TOP 10 BEST Restaurants in New Zealand - Updated November 2024

"Can’t believe I found an izakaya which exactly looked and tasted the same with those in Japan!!The unagi (River eel over rice) was..."

Lost In Dawn

"This place has quickly become a favourite for a quick lunch and catchups. Their Donburis always hit the right spots and the affordable pricing has me..."

Bella Qian

"Quick and friendly service. Amazingly fresh fish and sushi. Good quality food. Beautiful agudashi tofu. Will return again! Amazing value for..."

Bonny Sapphire

"Food is great and staff are..."

Andy Wong

"We totally enjoyed our experience at the Don,service was quick and polite and the food was delicious and very cheap, definitely go back again..."

Shane Naera

"If you work in town, you've been to the Don. It's an institution. Been here countless times and I keep going back. Shout out to the torikawa (deep..."

Amindha Fernando

"A nice, little place tucked away in High Street. The food was good but the service was a little slow considering it wasn't too busy.Pictured:..."

Ind Frem

"Quick customer service and really good food. I love pretty much everything on the menu that had cheese on it 🧀😂 I had the Chicken Katsu with..."

Cecilia V

"Spicy crispy chicken don and the chicken curry. Favourite lunch spot that serves delicious food at a reasonable price.Friendly staff..."

Asianfoodie

"Excellent customer service and lovely food. We always come here for Don when we crave Japanese food. We ordered Takoyaki, Sauce Katsu Don, Chicken..."

LilianMonaghan

"Great quality food and service. Tried a variety of dishes to share and highly recommend the grilled squid and salmon aburi sushi. Good bang for your..."

Martin Geesas Gabion

"Had the chicken namban don for lunch, the chicken was perfectly cooked and the vegetables were fresh. Flavour was just right, not salty at..."

Lone Diner

"Atmosphere is nice all decorated with an authentic Japanese style. Service is really friendly. Can get very loud as it gets very busy. Ordered the..."

Candice Mclarin

"An excellent Japanese restaurant in Auckland CBD. It’s not the cheapest place but in terms of price to taste ratio, it really hits the sweet spot...."

Ming Shi

"Loved our order! offers a great food and drink selection. Friendly staff. Love the layout and decor, definitely value for money!! Will definitely..."

Msav

"This is one of my favourite spots to come to for Japanese food. Being a vegetarian, it's usually hard to get a decent meal at Asian outlets but this..."

Vasundhara Krishnan

"Best Japanese place I have been too.. they have best salmon dishes and amazing miso soup ( best in town ).. best customer service.. will go back for..."

Raam Krishna Reddy

"A cute little restaurant where you get decent Japanese food. We tried the Spicy Chicken Don, the Teriyaki Tofu, a cheesy egg plant, garlic..."

Aabhas Dole

"This place is great if you're a student on a tight budget. Their portions are pretty big and really filling. My friend and I both ordered the..."

Shuyi Wang

"The food was quite good, the prawn katsu was crispy and saucy. Plus their menu offers a large variety of dishes from udon to ramen, don sashimi..."

Food2belly

"This restaurant is packed during work day lunch time as it’s very popular and I can see why. The service is fast and clean whole the food is well..."

Vanessa Gao

"A really good place for chilling out with friends, really good vibe and delicious food. Its a bit hard to find but worth it and staff is really nice..."

Moses Ilyas

"Great bar/restaurant to bring friends for a drink and snack on a variety of Japanese food for a reasonable cost. When I go here I order the Crumbed..."

Floyd Moratti

"Friday lunch take away at office, ordered sashimi salad but they dont have that at the moment so change it to sashimi on rice which is quite nice and..."

Erin - Gold Code For 20% Off : CATH6386

"This place was mainly picked for my friends birthday because it’s a BYO in the middle of town. I kind of expected the food, service, and atmosphere..."

Anna

"I want to start off by saying that if you haven't gone to the Don, please do yourself a favour and go! It's well worth it for the price, ambience,..."

Vita

"Highly recommend if u crave for some Japanese food in town. Love the Japanese ambience created at the restaurant. Food is nice, especially the..."

The. GIANT. Eater

"Came to this place for lunch on a gloomy Saturday afternoon. We order the teriyaki chicken don and teriyaki udon. The dishes came with complimentary..."

Irene Glutzmen

"Come earlier than lunch time it is good, many seats, and can chat freely at least we can hear each other. The hot plate is better than the..."

