We went for a beautiful lunch date to this restaurant. We tried the Rump Steak and Mash with Salad, Seafood Platter, Blueberry Cheesecake and Baklava with Ice cream. All of the dishes were superb and tasty. Highly recommended!
Hadn't been here for about 10 years and it was just as good as I remembered! We were a group of 10 and everyone loved their meal. Great Turkish food and reasonably priced too. Like that you can BYO here too!
The staff were very friendly and helpful and the timeliness of the service fantastic. Highly recommended!
Beautiful, simple restaurant decor and music creating a wonderful atmosphere. Staff were very friendly and attentive and great priced drinks ( cocktails at $12!) . The food ordered, Moroccan falafel and Iskender were brought out quick and were hot and fresh. Cafe Midnight Express is very well priced, with lunch time and dinner specials on daily.
The dips and mezze platters looked great for larger groups which the restaurant provides ample room for, live belly dancing is also advertised on Saturday nights . All and all a wonderful venue and amazing food and price, definitely recommend.
We came here for a work Christmas lunch.
The service was good and we were able to order our meals the day before which meant our food came out straight away!
It’s cheep and cheerful - I paid $12 for the falafel dish, my only complaint is that the menu I ordered or off said it came with pita bread but it came with rice - still delicious though :)
The staff were friendly and happy got us to sing as part of our Christmas game.
Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo as I was out during work, but I would highly recommend for a quick lunch in the city.
Best place ever with Devine and I mean Devine food!
Tahlia Maheno Rogers-Brown
+5
This place is amazing & would highly recommend! The food had so much flavor and was the best falafel I've ever had!! The staff were also so lovely and helpful.
Been here twice so far and have really enjoyed the food! We've had the steak, grilled chicken, kofte and lamb moussaka. The service is also great, and they have found seats for us even though we didn't make bookings. Definitely would return and recommend to others! :)
Restaurant that has been there for the longest time but not one we go to very often. Food was actually very decent with a tasty moussaka, the mix platter of meat was great as you got to taste several meats. The meatball were my highlight. A little bite to them. But very tasty.
Just had a great dinner here! You can pick a la carte menu or just 30-35 NZD dinner deal. I recommend the mezze platters as a starter, I think it’s the best falafel I had. Lamb shank was shoo nice too and the sticky date cake was dangerously delicious!
Really nice place! Loved the ambiance and music. Food is so delicious. Loved Tandoori Chicken as Mains and Calamari Salad. Serving is pretty quick too. All in all a good experience.
Love the interior and the presentation of the dishes. Service was really good, staffs were attentive as well. Absolutely love the desserts ☺️
Could not have loved this place more.
I went in for dinner and had their $25 dinner special which is a choice between an entree and a main or a main and a dessert. The food was absolutely delicious, well balanced, generous in size and of good quality.
I had the mezze platter as my entree and the grilled chicken as my main, both absolutely delicious. The mezze platter has about 10 different items and they were all absolutely delicious. I highly recommend this entree. The grilled chicken was also perfectly cooked, juicy and very flavorful. This dish was very “complete” as it came with salad, mashed potatoes, tzatziki and hummus.
Midnight express also has a cosy ambiance and friendly staff.
Can’t wait to go back!
Absolutely tasty food, a great place to have gone with a group. Smooth service and no hassles with ordering. Great they have selection of veg options but a issue I find commonly is leaving out stuff to veganise a meal (eg: aioli /cheese) but not replacing with an alternative sauce etc so points off for that. Overall great experience
One of the best restaurants, Never fails me. Food is tasty and well cooked. Good service overall. Interested to try some new dishes. Definitely recommend to all
| Mezze Platter |
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A great array of eats. The sigara borek was amazing, a parcel of feta rolled in a crispy filo pastry. A great location for a cheap lunch at $12 a menu that includes kebabs, sandwiches and salads.
We went there for dinner and they surprised everyone with belly dance ! It was so amazing. The food we had was super delicious ❤️ Ambiance was damn good, also the staff was very kind. I would definitely recommend everyone to try this place, you’ll love the food.
Just randomly wandered into this restaurant as we were looking for dinner. The service was really friendly and helpful - our water keeps getting refilled, our plates get cleared with zero wait and the food came pretty quickly with our server thoughtfully bringing extra plates before we could ask. The dinner deals were really great value for money for how much you get. The servings were very generous, I was a bit surprised when the mains came around haha. I loved the platter entree, really great flavours. For my main, I got the lamb moussaka, first time for me to try and I really enjoyed it- there was a literal mountain of it on my plate. For dessert, we had sticky date cake. Would love to come back and try other dishes here.
Love this place, been here many many times. My go-to dish is the mezze platter, actually on the appetisers menu to share, but is perfect as a meal on its own. The vegetarian moussaka is great too. Portion sizes are huge and very reasonably priced. They run some $25 and $30 dinner deals, so if you like to have more than one course this is great value for money.
See if you can reserve the front corner table if you are in a group of 2-4. Nice and cosy, comfy seating. Staff are really friendly too, but maybe a bit too persistent with constantly topping up your water.
