It's from the team behind Caretaker and Deadshot. Follow the red light to the retrofuturistic bar and sip on spiced rum with apples juiced in front of you, before belting it out in the pink neon karaoke room.

The prep room St Kevins Arcade pasta restaurant Pici by day and a natural wine bar at night, stop by Tappo to grab a bottle from the shelf to go, or sit around the communal table with a snack and enjoy your glass.

Run by Dan Gillett of Everyday Wine, this natural wine bar promises over 200 bottles and rotating glass pours, as well as inventive small plates by chefs Tushar Grover and Josh Letele.

Head to urban cellar door Somm and discover top New Zealand wines with a wine flight, paired with sharing plates, local cheeses and crispy pizzas. The water view from its Princes Wharf location is a bonus.

It's all about service – and excellent, experimental drinks – at this incognito O’Connell Street cocktail lounge. The team's creations will have you reconsidering the term "batch made".

The pirate-themed bar with one of the best waterfront views in town; pull up to Swashies on a sunny day and you’ll see why it’s such a favourite.

Like gin? Choose from a 200-strong selection at his slick rooftop bar, 20 floors up in the Four Points by Sheraton hotel.

Indian street food and craft beer are an excellent combination, as proven by this cocooning and characterful Karangahape Road bar.

Take in the view from six storeys up at QT’s in-house bar, and dip into some Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired snacks on the open-air terrace.

Head downstairs through a nondescript door and be enveloped in the warm reddish glow of this underground bar and restaurant, which has a Filipino-inspired menu and inventive cocktails.

With panoramic views over the Waitematā Harbour and the Waitākere Ranges, this polished cocktail bar is the highest in Auckland.

It’s dark, grungy and intimate. Welcome to Whammy, the best dive bar Auckland.

There's arguably no better city than Auckland to have a drink a few floors up. Surrounded by all that sparkling blue harbour, there are plenty of stunning water views – as anyone visiting rooftop bar Sunset will see.

This tucked-away backbar is accessed through Karangahape Road’s Candela, with a sheltered balcony that’s great for both late-night cocktails and weekend events.

Find Spanish sharing plates and topnotch cocktails at this Karangahape Road mainstay with a lively yet intimate atmosphere.

Head to the curved outdoor terrace for a drink and bite surrounded by downtown Auckland’s skyscrapers, or slide into a comfortable rounded booth at this Acme & Co-designed bar and restaurant.

This relaxed, pared-back venue on Pitt Street is a good stop-off point for a weekday coffee or a drink on the weekend.

Find a substantial selection of Japanese whisky, sake and beer, plus snacky dishes such as gyoza and bao buns at this late-night Karangahape Road bar.

This multifaceted bar, restaurant, club and events space will just as happily host you for a dance as it will a chill drink and pizza.

Marked by a nondescript door in an Auckland CBD laneway, this downstairs cocktail lounge is known for its for excellent, custom-mixed drinks, live music and relaxed, cosy vibe.

Inspired by the vibrant and jolly neo-bistros of Paris, this date-ready wine bar is worth visiting for the food alone. Its seasonal shared plates are simple yet full-flavoured – think whole flounder with brown butter and sourdough with anchovies and burrata.

Culprit’s jazzy little brother across the street is just as sophisticated but comes in a smaller package. Graze on local seafood or late-night fries in the moody lounge, or linger in the grand dispensary and watch the bartender stir your miso Old Fashioned.

Enjoy punchy Peruvian flavours at this fun and lively bar and restaurant. It serves great cocktails and the food is a drawcard all of its own.

Fancy a cocktail with a view? Find the best of both at this waterfront bar.

Enjoy the intimate setting at this polished all-day eatery, an oasis in the CBD. Order from a seasonal menu of contemporary European bistro-style food and an interesting drinks list.

Visit this orange-accented venue in City Works Depot for hand-pressed corn tortilla tacos with traditional Mexican fillings, sides such as chilaquiles and chips with guac, and drinks including Margaritas and horchata.