Jifferney Lu

"Very nice restaurant tucked underground off High St. Surprisingly good food and attentive staff made whole dining experience surpurb. A+++ food staff..."

Chris L

"A small Japanese restaurant hidden in a shopping arcade and can be missed if you are not looking out. The food is super tasty and the service is..."

Sunil Nataraj

"Returned to The Don after a long absence and we were delighted to see new menu! Tried the Cheese Chic katsu don and Namban Salmon Don 10/10 and the..."

CYYTee

"Depending on what you order, the meat portions in this place can be very small. But if you stick to chicken you will surely enjoy your meal. The..."

Donna

"Authentic Japanese Donburi restaurant. Tried the Crispy Spicy Chicken Katsu Don, Regular Pork Katsu Don, Cheese Katsu Don, Terriyaki Steak Don and..."

ㅇㅇ

"I go here every chance I get. Birthday, catch up, social e event, quick dinner, drinks, date night ... it is one of my favourite treats, if I get to..."

Caitlin Thomas

"Me and my boyfriend love it here. It's always our go to place when we are in town. I normally get the Karaage Don and he'll get the sushi platter...."

Zachary Ferguson

"The atmosphere is good. Very polite staff. Feels like im in japan. The renkon chips are so good. Yaki soba is also satisfying. The food comes with a..."

Ronagrail Totanes

"Great place for a solid don. Prices are reasonable, service is friendly (we did have to get the waitresses attention ourselves but that’s pretty..."

Emma

"I've been here twice and I'm craving more. I especially like the chicken sauce katsu donburi. The second time I came, we didn't have much time to eat..."

Storms

"Awesome Japanese restaurant, have been here 3 times now and will continue to return. prices are great service is fantastic I would highly recommend..."

Laisa N Julessa

"Delicious! I hope to make it back one day. We ordered a few smaller items to share which worked out great. The food is awesome and staff were great..."

Rowan Rebecca

"Came here for lunch today. Me and my friend both got donburi, I got the gyu don which is beef and egg on rice. There was also broth on the bottom..."

Kylie

"always loved the food here... friendly staff and amazingly tasty food...its my go to place with friends and family for drinks and food... keep up the..."

Kartik Ramachandran

"Really great vibe in here, the food is super affordable and delicious. Would 100% recommend. It is off the street and really feels like it's away..."

Amy

"Nice place if you’re craving wholesome Japanese food.The food here tastes more clean and doesn’t make you feel too heavy afterwards..."

Aleana Fernando

"The place was quite dark and stuffed. Lovely staff but service was a bit slow. Not many choices for ramen. Portion was fine but a bit tasteless...."

Quinn Mai

"The Don never disappoints. The food is always great and the staff are very polite. It's a great place to have lunch and catch up with friends. You..."

Mochi.95

"Went for a late night dinner here with a couple of mates. Ordered the teriyaki udon. Very tasty, loved it. Place is tucked away underneath the..."

Rohit

"The Don has an underground atmosphere with friendly staff. There is good variety in the menu and the food is well priced. Good choice for a casual..."

Matadors

"I've lost count of the number of times I've been here. The quality of food and service has been consistent over the last eight years. The Don is a..."

Wei

"Go here quite regularly for lunch. Good value, friendly staff and tastes great.They have daily specials and an extensive menu. I recommend..."

Grant McDonald

"Came in with friends for lunch.Tender crispy chicken. Salad was also really nice. Environment was comfortable. Staff was friendly. Would..."

Rosanne Choy

"One of my favourite places to grab a quick meal with friends whenever I'm starving at uni. Fast, affordable, delicious and satisfying. My favourites..."

Ashleigh Hea

"This is one of my favorite places to go eat for a decent price, great service and great atmosphere. I love their Chicken Nanban and Teriyaki Salmon...."

Annaliesa Jeffs

"The Don is usually our go to after training or just to grab a quick bite. Their prices are reasonable and we are served enough to keep us happy...."

Rimal

"LOVE THE FOOD and ambience of this restaurant! Everyone who works there is so nice ! l've been here a quiet a few times and haven't been let down by..."

Ishi Mahajan

"The Don is pretty average but always a go to when wanting a quick bite to eat due to friendly service and food coming out quickly. Portions are on..."

Sally S

"Me and my flatmate have been wanting to try this place out for months now but we got busy and never did. Finally we tried it and it was really good...."

Ellynn

"We ordered the Karaage chicken don and the Oyaku don. The rice portion for the Oyaku Don was a little off or maybe the whole dish was too small...."

