TOP 10 BEST Restaurants in New Zealand - Updated November 2024

Azabu

96/100 (2563 ratings)

Restaurants

Gluten Free Options

Japanese

Asian

Sushi

Fusion

Vegan Options

Vegetarian Friendly

Sushi

Japanese

Peruvian

Asian

Peruvian

Fusion

Gluten Free Options

Vegan Options

Vegetarian Friendly

Dinner

Lunch

Drinks

Tataki

Tuna

Tuna Ceviche

Lamb

Salmon

Rainbow Sushi Roll

Fish

Kingfish Ceviche

Sashimi

Traditional Assorted Sashimi

Pork

Chef'Selection Ice Cream & Sorbet

Tapas

Black Tiger Prawn Dumplings

Gyoza

Nikkei Steak

Tacos

Braised Pork Cheek Bun

Volcano Sushi Roll w Tiger Prawn Tempura

Grilled octopus

Spicy Pork Gyozo

Lamb chops

Snapper Sashimi

Lamb Chop

Free Range Chicken Karaage

Prawns

Artichoke Dumplings

Beef

Pisco Sour

Karaage chicken

Octopus

Dumplings

Ceviche

Eggplant

Meringue

Spicy Tuna Roll

Salad

Lamb Cutlets

Tempura

Chili

Soft Shell Crab Tempura

Sit down

Fusion

Asian

Sushi

Japanese

Peruvian

Accepts Credit Cards

Accepts Mastercard

Accepts Visa

Reservations

Accepts American Express

Street Parking

Seating

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Serves Alcohol

Wine and Beer

Gift Cards Available

Free off-street parking

Full Bar

Digital Payments

Dinner

Lunch

Drinks

Mid-range

"I can’t believe I’ve only just tried this place. Wish I’ve know about it for longer. The food was amazing, best and freshest sashimi I’ve..."

Bella Silva

"Went here for my birthday, great customer service, amazing food and cosy ambiance. Definitely recommended and will surely be..."

Nessette

"Had a superb meal. All the dishes were good, some better than others. Standout dishes for me were: Volacano Roll - topped to the brim with flying..."

Tony Shi

"Does not dissapoint!You can taste the work and culinary skills that goes into each sauce...."

Brienna Forster

"Amazing japanese fusion that never fails to please. From the subtle atmosphere to the award winning cocktails, this restaurant is doing everything..."

Bella Qian

"Rating 4.5 The food were really amazingly delicious. Stopped by for lunch on the weekend. The place was pretty quiet was seated up the front which..."

Manz

"This fusion Japanese restaurant is situated on Ponsonby Road. One of my top 3 favorites for Japanese.The dim lighting and classy interior..."

Lucy

"Fantastic food. Second time dining here and it did not disappoint, The crispy pork belly was super tender and the volcano sushi roll was awesome too...."

Scott Lawson

"Finally got to go here recently after hearing very positive things about the place. It's a hidden little gem that you could very easily walk past,..."

Matchstick Reviews

"If I had to only eat at one restaurant for the rest of my life, it would be here. They never fail to deliver on extraordinary food and service, we..."

Crackerjacker

"Amazing food and drinks, ordered one of the bento and Rozu..."

Geoffrey Huang

"Always excellent food, great variety and service. Everything is beautifully presented and the dining experience is enjoyable. Recommend you eat here..."

Alienbabe

"Excellent food and excellent service, we will be back again..."

Annie Wang

"A very interesting fusion of Peruvian and Japanese, and very well done. Prompt and friendly service as well as quick serving of the cold..."

Doris Ma

"We had the set menu, crowd favourite was the beef tostadas (which we ordered more of), chicken dumpling, lamb and pork belly! Ive never had squid..."

Pookky Promtrai

"LOVE the food here, everything is delicious. Maybe I’m bias, as Japanese is one of my favourite cuisines. But everything is so fresh and..."

Chan Can Eat

"Really great experience here. Staff were very friendly and food was delicious. Food definitely on the pricier end so wouldn’t be a regular place to..."

Stephanie Qin

"Absolutely amazing meal. The food was divine, fresh, all the flavours match together. We had a set menu, so we could try a bit of everything. The..."