This place is a awesome place. The environment is lovely, staffs are so friendly and welcoming. The food was absolutely fantastic... It's worth the price. From the starters to dessert everything was lovely... Will recommend it to everyone...😊😊😊
I wouldn't say this is a very traditional Turkish restaurant, but sometimes places have to make a local twist to have more clients. As long as food tastes good, that's fine to me.
Been here with a group of friends and they offer a good dinner deal, $35 for starter, main and dessert. I had grilled cheese for starter, which wasnt very good, but the falafel I had as main compensated any issues with the first course. The baklava was also great.
Service was good too, very friendly staff and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, just don't seat next to the door on a cold night.
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Went for dinner tonight (Friday) without making a booking. Was lucky enough to get a table but the seat was a tad awkward with 4 people squished to a large table of diners.
we ordered the $25 dinner deal each which you can get either a main (a few options listed) with dessert or a starter. There was also an option for $30 dinner deal which you can chose any main from the menu + starter or dessert. Both seemed extremely good value for money.
Between 4 we got 2 dinner deals with entrees and the other 2 got desserts and we shared all the extras.
For the starters we had a mezze platter as well as bread and dips platter. Both were good starters and filling even between 4, but a good fresh start to dinner.
For the mains we got 2 sets of the grilled chicken, lamb moussaka and vege moussaka. All the dishes were very well sized and generous with salad and side dishes. The chicken was cooked really well and flavoursome. I found both moussaka needed more salt and pepper and a bit more flavour, but otherwise was still warm and hearty.
For dessert we had the sticky date pudding and chocolate cake. Both were good ends to the meal and we were feeling stuffed but satisfied.
The service was super friendly and attentive and super excited to come back to try some other meals.
Came here on a Friday night with a few mates after work - was met with very warm and friendly service, nice atmosphere and excellent food and drink. The menu has so much to offer, and they pile on the meat. I'll definitely be back soon!
Love this place. They serve real fresh stuff and its healthy as well. I usually have the grilled chicken with salad. It is served with mashed potato, hummus and salad. The salad dressing is so good. And the chicken is always perfectly cooked.
The ambience is freat as well. On saturdays they have a belly dancer perform a gig while everyone eats. She was brilliant.
Again love this place.
This is my daily go to after court! the express lunch and coffee menu is the best bang for buck in town. They do not skimp on quality either. Delicious colorful and healthy food. service is excellent too.
Hadn’t been here in years, but stopped off for dinner. Service was really friendly & welcoming with dishes & drinks delivered in good time.
We ordered a variety of dishes & everyone really enjoyed theirs. Ingredients were fresh (unlike some past reviews which said they weren’t) and flavours were balanced well.
Great food and service. Went for dinner with friends on a Tuesday night. Best Turkish food in town. The staff who took our order was very patient and friendly.
Iris Joy Ebasco Edic
+3.5
Had dinner here on a Saturday night. We were seated directly upon arrival. The first server, she was from Peru,was very welcoming, very pleasant and accomodating. However, the other staff who took our order was a bit rude. Seems like she is on a bad mood. Kinda ruined the moment. Moving on, food were delivered. First was the bread dips priced at $15.50, only 6 pcs of thinly slices ciabatta bread with different options for dips,bit overpriced.
Mains came and it was a surprise. We had the beef done medium and it was really good. It was well seasoned and the sides of the dish were tasty.
We had baklava for dessert, it was okay, kind of hard to eat with just a spoon since the top part and bottom part was tough.
Overall the Highlights of the night would be the mains plus the belly dancing show, the dancer was friendly.
We have been there before and had dinner there tonight again and always have been very happy with the food (meals are just awesome) and the staff (very friendly and provides high quality service). We had Lamb Shank + Grilled Chicken as mains, Turkish Garlic Bread as an entrée, and Sticky Mud Cake With Butter Scotch and Ice cream. We also like what the restaurant looks like plus we love the Oriental background music. Nice atmosphere that makes you feel like you are on holidays. We just highly recommend Midnight Express if you like yummy food for a fair price. We will be back for sure.
One of the best Turkish restarants in the world. Tender, delicious meats, especially the Iskender.
Great service and very clean. The grilled meats were also fantastic. The chicken was juicy and delicious, as were the dips!
This place has good service and great food. We ordered several different dishes and shared. Most of the were really nice. The seafood platter was very average and could do with some improving. Nice background music
Arvin Raymond Dsouza
+3.5
I have been to this restaurant couple of times - the service is excellent. If you are lucky, you get to see belly dance performance in the evenings. About their- it has varied every visit. The first few times, it was top notch but subsequent ones was not that great. However, I prefer to visit this place once in a while.
Great lunch menus with cheap $10 meals. The meals are quite healthy too however the seating is really limited and quite cosy as it fills up quite quickly during lunch hours. Delicious meals though and worth the visit :)
AMAZING! CHEAP! FAST SERVICE!YUMMY FOOD! PERFECT PORTIONS!!! This was my first time coming here and me and my friend will most defiantly be coming back!!!!
My go-to place to have one of the cheapest lunch in town but is so filling and sooo good. You won't regret it. Trust me, a stranger of the Internet. But seriously. Go atleast once. You'll be hooked
This is a great place for a quick lunch in the city. The $10 menu is great value and food always comes out really quickly! 😊 Even with a big group of 10. Can't comment on the dinner! Only downside was the construction out side was noisy, they can't do much about that!