Dxlche

"The food was quite tasty and well portioned for the price, the service was great with super polite servers. I also thought the japanese decor was..."

Tane R.

"i used to like this place, I always ordered their Don. but in our last visit, the rice is not fully cooked for the Don and the sushi. very hard..."

Carmon Lau

"They have a really good selection of Japanese food and the service is the trademark japanese hospitality and efficiency I've come to expect. You..."

Jay

"I missed Japanese seafood don very much, so my partner and I came here to try don. We ordered beer, sake, rainbow sashimi don (salmon, tuna and king..."

I'm A Foodie

"My first time here and for myself i enjoyed the food. I had the Misodare Salmon and my husband had the crispy spicy chicken don. Would have given 5..."

Memz

"A cute little Japanese style. The food tasted fresh and came out rather fast after ordering, it did take a while to order so make sure you go with..."

Jammie-Lea Wilson

"Atmosphere was great, the place was unique Japanese bar themed. Food tasted good, I had the Japanese style steak Don, takoyaki and a salmon..."

Eugene

"My go-to when craving for solid donburi. I have been here countless times over the past 4 years and have never had a bad meal (note: I have only..."

AJ

"Have been here quite a few times as a uni student to have a good quick meal. Karaage chicken is really nice, tried most of their don and they're..."

Lo9ve3r 4s

"We came here looking for chicken and vegetarian dishes. There were so many options that were vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian. The portions are..."

Aimee.

"Small store along high street that was a little hard to find at first, but is surprisingly cozy and welcoming The prices were very..."

Aislinn Yu

"Small, cute and cosy Japanese restaurant, good environment and atmosphere. Reasonable pricedconsider the location. A wide range of dishes that you..."

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"Came here with friends for lunch on a rainy day and got seated in a pretty cold room. Wasn't too uncomfortable but I ordered cold food - needless to..."

Joanna 🌷🍵

"They have so many variety of Dons. The cheese chicken Katsu with salad was a perfect combination. And I had a Japanese style steak don. The diced..."

Daniel Lee

"This is my absolute favourite Japanese restaurant that serves the best chicken katsu curry I have tried yet. At such a reasonable price it is a great..."

Briar McGlynn

"Been coming here on and off for years. Yummy food. You can order mains, or lots of smaller dishes too share (or pig out on your own obviously..."

Charmaine

"The food is very good. I eat there very often and my favorite is the Teriyaki steak, the steak is very tasty and chewy. But the cashier is horrible..."

LI Jiao

"Great food, value for money. They have lunch specials on weekdays and all options are great. Food is delicious and service is very good. It's a great..."

Damáris Granha

"A nice place for quick and easy food. Very nice staff and the food came out very quickly. Good price and quality for the amount you get. Will..."

Nikki Rae

"About my 5th time going there. The interior layout is more spacious than before and goes well with the traditional Japanese design. The..."

Jason Zhang

"I ordered 3 kinds sashimi don. Fish was fresh but the rice was a little bit hard. The price is reasonable. I would like to had oyster and prawn..."

Sasikarn Engchuan

"Was about my 4th time here, and this time was probably the best dining experience I had here. The interior is very nice, really orientally..."

Oksana Zhang

"Love this place. Never let's me down when I need good fast Japanese food. Especially the udon and all the side dishes. They open till late so great..."

Lin Hua

"Went to The Don for a dinner - I ordered this cheese udon and my friends ordered macaroni and cheese and steak.I particularly liked how..."

Nisarag Bhatt

"UPDATE:Popped in for a quick lunch. The place was full of people, and there were only two table left. At such a busy time, there's normally..."

Jade0289

"Been here three times and they never disappoint! The food is ore dented so well and portion are little small for my liking. The prices also vary but..."

NINI

"Just went for the second time this week and again was not disappointed! It is just sooo tasty. So far I've tried the sauced chicken Katsu don, the..."

Claire Walsh

"This is my favourite Japanese restaurant ever. I've been coming here since my uni days which is well over 12 years. The staff are very friendly and..."

Mmm Mm MMMMMMM!

"Good food, nice staff, and a unique welcoming entrance. Me and my friend tried their chicken skin, cheese spring rolls, yakiniku don and spicy..."

Emmelyn Fuentes Rosell

"On top of having a semi-private room that’s great for groups, The Don will impress even the pickiest member of your clique with its range of..."