Joana Arriaga

"It was a great experience, great ambience with yummy food. Every dish tasted really really nice, and staff were friendly. The only thing is that we..."

CHIFAN.EATS

"Attended with a group of 5 including a guest who came over from Dubai. Started off being seated, served promptly with a good drink..."

Darius

"I have been this restaurant several times, I’d like to say this is my favorite sushi restaurant in Auckland.Food is always fresh and..."

Oceane

"Azabu is great. Love their refined Japanese food here - in particular the seafood. Ordered the Volcano roll, rainbow roll, tuna tostada, lamb cutlets..."

J Eats

"Wow!!!!!!Had dinner here for my birthday Service was 10/10Food 10/10Our waiter was awesome!!!What a great experience..."

Gnxsta23

"What a great dining experience! It pays to reserve a table here particularly for the busy Friday and Saturday nights. Japanese/Peruvian...who..."

Food And People

"We arrived via the parking lot around the back which seemed to have plenty of space.... Restaurant was buzzing, and I enjoyed the decor. Food was..."

Jason F.

"Impressively delicious food. Every single dish brought a different excitement to our palates, exciting ambience and the service was top..."

Liza Cosme

"Whenever I’ve been to a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant I’ve never left disappointed, and Azabu is no exception. This fascinating fusion seems to..."

Gourmet Vegetarians

"Very busy fine dining Japanese restaurant in Ponsonby. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. Service is really quick even at peak hours. Food is..."

The. GIANT. Eater

"More of a 4.5 for me given the reverence this place holds amongst the dining community.Beef Tostada was excellent and I really liked our..."

Rao

"Came here for my friends birthday dinner with no idea what sort of place it was. From outside it looks like nothing but as soon and you step in..."

Hannah

"Azabu is such an amazing restaraunt. It is quite dark inside and lightly lit which isn't everyones thing but I really like it. The service is so..."

Karina

"This is a great place to go for a special occasion! The food was delicious and presentation was on point. We ordered the tiger prawn dumplings,..."

Lambo

"Undoubtedly one of the best dine out spots in the country! The salmon tiradito is an absolute stunner! So fresh, such intricate flavors, true..."

Ken

"This is one of the most amazing places I have ever eaten and there will be something for everyone. The seared beef tostada is the most incredible..."

Kate.mcpherson123

"A friend brought me here when he found out I love Japanese. I can not believe I have not been here before! The food is delightful; everything is..."

Saskia Halleen

"Amazing food, brilliant service - I loved the interior of the place as well as the vibe. A highlight dish for me will always be the pork belly for..."

Lisa

"Not a common place for your budget but would be top option if you need somewhere to date or celebrate things. I took my husband here for his birthday..."

Bella Luv Food

"Well where do I start. There was certainly some hype with Azabu before me going there as friends, colleagues and even acquaintances could not fault..."

Bulking Steerco

"Came here for the first time for my birthday dinner. We were asked for preference of water and said sparkling and after being asked this same..."

SpoonMe

"Everything is just sooooooo tasty and they put so much effort into presentation!!! One of our favourite places to eat and it’s always..."

Bonnie Hu

"I loveeeeee azabu. The ambience the food and the drink list is amazing. Lamb Chuleta 9/10. Crispy pork belly 10/10. Kingfish ceviche 8/10. Chicken..."

888

"Blink and youll miss the place. I Got lucky with the last remaining seat! Ended up sitting the bar which is fantastic as you get too see many types..."

Flippynz

"Awesome vibe, superb cuisine, prepared and presented as Japanese food should be: minimalist & tasteful.Enjoyed a great chilled sake with our..."

Mani

"Delicious food and great service! Ordered the karaage chicken, eggplant tempura and pork belly. All three were flawless and it was the perfect amount..."

Fooodie

"Just Wow!! I think this is the first review I’ve ever given 5 stars and Azabu deserves it! Everything about this place was amazing - the food,..."

Holly Swallow

"Exeptional service. Food is delish and beautifully presented. I really liked octopus dish and king fish ceviche. Portions are in a smaller side for..."

