TOP 10 BEST Restaurants in New Zealand - Updated November 2024

"Awesome place, the soft taco is the best... The home made hot sauce is the..."

Zen Loo

"Even - now - nearly 4 years I last visited Auckland (January 2014), NZ - I'm still thinking back once and a while to my dear friends and hosts José..."

Robert Slob

"Finally got to try this hidden treasure today and yum! We were recommended the Nogada (stuffed chilli) & Beef taco with the refreshing lime juices &..."

Alisa Marie LA Higgins

"This place is a hidden gem. So good! Food is real Mexican. The special drinks are..."

Pedro Collier Cassini

"I had never heard of this place before a friend took me for dinner. Absolutely delicious burrito and fresh lime juice. Love this hidden..."

Bex Bradley

"Best authentic Mexican in Auckland. Supremely good beef..."

Sasha Lennan

"The best Mexican in town. You have to come and try this this real treat. Been eating at least once a week for 10 years and it just doesn't get..."

Allan Lightbourne

"Beautiful authentic fresh food and drinks! A must try for Mexican..."

Tamara MacKinnon

"Best enchiladas I have tried in New..."

Irma Marquez

"Wonderful food. Lovely..."

Anna McCrossan

"simply put: THE BEST ! Felipa, our dear cook at home for years seems to have done an excelent job passing all that information to José, it is a..."

Huili Saavedra

"Brilliant service, cool atmosphere, and amazing (authentic) food! Highly..."

Phil Thompson

"A humble restaurant in the middle of no where. Run by a super friendly grandmother who cooks and serves.For a casual authentic homemade mexican..."

Jade Lim

"Amazing food and even more amazing host. She caters each dish based on the diner and you get such a home cooked meal experience. Will definitely..."

Foodaficionado

"Delicious homemade Mexican food. Tasted great. Grandma was really friendly. They only open on lunch, except on Friday. Unlike other Mexican..."

Hungry Teddy (20% Zomato Gold, Use : HUNG2716)

"This place is a gem !!A 77 year old beautiful Grandma runs this place, she cooks and serves and loves to talk and she does it all with so much..."

Joban Patel

"Had lunch here today Ordered pork taco with crackling Service was a bit slow just one lady working until help arrived 20mins later..."

Gnxsta23

"This place is heaven. Originally from Southern California, I’ve desperately missed authentic Mexican food but this place is just as good as..."

Tyler John Doezie

"I highly recommend the Beef Taco it is extremely delicious! Has a great barbecue flavour, that won’t disappoint. The filling is a very generous..."

Sacha Oliver

"Really lovely place with great indoor and outdoor seating. The food is prepped by a very kind and caring grandmother who really loves her food and..."

Jay

"Friendly service lovely lady, we ordered chicken enchilada and beef taco and they were so good, I want the recipe for the enchilada sauce, the beef..."

Kath Fryer

"You know when you find those delightful hidden restaurants and the food was just nothing short of exceptional and all you want to do is tell all your..."

Becks Fielding

"Seriously, I don't know a better place for authentic Mexican food like this, you would probably have to travel to Mexico.Best thing on the..."

OJ

"Hearty delicious authentic rustic Mexican food. This place takes you right back to the streets of Mexio where friendly locals desperately trying to..."

Cupy Dee

"The only sit-down Mexican in Auckland worth a damn.We were very worried a couple years ago when the restaurant changed hands because we..."

Jamie Blackman

"Amazing! So glad we found this little gem! So authentic.Good selection of meals. Good service and pretty cool joint.Will def come back...."

Diego Traglia

"Stopped by for lunch and was impressed with the range and selection of Mexican items (mostly Chilli peppers) they had on sale including (presumably)..."

Benedict Uy

"Amazing food and super friendly service, by far the best Mexican food I have ever tasted in New Zealand, I can't wait to go back! I had the Soft Beef..."

Lucy Daly

"As a Mexican I can confirm this is hands down the best Mexican restaurant in NZ. All the staff really knows the menu and that is very important. I..."

Paula Guitierrez

"First time for dinner, chilled, superbly seasoned and just right portions. Chef & host warm, welcoming attentive - good with kids. All round a..."

Troy Stanton

"A very authentic mexican experience! We got the Gucamole and had this with the cheese / chorizo quesdila, chunky guc and super soft tortillas. We..."

Lauren Cluff

"This little hidden gem has the best service and food! Its packed with people during lunch on a weekday, so that means the food is well worth! I..."