Raymond Tiong

"I have been many times in The Don. They have very amazing food. I just love the atmosphere that reminds me Japan. Highly recommended to everyone..."

Mercan Kazankiran

"Hidden inside a gallery on High St, it takes a few careful steps to find this place. Plenty of good options in the menu, opted for the teriyaki udon..."

Rafael Fonseca

"A tiny food place for people living in city. Reasonable price, great food and Japanese drinks. Big menu and can find many choices. Not..."

Tanz

"I Loooveee the Don! It's my staples while I'm in uni and I came here a week ago and was surprised when they hit the wooden drum in the entrance when..."

Blackpearl

"One of my favourite Japanese restaurants in town. The tatsuta chicken is a must try! I've never had anything like it before in other Japanese..."

Ffionachua

"I went there with my friend.I ordered spicy chicken don and she ordered Katsu don (pork) which both of them are absolutely delicious.We also ordered..."

Pattarintorn Emmy Jusakul

"Food is great, went there for something quick,. I tried the beef sashimi, Sapporo on tap, Takoyaki, and a Sushi platter. I really enjoyed I'll..."

Jordan Dorovick

"I have so many good things to say about this little Japanese restaurant. Great food, awesome quality and a range of traditional and non traditional..."

L Smith

"Lovely Japanese restaurant which has a great selection of meals. Love the Don specials as with a meal you are given a bowl of miso. They have..."

Amorita Maharaj

"The Don is another eatery for Japanese food enthusiasts. I ordered my go-to dish: chicken katsu Don and to be fair it was pretty nice...."

Annie Ren

"Sashimi was very fresh and cost-effective. I had seafood nabi, which is only $14 for many kinds of seafood and tofu. Also the wafu saikoro steak is..."

Carina Chang

"I only learnt about this place about 3 months ago and have been here about 5 times, great atmosphere if you have a partner or a group, food is..."

Ryan Wong

"Really great, cheap, European fusion food. We usually come here in a group, which has always been fantastic as it's BYO and there's plenty of dishes..."

Lee

"The Don is a casual Japanese cuisine restaurant on High street. They have many "don" (bowl dish with rice) dish on the menu. Beef, chicken, pork,..."

Mariko Sakurai

"Haven't been to this place since i graduated from uni! Glad to see that the place hasn't changed a bit and still maintaining their high..."

Vy2 - 20% OFF ZOMATO GOLD “IVYWIT”

"I liked this Japanese restaurant quite a lot. I loved the atmosphere and interior decorating and the staff are very helpful. While the food wasn't..."

Heidi Chapman

"After a heavy meeting, I and a few colleagues were hungry for something rich and filling.Having a stroll on High Street, we decided to dine..."

Medium_Rare

"First time at The Don, we walked in and there was no staff, so we were a bit confused, but still happily waited. The place was packed, as it was..."

Kirsten

"Come here regularly. It's great! Great service, excellent food at reasonable pricing ..."

Recur Transport

"We go to the Don quite often because their food has an authentic Japanese taste, unlike the other ones around this area. Personally, I really like..."

Liz

"We came here for a BYO dinner before heading out to town. It was such a good experience! $5 corkage combined with the cheap meals was great..."

Louise MacNaughton

"========================🌸 Chicken Cheese Yaki Udon ($14.5)..Udon is my favorite type of noodle, this dish is what i always order..."

Renée Chiu

"Came here with a bunch of colleagues and food was pretty good with quite a number of varieties. Quite authentic as they are run by Japanese, not..."

ChrisY

"Went there today just simply passing by and its was a really cheap eat, location was ok, clean and tidy but wasn't the best Japanese I've..."

Alwayseating

"As the name suggests, they primarily have donburis on their menus. Even as a large group we got our food quickly. I ordered the Karaage chicken don..."

Charlotte

"Great must try authentic Japanese restaurant on High street. Wide range of donburi, udon, sides and more! I highly recommend this restaurant, must..."

Brave Eat

"This is the best japanese restaurant in akl!! It's a hidden treasure in high street. Near bannsang there's a stair and go down and u'll find this..."

Claudia

"Got a small gathering with friends the other night. Great attentive waitress and the food was nice. Ordered Crispy Spicy Chicken and it came out as I..."

Bayu Purnomo

"The Don is fantastic all round. For a small price you get brilliant Japanese food and lovely service. I've never had a bad thing off the menu - as..."

Kelsy Fletcher

"A wonderful Japanese restaurant hidden away on high street. The variety of Don is really good. There were a good number of vegetarian options too. As..."