Katerina

"Awesome place to eat, and their cocktail menu is seriously underrated. Such a unique concept mixing Peruvian and Japanese cuisines. The Tiger Prawn..."

Gian Carlo Pascual

"My new favourite place to eat!! Honestly everything was so delicious! the restaurant itself is so big and trendy and the presentation is top notch!..."

Lizzie

"We had dinner on friday before christmas, it was fully booked, but the level of service was consistent and the food was delicious. We had sashimi,..."

Andre Mdst

"Went to this lovely restaurant last week with my partner for a special occasion dinner. We ordered a good variety of food: seared beef and tuna..."

Auds

"Went for lunch on Wednesday. Busy place but great service and the food was superb esp, the pork belly, Full drinks menu. Would go again..."

Ian Harrison

"Best dining experience in a while! Came here for my birthday on a Monday night, it started off quiet around 6pm but halfway through the night we..."

Lucyeatsakld

"Came here for my sister’s birthday and I couldn’t believe how busy the place was on a weekday!We tried a decent amount of items off..."

Thea

"Taste: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑Interior Deco: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑Customer service: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕Recommend:..."

Mon.

"Come here often for work lunch, we always share the Eggplant Tempura, Seared beef tostada and Tuna tostada – the tostadas are a must, they come out..."

G1k

"Had a great experience at Azabu last week. Had the volcano sushi, salmon ceviche specula, gyoza and pork belly. Every dish hit the spot! Especially..."

Matty Krelle

"Expected a Japanese digestion but find out it was more about fusion of Japanese and western cookery. A bit crowded and noisy in peak hour. Nice..."

Tanz

"Nice fusion restaurant. Like the sashimi plate and soft shell crab bun very much. The sauces on sashimi plate are very special. Wish there are option..."

LisaH

"My dinner at Azabu was the best dining experience of my life. I was blown away at how each dish served was incredible. There was not one..."

Keziah Sarmiento

"Was extremely surprised to see the restaurant was about 80% full even though it was a Monday night! Was glad that we had a booking. I had heard lots..."

Ari Kim

"I really wish this restaurant had better lighting so I can take clearer photos of the food! The beautiful presentation shows how carefully..."

Jenny Da

"Came here with family. Tried chicken and steak bento. Food is well above average but not “wow”. Service and atmosphere was great.Recommend..."

Aiden

"If you want to discover a new side of the Japanese cuisine, Azabu is the place to go.Excellent food and great presentation. From the beef..."

João Plácido

"Went dinner last night for our wedding anniversary it was an excellent service from the staffs, will go extra mile just to cater our needs ❤ and..."

L A

"It’s our first visit tonight and we had a great night - stunning presentation, lovely ambiance, great service and delightful taste. We ordered king..."

Evelyn Chen

"Amazing little restaurant! Highly recommend; even ended up having food I wouldn’t usually such as snapper ceviche; got to try wagyu beef for the..."

Alicia Crowe

"We have been wishing to try this place for so long and finally got the chance to go tonight. We ordered fried chicken, seared beef, beef short rib..."

Food Lover

"The best place to dine in Auckland . Azabu combines the best of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines to offer something truly unique. The food is extremely..."

Rohan Chauhan

"Staff we're friendly and attentive, and food came out quick. My favourites were the grilled octopus (starter), seared beef tostada with the truffle..."

Irene Calangian

"Azabu is a beautiful place with beautiful ambience and lightening. The menu was perfect there . Service was good and rapid. I had porks there . It..."

Aggarwalhemant8111

"We ordered the lunch box and dumplings. We were impressed by the beautiful food presentation. And they taste good too! Dumplings are..."

Bright One

"They really nailed the Peruvian touch in their menu, the portions are REALLY small but the food is amazingly good. It's totally worth it, just don't..."

Margot Vildósola

"Yeah these guys are good ...You're going to spend more than you want, but you're going to enjoy the food.The Wagyu Beef Short rib..."

Kieran

"Azabu is a world-class restaurant. The Japanese/Peruvian food is beautifully presented and explodes on the taste buds. Service is excellent. I..."

Schalk

"Food- The food here is absolutely top notch. Delicious and immaculately presented.Ambience- the restaurant is gorgeous!Service- The wait..."

