Auckland’s Most Stylish Restaurants: 10 Beautiful Dining Spots to Book Now

From neighbourhood gems to elegant waterfront dining spots, discover Auckland’s most stylish places to dine.Stylish, adjective. Smart. Elegant. Fashionable. When it comes to restaurants, having style is about so much more than swish interiors, although every spot in this story excels on that front. It’s the feeling a Auckland’s most stylish restaurants understand that style is the sum of its parts – from custom-made ceramics to spinning disco balls, seafood towers to the glow of a table lamp … together, they create the kind of places you can’t wait to return to. Mother Where style is in the materials. Mother cafe, bakery, restaurant and bar in Grey Lynn. Photo / Babiche MartensMother is a bakery/cafe by day and wine bar/restaurant by night from the talented team behind Lilian and Hotel Ponsonby – two of the best hospitality fit-outs in town. For their third project together, owner Hugo Baird and CTRL Space designer Sam Griffin have created a space that feels nostalgic yet entirely fresh. The mood and palette is somewhere between an old-fashioned cigarette lounge and a contemporary European bar. That’s down to texture and materials. An angled stone countertop, glass breeze-block wall, walnut timber veneer, brown brick, yellow stucco walls and sculptural stainless-steel surfaces. Sink into Mother’s corner booth as the sun goes down and the lights slowly flicker on to experience the warmth and atmosphere that make this space so appealing – preferably with a Dirty Gin Martini Tonic and a plate of spicy, buttery prawns on the way. The NightcarWhere the style is in the concept.Subterranean bar and restaurant The Nightcar. Photo / Babiche MartensFormer art director Daren Zhou was inspired by the idea of “third culture” when conceiving his subterranean lounge bar The Nightcar. It’s a term familiar to many who have grown up between countries and cultures, belonging everywhere and nowhere all at once. The Nightcar is designed to be a space that traverses that divide. Zhou, who studied set design at London’s Central Saint Martins before working as an art director, approached the venue like a film set. He was inspired by luxury train carriages in films such as The Darjeeling Limited to create a series of intimate booths concealed behind velvet curtains, with mirrored walls, moody red lighting and richly textured interiors. It’s a sensory overload in the best possible way. Serving Northern Chinese-inspired share plates and cocktails, it’s the kind of place where drinks turn to dinner and can easily lead to late-night karaoke next door. Aarth Where style is in the plating. Aarth Restaurant, Parnell, produces dishes that are a work of art, like this whitebait bhaji dish.Aarth’s dishes are a work of art. The plating is always intentional, chef Vicky Shah says of his modern Indian restaurant in Parnell. “It’s never decorative for the sake of it. Every element needs to contribute something, whether it’s flavour, texture, balance or a sense of place.” Shah credits his time working at Sidart, The French Café, Cassia and Kol with teaching him about precision, restraint and storytelling through food. “Working alongside Sid Sahrawat and being inspired by international chefs Prateek Sadhu and Himanshu Saini has reinforced that Indian cuisine is so much more than curries. There is an incredible depth to the cuisine through its regionality, produce and techniques, and that’s something I try to celebrate at Aarth.” Take the whitebait bhaji dish, which fuses an iconic New Zealand ingredient with tamarind, makrut lime leaf masala and coriander mayo. Served atop a smooth organic vessel, it’s nostalgic, playful and beautiful. Inspiration for plating is everywhere, says Shah. “Beyond the kitchen, I’m inspired by nature, Indian craftsmanship and contemporary art.” TalaWhere style is in the finer details. Samoan heritage is woven into every corner of Tala Restaurant. Photo / Babiche MartensAt Tala, chef Henry Onesemo’s Samoan heritage is woven into every corner of the restaurant. Architects Seear-Budd Ross created the sleek, moody shell and stylist Fiona Hugues has layered the space with a series of handcrafted touches that pay respect to “Samoa’s culture, craftsmanship, landscape and hospitality”. She handmade the woven blinds and hanging mats that conceal the wait station, painted the walls with her version of a French wash to lend depth and tone and worked with Waikato ceramicist Alex Wilkinson to create clay bowls resembling Samoa’s dark volcanic stone for the apa fafano, a traditional hand-washing ceremony. Her next project is hand-painted ‘books’ resembling old editions of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island (the writer lived in Samoa in the 1890s). “I love Henry’s creativity; he has some wild plating ideas. At the beginning of their dining experience, Tala guests open the books to reveal a selection of small tastes of Samoa hidden inside.” The Wine Room Where style is sartorial. The Wine Room in College Hill is a hybrid wine bar, retail space and private cellar. Photo / Babiche MartensSavvy visitors to The College Hill Wine Room may have noticed staff wearing pieces from some of New Zealand’s top fashion labels. Suiting by Maggie Marilyn and Crane Brothers, alongside more relaxed uniforms from Harris Tapper and Ruby, create a considered look that owner Dave Nash says guests regularly comment on. More importantly, he says the team feel confident in what they’re wearing, helping set the tone for the experience. A hybrid wine bar, retail space and private cellar, The Wine Room is the kind of place where you can arrive in black tie for a glass of bubbles before an event, or settle in for a casual afternoon wine on the deck. Nash describes it as a neighbourhood wine bar – just one that serves crayfish toast and Krug.MamaWhere style is in the vibe. Mama restaurant brings an Italian sensibility to Newmarket. Photo / Babiche MartensSome restaurants feel welcoming no matter the occasion. A little bit fancy but somehow relaxed, Mama’s interior, food and drinks bring an Italian sensibility to Newmarket, without the cliché. Red is a deep maroon wall, a radicchio salad and a Campari-splashed beer; green is a forest-hued trim, a drizzle of basil oil or a bowl of broccoli risotto; white is house-made ricotta and the flutter of a fabric pendant light. “We wanted Mama to feel special enough that you can visit for celebrations, but also casual enough that you can pop in for pizza and pasta on a weeknight in your jeans,” says co-owner Leisha Jones. Perhaps it’s the disco ball gently spinning above, or the colourful artworks by Hayley Brown bringing feminine energy to the space, but Mama’s style is festive without being intimidating. Osborne Lane, 3B York St, Newmarket. Mamaresto.coGilt Where style is in the service. Hospitality is intuitive at Gilt Brasserie. Photo / Babiche MartensThis bustling all-day brasserie could fit into almost every stylish category in this story. Beautiful dining room? Tick. An appealing menu? Tick. Effortless atmosphere? Tick. But Gilt’s superpower is its people. Like the TV show Cheers, the team has a knack for making every diner feel like a regular, whether it’s restaurant manager Jane Nimsoongner greeting returning guests, beverage director and sommelier Leah Kirkland guiding diners to the perfect bottle of wine, or chefs Glen File and Jamie Hogg-Wharekawa bringing warmth from behind the pass. It’s a culture that flows from owners Josh and Helen Emett, who have created a restaurant where hospitality feels intuitive rather than overly formal.First Mates, Last Laugh Where style is in the atmosphere. The outdoor dining booth at First Mates, Last Laugh.There aren’t many restaurateurs who could transform a row of corrugated iron sheds and chandleries on Westhaven Marina into one of Auckland’s most appealing waterfront restaurants, but Judith Tabron has achieved just that with First Mates, Last Laugh. Her all-day eatery strikes the right balance of nautical charm, pairing Japanese-Brazilian flavours with fresh seafood, mini martinis and an ice cream bar. The magic here is in the atmosphere. Working to Judith’s “beach club” brief, Material Creative has designed a space that borrows from the understated glamour and craftsmanship of a luxury sailing yacht parked up in the City of Sails. Curved booth seating, warm timber finishes and the occasional blue stripe feel elevated yet relaxed, and glass doors open right up to the marina. Because what’s better than a seafood tower or a spicy pineapple margarita by the water?Bistro Saine Where style is in the ambience. French restaurant Bistro Saine understands how to set the mood. Photo / Babiche MartensThe right lighting makes everything, and everyone, look better, and if there’s an Auckland restaurant that understands how to set the mood, it’s Bistro Saine. Entering this modern bistro is like stepping into a dining room in Paris or New York, with handsome bespoke furniture, leather seating, dark wood detailing and big, curved windows. It’s the subtle lighting, though, where Bistro Saine shines, with wall sconces, sculptural pendants and glowing lamps on every table. These aged brass cordless lamps with their sweet olive leather ‘sleeves’ not only spotlight the food (and help you read the menu), but your dining companion may become more palatable, too. More food and restaurantsDowntown dining and iconic Auckland eats