Of all the many fantastic and authentic Korean eateries in central Auckland, Nol Bu Ne stands out as one of the best. When my boyfriend and I feel like Korean, it's off to "the red roof" we go for moreish bibimbap, sizzling hot plates of spicy pork and bulgogi, and kimchi fried rice. The portions are generous and service is prompt and friendly. There's a chiller full of Korean ice blocks and ice creams which are a perfect sweet end to your meal - my favourite is the classic Melona!

I only have great memories from the couple of times I've been to The Zoo. There's a great variety of Chinese dishes to choose from, and their song selection is always current. It's the perfect place to settle in with a group of friends for a night of belting out anthems, pop hits and even the odd ballad!

K Box Karaoke Bar is a great place for a more upmarket karaoke experience. Happy hour is from noon to 9 PM, so get in early and take advantage of the drink deals!

Mojung Restaurant is all about the little details. From the moment you walk in, you're met with friendly and warm service and complimentary pickles while you begin the difficult task of choosing what tempting dishes to order from the menu. Traditional Korean hot rice tea is served in the winter to warm you up, while in the cooler months chilled cinnamon tea is served. The meals are fantastic value, and of course the banchan (side dishes) are refilled as often as you need. Wherever you may live, Mojung is a great reason to make the trek out to West Auckland.

Nestled away in Upper Queen Street is this little gem of a karaoke bar. Luxuriously fitted out, it's also the best spot for a low-key hen's night. Order a selection of tasty snacks and drinks and settle in for some serious singalongs!

Awesome sounds, drinks & people!

One of the only places open after 5am! Best place to finish your night off.

Perfect place to start your night off in town, sports always on the TV's, happy hour & great people/location

Perfect place to go if you love dancing!

Awesome place for live bands & great times

Eagle Bar is my absolute favourite bar in Auckland, it’s my local, my go-to and I without fail always have a good night out. It’s the perfect little queer bar with none of that tacky and over the top decor that you may find at other bars. It’s small and quirky and has a whole lot of personality. Pro tip: The bartenders dance on the bar when you play Tina Turner’s Proud Mary on the jukebox!

If you have been tasked with organising your end of year work party then I have your solution. Caluzzi is going to blow your mind, the queens are fabulous, the food is amazing and everyone always leaves having had a great staff night out. Get in quick because they tend to book out quickly.

Garnet Station is the little cafe with the great big rainbow flag outside, you can’t miss it. It’s the perfect place to go to for an afternoon coffee and they have just installed a wood fire pizza oven! Love this place.

So its really late at night and you want to get out there and shake your booty without the opposite sex getting way too close while you do? Family is the kind of place where you end your night, the kind of place that you often stumble out of as the sun is rising. Drag shows on Friday and Saturday nights are always great entertainment just take note: things don’t get going until after midnight so if you turn up any earlier you may not have the best time.

If you are out in South Auckland and want to spend your Saturday afternoon chilling out in a queer friendly little cafe then Pukekohe’s retro themed Cafe Kaos is just the place. The two owners are absolutely gorgeous and will look after you well. Check out their movie nights if you are wanting to find something to do on a night out in the country.

No. 1 High Street used to be the infamous Met club, so it didn’t really have big shoes to fill. However, as dirty as Met was it was loved by many so when it closed down we were all gutted and expected something just as manky to take its place. But then No. 1 High Street appeared and we cautiously and warily scoped it out. It is, in my opinion, definitely one of the nicer joints in Auckland. I have only been here on nights out for dancing, not for dinner/lunch as you can do. It has a huge downstairs area for dancing which is very elegant and classy. Then the upstairs bit is available to be hired out for private functions and is the perfect place for a chit chat with your mate. I love the little touches they have put on this place like the piano that the djs play at and the beautiful bathrooms with huge mirrors. This place is very high class.

Oh how I do love this place. This is everyone’s favourite gay bar in Auckland! I come here with my girl friends to get away from the sleaziness of any other club or bar in Auckland, and it is pretty much the perfect place to go because if you are a girl then you are pretty much invisible here. It can get quite ego damaging after a while however. There are more shirtless men here than at a beach and everyone is just out to have a great time, the vibe is always so fun and light hearted. There is a stage to rock out on and a HUGE disco ball surrounded by other little ones to give it a dancing queen-esque feel. A favourite pastime of mine is taking single straight male friends here and watching them get eaten alive.

This place is definitely one of my guilty pleasures. You would not catch me saying "let’s go to Pony Club", I always wait for someone to bring it up then pretend like I am uninterested but go along "to be a good friend". This place is also a handy scapegoat if you are planning to go to the strip club or the brothel that are located right next door, just say you were trying to find Pony Club and went in the wrong entrance. Pony club is located underground (no/little signal - very annoying). Had many great nights in this club, the music genre is mainly hip hop so ensure your group is down for that if you are heading this way. If you head to the left of the dance floor on the back wall there are some stairs, if you go up them then you will see a huge wall mural of My Little Pony which is amazing and great for selfies, as per my fantastic photo.