NCC1701

"Great taste! Definitely coming back again. The feed me menu is very worth it :) not too bad for a nice company dinner. I thought it was small..."

Dulcie Raphielle Tan

"Definitely recommend this place. Do yourself a favor and order the chicken dumplings you won’t regret it! Service and atmosphere is good and the..."

Samantha Gemmell

"The venue is nicely set out, the staff are friendly and courteous and the food menu is interesting with an extensive drinks list. Parking is behind..."

Karen Betsubara

"My wife & I were here for lunch. Wait staff was friendly & prepared us for this Japanese fusion cuisine. We had seared beef tostada, prawn dumplings,..."

STRADS

"We tried coming here at night but way too busy instead we came here for lunch ... Service was great and the food is excellent .. we..."

Donna&Shane

"Phenomenal show of an exceptional understanding of flavour - the Peruvian influence on modern Japanese cuisine is executed to perfection. The drinks..."

Gentlepig

"A beautiful restaurant with immaculate decor perfect music and ultra efficient staff. The food is truly delicious and perfectly balanced. The volcano..."

Geoff

"One of my favourite places in Auckland. Nice cool ambience, great service and awesome foods and cocktails.Was really impressed about the..."

Diogo Reck

"First time dining here for a work dinner and the place was packed for a Wednesday night! Ambiance: very nice, modern, the room is a bit crowded but..."

Nathalie

"This place has great vibe! Good sushi and mix of different varieties with small plates allowing you to try different dishes with rich flavors. The..."

Jeff Gallant

"Was brought here by a friend who loves the place and we can safely say that the food here is great! Loved the steak and the gyozas were great too!..."

Elmocookie

"Decent place to eat, better off going in a group that way you will order more and explore theMenu more. Also the portions are not huge so it's..."

ChefAMG

"Have been twice for lunch on a Saturday now, returning as the first visit was wonderful. Creative take on Japanese with a South American influence...."

James Galloway

"What a feast we had here! Loved the dining area and the ambience. Very comfortable with great mood lighting. I have to say the service was..."

I_like_pickles

"AMAZING! Food looked and tasted awesome and the service was excellent. The food came out fast and was presented so well! Such a great experience...."

Alanalythe

"Firstly service was great, they were really friendly and helpful, and the food wait wasn't too long. We started with the octopus, which was..."

Chicken Wing

"It is a fine dining restaurant so the portion sizes are small, but the quality is superb. Had the sashimi, and the fish was very fresh, the miso here..."

Imperius Malekith

"An enjoyable evening with friends from Hong Kong at Azabu. We were so glad that we had chosen the right restaurant: we simply love the vibe there and..."

Sharon Kan

"i love strong flavours and Azabu does strongly flavoured food so well. The extra dimension of the Peruvian influence on Japanese food - just yum! I..."

Chefaldini

"Another spectacular dining experience.Tasteful decor, lovely staff and scrumptious Peruvian/Japanese fusion. We tried all the vegetarian options..."

Angela Kay Street

"I had the rainbow sushi roll, chicken katsu bun and the tempura custard. Overall very good food, good service and nice ambience. The sushi was really..."

Arabella Ross

"In a word? Faultless. Service, atmosphere, cocktails, wine list, food.....it's stunning. Price-wise it matches nicely alongside far lesser..."

Kiwi Foodie 123

"Went to Studio One for a popup event and the organizer highly recommended this place and as it was just across the road that was a..."

Jeffie

"Lovedddddd this place! Great menu, very authentic yet awesome spin with Japanese & Peruvian. Ordered a wide range of food in a group and everyone..."

Simon Pheonix

"Amazing!food amazing +++ bit hard to hear friends dining with because of close proximity with other patrons10/10 food and service 8/10..."

COVNA

"Amazing! We went here last week for my birthday and it was sooooo good. We had the tuna tostada, the octopus, the pork belly, chicken dumplings, the..."

Oones Connor

"Absolutely loved this restaurant. Each one of us had a drink which included 3 different cocktails and two different mocktails each one was just..."