The place is nice and dainty and dimly lit, great for taking family and friends. The staff was super friendly and very helpful. I incidently threw a fork and a tissue from the table and they came picked it up even before I picked it up from the floor! So super attentive staff and always smiling
On to the food, I ordered shish chicken and it was lovely with kabab style chicken, plain yellow rice, sour cream, hummus and salad. The chicken could have done with more marination as it was slightly bland but otherwise it was really yummy! Price wise its expensive as shish kabab cost $26.00 but giventhe location and serive its ok.
Keep up the good work guys!
Haven't been back in a couple years and this place is just as awesome as how I have remembered it. Staff are super friendly and attentive. Food is always of great quality and very generous portion sizes. Didn't get a photo of it but I highly recommend the Turkish bread and dips as it's a great and tasty platter to share.
This restaurant is absolutely SENSATIONAL. I have been here on a number of occasions with work colleagues and intend to return many times more. I am particularly partial to the Moroccan Falafel which is served with salad, tzatziki, hummus, yogurt and, my personal favourite, TOMATO SAUCE. The best part? It is only $13. At first I thought "That's preposterous!", but at Midnight Express you really can still afford the mortgage repayments as well. No more lunchtime Pizza Hut Hawaiian pizza for me! Now, let's talk about the atmosphere. Upon entering the restaurant, I am transported back to one of the many shisha cafes I sampled during my time in Istanbul (they have a lovely selection of Hookahs). The restrooms are just delightful as well with a pleasant balance of cleanliness and authentic third world rusticness which you won't find anywhere else in Auckland.I can't speak highly enough for midnight express. It is simply SENSATIONAL!
Fast service, delicious food. We ordered dips, calamari & 2 x fishermans platters for starters. Mains of 2 market fish, 2 kofte & 2 kids fish meals. Extras were 2 bowls of ice cream and 2 large bottles of San Pelligrino. Our bill total was $200 which we thought was reasonable given the quality and quantity of food.
Lovely little gem, great for work lunches. I've eaten most items on their lunch menu now, as I've been there so often and all is yum. Everything on their lunch menu is very reasonably priced.
Went with a big group. Had an iskender and an ayran to drink. Staff was Europe students.,all staff were attentive and good. For a group our size all the food came out relatively quickly and hot. Loved it. Good price for the location
Cafe Midnight Express is a restaurant which specializes in Turkish and Mediterranean Cuisine.
The restaurant is conveniently located in the heart of Auckland in the Central Business District (CBD) Area.
You can choose from a variety of beverages - alcoholic and non-alcoholic - and - I found the Turkish Apple Tea most appetizing.
Of the main course dishes - I found the Doner Kebab, Fish of the Day and Vegetarian Moussaka very delicious.
There is a good selection of excellent desserts - and - I strongly recommend the Baklava - which is exquisite - the Chocolate Cake was okay.
Cafe Midnight Express has a cozy ambience suitable for family dining and the service is courteous and efficient.
If you want to taste good Turkish Cuisine in Auckland - a visit to Cafe Midnight Express is well worth a visit.
1st Turkish place i have been to in AKL CBD.
Obviously I'm not a middle eastern food eater but this place actually is not that bad.
I had midnight mix which was the recommended dish for 1st timers and i actually liked it.
I keep returning here for the mezze platters. You want True Mediterranean cusine; you need to come here. They have options for any person, eggatarian, only chicken, only beef, only lamb, vegetarian. I have been to quite a few Mediterranean turkish restaurants and this definitely stands in the top 3.
Its a very calming place. Warm and charming. Very arabic earth feel they have. They have live belly dancing on some friday evenings. They cater with special deals, platters etc. The downside on this that they dont customise meals. So if you dont want lamb in you platter, they may or may not give the option of replacing it with chicken. Reason i say this is because I had it replaced once but was declined the other time.
The staff is very friendly, ever smiling.
Pricewise: $130 for 3 including a bottle of wine
Returns: friday .... here i come
Went there on a busy Friday night. Staff was friendly and the service was quick.
We ordered 'the five dips & Turkish garlic bread' as the Entree. Enjoyed it very much. Dips were really tasty and flavorful.For mains we had falafel with hummus & the Midnight Mix, average.
Highly recommend their apple teas, very nice .(& enjoyed the belly dancing performance too)
Ambiance 4/5
Service 5/5
Food 4.5/5
Reasonable prices. They told us of a set menu which was awesome.. yummy breads and dips, generous mains and sweet desserts! We really appreciated the service and food.
Thank you.
Oh and the drinks were well made too.
What great service, very lovely and attentive team. Food was great too, had mezze platter for starter, yum. I had the Iskender for main, himself had the felafel burger, friend had the chowder and miss 8 had grilled chicken. All great, couldn't fit in dessert unfortunately, next time maybe. Nice touch they gave us a piece of Turkish delight with his apple tea. Lovely evening.
Best moussaka i ever had. And only moussaka i ever had 😅 loved it. Comforting and deliciious even near midnight! 😌 havent had pleasure of trying any other of their foods bt def coming back
Went here for lunch and we ordered the Midnight mix, Falafel (as they ran out of Vege Mousakka) and Grilled chicken. The service was good and prompt. The food was good as well with sufficient serving size.
