Mathew.

I was too busy chatting with my friend that I forgot to pay attention to the hot tattooed chefs :p

We ordered mains, and skipped the tapas. I had a rabbit stew with polenta things, my friend had some sort of crepes in sauce. Both were very good, although my stew was a little over-salted.

Great friendly service too where the waiter was very patient with explaining the dishes where we didn't know the Spanish words.

I'm rating only 3 stars because the ambiance, was a little clinical, it seemed full with tourists, and the table bread was on the verge of stale, and while it's cheap converting to USD, compared to lots of other places in Buenos Aires this is more expensive.

The popularity of Steaming Hut is evident when you come on a weekday lunchtime and there is a huge queue of local Chinese population lining for their freshly made steamed buns!

I've tried hard to get my friends enthused with this place, but my European friends don't seem to like the food, and my Chinese friends seem to think it's too common to eat there. Ah well! All the more for me!!!

You can get steamed buns in a lot of locations around Auckland, but in most places you'll be eating something that's probably verging on stale, and when you bit into it you get more bun than filling. At Steaming Hut they are made fresh each morning, and many flavours sell out by the early afternoon.

There are about 5 vegetarian flavours, but a couple contain shrimp.

Steaming hut is run by a husband wife team. First you queue, order and pay with the husband - who some call the Bun Barron (think "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld).

He's actually not so bad, probably just a little stressed from dealing with so many people. Some tips:
* Come with small change - don't try and get him to break big notes (each bun is about $1.50 I normally get between 4 and 6 depending how hungry I am)
* Don't hesitate - know what you want to order, and have a back up plan ready in case something has run out.
* Don't even expect to pay with plastic - I made that mistake once and got some very bad looks.

After the bun barron, his wife will give you your order. She is all smiles!

You can order takeaway, but will pay a little extra for the container.

Enjoy!

The white lady is a caravan converted into a burger making machine that gets towed into commerce street each night.

At $10+ the burgers are more expensive than what you'd get at nearby chains, but not as substantial, and not half as satisfying. And also, when you're in New Zealand you've got to try the traditional style of hamburger with slices of beetroot (careful with the drips, it WILL stain your whatever you're wearing :)

Unfortunately, the more interesting nightlife in Auckland has moved away from the White Lady up to K-Rd & Newton, but if you're staying in one of the hostels downtown it might be a useful place to remember

This review is actually for a pair of spots that are just across the road from each other.

Al Volo does amazing traditional thin crispy based pizzas (I think I remember the owner telling me he even imports the flour he uses directly from Italy) that you can eat in store (in an environment that is maybe a bit too bright) or you can order takeaway and zip across the road to The Corner Store and order a drink and eat there. If you're feeling particularly lazy you might even convince Al Volo to run your pizza across the street when it's ready. Along with Gina's just a block away these are the two best places to eat pizza in Auckland!

sohomo is the antidote to "global top 40 hits gay club scene" where you go to see and be seen. Here the focus is more on great times with people that love dancing and a chance to interesting new music.

Cover is low - probably about $10-15 and sometimes includes a free drink.

Mezze is one of those bars where you can sit around low candle lit tables and chat the night away sharing some simple but delicious food with friends.

Mezze used to be more of a student hang out, with it's upper queen street location combined with a backpackers, but it's since relocated to mid queen street and made itself more upmarket, and a popular location for theater crowds to meet before or after a show. As a result, the prices have gone up a bit, but it's still great value.

The chocolate buttermilk cake (served warm with cream) is to die for... the tapas are simple (meatballs, tricolor dips etc) but tasty.

The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is that I have a perception of it playing Gotan Project on endless loop - would be nice to mix it up a bit with the music.

I agree with Whitney, the styles here are great, I'm so glad to be a guy!

But... It's been a while since I've been to an H&M, but I think the prices aren't *quite* that low - unless you're talking about the sale prices (which are great!).

Also I'm a bit doubtful about the knitwear quality... I have a beautiful top that I'm afraid to wash because I'm scared it will disintegrate, The jeans on the otherhand look like they'll last a long time.

The staff here are almost embarrassingly attentive, but very helpful!

When I've been there Gwen Stefani has been the lady of the moment :)
I rate the frozen drinks too... Apple & Basil is a great mix

Formally known as Atomic Cafe, this is one of the older cafes in Auckland that lead the way of the now fully fledged coffee culture that Auckland has!

Come on a Thursday or Friday night for live music. If you're lucky it will be The Jews Brothers Band, who formed serendipitously on night at Atomic and have been doing their take on klemzer tunes and Edith Pief covers ever since.

