Auckland's food scene has grown into something genuinely good. The city's Pacific Rim location means the influences are wide — Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Indian restaurants sit alongside the more familiar cafes and modern New Zealand kitchens that emphasise local seafood and produce. The Viaduct Harbour strip specialises in seafood with harbour views. Ponsonby Road has the most consistent cluster of neighbourhood restaurants. Karangahape Road is where to find some of the more interesting, cheaper, and less conventional eating.
New Zealand wines are outstanding — particularly Marlborough sauvignon blanc and Central Otago pinot noir — and most restaurants take them seriously. Craft beer has also taken hold, and a good local tap list is now standard rather than exceptional.