Picking a place to eat in Auckland can be tricky; while not yet in the vein of New York or London, Tāmaki Makaurau is a burgeoning foodie hotspot with plenty of choice, from well-established eateries to innovative up-and-comers and hidden gems.
Whether you're struggling to decide on takeaways or selecting a spot for a sit-down meal, the Iconic Auckland Eats list - featuring the region's top 100 dishes as nominated by the public - could be a good place to start.
The latest annual list is officially out on Wednesday, highlighting a range of unique and beloved dishes that can only be savoured in the City of Sails.
The initiative is undertaken by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the region's economic and cultural agency, in a bid to showcase Auckland's vibrant and diverse culinary scene and support local businesses. Now in its fourth year, the list for 2024 attracted over 1800 submissions - more than double the number from the previous year. Voting was then conducted to narrow down the nominations to the top 100.
"Iconic Auckland Eats is a celebration of Auckland's culinary scene, its many cultures, our local chefs and hospitality industry," Mayor Wayne Brown said on Wednesday. "I encourage visitors and Aucklanders to get out and try some of these dishes and all Auckland has on offer."
His favourite spot? Gemmayze Street, a Lebanese-inspired restaurant situated in K Road's legendary St Kevin's Arcade.
"The variety of cuisines in our Iconic Auckland Eats list reflects the incredible mix of ethnicities here in Tāmaki Makaurau," said Annie Dundas, director of destination at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.
"Every dish featured is supported by an original or heartwarming story, highlighting how food can evoke culture and emotions, from happiness, a feeling of belonging, to good old nostalgia.
"Reading the stories is a great reminder of how special and memorable sharing a meal can be, whether they serve as a comforting taste of home or a reminder of the international food adventures on our own doorstep."
Two dishes have earned the honour of being named in all four Iconic Auckland Eats' lists since its inception in 2020: the fish sliders at Depot and Sugar at Chelsea Bay's much-loved lamington.
Gemmayze Street, which has now featured in three of the Iconic Auckland Eats' lists, stands out as the sole eatery with more than one dish on this year's compilation; its handmade hummus and the Jazar, a stuffed carrot dish.
Several other favourites that have consistently made the top 100 are Ahi's scampi corndog, Tiger Burger's kimcheese creation, and Sneaky Snacky's decadent hot chicken donut burger.
All 100 dishes are equal in ranking, while one story is picked as the judges' favourite; that lucky foodie receives a book of vouchers to try all 100 dishes over the next year.
This year's winner is Tracy Berno, a university professor who lives in downtown Auckland, who shared a heartwarming anecdote to describe the impact of the ika mata dish she had nominated at Peter Gordon's Homeland.
"I have lived and worked in the Pacific for over 30 years. I've researched Pacific food; I've written books on it. The ika mata at Homeland is hands down my favourite ika mata out there. Not only is it beautiful to behold, itis delicious, with amazing textures and colours; it places our Pacific heritage and culture literally in the centre of the plate," she explained.
"It's everything that Auckland is, on a plate. I can't imagine a dish that better represents our beautiful city."