Pooja Pamula

"I have dined at Azabu on multiple occasions and simply cannot fault their food or service. The maitre d is always lovely and welcoming and the wait..."

RachaelAlison

"Superb modern Japanese - Salmon Tiradito possibly the best Japanese dish I've ever tried - tiger milk sauce outstanding. Tempura Custard with Ginger..."

Sigmond

"Stopped by for a fairly late dinner and was able to get a table without booking. The place was still quite full but it wasn't very loud so having a..."

Benedict Uy

"Went here last night for an anniversary celebration. The fit out is stylish and funky and we requested a quiet table which had an awesome view of the..."

Lacey Thompson

"What can I say! Went here after several recommendations from friends. I'm so glad I tried it out. AMAZING!!!! I really can't say anymore. Everything..."

Sheeks

"Peruvian Japanese cuisine was something I'd never tried before - and I love it! Azabu is a really small hidden gem on Ponsonby road which has some..."

Roxanne Sarkari

"Awesome attentive, friendly service. Food was amazing! Chicken was tender. Steak was juicy. Fish was cooked to perfection. Cocktails were yummy. What..."

WongTable

"I love this place! I went here on my friend's birthday dinner. I didn't expect anything from this restaurant but they just surpise me with..."

Anastasia Kadir

"Great service, great food and great ambience. I cannot fault Azabu. We have thoroughly enjoyed every dishes we ordered and would come back again in a..."

Shirley Liew

"The sashimi and sushi were superb, especially the Salmon, but my favourite dish is definitely the chicken dumplings.Everything is presented..."

Max During

"Impressive! The service, the deco, the drinks list and menu all surpassed expectations. Our highlights were the gyoza, chicken meatballs and pork..."

Pamela Mansell

"What an interesting mix of Peruvian flavours with Japanese ingredients. Love how the place has soft lighting but provides a very casual feel. BEST..."

ShoRt

"Azabu, with its Nikkei cuisine (Japanese Peruvian fusion), piqued my interest when I first read about it and I was eager to taste for myself. The..."

Gus

"A great dining experience. Food was superb, staff are really great - very attentive right from start, very personable. Steak was the best ever,..."

DJR

"Dined in December 2016 for an end of year work team lunch. Great opportunity to try everything as all dishes were easily shared! Advised the waiter I..."

SJ

"Great to try the delicious menu at Azabu. I'm an Asian fusion fan & although many menus are the same, this relatively new spot had some great..."

Stephy_NakiGirl

"Azabu has become mine and my partner's favourite Japanese restaurant. The food is prepared and served of an extremely high standard. The..."

Ziggyscratch

"Had dinner here last night. I agree that this deserves a much higher rating than it has on here. Delicious food. The portion sizes aren't the biggest..."

Angela Trigg

"On the K Road end of Ponsonby Road, behind a heavy dark door and blacked out windows is Ponsonby’s latest Japanese restaurant – Azabu. With a..."

Amy @ My Dining Journey

"Fresh fish and great service. Food arrives fast and the presentation is amazing. Would definitely recommend Azabu to anyone thinking of..."

Eva

"I don't understand how did that happen that this place has that low rating on Zomato. I just don't understand how people could rate this place lower..."

Igor Anany

"Interesting find, a lovely little japanese restaurant focused upon delivery of Tapas style food, with suggestion to guests to order 2-3 dishes..."

Mike G.

"Came here as a table of 4 after having read great review in Viva. Struggled to find the place, but fortunately we stumbled across the dedicated..."

Bridgee

"Amazing food!! Great setting, only been for lunch so far, but will definately be heading back for dinner. Service was very prompt, attentive despite..."

Mark Atkinson

"Tasty tasty. I usually order sushi at Japanese but we were with somebody who doesnt eat fish so ordered some of the meat dishes. Highly recommend the..."

Michael Rossing

"Decided to pick this place for catch up with friends on my recent work trip to Auckland - definitely made the right choice.From the cool vibe of..."

Monica

"Went here for dinner last night with a group of friends. Already being big fans of Ibizu we had high expectations for this place. Located at the..."

HJ

"I went back here again for a surprise anniversary dinner and I was hoping that customer services have improved since 2 years ago. (see my last review..."

