Wallet-friendly luxury in the City of Sails

Fine dining, cocktails, five stars, the most fabulous restaurants in the City of Sails. If you love the luxe life and want to be seen at the best restaurants in Auckland, but want the dining experience to be more memorable than the bill at the end, First Table is for you!

Auckland: here’s your guide to the hottest restaurants on First Table, as voted by you!

One Tree Grill

Consistently ranked as one of the top ten restaurants in Auckland, One Tree Grill is an upmarket suburban bistro specialising in European and New Zealand cuisine. Begin your foodie adventure with Bluff oysters, black truffle and prawn risotto, or salt baked baby beets. For the main affair, you're spoiled between choices of Hawkes Bay lamb rack, long line market fish, black Angus ribeye on the bone or the shiitake and mascarpone agnolotti. Coupled with their extensive selection of cellared wines, there’s always the perfect pairing for your meal. 

The Yakitori House 

This food is made for sharing so get your best crew together for a night of traditional izakaya and yakitori plates at The Yakitori House. Think sushi, sashimi, tempura and donburi, then tofu salad or takowasa, scallop frills or lobster salad, the menu is wide and varied. One thing is for sure though, your mouth will be watering the moment you step inside this cosy eatery.

Harbour Society

Sitting on the 15th floor of SO/Auckland, with sweeping views across the Waitematā Harbour and the Auckland City skyline, Harbour Society is the place to be seen in Auckland. Defined as ‘fun dining’, Harbour Society is a modern interpretation of traditional Asian flavours, with a focus on sustainable and seasonal ingredients. With the menu featuring items like the Cloudy Bay clams spaghetti, the Eastherbrook’s Farm roasted duck, and the miso-glazed Ora King salmon, they are true to their word. Following on, their curated wine list features the best of New Zealand and international wines.

Al Forno

Located in the heart of Takapuna just a short walk from the beach, Al Forno is the epitome of authentic Italian and Mediterranean flavours. The menu features wood fired pizzas with all the classic toppings, mouth-watering seafood, pasta and meat, as well as vegetarian dishes for the hungry tums. Any Italian meal must be paired with wine and Al Forno’s wine list boasts wines from Italy, New Zealand and Australia. It would be remiss of us to not mention the classic cocktails on the menu such as cosmopolitan, appletini, martini, negroni, and the Godfather. Delizioso! 

XO

Fusion is on everyone's lips, and XO delivers the ultimate culinary riches of Asia, right in the heart of Takapuna. Start in style with some New Zealand market oysters, melt-in-the-mouth tuna sashimi or XO's beef sirloin, scallop, squid and chicken skewers from the yakitori bar. For mains, move onto noodles, fried rice, wok stir fries and Thai curries. If you love to share, order a selection of bao buns and dumplings. Pair your Asian fusion with a pomegranate pink blush or blueberry Mojito Tango and let your taste buds take you to faraway lands. 

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Image credit Samuel Ferrara