The first New Zealand venue from Brazil-born chef Fabio Bernardini, whose CV boasts some of the world's finest restaurants. Settle in for Latin dishes that encompass influences from Mexico, Portugal, Brazil and more, and a casual, approachable vibe.

Josh and Helen Emett's all-day brasserie on O'Connell Street, with a menu that melds timeless touches with contemporary execution.

From steaming xiaolongbao to spicy dan dan noodles, everything is $12 at this cheery, all-day eatery on Wellesley Street West.

A restaurant, cooking school and "food embassy", Homeland aims to celebrate the best of Aotearoa – and its harbourside location means you'll dine with some of the best waterfront views in the city.

Cosy up near the kitchen or embrace the buzz of St Kevins Arcade at Gemmayze Street, a fantastic Lebanese restaurant known for its ultra-smooth hummus and fragrant sharing dishes.

This intimate corner bar serves a pared-back menu of East Asian flavours – dumplings, spring rolls and plenty of cocktails. Come for the punchy flavours and stay for the refined atmosphere.

This 100-seater cafe and bistro is open seven days. Slide into a booth table or sit street-side and order from a menu of ranging European flavours and a 36-strong glass-pour wine list.

The seafood is ultra-fresh at Britomart’s longstanding elegant Japanese restaurant, where the menu is a harmonious expression of classical Japanese dishes with contemporary finesse.

Head to this brick-lined Auckland mainstay for any cut of steak your heart desires, with all the trimmings.

Rodd & Gunn’s Auckland restaurant is sophisticated yet approachable, with a seasonal menu overseen by executive chef (formerly of a Michelin-starred New York diner) Matt Lambert.

Watch your noodles be hand-pulled in front of your eyes at this excellent CBD spot, which specialises in Lanzhou beef noodle soup from the north-west region of China.

This polished Britomart restaurant is inspired by the flavours and history of Andalusia. Most dishes are cooked on the large open wood fire, and sing with those punchy Spanish, Arabic and North African techniques and ingredients.

The flavours are big and the dishes are playful at David Lee's "modern Korean" restaurant in Commercial Bay. Go for the breadth of genre-hopping plates like spicy pork and kimchi milk buns served with pour-over beurre blanc; stay for the pleasant harbour views.

Seek out this hidden (but not at all secret) gem tucked back from the road in Auckland city for punchy, charred South American flavours and a chic indoor-outdoor feel.

At this polished Italian restaurant in Auckland's CBD, sit at the marble bar and snack on baby calamari and pesce crudo with cocktails, or settle into a booth for lasagne and tiramisu with made-from-scratch ladyfingers.

Settle in for long lunches, aperitivo and family-style feasts at this elegant, sprawling Italian restaurant and bar in a prime site with sparkling water views.

On the ground floor of a luxury Auckland apartment building overlooking the cityscape, this elegant restaurant walks the line between sophistication and warmth – and does it well. Expect a menu of classics executed with contemporary flair.

This cosy, brick-walled 40-seater is known for its fuss-free yet flavourful French-influenced sharing plates and excellent wine list.

Reaching new heights above the Waitematā Harbour, the first permanent New Zealand location from restaurateurs Frank Camorra and Andy McMahon combines the fun vibe of the Melbourne original with plenty of polish and local touches.

A buzzing, compact spot on Auckland’s colourful Karangahape Road, Pici is known and loved for its handmade pasta, organic wine list and approachable vibe.

An expansive restaurant across two Britomart heritage buildings, the city flocks to Amano for both its daytime bakery and seasonal, Italian-inspired dine-in menu.

Acclaimed restaurateurs Sid and Chand Sahrawat serve up their nostalgic, nourishing modern Indian dishes from their elegant and comfortable Skycity venue. Order a tandoori taco before tucking into a decadent dessert of chocolate, coffee and miso.

