Birkenhead eatery has top-notch food.

The menu is split into two - one side brunch, and the other side leaning more towards lunch-style options.

The vibe is dimly lit and very hip with a strong Southern influence.

If the weather's right, you can opt to pack a basket with cheese and antipasto and enjoy a picnic on the grassy property.

De Post is the perfect spot for beer connoisseurs looking for an extensive beer list.

The food was well portioned and beautifully presented.

The drinks menu boasts more than 100 craft beers and several wine and cocktail options.

The look was that of a cosy local cafe, inside an old railway cottage. There were just enough tables and wicker chairs inside to cater to the happy Saturday morning crowd.

The vibe is low-key and low maintenance. It's industrial chic with a Tokyo twist.

The vibe is pretty much everything I want in a bar. Somewhere convivial to drink with friends and listen to some excellent but non-intrusive music, without having to queue up or deal with any boneheads.

A pending liquor licence and chilly dining room couldn’t detract from the outstanding Vietnamese flavours on offer.

Expert baristas bring passion and flair to a new venture north of the bridge.

The vibe is relaxed and gets busy as the Saturday night crowd begins to emerge in Mt Eden.

Gone too soon, Coco shut its doors in November after barely 18 months of serving its Vietnamese-inflected pan-Med food.

The Sawmill has a great range of craft beer brewed on site, and a more than decent wine list and cocktail menu, and the cheerful bar staff are always helpful in finding something to your tastes.

Ika’s delicious seafood and value for money will have you hooked.

We love being able to admire the action-packed open kitchen.

With every dish an exciting and original masterpiece, Phil’s Kitchen knows how to dazzle.

Eight Point Two’s scored a coup with the addition of top chef Des Harris.

The service was welcoming, with a bit of banter to take the edge off the obvious fact that the 5-month-old cafe was empty.

The vibe at The White Rabbit is Melbourne cool. Formerly The Crown (and before that the Rose & Crown), this classic pub has been given a whitewash facelift.

Strange spices seduce Unfamiliar elegant creations are a far cry from tikka masala.

A great platter sets a high bar at this new Orewa eatery.

On offer is a small selection of about half a dozen different, delectable sandwiches. There's also a selection of sweets from Meola Kitchen.

There’s a pretty comprehensive range of Monteith’s on tap, and we were preparing for a long evening of cricket viewing, so we opted for a pint each of Radler and Golden to begin.

Restaurant brings a taste of Wellington to the north.

Corelli's has a great location on the corner of Rattray St and Devonport's main drag.

We couldn't go past the idea of slowly sipping an Old Fashioned this chilly autumn evening, perfectly smoky, finished with a big berg of ice.

Getting invited out to dinner by a restaurant reviewer is not as good as it sounds. Frank Bruni, the erstwhile restaurant critic at the New York Times, made all the ordering decisions and his companions had to pass their plates clockwise on instruction.