (Indonesian Coffee) and a delicious panang curry.

Euro Bar & Restaurant

Bar, Restaurant, Australian

Euro Bar & Restaurant makes no compromises in providing a brilliant and memorable dining experience, using classic European gastronomic techniques that bring out the best of their ingredients and result in complex and delicious flavours in every dish. As well as having a fantastic variety on their à la carte menu, the kitchen lets you indulge in one of their brilliantly balanced set menus that provide a taste of the chefs’ true talent. Located on Auckland’s bay, you’ll have a fantastic view over the water while dining in a classic, European fine dining establishment.

Better Burger

With dark wood walls, and bright neon signs, Better Burger is reminiscent of an authentic, classic American burger joint. Better Burger is proud to be considered one of the best vendors of burgers in Auckland. Here, they don’t bother with anything other than the greasy, delicious burgers, fries and soda, and for an extra couple of dollars, you can turn that soda into one of their delicious shakes. The menu is simple, but the taste delicious, and it’s simplicity that keeps the price so reasonable.

Oddette's Eatery

Cafe, Coffee

Odettes Eatery is open from the early hours of the morning, serving an array of delicious and light breakfast options, all the way until dinner. Its selection of different sharing plates welcomes you to this little corner of Auckland’s central business district. The classic and gorgeous light wooden tables are paired with a palate of blue, from the tropical painting on the far wall to the long comfortable couch, and even the crockery. Every detail here has been carefully considered and brought together, making it a smooth and delicate place to relax and have a bite to eat.

Ebisu

Ebisu’s name comes from the god of fisherman and luck, one of the seven gods of fortune in Japanese mythology. The delicately prepared sushi shouldn’t be missed, nor should Ebisu’s signature dishes featuring the elegant Japanese art of sashimi, sensitively produced raw fish.

The White Rabbit

Bar, Restaurant, European

A reference to Lewis Carroll’s absurdist fantasy book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The White Rabbit this restaurant is very clean-edge, with white, uncomplicated décor that leaves the food as its main feature. However, the absurdity of Carroll’s legacy is not lost. The food will leave you constantly intrigued, as the flavours and ingredients are truly something special at a place where pickled ox tongue is certainly not absent from the menu.

Price: mid-range

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7.30am-late; Sat-Sun 8.30am-late

Watch out for: the absurdist, modern, innovative menu The White Rabbit | Image courtesy of The White Rabbit

Orbit 360° Dining

Orbit 360° Dining soars over Auckland, occupying the 72nd floor of the famous Sky Tower. This is truly one of Auckland’s most sought after dining experiences, so it’s best to make a reservation in order to dine 190 metres above the ground with panoramic views of New Zealand’s largest city. Orbit 360° is open for lunch and dinner every day of the week, as well as brunch, which is available only at weekends.

Eight

Restaurant, American, Oceanian

It seems that there are infinite possibilities when you dine at Eight, located in The Langham Hotel in Auckland city-centre. This incredibly lavish restaurant’s name represents the eight different kitchens that serve dishes from different cuisines from all around the world. A New York style grill, a seafood bar and a station for freshly made sushi are some of the selections available, along with an comprehensive wine list that contains some of the best local wines as well as international specials.

Wooden Board Kitchen

Restaurant, European

Wooden Board Kitchen provides an authentic dining experience using, as the name suggests, wooden boards to serve the majority of their meals. The decor of this restaurant also reflects the no-frills attitude to food, with simple, rustic decorations and wooden furniture. The food is prepared using simple yet effective cooking techniques in order to maintain the basic flavours of the brilliant ingredients. Wooden Board Kitchen goes above and beyond what so many other restaurants have tried to do in bringing back simple, rustic home cooking.

About the author

Matthew Clark

Matt is a Linguistics graduate who was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. A passion for travel and foreign cultures was developed from a young age thanks to his well-travelled, multi-lingual parents who encouraged him to study foreign languages and find a way to live abroad. After graduating from La Trobe University in 2013, Matt moved to southern France to become an English teacher, from where he plans on exploring the European continent and all the fascinating history and culture that it has to offer.

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