Theatre cafe offers a range of pre-show bites to satisfy all appetites.

Customs St eatery pulls surprises out of its hat.

The food was, unfortunately, not as good as the view.

The Jefferson boasts so many whiskies it can't contain them all on a menu.

If your last memory of rosé was bunging a candle in an empty bottle of sweet, fizzy Mateus and thinking it really added to the atmosphere of your student flat, then it's high time you stepped up to something more sophisticated. Here's how to do it ...

Feast your eyes on the marina vista while choosing from a traditional menu that offers something for everyone.

Little Bread and Butter's food is top-notch.

This is a sweet, small deli that offers good coffee, breads, smoothies, and a selection of savoury and sweet treats

A few people hid away inside, chowing down on hearty burgers, and the rest happily sipped brews while they lapped up the sun on Ponsonby Rd.

Customer service far outstripped kitchen's offering.

If your Bellini-making skills aren't up to scratch (hey, getting the right ratio of prosecco to peach puree can be a chore), then ditch the extras and stick with the sparkling. Where these three stunners are concerned, less is most definitely more.

Lebanon, pre-civil war, is the theme behind this sophisticated new Auckland dining locale.

The menu is the sort that makes you want to return again and again, just so that you can try everything.

Don't leave them just for dessert time. With their luscious, saucy, high-impact flavours and lighter levels of alcohol, sweet wines can be embraced any time of day.

Fresh blue cod, not often seen in Auckland, is the star at a new Federal St venue.

Bluebells has become famous after opening its first sweet cakery in Hillsborough three years ago. This sister store is roomier and offers a wider variety of sweet and savoury treats.

The perfect spot to catch the rugby on one those big screens.

Famous Chinese regional style is approachable.

It's a hard road finding the perfect chardonnay. But this week I think I've cracked it.

Enter through a garage roller door off New North Rd into a room with a couple of scattered beanbags, and an inviting space for four-legged friends.

The Champagne and wine list is extensive and well-researched.

Spanish hams hang from hooks to add to the authentic feel of this central Auckland restaurant.

The professor says we eat too much meat. Since I'm the cook at our place, this is actually an instruction cleverly disguised as an idle observation.

Syrah might be very sexy, but it is high maintenance. There are few places where this rising star will reach its full potential - but the North Island's east coast is definitely one of them...

Fort St is Auckland's latest food hotspot and Lucky Buddha is leading the charge.