Auckland’s Top 50 Restaurants For 2022: Jesse Mulligan & Albert Cho’s Special Category Winners

Viva’s restaurant judges have awarded some special accolades to standout eateries.

As well as carving out an exciting list of Auckland’s Top 50 Restaurants for 2022, Viva’s dining out editor Jesse Mulligan and co-judge Albert Cho (creator of @Eatlitfood) have awarded some special categories, shining a light on some of the best eateries in Auckland depending on the occasion.

“There are categories a lot of people care about that often don’t get written about [in restaurant awards], like where to go for a first date or a special occasion,” says Albert, “or where to eat alone,” adds Jesse, which requires enough atmosphere so as not to feel conspicuous and is usually a great spot at the bar. It’s these underrated categories that they’ve looked to highlight this year, including some new tongue-in-cheek entries, including ‘Best restaurant when someone else is paying’, or ‘Best restaurant before a big night out’.

And the special category awards go to....

Best New Restaurant

Milenta

Smoke and fire feature heavily on this South American-inspired menu, which leans heavily into the season — you’ll know what’s being harvested right now just by looking at your plate. Open air, side-lit, fashionable without being insufferable, it’s located in historic Victoria Park Market, yet its design is very 2022. The food too is in some ways traditional, but could only have been created by a young chef with his eye on the future. There have been other great restaurants open in the past year, but none as exciting or as crucial as this. — Jesse Mulligan

Paul and Lisa Lee from Ockhee

It was in the middle of lockdown 2020 when I first heard news about Ockhee, a Korean restaurant opening on Ponsonby Rd. It seemed like a recipe for failure until I met the owners, Paul and Lisa Lee. Two people who are so genuine, welcoming and kind-hearted that their restaurant was bound to succeed. It also helps that the food here absolutely gags, in a very good way. — Albert Cho

Best Service

Cibo

Cibo has wait staff so good that they are their own entertainment — whether bantering with you over the menu or gathering to sing Happy Birthday like a barbershop choir that also pours drinks. There’s a good chance you’ll be served by the same people who served you two, five, even 10 years ago — and to manage that during the hellscape of the early 2020s is an incredible achievement. And yes, the food is wonderful too. — Jesse

Most Underrated Restaurant

The fact that Gao is located in Albany, like, deep Albany, should be seen as a blessing by the Asian fusion restaurants on the other side of the bridge because it would’ve given a lot of them a run for their money. The massaman curry here is so good that the 30-minute journey, sitting in rush-hour traffic, doesn’t bother me as I know that everything will be okay once I get a spoonful of that rich, decadent, saucy beef cheek in my gob. — Albert

Best Restaurant To Eat Alone

Pici

I’m never as happy as when I’m sitting alone at the bar at Pici, close enough to the pass that I can almost reach over and grab my pasta when it’s ready (don’t do this). In this spot, you’re at the centre of one of Auckland’s most exciting dining rooms but you don’t feel conspicuous because you’re facing toward the action behind the bar, chatting to the staff when you feel like it, soaking up the atmosphere when you don’t. It can be hard to get into Pici on a busy night but, as I tend to argue, surely there’s room for one more on the end? — Jesse

Best Restaurant Before A Big Night

Boxer

Every experience at Boxer has led me to get on the blower and yell at my friends to come meet me for a big night out. The food is light so you don’t feel weighed down at all, the cocktails are illegally strong and the extremely dimmed-down lights alongside the rock music blasting in the background make you feel so much cooler than you are, giving you the liquid confidence to paint the town red. — Albert

Best Restaurant For A Long Lunch

Soul Bar & Bistro

Long lunching at waterfront restaurant Soul Bar should be on everyone’s itinerary when visiting Auckland. Once you grab a table, get comfortable because you will be here for hours without even realising. From cosmopolitans to espresso martinis, there’s not a single cocktail Soul Bar can’t mix up for you and they do it so well. Remember to ask the waiter to provide a never-ending supply of ciabatta with truffle ricotta butter. — Albert

Best Restaurant When Somebody Else Is Paying

Ahi

I don’t get many meals on a corporate credit card but when it happened this is the place I chose. It’s not that you can’t eat here at a good price (mains are $46, which is up there but not stratospheric), but that when everything is this wonderful you want to order as much of it as possible. That means if you have a few snacks each (and you should), you’ll have probably dropped $100 before you’ve arrived at drinks and starters. Visit with your boss or a wealthy spouse (and don’t miss the scampi corndog). — Jesse

Best Special-Occasion Restaurant

Mr Morris

If it’s an occasion that’s worth dressing up for, Mr Morris is the restaurant you should be headed to. An ambience that is formal without being uptight and an indulgent menu that would give you gout if you consumed it on the daily. A restaurant that I’ve taken many of my friends to for their birthdays and the staff ensure your time here is special and give you a birthday card signed by the whole team — a small but memorable and meaningful gesture. — Albert

Best Restaurant For A First Date

Azabu

There are lots of factors you need to consider on a first date. Nice but not too formal, not overly expensive and food that doesn’t leave you bloated in case it leads to something else. Azabu ticks all the boxes and the narrowness of the space is an added bonus. Not only is it intimate but it also makes the acoustics quite loud which is great for when the conversation dries up a bit in order to avoid awkward silences. — Albert

Restaurants To Watch

Paris Butter

“Every day we do something little to make the restaurant better,” said chef Zennon Wijlens the last time I visited, then he pointed to a decorative cabinet which that morning had received a fresh coat of paint. The food was already innovative, beautiful and downright yummy. But it’s the other aspects that continue to improve as Zennon spearheads the business Nick Honeyman set up, with the goal of becoming the best restaurant in the country, one day. A restaurant in Herne Bay may not be the first place you think of when planning a special night out but it should be, and we’re confident that, one day, it will be. — Jesse

Alpha

Alpha, unfortunately, missed the cut-off to be included in this year’s Top 50 list. If it had opened a few weeks earlier for dinner, Alpha most definitely would have taken a comfortable spot, maybe even kicking off its sister restaurant Pasture. Undoubtedly one of the best culinary experiences I’ve had in Auckland to date, it showcases a more approachable side to Ed Verner that makes me look forward to seeing his trajectory. — Albert

Read Jesse Mulligan and Albert Cho’s full list of Auckland’s top 50 restaurants for 2022 here.