5 Auckland Streets to Eat Around the World

One of Auckland’s most famous streets, Karangahape Road is Auckland’s cultural heartbeat. It’s filled with great shops and nightlife destinations, and, particularly in recent years, it has really come into its own as a dining destination.

Try the delicious Indian street food at Satya Chai Lounge, or head next door to Uncle Man’s for handmade roti and Malaysian flavours. You can also find great Malaysian food at Sri Pinang, where you can BYO, and Acho’s is the place to be for Japanese tapas and late night beers.

If you’re looking for European flavours, you can find Italian sausages and wine at Apero, and delicious fresh pasta at Pici and Otto. Try the French-inspired deliciousness at Bar Céleste, and if South American is more your thing, try Madame George for Peruvian dishes, delicious cocktails, and the best service in town. You can also find great Middle Eastern flavours at Lebanese favourite Gemmayze Street, or just off the main strip at East St. Hall, which turns into a nightclub after dinner service. No matter what you’re in the mood for, you can find it on Karangahape Road, and the night can keep going as long as you want.

Not just an iconic Muttonbirds song, Dominion Road is also the place to be for top notch Asian food. New Flavour (pictured) and Barilla have built huge followings off the back of their delicious dumplings and Chinese food, and if you head to either, you’ll find out why they’re Aucklanders’ favourite places to BYO, and start or end a long night.

Try excellent hand pulled noodles at Xi’An Food Bar, Chongqing Noodles, or Eden Noodles, but be careful if you struggle with spice, because they’re not shy with the Sichuan peppercorns. 

Speaking of spicy, Spicy House has grown a cult status, to the point that local streetwear store Parlour made a line of bootleg merch for this excellent Chinese restaurant. Try the ham hock or the chilli chicken and see why it’s a favourite of late night eaters from all across town. 

If you head down the road a bit further, you’ll get to Cazador, one of Auckland’s oldest and best restaurants, which serves delicious Persian-inspired dishes made with game meats.

Sandringham is a hub for Auckland’s subcontinental community, and the food on its main strip reflects that. Indian institution Paradise operates not one, not two, but four separate restaurants along the strip: one for classic sit down service, one for takeaways, one for buffet, all where you can find the most delicious Mughlai Indian in town. Their fourth spot, Kebabish, takes their skills and experience and applies them to Mediterranean food.

Shubh is a delicious Indian restaurant, which serves only vegetarian food in a Punjabi style, sourcing ethical ingredients with the motto of “quality over quantity.” Nearby Bawarchi also serves classic Indian flavours, and their Biryani is one of the best in town.

7 Siri - Taste of Sri Lanka (pictured) is, as the name suggests, the place to go for excellent Sri Lankan food, with meal packs at a reasonable price that will feed you extremely well.

Queens Road is an up and coming food destination in Panmure. Peach’s Hot Chicken (pictured) moved there after a few years as a food truck, bringing their best-in-town Southern-style fried chicken out East, you won’t find a better fried chicken sandwich or chicken and waffles anywhere else.

If chicken isn’t your thing, though, you can also find a number of other delicious options.

Try the Peking Duck at Beijing Duck restaurant, give Filipino food a try at Kalye Manila, and head to Jiaxiang Restaurant to try a local favourite Northern Chinese spot.

Lincoln Road is famous as a food road because Steve Braunias wrote a column, and then a book, about eating everywhere on the street. To Braunias, the road was remarkable because it has one of every chain restaurant you could think of, but it’s not just good for McDonald’s and KFC, there are some great independent spots there, too. You don’t need to eat at every restaurant on the street, but you can find some brilliant food there.

Southern Spice is famous for its excellent Hyderabadi biryani, and Chikos has a great following for its Pacific rim fare. There’s also yum cha at Asian Wok, and classic Korean Barbecue around the corner at Jomaru Korean Restaurant.