Lily Chow

"Went here for dinner and everything was delicious! We ordered the beef tataki, karaage chicken, gyoza's, chicken dumplings and the really crispy pork..."

Foodathon

"Took me a good 5 minutes to find even with the help of Google Maps. If you're looking for it along Ponsonby Road, it's next to the bright EastWest..."

NYNB

"We went for lunch. First impression is that it's too dark inside for lunch. Dark wood and subdued lighting. A night time setting. It was so dark that..."

Steph

"Absolutely loved our experience at Azabu. The food was absolutely divine and cocktails were delicious. Servers were super attentive and professional...."

Rohit Kumar

"Great dumplings, good sushi. Though the soft shelf crab wasn't soft at all, rather crunchy. We had a corner table, hence not too..."

Grace Lang

"The food is great here and has been consistently good over the years. I’m always skeptical of fusion restaurants or when mashing together of..."

Nip C

"One of the best meals I’ve had. Every plate was outstanding. The attention to detail of the plate presentation matched the taste experience. Will..."

Andrew Hunt

"So many things to really enjoy about Azabu Ponsonby. Comfortable tables (high bar stools would be challenging for the elderly/frail). Attentive..."

Ray C

"What a great vibe! The staff is so nice and accommodative! The drinks for 2-3 people are so great for sun! The whole drinks menu is very..."

Linda A.

"Food was good but a little expensive. It was not extraordinary for the price. To get more water for our glasses, we had to ask. I wish the service..."

Nathan

"Nice location, good presentation, great food. Service was a bit robotic, no real warmth or interest coming from the waiters (that’s fine we can let..."

Carl C

"Loved each and every dish here, and we tried quite a few. Appreciate how all you need to do is place your order, then they bring the dishes out to..."

Rebecca Meffin

"Our second visit. The food never disappointed us. We enjoyed every bit. A very small disappointment that my partner had waited too long for his..."

Sarah Murray

"Awesome place. Food was flavoursome, punchy and had great combination of flavours. Service was excellent, especially from the Italian Maitre D. We..."

Kersti Mead-johnstone

"Our dinner was amazing. Service is one of the best I've experienced. Niko was really sweet. He dressed up my sister's birthday cake(we brought in..."

Wxj 86

"Wow what a luxurious experience, the balance of the food was like art! Every dish was unique in flavor and never before tasted elsewhere! Great place..."

Celia Chan

"Love this place! The staff are polite and quietly efficient, and the flavours in the dishes are a journey in every mouthful. I always take a trip..."

David Eyre

"Delicious little Japanese fusion place from the same restaurant group as Amano. We walked in not expecting to get a table but were fortunate enough..."

Morgan-Sean McCright

"The entrance is subtle and easy to miss. When you walk in you'll find yourself in a cosy space with the chic dark bar/restaurant feel. The waitstaff..."

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Peruvian cuisine: the best places to taste it in Auckland Central

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Bella Silva

Nessette

Tony Shi

Brienna Forster

Bella Qian

Manz

Lucy

Scott Lawson

Matchstick Reviews

Crackerjacker

Geoffrey Huang

Alienbabe

Annie Wang

Doris Ma

Pookky Promtrai

Chan Can Eat

Stephanie Qin

Joana Arriaga

CHIFAN.EATS

Darius

Oceane

J Eats

Gnxsta23

Food And People

Jason F.

Liza Cosme

Gourmet Vegetarians

The. GIANT. Eater

Rao

Hannah

Karina

Lambo

Ken

Kate.mcpherson123

Saskia Halleen

Lisa

Bella Luv Food

Bulking Steerco

SpoonMe

Bonnie Hu

888

Flippynz

Mani

Fooodie

Holly Swallow

Katerina

Gian Carlo Pascual

Lizzie

Andre Mdst

Auds

Ian Harrison

Lucyeatsakld

Thea

Mon.

G1k

Matty Krelle

Tanz

LisaH

Keziah Sarmiento

Ari Kim

Jenny Da

Aiden

João Plácido

L A

Evelyn Chen

Alicia Crowe

Food Lover

Rohan Chauhan