Metro magazine's Top 50 list of the best restaurants in Auckland for 2022 features an amazing 17 restaurants from the city centre! 

Metro has put together a panel of experienced food writers, critics, and hospitality experts to navigate their way around the city, dining at restaurants anonymously. These restaurants represent the best of Auckland's dining scene, from the casual joints that you can pop into on a weekday and be greeted like locals, to the special occasion fine diners that deliver technically excellent food with equally excellent service.

Check out these 17 outstanding places in the heart of the city that have been listed in the top 50 for 2022:

Ahi-29

Ahi

A sophisticated New Zealand restaurant and a concept straight from the heart, award-winning New Zealand Chef Ben Bayly and team bringing the very best of New Zealand hospitality to Commercial Bay.  

"Innovative fare that could only exist right here, right now, in Aotearoa."

 

Alma

alma

Designed to bring joy, comfort and pleasure. Flamed, charred and smouldering from fire, alma’s food style travels through seasons, produce and localities from our own neighbourhood whilst nodding to a few from afar. In the 2021 awards, alma won Metro Restaurant of the Year awards' Best Smart Dining and The Produce Company Best Chef Award (Jo Pearson).

"Taste the smoke, char and love of Andalusian cuisine at this new Britomart spot."

 

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Amano

Amano is one of Britomart's most prominent restaurants with a seasonal menu that is sure to tempt your palate.

"What's Auckland without Amano, the reliable crowd puller that caters to the city from morning to night?" 

 

Pasta

Baduzzi

Baduzzi, meaning 'meatballs' in Sicilian, is Wynyard Quarter's sophisticated casual Italian restaurant by Michael Dearth, promising dishes that are familiar yet challenging.

"World-class service and supremely good meatballs is a timeless combination that is hard to beat."

 

Cafe Hanoi

Cafe Hanoi

Offering an incredible menu of French-Asian inspired dishes with an atmosphere that will keep you coming back for years.

"Contemporary Vietnamese food in a new home."

 

cassia

Cassia

Serving up Indian cuisine with a modern twist. Cassia is an award-winning restaurant from famed chef, Sid Sahrawat.

"Bold modern Indian food in the inner city."

 

Gochu

Gochu

Fresh, flavour-filled Korean Cuisine, modern wines, cocktails and good times, Gochu draws on authentic Korean cuisines and flavours to bring you a new, New Zealand Korean experience like no other. In 2021, Gochu won Metro Restaurant of the Year awards' Best Casual Restaurant — Central city and Best Dish (for its milk bun).

"Serving up some of Auckland's best Korean food in the middle of a mall, Gochu is a must-visit if you find yourself downtown."

 

Plate of food

Hello Beasty

Serving up contemporary cuisine inspired by regions of Japan, Korea and China, Hello Beasty is a cult eatery on Auckland's waterfront. 

"Follow the glowing neon maneki-neko (beckoning cat) to feast on fun East Asian fusion food."

 

Food

Huami

Huami, a contemporary, yet authentic Chinese restaurant on Federal Street.

"Contemporary Chinese restaurant Huami backs up its smart dining room with smart food, including its Auckland-famous Peking duck."

 

Plate of food

Hugo's Bistro

This all-day bistro is bringing a sophisticated European vibe to the heart of the city. 

"A smartly dressed bistro in the middle of the city that offers its own spin on bistro classics."

 

Plate of food

Masu by Nic Watt

With Chef Nic Watt at the helm, MASU serves world-class Japanese cuisine in the style of a robata restaurant and bar.

"A Japanese restaurant that offers plenty of variety and a sense that you’re in the middle of somewhere special."

 

Milenta

Milenta

Milenta

Inspired by the flavours and traditions of South America, Milenta collaborates with and celebrates the best producers and suppliers in Aotearoa.

"A South American-inspired restaurant outdoors (kind of) that cooks as much of its food as possible over wood coals."

 

Mr Morris pani popo - credit Anna Kidman

Mr. Morris

Nestled in the old Cafe Hanoi site in Auckland’s Britomart precinct, Mr. Morris is a warm, welcoming restaurant whose name pays homage to a close family member who passed away. Last year, Mr Morris won Metro Restaurant of the Year awards' Esk Valley Best Wine List Award and Best New Restaurant.

"An Auckland hospitality icon remerges into a more casual space."

 

Onemata

Onemata

From Coromandel to Bluff, Onemata’s menu is a celebration of New Zealand ingredients sourced from local suppliers, showcasing the finest of what Aotearoa has to offer.

"Onemata is a beautiful hotel restaurant that also delivers on the food – plus killer dessert." 

 

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Onslow

Onslow is the culmination of Josh Emett's culinary journey from London to New York and back to Aotearoa. 

"Traditional yet modern, sophisticated yet laid-back: Onslow is a new inner-city oasis from chef Josh Emett."

 

Pōni

Pōni

Pōni is an all-day Asian-inspired, rosé-centric eat-and-drinkery with a convivial atmosphere that encourages fun, playfulness, high energy and put simply good times.

"An Asian-inspired eatery in Commercial Bay that ticks all the right crowd-pleaser boxes."

 

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Lodge Bar & Dining

Building on Rodd & Gunn's ethos of sourcing only the finest materials, The Lodge Bar presents a carefully curated offering of New Zealand's finest wines to be enjoyed with our intricately prepared food menu.

"A seriously good restaurant that just happens to be in a menswear store."

 

 

Click here for the full list. 

Last updated: 09 October 2023

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