Kaushikc_32

"Came here for a quick lunch on a busy weekday afternoon. Service was friendly and fast. We went for their special which was a chicken don for just..."

Danny

"Dinner at the don~ superb!! Really liked it. Had the cheese chicken katsu ($14) and friend had a chicken katsu. It came with miso and some salad in..."

Ezzz

"Very happy with this place. Just under Bang Sang on high st. Standard meal prices for donburi type meals. $12-$13. We had the prawn curry with rice...."

Josh Law

"One of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the CBD. Always referring people to try this place out. The staff are super friendly and the service is..."

Gray Lockett

"Dropped in at lunch time and they always have weekly lunch special which cost about 10 bucks for one Don include salad inside as well as a muso soup..."

Jessie Tan

"Good authentic Japanese food with great service! it's nice to come here once in a while, probably for a celebration, as their food are little on the..."

Den Teo

"This is probably one of the most authentic yet cheap Japanese restaurants that I know. The restaurant was very nice, and the chairs were really..."

Razelle Icaro

"Really hard to find a real Japanese restaurant with actual Japanese people running it! The don offers quick Japanese fix with the taste of real..."

Chin And Prony Powichitkul

"Reviewed this place back in August 2015. Till today I'm still here eating my favourite chicken tatsuta don. Definitely tried more dish and snacks..."

Michelle Chua

"Love to go to this restaurant whenever I feel like Japanese. The waiters/waitresses are all very friendly though some cant really speak english well..."

Nicole Mae Flores

"I went to this place Saturday afternoon. It was very quite, reserved but very relaxing as well. They are really a Japanese restaurant and the people..."

Eduardo Dias

"Always good food and friendly service. The $10 lunch dons are well worth the price and are always hot and fresh. I can only assume the same for the..."

Miah Dixon

"I frequently dine in The Don due to its affordable prices and the tastes of the food. I particularly enjoyed their Niku udon because the soup has..."

Ameri Lim

"The Don has been one of my favourite Japanese cheap eats for a long time now, and it probably will be for a while! It just doesn't disappoint!..."

SS

"Hella authentic which plays a massive role in the taste of all their dishes- considering it's a mission to find delicious authentic Japanese food..."

Enyā V

"One of my favourite Japanese places in Auckland. My favourite are their donburi and yakisoba like dishes such as oyako Don, cheese yakisoba and miso..."

Neila

"I find The Don great for big groups, as there is plenty of space in the "back room". The food is decent and there is a good variety to choose..."

Kwan-Lyn

"Since I am a uni student, I tend to be more leniant to cheaper eats, and this place is one I never hesitate to go to - for both lunch and dinner...."

Stephanie J

"The Don is located down a staircase and man... What is at the end of the tunnel gave me a pleasant surprise!Because the sitting area at the..."

MissEstherZ

"If you are looking for a nice and central Japanese restaurant that serves cheap and tasty food, then I recommend coming to The Don.I have..."

Georgie @ Georgieats

"I had a pleasant experience at this Japanese restaurant. The food was enjoyable, and the ambiance provided an authentic Japanese vibe, which I..."

Ashi Ezz

"I enjoyed this restaurant's aesthetic, it was very pleasing to the eye and matched the cultural setting for the food they served. The restaurant is a..."

Aryan Thanki

"Fresh well-prepared food, quality sashimi and sushi. Nice ambience, good service. Not so nice are the disposable chopsticks, good thing the food and..."

Ran W

"The atmosphere was lively and pretty busy. All of the meal was excellent, served quickly, and authentic. I would come back..."

Nathan

"Food was amazing with a decent variety of choices. Space is a little crowded and intimate but but once you're in and settled it's very..."

Sherryk Koswara

"The don was a really nice place for a lunch in city after a bit of shopping. We got the beef yakke, cheese pork don, and the salmon avo roll. All..."

Simonie Lam

"Feels like being in Japan. The atmosphere and vibes are great! Not even mentioning the food! 100% would come back again. Only downside is that it can..."

Duncan Tang

"I went on a Saturday night with my family it was hidden inside a building but shouldn’t miss out. The food were so delicious and not expensive at..."

Nazaretha Cortez

"Huge selection of dons which are mostly delicious. The food portion here is smaller than other places but it’s also cheaper than other..."

Y J Y

"Great food and a reasonably fast service for lunch. They didn't allow like-for-like vegetarian substitutions for the raw fish in the bento (even..."