Restaurant in New Zealand

“Such an unexpected gem! Very impressed from our first visit. The beef sukiyaki nabe was amazing and flavourful - haven't eaten a proper sukiyaki in a long time! The kaarage chicken was also fantastic, with two amazing sauces. Overall an amazing Japanese kitchen with great menu variety. Will be coming back for sure.”

“The most delicious dumplings I’ve ever had! My go-to is the sweet and spicy — absolutely perfect. Ordering online was quick and easy, and the location is super convenient with plenty of parking nearby.”

“I organised an end of year dinner for our class at Mr Tanakas tonight (13 of us). The entire process for organising the dinner was seamless and the team were so accommodating even when things changed a few times. The vibe of the restaurant was really cool, the service was awesome, the food was scrumptious and we were all full from our the $65 p/p set menu + a couple of other yummy dishes. The cocktails and wines were great and we had the pleasure of dining in the Lantern room which was such a fun vibe and included karaoke. Unfortunately we didn’t capture photos of the food. Anyhow - I’d like to thank the staff for their wonderful service tonight!! ❤️”

“The food here is AMAZING. Every single dish we ordered was perfection and the smoothies are to die for. We ate so much food as it was so delicious! The service was impeccable. Even though the cafe is not near where we live, we will definitely return regardless as our experience was perfection. Highly recommend!”

“Nice atmosphere, Well priced drinks. The new caterer has good food options at great prices.”

“An experience that’s more than just food. After years, I have finally tried their food! I went on a lunch time and there was only two other people. Good timing because I was already really hungry. He’s a one man show so make sure to allow time when visiting him. He makes sure every dish is fresh so it will really take time, but he dishes them out one by one, so you get small bites in between before the main meal. He is such a lovely man and he took his time to talk to us and welcomed us. His dishes are definitely authentic! Full of flavours despite of it being light- it won’t make you get sick of it. The broth of the ramen was divine! The takoyaki was crispy on the outside and super soft on the inside. It was flavourful on its own, no need a lot of sauce! The yakitori was super yummy. He gave us the takoyaki for free which we highly appreciated. The interior and decorations is obviously antique and don’t expect it to be as of modern restaurant style, it’s feels more intimate like you’re at your grandparents house and they’ll cook you a hearty meal. That’s the vibe the place gave. It is such a gem of Pukekohe. If you plan to go here for dinner, make sure you have a reservation. It gets full quite quickly which made it impossible for us before hence why we tried on a weekday at lunch time. You won’t regret coming here! This is what Japanese cuisine is!”

“This is one of the best cafes ever. The food was delicious, and the coffee was awesome .”

“Really enjoyed my visit here today. Lovely staff, faultless service, and my iced latte hit all the right notes. As Arnold Schwarzenegger famously once said in The Terminator…..I’ll be back Hamish Dorrington Kakapo Business Sales”

“It was always a pleasant experience to dine at this little gem at Half Moon Bay Marina. Coffee always perfect , food always nicely present and delicious. Friendly service and good indoor and outdoor vibes.”

“Fantastic food as always. The service is spot on. Highly recommend”

“3rd visit 21.6.25. Food still excellent. Service great, food arrived quickly and beautiful presentation. Went for sons birthday. Food was great. Son loved curry special. Loved the steaks. Great portions. Bit of a drive from Auckland central but atmosphere made up for long drive.”

“Absolutely the best place, love the vibe and service, have had multiple friends hold their functions here and it is always top notch, ohh and the nachos and pizzas are the best in my opinion.”

“A very good experience overall good service and a well presented tasty meal and a good Roma coffee.”

Country Roast keeps things classic fish‑and‑chips and focused on flavour. Fish lands crisp with light batter and chips stay tidy. The team keeps things friendly and organised. Plates offer plenty without weighing things down.

“I had a great experience at Pizza Hut! The pizza was fresh, hot, and loaded with toppings. The crust was just the right balance of crispy and soft, and the flavors were delicious. Service was quick and friendly, and the online ordering made everything super easy. Perfect place for a quick and satisfying meal — will definitely be coming back!”