There are also two extremely fat and often grumpy cats that depending on their mood may cuddle up with you or bite you when you try to pat them.

The coffee where is strong and they serve double shots unless you ask for a single. They serve Mamata bagels (made in bagelry a few blocks away) which I think have reached bagel perfection. Try the raisin & cinnamon toasted with cream cheese and jam for a perfect pick me up.

The courtyard in the back is to be avoided on weekends as their is a childrens area that can get a bit annoying.

I've lived in Auckland for most my life, but when my friend took me to Mexican Specialties, I have to admit I had now idea where in the city we were!

It's a small family run place with what I've been told is very authentic Mexican food (I've not been to Mexico, so all I can vouch for is that it was delicious).

Meals are served up on plastic plates on rickety tables and you're surrounded by an explosion of catholic kitsch... Madonnas, crosses etc.

Hopefully if you're in Auckland you've got a car or someone willing to drive you, because I'm not sure what the public transport here will be like.

Coffee Supreme is officually a chain (with branches in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, & Melbourne) but it still had a great family run atmosphere where you can start up a chat with the barista as they're making your coffee.

Supreme has a great communal table where you can chat with other people, or just spread out with the newspaper while recovering from the night before.
Supreme is another warehouse conversion, but there are some small tables outside that also catch the sunshine.

The ham and cheese toasties are amazing!

There are also probably about 20 years worth of National Geographic magazines stacked on the wall incase you missed any issues.

Wine Cellar had a chalkboard menu of mainly New Zealand wines. Prices (when last checked) were $6, $7, or $8 for a generously fulled glass of wine. There isn't really any food, but you might be able to order a cheese board. In anycase there are great places to eat all along K Rd.

The owner will probably be working behind the bar, and either he or one of the other staff members will happily make a suggestion for what to try.

It's in the lower level of St Kevin's arcade (an old converted girls boarding school) take care not to miss the entry, it's an obscure door on the left going down the staircase without much signage.

There's a back room that is often used for a local act, from poetry readings, small bands, and performance art.

There is strong red lighting which may give you flashbacks to Amsterdam, but is great for your complexion!

s/f is a independent bookstore/project space where you can find an eclectic mix of printed art such posters, books, and magazines. Occasionally it also hosts events and shows.

If you love typography or design, make a trip to K-road on a Saturday, because it's only open one day a week for a few hours.

Gina's is a noisy, cramped, busy, hot Italian restaurant.

There is a lot of banging and noise coming form the kitchen, and staff may often break into song. If it's your birthday, and they know it, expect some embarrassing attention!

You'll probably pay $20-25 for a pizza here (compared to prices like $10 from one of the many takeaway chains about the city) so Gina's doesn't fit inexpensive, but if you like traditional thin crust pizza that actually tastes amazing, then make sure you include Gina's on your itinerary!

My recommendation: the alleluia - smocked chicken, pinenuts, pesto, and fresh basil. Simple, but my mouth is already watering at the thought.

This place gets very busy on Fridays and Saturdays so book ahead, otherwise you can also order takeaway (but then you miss out half the fun of the craziness inside).

The staff do an annual topless calendar (of the male staff) for fund-raising for local charities which might make a nice souvenir for someone back home.

The Kings Arms is where you might find some old retired guys having a beer with some guy probably from a biker gang and some emo kids.

To be honest, I sometimes feel a bit nervous here, with the feeling that someones about to snap a pool stick in half over my head, and I'm pretty sure I saw some blood stains in the concrete last time I was there. But that's all part of the fun right?

There will be live music here several times a week. You might find rock, electro pop, punk, metal, or country. I don't think the King's Arms really discriminates with music :)

Last time I was here I had a very serious drunken conversation with an independent film maker about a tap-dancing documentary.

The drinks are cheap I don't think there is food, except maybe peanuts and chips (so old school New Zealand pub!)

I'm actually ashamed about how many times I've eaten at Sri Penang. I should be trying new places, but I just can't help coming back here for more.

Also every single person that I've introduced to Sri Penang over the years has come back with friends of their own. I've never heard a bad review on the food.

The decor is as simple as it gets. It's all no frills here. You don't get asked if you want still or sparkling here. It's from the tap by default!

There is no alcohol on the menu, but there is a bottle shop right across the road so you can bring your own (BYO).

Whatever you order, please don't skip the Roti Curry. For about $6 (prices have slooowly gone up over the years) you get a small serving of chicken and potato curry (cooked to perfection) you can ask from mild to super hot (beware!) and a roti canai (which is a friend bread which is sweet, flaky, and buttery - I liken it to an Asian croissant!).