Iconic Auckland Eats 2024
- 1947 eatery, Carrot Pudding (Halwa)
- Ahi, Scampi Corndog
- Ajisen Ramen, Kaiju Ramen
- Alma, Pork Pinchitos
- Amano, Chitarra, Scampi, Tomato & Chilli
- Andy's Burgers & Bar, Tower Burger
- Apéro Food & Wine, Goats Cheese Croquettes
- Baby G Burger, Oklahoma Dreaming
- Baduzzi, Ricotta Cannoli
- Bali Nights, Ikan Bakar Jimbaran
- Banh Mi Boy, Vietnamese Sandwiches
- Bar Magda, Lamb Ribs
- BBQ King Restaurant, Salt and Pepper Tofu
- Bivacco, Margherita Pizza
- Black Cottage Cafe, Shakshuka
- Blue Rose Café , Koko Samoa Cupcakes
- BODA Restaurant, Fried Chicken
- Bossi Restaurant, Lasagne
- Brazilian Café & Bistro, Coxinha
- Broke Boy Taco, Big Plate
- Burgernaut, West End BBQ Smash Burger
- Burnt Butter Diner, Crème Brûlée Pie
- Butter Baby, Pandan Sago Donut
- Candela, Grilled Cabbage, Ajo Blanco, Chilli Jam
- Captain Kai Moana, Cream Paua and Fried Bread
- Carmel - Israeli Street Food, Falafel Pita
- Cassia, Pani Puri
- Cheese on Toast, Bacon Jam Toastie
- Chef Rasa Sayang, Malaysian Tom Yum Soup
- Chelsea Sugar Factory, Raspberry Lamington
- Crafty Baker , Raspberry Cream Donut
- Culprit , Ugly Carrot
- Daily Bread, Custard Square
- Deli di Bossi, Mortadella Sandwich
- Depot, Snapper Sliders
- DOE Donuts, Pineapple Pie
- East Restaurant, Char Kwey Teow Noodles
- Eden Noodles, Dumplings in Spicy Sauce
- Fantail & Turtle, Jalapeño Wontons
- Fat Puku's Smashed Burgers, Fat Puku
- Federal Delicatessen, Toasted Reuben
- Fika With Me, Masala Hash
- Fish Smith, Fish Tacos
- Gemmayze Street, Hummus
- Gemmayze Street, Jazar
- Gochu, Gochu Milk Bun
- Good Dog Bad Dog, Mac N Cheese Dog
- Gracefully Jerked, Jamaican Patties
- Hallertau Clevedon, Jalapeño Poppers with Hop Salt
- Hapunan, Adobo Del Diablo
- Hello Beasty, Prawn & Crab Toast
- Hill House Cafe, Cinnabun
- Homeland, Ika Mata
- Java, Javanese Rijsttafel
- Jax Burger Shack, The Jax Burger
- Jo Bros Burgers, Wagyu Burger
- Kane's Burger Club, Aucklahoma
- Kingi, Kina Toast with Pancetta
- La Mexicana, Carnitas Tacos
- Lilian, Prosciutto and Grape Pizza
- Little & Friday, Chocolate Beetroot and Salted Caramel Cake
- Lot Nineteen, Cinnamon Buns
- Lucky Gs, Twice as Nice
- Madame George, Street Ceviche
- Manis Bakery and Cafe, Rendang Pie
- Manuka Café and Restaurant Devonport , Braised Lamb Shanks
- Mulan, Char Koay Teow
- Nanny's Eatery, Jerk Pork Belly
- No Missed Steak, Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
- No.1 Pancake Albany, Potato Cheese Pancake
- Oh Calcutta, Butter Chicken
- Parade, Fried Chicken Burger
- Peach's Hot Chicken, Chicken Waffles
- Ragtag, Duck Taco
- Satya, Dahi Puri
- Selera Malaysian Cafe , Curry Laksa
- Seoul Chicken, Spicy Sticky Chicken
- SkyBar/SUCRÉ by SkyCity, Gold Bar
- Smokin Cole BBQ, Meat Candy
- Sneaky Snacky, Glazed Chicken Donut Burger
- Sneaky Snacky Donuts, Dark Chocolate & Earl Grey Tea Donut
- Soul Bar & Bistro, Macaroni Cheese
- Spiga, Ravioli Scampi
- Sue Hsiao Liu Handmade Dim Sum, Traditional Xiao Long Bai
- Sumthin Dumplin, Beef & Cheese
- Sweet and Me, Pineapple Pie Cake
- Taiko, Aburi Salmon Rolls
- Tala, Fish Curry with Oka and Palusami
- The Local, Snapper 'n' Chips
- The Mill Bakehouse, Steak Jalapeño and Cheese Pie
- The Oyster Inn, Te Matuku Oysters
- Three Seven Two, Fried Eggplant and Black Garlic
- Tiger Burger, Kimcheese Burger
- Tipene's Takeaways, Fish and Chips
- Too Fat Buns, The Man Bun
- Vie Coffee & Vietnamese Street Food, Banh Xeo
- White and Wongs, Green Curry of Chicken
- Yans Brothers Food Station, BBQ Pork Rice Roll
- Yuan Taste, Aromatic Egg Tart
- Zong Kitchen, Zong's Braised Chicken.
