Okay, for starters, this is the best name for a pizza store, ever. The owner/operator is a total sweetheart. And the pizza is inexpensive, and fabulous. It’s a bit greasier and chewier than the average pizza, but I mean that in a good way – it’s unique and a delicious hangover cure. If you can’t decide what toppings you want, the owner is happy to surprise you – "I’ll make you something you’ll like." which he has done, with success, several times. And whatever dessert he has on offer when you’re there – get it. It is never a bad decision.

Pizza Fresco is delicious, but not super budget unless you get in there for the lunch special or during the Pizza of the Day window, which I recommend that you do. Everything I’ve had from pizza fresco has been delicious, and they have a lot of unique "around the world" pizzas. The field mushroom and tokyo are my faves.

For late-night eats Chargrill is one of my favourite places to go – and the burgers and kebabs are nice but I LOVE the pizza. The margharita + pepperoni is shockingly good for a kebab shop.

Sal’s pizza is so good – and the pepperoni wheels are heavenly. The pizzas are huge so you’ll need to share if you get a whole one, but it’s pretty inexpensive to grab a slice or a few pepperoni wheels for yourself. Plus they’re open way late. Awesome.

The best pizza in Auckland. The metre long is a must, it’s great value and you will definitely want that much pizza. The calabrese is amazing, but the vegetarian boscaiola is also divine.

Also the best pizza in Auckland. The pepperoni pizza is AMAZING – the pepperoni is thick and yet still crispy. It’s just insanely good. I’ve tried a few other pizzas and pasta dishes (all delicious!) but I just keep coming back for the glorious pepperoni pizza.

Pizza doesn’t normally come to mind when you’re looking for healthy takeaways, but if you are trying to be good and are finding it hard to resist the temptation of pizza, Crust has a "healthier choice" menu that satisfies both requirements. These pizzas skip the thick layer of cheese and are topped with wholesome things like fresh spinach, tomatoes, avocado, and chicken. Even better, all their nutrition info is easily available on the website.

Sal’s pizza is consistently delicious store to store, but Commerce St was the first and the best. The pizza is delicious of course, but the pepperoni wheels are what I keep coming back for. They are seriously incredible and talking about them is making me hungry. The garlic knots are also notable, and very affordable. If you somehow haven’t ever eaten at Sal’s, I recommend rectifying that asap.

One of my all-time favourite restaurants, it also happens to have some of the best pizza to be found in Auckland– the margherita and pepperoni pizzas are divine, and the calzones (all of them) are not to be missed.

Videon is awesome. There’s a $10 membership fee and rentals aren’t super cheap, but the selection is drool-worthy and it’s just a cinema-lovers dream.

I love the Civic. The shooting stars on the ceiling, the 1920s/Great Gatsby-esque grandeur, the weird elephant statues… and it’s host to some awesome events. I go here as often as I can.

One of my favourite theatres in Auckland. They always have a great selection of indie and festival-type films playing if blockbusters just aren’t doing it for you, and the bar is well-stocked.

There are a few great little cinemas in Auckland, but Capitol is my favourite.  They choose fantastic indie and foreign films, the interior is luxurious, the aisles are wide and the seats are comfortable... it’s the sort of cinema that makes you feel like you probably should have dressed up a little nicer, in a good way. All that and the unassuming entry (which I walked right past the first time I went here) makes me feel like I’m totally hip and/or in the know when I attend a showing here. :b

Open 24/7, a more than satisfactory movie selection, and a fantastic array of American candy. Yes please.

This place is AMAZING. And it’s massive. And amazing. It’s absolutely jam packed with bric a brac of the finest quality and variety, and everything is quite reasonably priced.

Super Trash is an absolutely ridiculous store. I love it. It sort of feels like it’s your grumpy great-uncle’s attic, and you’re allowed to look through it but only if you don’t mess anything up. There’s a lot of trash, if we’re being honest, but there’s also a lot of treasure and it’s so much fun to wander around and pick through the piles- the place is just jam-packed with interesting bits and bobs, and if you’re looking for a weird and unique gift but don’t know what, this is a good place to find it. The owner/operator is a wee bit grouchy but you’ll leave with a bargain.

A rather prim little shop, specialising in vintage teacups and ceramics but there is also quite a good variety of random bric-a-brac. It’s not open very often, but it’s definitely worth a trip.

I love the Avondale markets for the fantastic fresh produce, but the car boot type stalls are a real treat - there’s always an awesome, random spread of stuff/junk/bric-a-brac to sort through.

This place is a bit out of the way, and not super easy to find, but is SO worth the effort. There’s just an incredible assortment of weird and wonderful. Huge ridiculous statues, lamps, furniture, costumes, random housewares, random bric-a-brac… there’s really not much this place DOESN’T have.

The Avondale markets are so. awesome. There’s always lots of little knick-knack/car trunk sales which are fun to browse, and food stalls, but obviously the main draw is the massive selections of fresh fruits & veges. Huge bunches of cilantro, ridiculous red tomatoes, avocados at 10 for $5… it’s always amazing how much fresh produce you can get with a small budget at the markets.

The french market is pretty small, but packs a punch. The produce there is always fresh and crisp and amazing, and they have lots of little specialty stalls… amazing cannolis, hummus, smoothies… it’s pretty classy for a farmer’s market but the offerings are still totally affordable.

Saveway is my favourite fruit & vege shop, so it’s a shame it’s all the way down in Highland Park. I used to live nearby and shopped here for produce & meat almost exclusively, and I still make the trip every now and then, and it’s always worth it. Everything’s fresh & cheap, the selection is pretty massive, and there’s also a dry goods section with a lot of unusual, interesting foods to browse.

This place is awesome because there’s so many options under one roof. Fresh fish, a great butchery, random gift shops, and a fantastic fruit & vege shop. It’s somewhat small but everything is really high quality, fresh, and ever-so-inexpensive.

Fresh World is pretty good, everything you expect from a good fruit and vege shop, and if you’re going to countdown next door for groceries it’s definitely worth it to pick up your produce at Fresh World instead. Plus the murals outside are super awesome.

This is my favourite cafe. The meals are huge and $15 or less, the coffee is fantastic, and the courtyard in the back is cosy and bright.

The Bakers Cottage has pretty amazing sweets, but I’m always impressed by their selection of lunch foods – the sandwiches are huge and fancy as, and only ~$5, and they also have a fabulous selection of seasonal lunch dishes. In winter they have soups and warm pasta dishes, but summer is best because they have heaps of the most amazing salads. Like, ever. One of my favourite places to grab a table outside and enjoy lunch with a friend.

Shaky Isles has a hipster vibe, cute baristas, and fabulous coffee. The flat whites are good, the iced mocha is a real treat, and the food is best in the biz if you’re looking for breakfast to go with your coffee. And they have free Wi-Fi!

Roasted Addiqtion is a long-time fave of mine. I love the comfy couches and the relaxed atmosphere. The food is fantastic and the coffee is always yum, but I usually go for a pot of tea – they have a great selection of loose leaf tea, and they give you the pot along with a timer so you know how long to let it steep before pouring a cup.

Crave is adorable and tucked away along the border of Kingsland/Morningside. The coffee is great, the food is delicious, and the inside is really interesting – lots of unique seating and it’s organised so it feels kinda like you’re having a casual brunch in your living room, even when it’s busy. They also feature art from local artists, so there’s always something interesting to look at (and buy, if you fall in love)