My friend used to order an extra roti ($3) and make that her entire meal. I'm greedy so I also get a main. Try to share mains between people (2 mains for 3-4 people is good) so that you have room for dessert (the friend bananas and icecream are great!)

As for mains, the chicken and cashew nuts is bound to be a crowd pleaser, nasi and mee goreng are great too. As with a lot of places in Auckland, the squid isn't the best quality so perhaps avoid dishes with this unless you really love chewing.

If you get a new staff member (I think often students from Malaysia or Singapore) you might have some fawlty-tower-esq moments with the service, but it's all part of the fun.

Sri Penang don't advertise, but through word of mouth they get very busy. If you're going on a Friday or Saturday night it's best to ring in advance to make a booking.

If you're planning a trip to New Zealand, and still have a couple of months to go, you might want to start checking out the grabaseat website that everyday has a new set of deals for flights in or from New Zealand. In the past there have even been $1 deals. But seats are limited and it can be frustrating trying to find good days, but I've used this in the past to get some great deals. Occasionally they have international deals so you might be able to score a cheap trip to the Pacific Islands that you didn't realise you could afford!

There are just a handful of tables in this deli, and only a small selection of food from the menu, but expect a couple to choose from like filled bagels, and cous cous salads. When I visited, I got a great salad and coffee for only $6 but they had only opened a couple of weekends before so maybe they were still sorting out their pricing. The prices seemed too low to be sustainable.

It's a really minimalist clean aesthetic, and because it's so tiny, it feels like you've found a great secret retreat.

There is a big selection of kosher foods (like who knew you could get kosher M&Ms?) but these start to get a bit more pricey.

Walk East from Cathedral Square for about 2km and you'll find Under The Red Verandah. It's hard to miss because it's basically a residential area plus there is a big red verandah above the entrance!

Officially you're in Linwood, which is a central neighborhood with a sort of bad reputation. There isn't really anything to see here, so it's unlikely you'll meet tourists here - a great escape from the nearby photo snapping busloads of people in Cathedral Square!

What keeps UTRV are all the right reasons: great coffee, great food, and great service.

On a warm day there is a cute garden area to relax in, otherwise you can keep cozy and warm inside. On the walk back into the city there are some second hand bookshops you might find a bargain, but it seems to keep erratic hours.

There are a whole bunch of cafes along Lyttleton's London Street, but take my advice, skip them all and head direct to Lyttelton Coffee Co.

It's a pretty big space made from an converted warehouse. There is lots of interesting work from local artists. Coffee is roasted on site, and locals often jump on the decks and DJ some nice tunes in the weekends.

Cafe style food can sometimes be a bit hit-and-miss, but I've never been disappointed at LCC. The resident cook puts a lot of love into the food she makes.

The decor is lampshades made of guillotined doll heads, and plush velvet seats.

The motto for this bar is "nice people only" and it's a bit of an institution for Lyttelton locals.

The entrance is a set of stairs off London Street, but after that you have to find your own way - it's not so hard, and all nice people seem to make it.

There is great prices for beer and wine, food is limited to a few items like nachos for main, and frozen buzz bars for desert!

In the past the staff have welcomed me to bring my takeaway fish & chips to enjoy the sunset on their deck, but it's probably a good idea to ask first.

In the weekends local bands often play and there is a pool table too.

Brighton Pier is a nice place to take a stroll on a summers day. Grab an icecream, watch some locals as they fish off the pier, or people surfing if there is a swell.

After dark, the pier turns into a changing light show, but in the winter make sure you bring warm clothes, because it will be freezing.

If you've watched "Whale Rider" you can do some Paikea inspired photoshots on the local children's playground.

For the best coffee in Christchurch, I don't think it gets any better than C1 Espresso. The coffee is roasted down the street in their newer Lichfield Street location, but I like the moody dark slightly worn down feel of the original High Street cafe.

If you're new to New Zealand, the typical coffee here is a flat white - generally a double shot of espresso topped with smoothly stretched milk (not frothy like a cappuccino).

There used to be a local DJ that came in on weekends, but unfortunately they recently removed the DJ area to make room for more seats. Hopefully it will be back in the future with some expansions?

There are always some interesting art on display from local artists. The food isn't the best, but still very good.

The cafe turns into a cosy chill out zone in the evenings where you can keep warm in the cold Canterbury winters, or relax on the street side tables on warm summer nights.