Joanne Chiang

"Mexican Specialties is one of a kind, the place has a homely feel and the lovely people there made me feel very welcomed. I am so glad we tried this..."

Erica May Dean

"This place lives up to its reputation. The food tasted absolutely delicious. I have not been to Mexico so cannot compare it's authenticity but I feel..."

I'm Hungry

"Deeeelicious! I had the beef soft taco for lunch and it could honestly not have been any yummier. I was tempted to order another but I think I..."

Andrew Hobbs

"This place was awesome. Loved going to a relaxed restaurant with awesome food. The authentic food was unbelievable and tasty and a great addition to..."

Andrew Wilkie

"We LOVE the food here. The tostadas are delicious and the soft beef wrap is amazing. They use really great quality beef which is cooked perfectly...."

Sarah-lee

"I am a regular visitor to Mexican Specialities. - It is the finest Mexican food in Auckland.The service is 5 star, the staff are always..."

Lloyd Earwaker

"This place was great!! Delicious food and lovely service! Nice to have a place that has great vegetarian options as well! Definitely have a go at the..."

Toni Wilson

"Great Mexican meals for families! I tried many dishes and they were seriously gooddddd! I recommended this place to all my friends ever since. Beef..."

Jayda

"There are plenty of Mexican culinary options in Auckland now. However nothing comes close to Mexican Specialities in Ellerslie. I discovered the..."

Nick Lyus

"We only called in as we were passing but I’m so pleased wedid.Wow! This was hands down the most delicious Beef Taco I’veever..."

Aaron Arowana

"dropped in with a friend today. i hadnt been here since maria owned the shop with her husband.while the menu looks basic and great, i chose the..."

Mary Underwood

"Excellent Mexican food in a laid back corner of Ellerslie. Always super busy at the weekend but the food is worth the wait and reasonable value for..."

Debsjunkyard

"I have brought so many of my friends here with me to eat, and they absolutely adore the soft tacos and the sincronizada with the chorizo and chicken..."

Leigh H

"Our flat finally sauntered down the road to try out the local Mexican place that we'd heard so much about and we're very happy that we did. Tucked..."

Michael Trevelyan

"My friend eats here on a regular basis and swears by the beef soft taco. When we turned up it was quite busy so we decided to sit outside (despite..."

Kirstin Lucas

"Great little spot, with a warm, welcoming service you just don't get anywhere else! Loved the decor - on a warm summer night it really felt like we..."

Olivia Kate Baxter

"I have come here many times and have never been disappointed.Just LOVE the beef taco!!All the goodness is in the soft chewy shell:)..."

Joelle Strother

"This special bbq sauce prompted us to visit Mexican Specialities. Seriously, how could I have only just heard of this place, now?. The service is..."

Vivi S

"I've wanted to eat here for ages but found it difficult as in the past the Cafe was rarely open. It looks like the opening hours have significantly..."

Gus

"Beef tacos are delicious Price a bit steep at $15 but worth it for good food ..."

Bobby Anderson

"If your looking for great Mexican food in a rustic setting which is very clean than this is the place. What I love about this place is the passion..."

Rachel Kann

"Had lunch here today. Love this place! I came here probably 4 years ago and remembered it being good. It's still good. I really love the homecook..."

Miss Kiki

"Amazing Burrito. The steak pieces in it were some of the best steak I have ever tasted. Great to see the open days have increased. Maybe bring..."

Andrew Howse

"Absolutely delicious, the best Mexican food I've had - Beef/Chicken Tacos and Enchiladas were both amazing. Tequila side sauce and freshly made lime..."

Marty

"The sincronizada, with cheese and spinach, had the perfect balance of tortilla to filling, and was fried just the right amount to give it an on point..."

Food Baby

"Like others have said Beef Taco is absolutely amaze-balls. The flavors, the seasoning, the beef are all perfectly balanced. Chicken Tostada is..."

Amit Tripuraneni

"Beef Taco! That should be all i need to say about this place. The food is delicious. My personal fave is the beef Taco! I would suggest getting there..."

Kathryn Eve Wells

"Used to go here almost fortnightly and it was my favourite place for a long time, best and most authentic mexican in auckland. It has since changed..."

Ben Moynihan

"Great food and friendly service and great relaxed atmosphere. Authentic Mexican delight."If its not too busy" - try the Beef..."

Aaron Yaqub

"Really good authentic tasting Mexican food. Also great Mexican ingredients for sale. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you have only..."