Pros -
1. Mildly flavoured Turkish food
2. Kofte was the best of the lot with nice lamb and beef flavours
3. Tzatziki and hummus was tasty
Cons -
1. The flavours are very mild for Indian taste buds
2. The grilled chicken was not that impressive
3. It was a slight bit overprices esp. for the Midnight express dish.
Have been regulars here for a while. Normally manage to get a park somewhere within a blocks walk and dont need a booking, having said that we don't normally go on a fri or sat nite. Good turkish/ med food. Meat always seems to be of a good quality. Service is always friendly. We had a special they were running- an entree/main or main/desert for $25. Didn't appear to be any exclusions on the menu so quite a good deal. Having said that our entrees were quite small but the mains seemed to be off normal size so we were def full by the time we finished. Calamari to start was tender. I always have the midnight mix, lamb, chicken and kofte with sauces, salad and rice, it's like a fancy kebab on rice. The steak is a very generous size and cooked medium rare as asked. No desert tonight but the sticky date pudding is 👌 used to come here a lot a few years back and it's still good but I feel like it's just missing the vibe it used to have
Went here with a group on a Friday night, as we had a large group we pre ordered and had a set menu, I had the Grilled Halloumi which was amazing followed up with the Shish Chicken which was superb! Chicken was moist and there were lots of flavours, served with rice, hummus, tzatziki and a salad it was very filling and thoroughly enjoyed! On top of all of that we were entertained by a belly dancer!!
One of my favourite Mediterranean restaurants in Auckland. The service is ever-pleasing and the food quality is consistant. Their shish keebab is my favourite dish along with their dip platter. I like it that they actually have a bit of variety in their dips, not the same hummus and olive oil you see in every restaurant. The carrot dip and eggplant dip was fantastic
Really good staff service, good food, good vibes, got to see the belly dance, good price for the variety of food. Great Turkish place to be.
My hubby got me here on our first date after i moved to Auckland about 2 years ago. loved the place and ambience. Food is amazingly good. Its a large meal everytime. Hummus is amazing and fresh. The meat is always tender and just melts in your mouth.. seasoning is always perfect. I cant get over it at all. love their deserts. Have been there on a friday night to experience Belly Dancing, its a treat to watch it. We have been here at various occassions- Highly recomended for a good gatherings, night outs and occassions.Its just that the Menu is small and closes really early!!
Although this place is no long as popular as it used to be, I still find its a decent place to have a nice hearty lunch. Some classic Turkish dishes. Yum.
Been here few times for lunch with friends. Vegetarian dish wasn't that great but Lamb moussaka was my favourite. Friendly staff and its a nice little place in the city for lunch.
Thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Seafood chowder one of the best I've tasted. Skewered chicken my son enjoyed. Dessert items ordered date pudding and cheescake yummy. Mezze platter was new experience beautiful choices and flavours. Great service and welcoming setting. Plan to visit again soon and try different dishes.
I came here tonight for a birthday dinner and really enjoyed the food!
The ambience and interior feels really homely and the staff are all friendly and attentive. They cleared our plates as soon as we finished and topped up our water regularly.
I ordered the Midnight mix, which was a combination of lamb, grilled chicken and kofte with hummus, tzatziki, yoghurt and tomato sauce, served with rice and salad. Fairly simple dish, cooked well. I love my middle eastern flavours and sauces, I would have loved more sauces with my meat and rice!
On sundays, mondays and tuesdays they have a $25 special for either 1 main and 1 entree or 1 main and 1 dessert. Such a great deal, will definately return!
I ordered baklava for dessert, served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, it was delicious. I also got to try a bite of the chocolate whiskey cake which was beautifully moist and decadent.
Would highly recommend this place to anyone.
Strolled into Cafe Midnight Express on a Thursday night for a casual dinner. It wasn't too busy but had a couple of tables filled. The waitress there was friendly and welcoming.
My partner and I ordered two popular mains that were recommended to us - Shish Chicken and the Midnight Mix. The meat was tender, full of flavour and presented nicely. I preferred my partners dish (Midnight Mix) over mine because you got to have more variety as the name suggests. We also ordered a side of garlic turkish bread which surprisingly came in quite a generous portion for its price. Could do with a pinch of salt though!
The waiters were friendly, attentive and made sure our water was always filled. A lovely place to dine in Auckland city with good service and great tasting food.
Went out with family. Excellent food & service. Would surely go back. Onr of the best Turkidh places Auckland hss to offer. Good portion size.
One of our favourite places to dine when we are in the city and heading to a show. Prompt and friendly service with economical prices and delicious food. We want to try everything on the menu so will definitely be back!
Waiter was very helpful and genuine. Excellent service. Food was delicious with good quantity. Authentic middle eastern flavours. Ambiance was a quiet. Would of liked more people and life in the place
Authentic Turkish food with fresh ingredients, what more can you ask for? Go here if you want to know what a proper kebab tastes like: ) Recommend their lunch specials.
I have eaten here numerous times. great food and good service. I often have the shish chicken, while my friend has falafel. Good quality food is hard to find!
