Is it old-fashioned of me to say that one of the first things a restaurant needs to do in order to attract customers is to look welcoming?

A slice of Sydney sophistication in downtown Auckland.

Attention to detail is not spared with a short but well-organised menu.

Satya has expanded - there are branches in Great North Rd and K Rd - and the new branch follows the established recipe.

We came here because it was time for a catch-up and we'd heard Five Loaves was good.

Alexia Santamaria picks out some great spots for sustenance in between games.

A bad place can come good, after all, writes Peter Calder.

We came here because we'd driven past this newish cafe at the city end of Dominion Rd a couple of times and thought it looked rather appealing.

The gorgeous interior of Hotel DeBrett's restaurant is a great match for its stellar menu.

We came here because it was a beautiful Saturday morning and we thought it a good time to check out Auckland's latest playground.

Comfort and courtesy are assured at an ethnic favourite in rugby zone, writes Graham Reid.

If you think that Korean food is not the subtlest of the Asian cuisines you probably have not eaten Mongolian food.

The business spin-off from the Rugby World Cup is turning into a game where the bounce of the ball is crucial.

Much-loved curry house Satya spreads the joy with a new venue in Mt Eden.

We came here because we felt like something different and the name suggested an exotic menu.

Just on the city side of Kelly Tarlton's, this Auckland landmark occupies the top floor of an extraordinarily handsome example of pre-World War I public works architecture.

Feeling parched? Auckland's North Shore offers up some atmospheric places for a cold one and a bite to eat.

Masculine in style, The Grill's basics are excellent but little details need attention.

The Longroom has been a Ponsonby fixture for years and it's still a popular hangout.

Jimmy Pham's Vietnamese restaurants dish up great food for tourists while giving local kids an opportunity to better their lives.

As I write, on Wednesday, The Grill has 1099 Facebook fans. It has done 160 covers, so at least 939 people are fans of a restaurant that they have not eaten at.

We came here because we used to live across the road and wanted to check out the newest addition to the area’s cafe scene.

Wellington's famous hunter-gatherer celebrity chef sets up an unusual eatery in Auckland's Sky City.