Without a doubt a must-visit addition to the Auckland food scene.
From auspicious and trendy beginnings in a food truck behind music studios in Penrose, Little Sicily now has a permanent home in a main road Onehunga pub.
The address is 190 Onehunga Mall (in the old sense of the word, i.e main street) Parking is around the back, but we found plenty of parking on the street on a Sunday.
Baduzzi translates to Meatball in Italian, and in this vibey viaduct (tucked behind North Wharf) restaurant they are fantastic. Stylish, Italian with impeccable service, what more could you want? This blog has all the picks from their top Sommelier Andra Martinisi as well as an interview from our founding times in the deep dark well of COVID between owner Michael Dearth and Hospo Consultant Andrew Clapham.
Tobi with Albert Cho is the latest offering by David Lee, a prolific and skilled restaurateur. Founding also Gochu, Aigo Noodle Bar, Crack Chicken, Poni and The Candy Shop along with a coffee roastery.
Tobi is an all-day eatery situated on Ponsonby Road that combines classic European bistro with nostalgic Kiwi flavours. To go with the European-inspired menu the wine menu is dominated by European wines. It's cool to see a "chilled red" section as this is certainly en-pointe right now. We noticed they have two of the Italian wines we retail. Alta Mora and Pieropan Soave.
We know "Ponsonby Road Bistro" is a favourite of The Wine List customers as it was one of our most tipped restaurants during our COVID years "Tip a Restaurant" campaign.
Reliably serving sophisticated bistro food for the last ten years, these guys are "safe hands" for your night out. This restaurant is on my family’s’ list of "great steak" places. A good wine at the bar with an entrée will sort out any weeknight in need of a lift (let them know if you’re off to a film down the road or a gig in town next).
AMANO Restaurant in downtown Auckland creates rustic Italian inspired dishes from only locally seasonal New Zealand produce.
We know it is a favourite of The Wine List customers as it was our most tipped restaurant during our COVID years "Tip a Restaurant" campaign. This is not surprising as we share a passion for great wine. The drinks menu at Amano has 8 of the wines we sell, this makes it a great place to try out a glass or a bottle before you grab a box of six from us.
Upstairs on New Regent Street in Christchurch, Twenty Seven Steps is much loved by all people of good palate and relaxed style. Housed in a unique heritage space that previously housed one of Christchurch’s first restaurants, The Coffee Pot.
Since opening in August 2015, they’ve been nominated for the Zest Food Awards in 2015 and multiple awards and nominations in the Chevrons (Christchurch Hospitality Awards). This includes the best restaurant and best chef. They also made it onto Cuisine’s Top 100 Restaurants in the Country list in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