On sun, mon, tues they have $25 set menu of entree & main, or main & desert!
Delicious and great bargain for $25 main and entree or main and dessert. Apple tea was refreshing to have at the end of the meal and seemed to be lots of regulars there, giving it a friendly atmosphere and vibe. Might have to go back when the belly dancers are there Sat and Sun.
I've been here twice already. In both cases the food was really good. I had their medium rare steak that they have on deal and it was really well cooked. The prawn salad that I had for starter was small - only four prawns on the plate, but it was delicious. We ordered one deal for me and my partner and it was enough for two of us. I like the ambiance of the place and the staff which is really friendly and helpful. Will definitely come here one more time.
Great place....lovely ambience with good and clean flavors. Also the staff are very proactive. Tried their set menu which was reasonably priced and had good variety and taste. However would have loved to eat arabic bread........khuboos instead of slices of loaf. Was still a good experience and would definitely return.
A great dine in Mediterranean restaurant right at the heart of the city (well situated).
Very thematic and beautiful restaurant. Great customer service everytime I visit. I fancy their cocktails and tapas/entree menu.
High recommended
Definitely one of the best customer service experiences I've ever had. The Midnight Mix platter is the easy choice for those of us that struggle to choose from such a great menu. Cool to see some belly dancing too, although don't make eye contact or you'll be hauled up to join in!
Came here for a quick catchup with friends today and it was surprisingly really good!
We ordered the Grilled Chicken, Doner Kebab and the Chicken Salad + Garlic Bread. Was so surprised you get so much garlic bread for only $3! Unfortunately it wasn't very garlickey and was a bit hard to bite.
The meals however were really good and filling! It was very afforable and you get a pretty big portion :) It was only $16.50 for my Doner Kebab meal that comes with rice, hummus, a garden salad, and 1 slice of garlic bread :)
It will definitely fill you up!
What an absolute gem with traditional turkish food. Dream come true in Auckland City. Amazing food and excellent customer service. Thank you for taking such good care of us 👍
While its really hard to find a Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant in Auckland that tastes authentic, I believe this place makes the cut. I LOVE the food they serve here. It's almost as authentic as mums food ;) definitely worth a try if you're interested in delicious dips, naan bread, maklouba, falafel, etc.
çok güzel👏🏼👏🏼
Bloody awesome food and affordable as well. Been there a few time would recommend to anyone. Good service as well and close to the casino so can be for a good night out afterwards
The food was absolutely delicious (there were multiple vegetarian options and the starters were amazing and best shared by two people) and we had awesome service. I will definitely be going back.
I heard great things about this place and it didn't disappoint. Their dishes are very big (they will fill you up) and they're super delicious, I really liked their hummus and tzatziki dips. The meals are also affordable (so it won't break your bank) and the dessert we got was the Baklava, it was so good, not too sweet which was nice. I like the interior, it's very turkish themed and the atmosphere is lovely. The service was great and the waitresses were friendly.
Nice enviroment with turkish decoration style. Not expensive, the size of dishes are big. The one that i ordered called Mezze,$26. The chicken was tender, and the beef was very yummy. Their waiters are very nice too, kept pouring water for us.
Great tasting flavorful food, good service and lovely atmosphere. The place was busy, however the starters and food both came out within 20 minutes of ordering. The portion size of the meal was large - left with a full stomach.
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This was a fortuitous Sunday night stumble-upon as we wandered the city for a late dinner. On Sunday and Monday nights, Midnight Express offers $25 for 2 courses. The waitress opened the door to ask if we had any questions and informed us of their promotion as we were outside reading their menu. She seemed genuinely helpful and we found this to be really nice and welcoming. After a turn around the block we came back and settled in for a meal.
It's not often I can stand double ordering at a table, but we both ordered the Midnight Mix for the main. Neither of us could get past the mix of meats and how hearty it sounded on the menu- and when it arrived we were satisfied with our choice. I tucked into it so quickly I forgot to take a photo! The kofte was really flavoursome with a present but pleasant spice. Chicken was nicely grilled and the meat was tender, and I could have eaten a whole plate of the spit roasted lamb. The side salad was a fresh accompaniment and my rice was well cooked and lightly seasoned to accompany the meats. My dining companion had their Mix with mash- no lumps and no complaints!
The crime was committed again as we both ordered the baklava- but who can pass up this delicious pastry? Flaky, sweet, nutty with caramelisation- the textures of the baklava were spot on and I just wanted more. The ice cream was a nice addition to bring more moisture and cut through the sweetness of the filling.
No doubt I'll be back again, it's a great price especially if you do the two-course deal! The service was really friendly, relaxed but really efficient- our waitress knew we needed more time to decide and she knew just when to bring out dessert!
Had a fantastic meal here, Started with the mezze platter to share and was pretty much full before my main course even came. I had the vegetarian Moussaka for a main and it was really lovely, you could taste the vegetables and it wasn't overly smothered in Cheese, which a lot of people do with vegetarian meals. The service was great, they were really attentive, our water was filled up all the time and what topped it off was at 8pm on a Friday night they have a Belly Dancer which i thought was great fun and brilliant entertainment without being invasive! I would highly recommend going! I'll be back for certain!
