Our stereotyped image of the Italian restaurant is bustle, informality, cheerful clamour and theatrical accents.

The menu was packed with an array of French, gourmet brunch options.

We'd been meaning to try Cazador on Dominion Rd ever since we'd heard that this was one of Auckland's iconic family restaurants. It

Bedford Soda & Liquor felt great from the start. Our friends were grinning like soon-to-be-satisfied cats, cocktails in hand, at a table overlooking Richmond Rd.

Danielle Wright discovers authenticity is the key to a long life in the fickle Auckland restaurant scene.

One of the difficulties with the shared plates style dominating the Auckland eating

Having driven past this cafe en route to visiting family many times, we decided to make Catroux our destination at last.

It was friends who'd moved down country 20 years before and returned to the French Cafe for their wedding anniversary who proclaimed: "It was still brilliant, even better than before."

If you’re on a jaunt north of Auckland, a revamped cafe has just the thing to calm the hunger pangs — and a standout hot chocolate too.

Does an Italian restaurant need to be run by Italians?

Breakfast and lunch diners are raving and so, soon, will be evening patrons when Provenance lights the candles for dinner.

The classic, clever cuisine is the real star of this tiny Pt Chevalier eatery.