So, this place is pretty much my metaphorical crack. Every single weekend I try not to come here in attempt to broaden my horizons with other clubs but I end up doing it every single time. "No… I swore I wouldn’t do it again.. okay maybe just a little bit". But in my (hazy, drunken) mind it seems like the best club out. The music is always good, it is always full of people of the right sorts (friendly, good looking - a rare mix), and I have never ever had a bad or even average night here. There is a basement downstairs where the "VIP" can go, or a room upstairs from the main dancefloor with a bar and couches to sit. All in all this club ticks all the boxes for me.

A trendy new bar located on the waterfront of Auckland, everybody is loving this place right now. From the outside it doesn’t look like much but enter and you have a unique bar unlike anything else in Auckland and I just love the newness factor as I am getting sick of always going to the same old joints in Auckland (1885). The crowd is older and classier than most other bars/clubs in Auckland which is always a plus. The layout is great - there is a large circular bar then keep walking past which leads to the spacious dance floor decorated with new and old school stereos behind the dj booth which gives the place some attitude.

International people

Good music

Very good music

Very nice place

Very nice place

With their cute kitchy design (featuring pages from comic books) Brothers is the perfect environment to test some of the 18 beers on tap or experience some of their bottled craft beers from around the globe.

Stop in to Lumsden Freehouse in Newmarket for your craft beer fix. Their great outdoor area is perfect for enjoying a Tuatara, Epic or even a Renaissance Stonecutter.

O’Carroll’s is a freehouse meaning it has no affiliation with one particular brewery but they do have ‘tap takeovers’ from different craft breweries around NZ. The friendly staff and dark wood and stone aesthetic make for a very enjoyable evening.

A delightful wee spot on Princes Wharf. The perfect place to watch the game while enjoying a fine selection of craft beer. Whether it’s a Moa, Yeastie Boys or Hallertau - you’ll find something to wrap your laughing gear around in Andrew Andrew.

Located in Browns Bay, Deep Creek Bay brew onsite. Their selection is vast - I recommend giving their IPA - pontoon in a monsoon - a try! Open 11am to 11pm, 7 days.

Great venue for live music, plus good food and drinks.. Nice outdoor area.

Awesome market with great food and coffee and live music. Plenty of cafes around too.

Beautiful Setting on the Hokianga Harbour. Great place to have a meal, a drink, or a wedding! Last time I was there I saw two orca out in the harbour.

Best fish and chips ever - always fresh and a really good selection. Nice setting out on the deck to eat too.

Stunning setting looking over KariKari Peninsula. Perfect spot for a wedding. Onsite cafe and wine tasting

A stalwart on Aucklands iconic Fort Lane is Flight Lounge. Great music and an amazing cocktail list to accompany it. Something for the casual clubber and the discerning drinker alike!

Aucklands iconic Wyndham Street is the home of Ding Dong. Amazing cocktails and drinks list with the exceptional hospitality to make it really count. A must-try for any connoisseur of fine beverages.

A real heavy-weight on the downtown scene, Atticus is the perfect blend. Spread across 2 levels, this bar, club and venue is the future, the present and the past with a hearty nod to tradition.

Next level clubbing in the heart of our city. Goldfinch offers the freshest beats and surroundings with the perfect atmosphere. Truly stunning and original.

Perennial and appealing, Pony has ever been a fixture of Aucklands downtown scene. Great surroundings and atmosphere combined with lighting and effects that make you know you’re clubbing right!

Deep Creek Brewing Company is a hidden gem in the North Shore’s ‘Bays’ and is a well known watering hole for locals. Stop by on the first Wednesday of the month (make sure you book in advance!) for ‘Ribs Night’ where you will get to experience ‘all you can eat’ ribs! Not just any ribs - possibly the best ribs in Auckland! While enjoying the ribs, order a drinks platter to try out a handful of their speciality craft beer on tap. The NZ Pale Ale and IPA are both great, but make sure you ask if there are any limited edition special releases on tap! Because Deep Creek Brewing Company also has an off licence, don’t forget to purchase a flagon or growler (or bring your own!) to take home your favourite brew and keep enjoying the taste of your favourite Deep Creek brew. The take home price is very cheap, so its hard to resist!

The Herne Bay Cellar is the original fill your own beer flagon/growler in Auckland. While they don’t have as many taps or as high a turn over as some of the recent growler fillers in Auckland, they are one of the cheapest and always have a good selection of 3-4 fresh beers ready to pour. They’re one of the only growler fillers that let you pour the beer yourself and the pour is also nice and slow to ensure you don’t end up with half a bottle full of foam! Parking is easy, straight out the front and service is always with a friendly smile.

Leigh is a great trip from Auckland on a summer day. Make sure you stop in at the Sawmill Cafe to grab a casual pizza, chips and of course a beer sampler. Their entire range is really good but the Wheat Beer is crisp and unique and the Pilsner is Gold medal winning! Once you’ve picked your favourite beer, step outside to the small building next door and fill your Flagon/Growler (or purchase one onsite) at the brewery - its always fresh and tastey!