Nice food the mains were nice
Some of the appetisers were ready from tin
I'll come again for mains
Good for casual and quick feed :)
We will come back
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I visited Café Midnight Express for lunch with a large group of work colleagues about a year ago, and it was my first experience of higher-class Turkish food in New Zealand. First of all, I loved the ambience - the red-brick walls covered in lamps, trinkets and beautiful paintings, and the decor in general gave the place a wonderful authentic atmosphere. We ordered bread and dips as a group, and I personally ordered the mousakka and a kahlúa from the drink menu. I thought that the food was quite good, although it was my very first time eating mousakka - it was very tasty and more filling than it looked!
The service was decent as well, although there was a miscommunication regarding the kahlúa - it was served neat, by a somewhat amused looking waitress, and I had to ask again separately for milk. And when our tables were joined together, they turned out to be at quite different levels, which was slightly annoying. Overall though, I was quite pleased with the meal, and I will definitely be bringing others here in the future.
I love love life be this place ! The interior is super beautiful !!
our waitress was so nice, she's the German one
She gave really good recommendations
I shared a mezze platter with a friend
somehow we got really full !! The portion sizes are perfect
delicious . Everything
would come here again
A place I had visited previously many years ago, I came back after the opportunity had arisen again and was not disappointed. The salads were fresh, the meat was tender, the service was impeccable and the atmosphere was welcoming. 10/10.
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Such a lucky find for us as we planned around a dusk visit to the Sky Tower. It was one of the nights with the special pricing for an entree and main. My husband and I shared the vegetarian mezze for our appetizer, and I had the vegetarian moussaka for my main. As a long time vegetarian, I've never had moussaka. This version was fabulous, flavorful, and well worth the wait! I have eaten falafel many many times before, and found theirs to be the best ever, and the rest of the mezze plate was of similar quality. Entree and mains were accompanied by a lovely serving of greens, nicely dressed.
We had the most delightful waitress, a young lady from Germany, who greeted us at the door with assurances that there were wonderful vegetarian options on the menu. She sold me on the moussaka, which obviously did not disappoint. Both waitresses on duty that evening were attentive and worked well in tandem, so the water glasses stayed full, food was served hot, and the empty (very empty!) plates did not languish.
Do you ship to the US? :)
We visited Cafe Midnight Express by chance, looking for dessert on Valentines night. We ordered the Chocolate Cake and the Sticky Date which were both to die for.
The service and food was so good that we came back the next night to try their dinner options. They offer a deal on Sunday-Tuesday of a Main & Entree or Main & Dessert for $25.00.
We ordered a Midnight Mix each, one with rice and one with mash for our main and the Mezze Platter. Both were very generous portions and faultless. Perfect! And for that price it was a steal.
On both visits it has been quite busy but it doesn't have a cramped feel and the staff are very attentive and friendly and make you feel at home.
We will definitely be back! :-)
First time back here in ages and it's still just as good as I remember. The wait staff were very attentive and the food is good value for money. My only complaint is that it's supposed to be Turkish and the picture on the wall is of Greece, but hey if that's the worst thing I can think of...
Recently visited this cafe for a staff lunch. Very friendly staff. I ordered vegetarian moussaka which was very tasty and not too big a portion. Price wise was reasonable.
It was one of our Random pics, when I was out on Shopping spree in the city!!But it was absolute pleasure to dine there. Since it was my one of my meatless Sundays ;) I had vegetarian Moussaka which was amazing !! Staff is really nice an friendly!! Definitely worth every penny. Good size meal and reasonable pricing :) I will be definitely come back for more :)
With Christmas season coming up, it's been a fantastic excuse to have work dinners! Our team of 9 came to Cafe Midnight last Thursday and we were warmly welcomed.
I understand serving such a large table can be difficult, but the staff handled it with ease. One of the girls working there was new, but she did such an amazing job!
I ordered the vegetarian moussaka, which was the best I've ever had. The serving was generous, with a nice salad on the side. I was so excited to eat, I didn't think to take a photo (sorry!).
The moussaka was dense, with lots of layers and had just the right amount of mozzarella. For $20, I was very impressed. I also noticed they had $25 dinner deals on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday for an entree and main, so I will definitely be back for that.
The atmosphere was great and one of my party said they have belly dancers on the weekend. The decor was awesome, very authentic. A really great place for a satisfying meal!
Been coming here for years..food is authentic and amazing! the swarma made with lamb and homemade garlic yoghurt and chilli sauce is to die for!! absolute magnifique
I loved eating it. Never really had Mediterranean. The midnight lunch was good and great variety. It's pricey but worth it, not for the lower middle class.
We have recently dined at this place with a group of friends.
The atmosphere was lovely and the waitresses were very nice welcoming.
The food was delicious the only negative thing I could say about this place is the food abit pricy for the quantity provided. I say be generous please
Organised Christmas lunch and found very nice food, service and atmosphere. Worth for the price.
A friend & I had two delicious dinners on two consecutive nights at Cafe Midnight Express. Not only is the food delectable, the manager & wait staff are charming & were very welcoming to two North Americans desperately in need of great food at an affordable price.
Yum! I was very nicely surprised at midnight express. Great food and at a great price. I went twice in one week!
