Favourite restaurant for dinner with friends?
Guaranteed good time is Sake Bar Nippon in Epsom. The staff are so friendly and they beat the drum when you walk through the door. It was tough when I realised they do this for everyone, not just me. If you book the upstairs room you can do Karaoke and eat delicious tempura and sashimi while listening to your friend's terrible singing.
Favourite place to take a visitor to?
Titirangi village is the perfect place to take a guest - especially if they're a Mum-type guest who needs to be reassured you made a good choice living in a big noisy city with lots of traffic. Take them to Deco Eatery for the delicious food and stunning Turkish interior design. Visit the Titirangi museum which itself is a beautiful building and if it's the last Sunday of the month head down to the Village Markets for corn fritters and adult doughnuts (actually to die for).
Favourite spot to finish a night out?
Gypsy Tearooms - I lived across the road for a long time in a flat called The Wilton and known for housing lots of comics over the years; Tim Batt once slid down the laundry chute, as legend has it. I love Gypsy, you can sit outside and drink a big frothy Peroni while snacking on a bowl of olives and listen to the Tinder dates go on around you.
Favourite place to get coffee?
We recently moved to Te Atatu Peninsula (the hottest up-and-coming suburb) and I've made it my mission to test out all the local coffee. This was a particularly good task during my recent maternity leave when I would get fed up with my own house and venture out with the pram looking for human contact (old ladies saying my baby was cute). My verdict is Demolition Deli is the best place in TAP for coffee and they make excellent salted caramel brownies.
Favourite fish and chips shop?
If you're exploring the countryside around South Auckland you must head to Clevedon Seafood - delicious fresh fish and crispy chips. A brilliant reward if you've just finished the brutal walkway that is called the Clevedon "Stairway to Heaven". I have shamefully given up halfway on the walkway once but went back a second time to complete it.
Favourite trail for a hike?
I have to pick the Hūnua Ranges "Camp Sladdin" track. My partner took me on this walk on our second date and I then had to walk a rather challenging hike in my cute date outfit - we took a photo at the top where he looked glowing, and I looked red as a beetroot. I also love so many walks out west too, including Goldie Bush and Te Henga. We stopped hiking so much since having a baby, but I really want to figure out how to do it with a baby! Please send any tips.
Favourite venue for a gig?
The Classic is where I started comedy in the Raw Comedy Quest and it still makes me so happy to be there. Comics who've travelled come home and still say it's the best place to perform. I even like it when the drunken hen's do's come in cause even though they're a bit rowdy they always hype everyone up.
Favourite place to find a bargain ?
To be honest I just hit up Westfield Newmarket to go shopping. I aaaalways hit Lovisa even though it's usually jam-packed with teenyboppers - I have to elbow them out of the way, this 31-year-old needs her cheap earrings! I do always have to factor in a couple hours afterward to find the car in the endless labyrinth of a parking lot.
• Lana Walters performs in the Best Foods Comedy Gala on September 9at The Civic, Auckland; September 30 at Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington. More info at https://www.comedyfestival.co.nz/