Matt Eats

"Ironically made it here after 2.5yrs of living in the area. Don't know why it took us so long. Absolutely loved the food. The food was fresh and..."

Jyothi Madanlal Chhabria

"Brilliant. The service was personal and professional. The food was delicious.Thee shop has some real treats...."

Lewin Dickson

"My partner introduced me to this lovely little eatery which we are fortunate to live a 5 minute walk down the road from.If you want great..."

Andrew Head

"Dined here for the first time ever a few weekends ago. In the past it was usually in-and-out with the ingredients I needed.One great..."

Ben Ch

"I have been looking for a new place that is close to work to find a good lunch and a customer recommended this as the most authentic Mexican in..."

Saskia Halleen

"Great food, Great service & Great people!Beef Soft Taco - a must try!New owners have extended their business hours and made the place look..."

El Guapo

"What a wonderful and cute little placed tucked away in Ellerslie. Fresh food and fast service. Prices may seem to be slightly on the higher side but..."

Jay

"Any time I go through Ellerslie I make a bee line for this place, luckily they have extended their hours so there's more opportunity to eat delicious..."

Auckland Food Tours

"Came here with a friend who loves this place, and had a beef taco which she recommended. OMG! The large chunks of beef in the taco were amazing - so..."

Misty

"Get in early!You just can't beat Mexican Specialities! This place is an Ellerslie institution and you need to get in early as it fills up..."

Captain Underpants

"Most engaging friendly family that runs this place. Awesome food and handmade juices. Great ambience and a causal relaxed local feel. You can see why..."

Jenna

"Had lunch here today as was in the area.Blown away by the beef taco. Beef was smoky and tasty and tender. Such an unpretentious place. Will be..."

Scott

"Best Mexican Food ever! This was recommended to me from friends, thoroughly worth the wait and trip, we went at lunchtime but found out they will be..."

Lea Salt

"With all the commercial Mexican food about this is a diamond in the rough. The food is amazing absolutely authentic. Owner and chef are just lovely..."

Sean Appleby

"A busy little place just off Marua Road that serves the best Mexican tacos I have tasted to date! Kitschy Mexican decor hangs off the walls and the..."

Elena Ching

"Seriously, been back here many times as they are the BEST BEEF TACOS. On my very first visit, my impression of this place was the decor and..."

ShoRt

"Holy guacamoly! BEST BEEF TACO EVER!Mucho gracias to that owner guy who recommended it to us. So anyway, we wanted to try this place out..."

Marcella

"What is it with this place? Food is just too good I eat too much every time. I usually have the beef taco but today had the chicken enchillada and..."

Alan Christie

"Lunch here, today - was the PERFECT day for a Chilli Hot Chocolate - this is my 'all time' favourite thing, that they do here and an absolute - 'must..."

Bri DiMattina

"Anyone expecting a "restaurant" experience might be sorely disappointed - Mexican Specialities is noisy, invariably busy and always very chaotic...."

Lawrence Mikkelsen

"It's a pity this place isn't open longer because it's always very busy - it pays to turn up for an early lunch if you don't want a long wait. But the..."

Chris Gin

"The best way to sum this place up is busy, very busy. Do be prepared to wait for a table. However the wait is worth it as all the food is prepared..."

David Boshier

"Went there for lunch last week. I had the beef taco and it was amazing! Definitely need to go back there to try other things. Was really busy though...."

Bettina Tran

"One of my favourite places to eat Maria & Jose are very warm and welcoming. We have been going there for a number of years now.The food is..."

Denese McKinley

"Just been for lunch today with my work mate. She had the beef soft taco and I had the chicken soft taco. Small boutique place, the lady behind the..."

Courtney Maloyd

"My sister is a regular & she took me there for some guacamole & the best beef taco I've ever eaten, I used to work 5mins away & never..."

Scott Carlow

"Best Mexican food in Auckland. Tasty fresh guacamole, curiously good soft drink selection, exciting sparkly chilli salt, and best of all, NO..."

Rose

"Best Mexican food in Auckland... 1 of the only true authentic Mexican restaurants in NZ. I am from California & let me tell you there..."

RoseMT

"Best prawn soft taco EVER. Huge prawns, olives, capers, avocado, sauce, soft soft soft taco; just a fantastic experience. Wish it was open all day..."

Josie Sutton

"Outside of Mexico I had never encountered such a traditional real mexican restaurant. That is how it should taste. The beef tacos are to die for! The..."