Really great authentic food and great service to match. Portion sizes are good and food is really fresh.. Will definitely be back again
Midnight Express has to be one of my favourite restaurants in Auckland.
I love the authentic decor including the Turkish paintings on the wall, and although the place isn't big it is layed out well and I never feel squished. The food is amazing, especially the Midnight Mix which gives you a lot of beautiful food for a good price.
Also pleased to see Turkish apple tea on the menu, if you have a sweet tooth and love hot drinks this is delicious!
I always take friends here and will continue to return.
I ate at this cafe with my sister & her husband. We had the set menu on starter & main. The selection was great the food tasted even better. The service was also very good, my sister & I enjoyed the wine recommended to us.
The atmosphere, decor background music awesome.
I am planning on visiting soon with my work colleagues as I have told them all about my experience. It was Excellent.
Good food and service for a decent price. Portion sizes are good and it's just a nice place for dinner all over.
Great host, very friendly staff; lovely food and tasty. Very happy to recommend this restaurant. The decor is cosy and with good Turkish theme as well as the music. I also recommended whether for lunch or dinner, the quality is as good for both. I had heard a lot about it, and it was as good as I had heard if not better. Well done Cafe Midnight Express.
After reading positive reviews decided to give Cafe Midnight Express a try. This area of Auckland city is not where I would seek places to eat normally but very glad that we did. The restaurant was busy but not crowded setting a good atmosphere. We were given a good table and always attended to very well. The waitress answered our questions on the menu items well and in a way that we were able to make a good selection. The starters came out in good time and were very tasty. The mains were large portions and well balanced with a variety of meats, vegetables and sauces. Unfortunately too full for desert but will be back to try them out soon. Price of both food and alcohol very reasonable.
I heard numerous good reviews of Midnight Express, and went to check out the place for myself.
YES...food and service was great! :)
A very strategic Mediterranean/Turkish restaurant in the heart of Auckland CBD and they serve authentic, delicious food. Cosy atmosphere as a plus point. :)
Will definitely go back there.
Photos: http://www.menumania.co.nz/restaurants/cafe-midnight-express/media/46851
MEGW9062 For 20% Off Zomato Gold
+4
We were here a few months ago, we needed a place to eat before our movie that night. We wanted to sit further inside the restaurant and not by the door, however most of the tables further inside the restaurant were booked. To our delight, the lovely waitress said we could sit there, as we were there pretty early and the reservation wasn't for another few hours, great service!
The waiter who took our orders helped us choose our starters, which was really helpful because we weren't quite sure. We ordered bread with 3 different dips he recommended, delicious. Our mains were great too, great presentation on the plate. We were really impressed.
The only downside I would say is that the food is a wee bit expensive for what it is, and it is not the biggest portion. But otherwise it is a great restaurant, fantastic atmosphere with really friendly and helpful staff
Service with a smile, fresh, flavorsome and healthy dishes in a super friendly atmosphere. Never been disappointed by the food and its got to be our favorite casual dinning hang out. They always remember us when we go there, the kebab is always of highest quality meat sorrounded by fresh salads and home made humus and chutney. Not to mention the beautiful belly dancer on friday nights...;) Highly recommend it.
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Love this place!
I used to be a semi-regular fixture at Mexican Cafe and would always walk past this place, finally curiosity got the better of me and I decided to have a late lunch here with a friend. It was around 3pm after the lunch rush, so it was just us in the restaurant. I ordered a Spinach Borek (spinach filo pastry) and my friend ordered a dish of fried seafood and french fries (we go to a Turkish restaurant and he orders fish'n'chips, what a Kiwi!). My Spinach Borek was delicious, I love spinach dishes in general but this was amazing! My friend thoroughly enjoyed his dish and the interesting Mediterranean sauces that came with it too.
When a restaurant is empty, I find it's very easy for staff to often over-crowd diners in order to compensate for the lack of a crowd. Our waitress however was attentive without being pushy, coming around every now and then to fill up our water glasses and she always had a smile on her face! Service really makes all the difference, and we experienced fantastic service on this day. We both left feeling very satisfied and happy, and we will definitely be returning!
I went to Mightnight Express with some workmates for lunch today and all I can say is WOW! These guys really have it down to a fine art. The surroundings are fitting for the cuisine and the service is great. As for the food, the portions are a very generous size and taste of the meals are absolutely wonderful! And to top it off, the price was fantastic at $14.50 for a spicy grilled chicken dish with salad, rice and a nice condiment on the side. Some supposed 5 star restuarants could learn a thing or two from these guys.
Food always comes pretty fast and hot and nice, and last time I went there was a very friendly waitress who was always smiling so that was nice. Would go again but would order something different.....ordered something exotic sounding only for it to come out as a kebab!
We had not planned to go here for dinner but as I hobbled down the road on my crutches, no steps looked very inviting! We had the set menu which we believe was absolutely fantastic value for money, food was outstanding and service could not be faulted. A little cramped but this did not affect our wonderful dining experience. Would definitely go back here.
Went to midnight express with a group of friends visiting from overseas,I have been to midnight express on a number of occasions and we have always enjoyed the great food and friendly atmosphere.
