I have been known to travel across town to get this dessert to takeaway. Sago pudding with coconut cream and palm sugar syrup. YUM! Note: Best accompanied with champagne. 

It’s often hard to find a sweet treat when you can’t eat dairy, so when I discovered the dairy free macaroons amongst this goldmine of deliciousness, I ate 3. I have it on good authority that the rest of their cakes are equally tasty, and their cafe menu and counter food are worth the trip too.

Juliette Hogan makes my kind of clothes. Simple, well made and perfectly fitted. You won't ever regret a purchase from here.

A great spot for one on one time over a wine or two.

Hands down best cocktails in town, made even tastier by the intimate setting and friendly staff that serve them.

Still the best espresso martini in town.

Roger Hunter’s Garden Centre is the jewel of Mangere. Endless rows of botanical bargains and pink wheelbarrows meet you at the gate, and you’ll find Roger onsite taking your money, making you smile and giving out free gardening advice most days of the week.

This is without competition the restaurant I frequent most in Auckland. Most Sunday's I can be found here catching up with friends or family (and on occasion recovering from a few too many drinks the night before). Big communal tables make it super social, it's consistently delicious and service is quick (as long as you're in before 12pm - if you not you risk a long wait on the weekends). On my must try list is the crispy squid, cabbage and combination seafood dumplings and the sago and taro pudding. 

This place is always busy, but the staff are always efficient and attentive with quality results and reasonable prices. A great place to treat yourself to some downtime - pedicure in massage chair with a magazine - heaven!

Consistency is something I rate highly when it comes to food, especially the cheap and cheerful kind. Rasoi is consistently good, with a changing selection of tasty vegetarian and vegan curries, roti rolls and samosas. As far as value for money goes, this place is tops.

Hands down the best laksa in Auckland. This small corner restaurant is generally packed, but service is always quick and the food is consistently delicious. The portions are huge too - 2 people can easily share a laksa when eating in (portions are a little smaller when you takeaway, but still bigger than average). Yummmmmmm!

If you're a fan of industrial decor you'll be like a kid in a candy store at The Vitrine. The owners bring back vintage and antique treasures from their regular European buying trips. If you're looking for a secondhand bargain, you're not going to find it here, but if you're happy to pay for a piece that's truly unique, there'll be plenty that catches your eye. 

Second hand and vintage treasures await you at this North Shore warehouse. Some rummaging to be done to find a real bargain, but even their more curated selection of goodies come at a resaonable price.