Silvestrito

"Really enjoyed my lunch here. We had the chicken enchilada and beef taco, which were both delicious. Service was very good too. Wish it was closer!..."

T Pritchard

"I can not believe it has taken me so long to come and eat at this amazing place.It was my first time eating here, and I'd heard so much 'word of..."

Liz Winstone

"Mexican specialities I love you! And your delicious soft tacos. If only you were open on other days! I want to tell people to come here..... but I..."

Catherine Bannister

"I was so happy to find this little cozy cafe, and made several stops there for lunch when I lived in the area but since I've moved to the shore, I..."

Barbara Goldie

"When my partner said we were getting Mexican for lunch I cringed at the thought of getting some average California Burrito or some boring nachos. I..."

Amy Tanabe

"I love you guys Maria and Jose. Food is fabulous and your smile Maria is worth the drive. I do wish you were open every day and id probably be there..."

Diiya McCaw

"I am seriously addicted to the Beef taco's here. They are chargrilled magic.Only downside is that it is out of the way, and not open..."

Andy Chon

"My absolute favourite place to eat out !! Food is to die for , fresh, light & amazing flavours ! This is the real deal - legit Mexican food ,..."

Jessie Shaw

"Been here twice and loved it! Wished I could stay longer and tried more food (both times were lunch breaks in btwn work). Shame they only open for..."

Adeline

"I've been meaning to come here for some time, but work commitments and the limited hours it is open never allowed for it. I am SO GLAD I finally..."

Annie Siegrist

"Excellent & authentic. It's hard in NZ to find good Mexican food - this is one of the best. It's difficult to get a seat now - become too..."

Clarkie

"Only truly authentic Mexican place in Auckland. Delicious cheap food with a real..."

Maddy

"A very nice little laid-back place with the only authentic Mexican food that I have found in Auckland. Very good prices, nice people and tasty food...."

Andrew Van Der

"Not only is the food fantastic it is the friendliness of the owners who are passionate about both the food and their customers. Their sauces which..."

Julie Vidovich

"If you want real Mexican food this is the one and only in Auckland, authentic tasty food made by real Mexicans, open for lunch Thurs to Sat only, its..."

Cari Romero

"One of the perks with working in Ellerslie is that my workplace is 5 minutes from Mexican Specialities, which as you can tell from the opening hours,..."

Amy @ My Dining Journey

"We visited Mexican Specialities on a busy Friday lunchtime. I'd been dying to try this little gem out for a while, and recommendations were to get..."

Kiwi Food Wonders

"The REAL thing in NZ...who'd-a-thought it!We are originally from California and grew up with Mexican cuisine. We lived in NZ for many..."

Don Gilmer

"Mexican Specialties is in a bit of an odd location, in a row of shops in the back streets of Ellerslie. However, what it lacks in location, it makes..."

Neala

"I did really enjoy my flautas. The toppings on them are perfect and you don’t really need the additional sauces they offer because those don’t..."

Jessica Ureste (Jess)

"Absolute GEM 💎💞 Lovingly made authentic Mexican cuisine 🇲🇽🌮🫠 Absolutely excellent hand-made flatbreads with zingy, fresh,..."

Syd Eats

"I stayed with a friend around the corner and we were going to get fish & chips until I saw Mexican Specialties. I decided to order a Prawn Tortilla..."

Jocelyn Hughes

"Absolutely delicious food and the lime drink!! YUM!! I ordered the vegetarian soft shell tacos (of which you can pick your taco type), the homemade..."

Xaviere Murray-Puhara

"This place is seriously amazing. The owners are absolutely lovely and friendly. And the food comes out tasting of home made deliciousness. There are..."

Lisa Bell

"One of my most favourite places to eat. First of all customer service - Grandma is the loveliest woman ever she's very friendly and makes ever visit..."

Adrienne Nacario

"Absolutely delicious food. The beef taco had the most tender steak strips I've ever tasted. The service was warm and..."

Michelle shaw

"Nice, quaint restaurant nestled behind Ellerslie-Panmure highway run by very courteous owners. I went with very high expectations and was a little..."

Shyam Amarsee

"Deliciously unusual and delightfully friendly. I loved the two vegetarian dishes we had. I loved the conversation with the lady running the place. I..."

Sue Cardwell

"We have been repeat customers for this hole in the wall Mexican restaurant. The place is very unassuming yet you will be blown away by how good the..."