As usual it didnt disappoint we had a great night my friends were really impressed and I will definitely be back
The ambience and service is excellent. We were 6 of us and the mains arrived pretty quickly. The wine list is also nice and includes a good range of white and reds. I strongly recommend this place as good value for money.
I went with a group of 15 for my birthday, unfortunately the nice back room was booked out and we had to have two tables, something they told me when I booked. They also suggested the set menu, so I had a price ($30 for entree and main) to tell everyone beforehand - good for those counting their pennys.
We all swapped seats 3 times during the night so nobody would be left out on the ends or the smaller table the whole night, I'm sure this didn't make it easy for the waitresses, especially as we had vegetarians who had a seperate main, but they were very nice to us still. For a busy night the service was excellent.
The food was plentiful, tasty and what I expected from a trukish resturant.
I wanted a casual, friendly place where I could enjoy a shared meal with my friends and not break the bank doing so and I wasn't let down at all.
I would happily go back again.
absolutely my most favourite middle eastern eatery in the country. not boring and great value
I felt compelled to write a review after my boyfriend's birthday dinner at Cafe Midnight Express was such a success. Delicious food, great atmosphere and friendly staff, I highly recommend.
Salene Schloffel-Armstrong
+4
This is my very favourite restaurant in the city. The service is good, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is cosy. A great night out and the best turkish in the city!
Theres a reason we keep going back, the food is good! Can get a bit hectic on Friday nights, but you can book a table.
Really close to my work so really convenient for lunch. I came in for dinner tonight and had a really good meal. The prices are reasonable and the servings are quite big. I got the calamari starter and chicken shish as my main with a side of garlic Turkish bread and was too full for dessert. Service was standard, they were attentive and didn't get annoying. I would have given them a 4.5 but the downside was that out table was next to the wall in the corner and another table for two was seated right next to us so close that we may as well have been on the same table. When we were leaving we had to ask one of the lady's to get up so that we could actually get out because we had been blocked in.
Very good food and service
Manish is excellent on his job
Came here for dinner. We had 8 people seated on a very nice sized table which meant we didn't have a clatter of plates.
The drinks came out quite fast same with the food.
Highly recommend the chicken iskender, was top notch, juicy, and flavourful. The lamb moussaka and lamb cutlets had great flavour too. My one comment would be about the lamb shank, personally I was expecting a richer, more flavourful jus. It was still good, meat pulling nicely off the bone and of course the bone marrow to top it off.
Good value for money and if you have an appetite, the proportions are great.
Definitely coming back here.
First time here and we'll definitely be back! Food was so tasty, nice selection of drinks, friendly service - absolutely recommended.
The lamb cutlets were beautifully cooked and succulent 😍 Portion of the midnight mix was huge! Really enjoyed a little big of everything. Chocolate cake was soft, moist & rich & baklava pastry was super crunchy! 🤤 Got to watch the belly dancing show which takes place on the weekends 💃🏻
Nice environment with amazing chef and staff. We had a meat eater and a vegan and we were able to find a couple vegan dishes that fit perfectly. Their steaks are excellent with beautiful sides and the vegan dish offered was falafel with fried pita bread and salad. Best falafel I have had in a long time. Great for a group of friends or date night. Alcohol available and their cocktails are brilliant as well.
This place is amazing. If you want a great Turkish meal don't miss this place is the top for tasty delicious meals and deserts. The cafe is a nice relaxed space to eat in so you feel very comfortable. The staff are wonderful. The chef provides the most delicious meals. Friendly waitress Jena was so wonderful and super friendly looking after us throughout our dining. We visited here 2 days in a row because it was soooo good. We will be back.
Exceptionally delicious Turkish food. I thoroughly recommend Café midnight express. dinner special to sample the marinated grilled lamb mince and succulent lamb kebab plus a chicken kebab complemented by fresh side salad. Mouthwatering taste of balanced perfection in beautiful decor. generous portion size. Fabulous experience. Enjoy dining here with friends!
The food is great and the service is so quick and friendly. Love the lamb here. Lunch specials are a great value for money. It’s highly consistent and the portion size is decent. It can get very busy during peak lunch hours so best to make a booking especially for a larger group. Highly recommended !
Absolutely amazing!! Went for a lunch date with my wife. Special mention for the super friendly staff. Well we opted for the express lunch option which are priced at 12$. I found the pricing to be really economical. I had ordered the Grilled Chicken which came along with some rice and greens. My wife had ordered a Mezze Platter which was a vegetarian option. Frankly, the platter looked more tempting. But the chicken was equally amazing in taste. I will surely be going again to try other options in the menu !!
The service was really an express one !! Go experience yourself
Impressive! Had a reservation for lunch at 01:30pm but due to some unfortunate events ended up coming in at 02:30pm. The gracious host did not turn us away, instead welcomed us warmly. Kudos to excellent service! The food is heavenly, perfect mix of spices and food. Amazing Kafve - if you like it strong, go for it!!! There’s nothing bad I can say to this place... keep up the great work, will definitely be back!
Awesome food, the midnight mix is delicious. The deals are great, 3 courses for $35 is so worth it. And the service is the best in town! The guys who run the place are attentive, polite and knowledgeable and always have a smile on their faces.
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