Pop into the Fine Wine Delivery Company in Lunn Ave, Mount Wellington and fill up your Flagon/Growler at one of their many filling stations. Despite what the name may suggest, they have some extremely knowledgeable beer drinkers on hand to help guide you through a variety of different beer flavours and brands on tap. You can purchase a 1 or 2 litre Flagon/Growler right there and then to fill up and take home your favourite drop.

Glengarry Wines in Victoria Park have the largest range of beer on tap that I have ever seen! The staff are always knowledgeable and more then happy to give out multiple samples to help you make a decision about which beer you’d like to have filled in your Flagon/Growler to take home. They tend to have a lot of the common Stoke range on tap, but make up for this with some other exotic brews you’ve never heard of (including some international ones!).

If you are down south and love the Bro style.... Visit friday nights and saturday night with two chicken chips shop to choose from for your meal after your night out....

Wanna get the groove on love the House music get down there on friday and saturdays

Enjoy your dinner and drinks and then get ready to dance Yes it is a dance club after 10....

Its the restaurant and best for bollywood indian night out

A great dance bar and away from traffic

If you're heading along Leigh Road, for goodness sake, stop at this amazing little oyster shack. I *love* eating fresh oysters - they're unlike anything else I've ever eaten. Unfortunately I don't get to eat oysters much, they are often much too expensive in Auckland. These oysters are fairly priced and just so beautiful, far nicer than any other I have tried.

I love this place. Popped in on a Saturday with an empty tummy and some cash in hand and had a wonderful time. Lovely people, lovely food (I highly recommend six oysters for $8 - they are amazingly delicious and well priced). My boyfriend stared longingly at the buffalo burgers (buffalo meat and cheese) but they had sold out. Come early and be sure to check out the other excellent attractions nearby like Fossick and the op shop (only open for a very short window!).

Goat Island has some of the best sealife to see in New Zealand - and you don’t need to be a licensed scuba diver. Snorkel or scuba with some seriously big snapper, crayfish, blue cod, goatfish, piper, eagle rays, parore, red moki and much! All this marine life is protected - including the Kina (sea urchins) so don’t you pick anything up! Sad to think that this is what the world’s oceans was once like.

Excellent service, an awesome location and really very delicious food. I got the fish of the day on a salad niçoise and it was the most perfectly cooked salmon I have ever had in a restaurant (why, oh why, do chefs so often overcook salmon???). The man thing got a big breakfast and it was wonderful - a real feast of flavour.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable lunch experience that you have to ‘put in a little work’ to get to, then The Beach House on Kawau Island is the spot. You will be flabbergasted once you arrive at the location…so secluded..so tranquil…with ocean views from every window making it well worth the boat ride from either Sandspit or Auckland. As for the restaurant, they say their “chefs are enthusiastic about quality free range food, presented in a style which is simple and real”…basically, they’re all about good food and good wine. Note: Definitely book ahead - these guys can get busy with weddings etc over summer (you’ll see why once you get there!)

This is simply a stunning location. Not only that, it’s a little ‘off the beaten track’ so it’s generally not over-flowing with patrons, leaving you to soak up the serenity with your buddies. As for the long lunch thing, it’s open ‘til 4pm on the weekends which is plenty enough time for a nice session, but they never make you feel like you should leave because they’re lovely people. The chef is amazing, a lot of the produce is grown on site…and you should order their 2013 Albarino #idyllic. Note: When making a booking, ask if the ‘small deck out the front’ is available…trust me.

The perfect lunch destination with a boutique, family friendly atmosphere that’s a nice and easy mini road trip (40 minutes) from Auckland Central. A contemporary a la carte menu with something for all (kids platters too) and plenty of wine styles to back up each of the chef’s creations. It feels like you’re a world away from the city amongst their vines, which is exactly what you want with a weekend lunch outing. And if you’re up for a little activity while you’re there, give the claybird shooting, archery or pentanque a go. Note: The vineyard platter with anyone of their wines is highly recommended!

I feel like not much more needs to be said, as the photo of Te Whau’s view is doing a whole lot of talking (click to view). I will say though that they have consistently won awards for their food and wine through their years on the island - and that they have OYSTERS FROM WAIHEKE to go with your champagne. Note: The restaurant is open for lunch and wine tastings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with dinner on Saturday nights also. From November 1st they’ll be open for lunch and wine tasting six days a week (closed Tuesdays) from 11am-5pm. You must book!

A comfortable, welcoming place famous for its good vibes, good times and even better beers, Leigh Sawmill is simply awesome, no matter which season you visit. Their wine and food list supports local producers where possible and their signature pizzas have been the talk of the town for an impressive amount of time. Note: If you’ve had one too many of their brewed-on-site beers then there’s accommodation availble too - book ahead!