Your Supreme Post-Lockdown Dining Wishlist

Nothing says brunch quite like Crave Café; this neighbourhood café is a bustling hotspot all week round. Spend the summer lounging in the sunshine on the wraparound courtyard, reunite with friends and family on the weekends or fly through for a caffeine fix before work. Personally, we cannot wait to get our hands on the benediction with bacon, the crispy potato hash browns are loaded with perfectly poached eggs, spinach, chorizo crumbs and of course, chimichurri hollandaise. It wouldn’t be brunch without some smashed avo on herb focaccia. If you’re not a massive breaky fan, fear not, Crave has a to-die-for whisky ribeye that melts in your mouth, and you can’t go wrong with the double cheeseburger. Wash it down with a spicy chai latte, a cold pint of the locally brewed Morningcider or a raw super smoothie; blue velvet is our favourite, with apple, bananas and blueberries.

Sick of making cocktails at home? Join the club. We will be first up the stairs when The Glass Goose reopens. Nestled on Federal Street, this is one of our favourite hidden gems in Auckland; there’s nothing we love more than an afternoon on the rooftop with an expertly crafted cocktail in hand. The beekeeper’s blossom is serving serious summer vibes; combining Aperol, Gordon’s gin, manuka honey, lemon and bitters. If you’re after a bite to eat, dine upon a selection of sharing plates and enjoy the likes of duck fat potato skins, pulled brisket buns, chilli clams and halloumi sticks. Or, go for the cheese board with a variety of New Zealand cheeses, apple slices, grapes, chutney and crackers.

Date night is back on the table, and Black Rice has the perfect set-up. Black Rice combines Chinese fine-dining techniques and the incredible flavours of South-East Asian street food. Share an array of small dishes like beef spring rolls, steamed edamame and sticky chicken bao buns. For larger options, choose the triple cooked pork belly, served with mixed greens, honey, oyster sauce and reduced kombu soya. End the night on a sweet note with the Basi banana in hot toffee, picture a deep-fried banana slathered with Chinese style toffee and puffed green rice. Spend the night drinking your way through Black Rice’s legendary cocktail list; a few favourites are the Shangri-la sangria, green tea shochu and lychee mojitos – they complement the food wonderfully.

La Zeppa is a venue like no other; this vibrant restaurant has set the stage for many weekend gigs, special celebrations and intimate nights out. With DJ’s performing on the rooftop courtyard and the roaring indoor fireplace, La Zeppa is perfect whatever the weather. Start the night with a jug of rosé sangria, a full-bodied bottle of red or treat yourself to a bottle of Mumm champagne. The menu was influenced by Mediterranean street food; the tapa-style dishes are ideal for sharing. We’ve been dreaming about the paella with mussels, prawns and chorizo. Other swoon-worthy dishes are the sesame-crusted beef kofta, Spanish omelettes and pea, mint and goat cheese arancini.

We can’t wait to hop on a ferry and set sail towards the beautiful shores of Waiheke Island, the first stop on our list is Casita Miro. Dedicate an afternoon to wine tasting; indulge in a flight board displaying 5 of Miro’s best wines, from rosé to Albarino, Syrah to summer aphrodisiac. Casita Miro specialises in Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine; the menu is designed for sharing with small tapa dishes and larger raciones. Choose between dining upon the fiesta menu, a four-course extravaganza, or dine a la carte. It would be rude to visit Casita Miro without trying its infamous paella; the iconic rice dish explodes with fresh flavours, an abundance of seafood and the crunchy socarrat at the bottom of the pan.

A trip to K-Road is in order; with countless wonderful venues all on one strip, we imagine we will dedicate a lot of time to this area. Our first stop, Bar Céleste, is a wine enthusiasts oasis. Enjoy full-bodied reds, dry sauvignon and blush rosés; from all across the world. While the wine list is irresistible, Bar Céleste’s French-inspired cuisine is out-of-this-world. You’ll experience exotic flavours and intriguing delicacies like an octopus with parsnip velouté, whole yellow belly flounder with beurre noisette and burrata with olive oil.

There are many iconic restaurants on the viaduct, including the beloved White and Wong’s. The east-meets-west cuisine caught the heart of every Aucklander that visited. Bringing together an array of flavours found in classic street food from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand – there is something to suit every palate in your party. White and Wong’s is the perfect restaurant for larger groups; there are two banquet menus available, Grand and Emperor, which guarantees that everyone at the table will try a little bit of everything. Otherwise, order from the al la carte menu and dig into amazing dishes like the wok-fried crispy hapuka curry with broccolini, red onions, beans and kaffir lime.

If you’re after a night out with a big personality and even bigger flavours, Kiss Kiss is the place for you. Round up a group of friends or take your partner out and enjoy the Asian fusion cuisine with an ice-cold beer in hand. A few dishes that are not to be missed are the bao buns; the Thai pork belly with som tum salad always goes down a treat. For something with a bit more heat, go for the gai pad kee mao; this is a rice noodle dish with chicken, bamboo shoots, fresh chilli, green peppers and kachai.

Authentic Italian cuisine, need we say more? Elmo’s is a glorious pizza bar located in little old Ponsonby. We eagerly await the day we can come in and gorge ourselves on wood-fired pizzas and fresh house-made pasta. Elmo’s is our go-to for romantic nights, well-needed family reunions and an evening tipple over burrata. The pizzas are lovingly handcrafted, loaded with fresh ingredients, doused with house-made cheese and cooked to perfection in the wood-fired oven. A few favourites are the classic mamma-gherita, be my brisket and the truffle shuffle. The latter is mouth-wateringly divine, using a white base, taleggio béchamel, mozzarella, wild mushrooms and black truffle cream. Wash it down with an Italicus spritz made with Italian bittersweet liquor, prosecco, olives and soda.

There are very few places where we dine from a trolley and enjoy it; Culprit is one of them. The quirky trolley service never ceases to amaze, delivering delectable goodies to the table throughout the night. The unconventional dining experience always goes down a treat; the dishes change routinely to provide fresh, seasonal options all year round. A few headliners were the vichyssoise – a chilled potato and leek soup, sweet corn toasties with truffled mushrooms and yellowtail kingi sashimi. If trolley derby isn’t your thing, the al la carte menu is also available! You’ll find options like the curried monkfish on the menu, made with sweetcorn velouté, grilled corn, Kumar’s garam masala and meyer lemon.

A relatively new face amongst Auckland’s dining scene is Sìso Bar and Eatery, the Mediterranean-influenced restaurant is warm and welcoming, with an intimate atmosphere. Gather friends and family for an exciting night out with fresh and colourful cuisine that bursts with flavour. Begin with an entrée of freshly baked sourdough or a small spinach pie with goat feta, then head over to the mains, the lamb kleftiko melts in your mouth, and the fresh linguine with mushrooms, truffle and pecorino are rich and decadent.