French food meets top-notch Aotearoa ingredients at this visually stunning Auckland brasserie. Helmed by Ben and Cara Bayly and their Ahi co-owners Lucile Fortuna and Chris Martin, find the 150-seat restaurant and mezzanine bar in Commercial Bay with 10-metre-high windows overlooking the Waitematā Harbour.

Enjoy artful dishes in an elegant setting at this Auckland fine dining stalwart.

With a menu that taps into New Zealand's varied cultural influences, chef Michael Meredith's restaurant is contemporary yet comfortable and elegant without being stuffy.

It may be in the centre of Auckland, but Ahi's menu and fit-out celebrate the entire country’s natural bounty in a quest to explore and refine our understanding of modern New Zealand cuisine.

The Britomart branch of one of Auckland's most-loved bakeries, this 177-seat cafe is in a 300-square-metre heritage space. Order scrambled eggs on rye, filled bagels, toasties and subs, and wholesome salads along with your favourite pastries and loaves. And there are cocktails, beers and wines to pair them with.

It’s the sibling site to the beloved Mount Eden Mibo, which opened in 2022 to meld Chinese flavours with French patisserie. Here, the menu includes hearty dishes like slow-cooked beef cheek – and it's a welcoming, brick-lined space with comfortable red booths.

Go for waffles and croffles at this understated Korean-style waffle store, and soup them up with colourful toppings – from crunchy Biscoff to fragrant green tea.

Leaning into the power of simplicity, Rumours Specialty Coffee has a pared-back, latte-toned interior and a focus on single origin beans from New Zealand and South Korea.

Find hearty Italian sandwiches, takeaway deli goods and more at this slick laneway cafe in Auckland's CBD.

From the team behind Bar Celeste down the road, Gloria’s is big on grab-and-go comfort food that’s considered yet convenient. Stop in for handmade hot pies, filled and toasted sandwiches, corned beef sausage rolls and nostalgic sweets.

Stop into this breezy CBD space for Korean street toast with fillings such as egg and bulgogi beef between fluffy white bread. There’s coffee, natural wine and beer, and you can browse the merch shelf while you’re there.

A multi-label fashion store, That Looks features a range of exciting up-and-coming independent designers, many from New Zealand. The half-showroom, half-shop space offers exclusives from the labels it stocks as well as custom fittings for made-to-order pieces.

Find contemporary furniture, homewares and more in this Victorian-era showroom. Curated by an interior architect, it lets you see how each piece – whether a sleek console or pendant lighting – might fit into your own space.

This store’s high-quality skincare is made here with ingredients sourced from native flora. Its gentle balms, creams and cleansers are sure to elevate your before-bed routine.

Stock up on Middle Eastern pantry staples and grab a shawarma to go at Elie Assaf’s Pitt Street shop.

Art world stalwart Anna Miles's eponymous contemporary art gallery is a true hidden gem – find it tucked away in a mixed residential-commercial block of terrace houses near Karangahape Road overlooking a tranquil, little-known leafy pocket of the Symonds Street Cemetery.

Find this high-ceilinged contemporary art gallery in an unexpected place down one side of the gigantic Commercial Bay building. With an emphasis on embracing variety and complexity, sharing pūrākau (stories) and promoting hauora (health, wellbeing), both established and emerging Māori artists are well represented.

New Zealand’s largest art institution is the best place to get acquainted with Auckland’s thriving arts scene, with works from local icons Rita Angus, Gordon Walters, Len Lye, Colin McCahon, Marti Friedlander and Francis Upritchard.

The Auckland outpost for the powerhouse hotel chain features all the style, luxury and contemporary twists you’d expect from a world-class provider: 13 different designer rooms, a Mediterranean diner championing sustainable NZ seafood, and a rooftop bar with cocktails and sun-soaked panoramas of the harbour.

Handmade goods and furnishings are the hallmarks of this artistic 10-storey oasis, which has its own well-regarded in-house restaurant, Kingi.