“Amazing pizza and staff, always come here as it’s consistently good and everyone is always very friendly”

“Great friendly service and quality made pizzas.”

“We’ve been coming to this sushi shop for several weeks in a row. It’s tasty and good value, and the chicken comes in whole pieces, not shredded chicken.”

“Delicious. Would go back just for the desserts. Very friendly attentive staff.”

“We’ve been coming to this restaurant with our family for over 23 years, and it has never disappointed. The food is always delicious, consistent, and full of flavour, and the service is warm every single time.”

“The food was absolutely amazing especially the lasagna, the place has such a warm and homely vibe, feels like coming home. The two Italian aunties who own the place are incredibly kind and friendly, and every dish is served with a warm smile and of course we’ll definitely be coming back again!!”

“Popped in for some samosas and a beer. Fantastic service from a family owned business. Great food and great value prices.”

“A random walk in to a tiny eatery for dinner; ended up with good food in a cozy setting. Love little cozy eateries; not everyone might - the space works best as a bar, but that doesnt do justice to how well the food turned out. Granted this is a first time experience, but the how good the food was forced me to write this review. We had the tikki chat, vegetarian chow mein, lasooni daal and garlic naan. The naan was thin and very well made, the chow mein was very well done too. The lasooni daal was rustic, reminded me of all the road trip dhabas back in India. It was some of the best daal I have had in Auckland in a very long time. Daals are simple dishes, which make it hard to hide mistakes behind a wall of spice and overwhelming flavour (and no it was not a wall of lasson either). Whoever cooked this knows his way around good north indian punjabi cooking. The tikki was very well made. I dont know if its kitchen made or off the shelf, but it crispy on the outside and well cooked inside. Make that a chat and it was a symphony of flavour. I think the daal and the tikki just put the chow mein (which really was good) in shade coz of how good it was. Our experience with the staff was good. A picky eater amongst us has requests on how each dish was to be cooked. They did it very well. The rice that came with the food was an iffy. But I think am placing a high standard on a small eatery and bar in Takapuna. There are 1 year old comments that put the place in shade. My experience did not match those comments. If you are keen on really good simple rustic north indian punjabi food that reminds you of home - this place may be worth it”

“I'm giving Portofino 5 stars all around as we absolutely loved the food, service, and atmosphere during our holiday in New Zealand. It was so good that we visited them again before we left...twice in one week for dinner! I definitely recommend dining at Portofino. All of the food we ordered were great from the Lasagna Al Forno, Fettuccine Di Pollon, Vegetarian Fettuccine Vegetarian, Cannelloni Casanostra. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. They even offered and opened the window and had fresh air while enjoying our meals. We forgot to take pictures of our food the first time we dined in...that's how great it was! The pictures below are of what we ordered on our second visit!”

“My husband and I ate our late lunch here. I ordered Salmon and Capers Pasta, and it was soooooo good! It was creamy and I love how it balances with the capers My husband ordered Spaghetti Carbonara and it was so delicious as well! Will definitely try their pizza next time.”

“The Tom Kha soup was beautiful, very authentic however the Thai Basil stirfry let them down, it wasn’t authentic Thai Flavours plus they used frozen beans which isn’t ideal. Really lovely service, friendly and helpful staff. Nice place for a quick reasonable meal.”

“I love this place soooo much! Anytime been in Auckland always come here for Thai food! and especially the dessert! always yummmy!”

“Nice little Thai restaurant, has dinner here the first time and ordered plenty of dishes amount 3 adults and 2 kids. Service was really good and the food was very nice, the Red Thai curry is great with Rice hard to find a park during evening.”

“LOVE this place!! Food is always so freshly made and great flavours. Definitely takes me back to Thailand! If you’re a fan of fresh seafood, then you need to try the raw prawn salad. Love their curry puffs and money bags, super crunchy and comes with a really good sauce. Their sizzling plate is also amazing with some coconut rice. Service here is always so friendly, totally recommend!”

“A little hidden gem. Wasn't sure what to get, so it was recommended that the Tom Yum Soup with seafood was good by the friendly staff. The food came out quick and did not disappoint. Will definitely be back.”