Anitra N.'s
The best gyms
- 110Les Mills TakapunaTakapunaLes Mills are definitely at the higher end of the gym spectrum in terms of size, quality of trainers, classes and equipment and what I believe to be most of all… status. It seems this is where all the beautiful people hang out. Many a time I saw seen NZ A listers (aka D listers) at Les Mills and the one in town has been said to be the gay hot spot of New Zealand (handy tip). Just take warning that if you ever sign up for a free week or any of the temporary promotions they do then they will call you for the rest of your life attempting to stalk you down and make you join the gym, basically the only down side to this place!
- 22Jetts Fitness TakapunaTakapuna CentralI received a free week pass to Jetts Takapuna when it had just recently opened and they were trying to gain clients. I went along with a friend every weekday for this week to check it out. It is a humbly sized place with everything you need - weights, cardio and most importantly - TVs above the treadmills. The great thing about Jetts is you don’t get locked in with contracts and stuff like that, you can join for however long you want with no minimum or maximum time period. Also it is open 24 hours - very handy for busy people!
- 32Harbour Fitness Centre - BirkenheadBirkenheadI joined this gym a couple of years ago and only left because I moved houses as there were no Harbour Fitness Centres around my new location. There is no joining fee with this gym and membership includes a free one hour personal training session where they measure you, tell you what exercises are best to do for what you want to achieve and basically just push you in the right direction and motivate you. It’s really, really great. Prices per week depend on what contract you sign up to, but you can also just get a casual pass each week with no locked in contract. This gym stands out to me from the others from the way that the instructors are so helpful and genuinely want to see you do well.
- 41Club Physical BirkenheadBirkenheadI came here for a month after getting a free trial as a high school student and it was the first gym I ever attended. I enjoyed coming here because the layout was good, i.e. the treadmills weren’t in full view of the weights section so the guys can’t see you looking super uncoordinated on them. So it was a good gym to start off at as I didn’t feel like there was any pressure to attend the gym looking like I didn’t need to be there (Les Mills) as it is very chilled. Although be warned that the changing rooms may still not be clearly labelled as I accidentally strolled into the men’s room once.
- 513Burn 24HR Fitness - TakapunaTakapunaYet another gym that I got a free trial for (I’m a poor student, don’t judge). I came here when I used to live around Takapuna as this is the only one in Auckland. The whole 24 hour gym idea is really novelty to me, I would like to come one night after town to burn off the calories of drinking which could be the best or worst decision one could make. Nonetheless, the 24 hour factor is definitely a good one for those who like to make excuses that they don’t have enough time because there are literally 24 hours that you can go to this gym, nothing is stopping you but yourself!
Anitra N.'s
Cheap & cheerful dining
- 146Barilla DumplingsBalmoralAlways the first to come to mind whenever someone asks where to go for a good yet cheap meal. Just to get some house keeping out of the way, Barilla recently got a D rating and was featured in the paper for this controversy, it was pretty much the talk of the town for weeks because everyone was both disappointed and traumatised that their favourite place to eat had gotten such a shocking rating. However, their rating has recently gone back up to an A grade again and the world makes sense again. My favourite are the beef and cabbage dumplings and you should listen to me on this one because I have pretty much tried everything. Also the pork siu mai is to die for. D is for delicious
- 27Umi Sushi - TakapunaTakapunaThis place holds the best sushi in all of the land! I used to work by this store and I would always see people going in and out from this place so I thought it would be worth a look, and I was not disappointed! I would say the best thing about this place is the great range of all the different kinds of sushi, it seems like wherever you go its generally the same things like teriyaki chicken and other basic stufflike that. But I love the diversity of choice here! Easily the best prawn incorporated sushi I’ve tried, it was so unsuspectingly good as well that I had to go back and get more to my friend’s annoyance because I made him drive back. The other great thing about this place is that it is ridiculously cheap, like a dollar per sushi piece or something like that, I didn’t really pay much attention because I was too excited at all the choices I had.
- 31The Wok TakeawaysGraftonThis place is my go to as I live in Newmarket and randomly tried this place out one day because of the proximity to my house, and I was not disappointed even though I didn’t expect much of it because it is only a small place opposite the hospital and it is very quiet around this place at night. I always get the combination meats fried rice and for the cheap price it is, it’s so good! Although I’m not too sure with me you can go wrong with fried rice I just love it so much. This is the perfect hangover place because there’s hardly anyone there when I go which also means you don’t have to wait around for ages for your food to be cooked, and also it’s cheap and delicious. Ticks all the boxes. The store itself is pretty small and quaint but the man working is very friendly to me. The chips here are also really good, I hate when they are soggy and unsalted but they get them just right here!
- 43Noodle Canteen - TakapunaBelmontNoodle canteen is quite the "safe" option for me when I am eating out. I usually get this when I am feeling lazy and want something relatively greasy and fatty to fulfil a Friday night by myself or something of the like. There are so many delicious options I always end up standing around for ages trying to decide then get the one that I always get after folding under pressure. That for me is the combination noodles. There are so many items on the menu that look amazing and I have been meaning to try though such as the garlic prawns or the honey chicken noodles. Noodle Canteen is always good, it’s cheap and the stores always look the same with the same level of cleanliness and with multiple stores across New Zealand you have no reason not to come here!
- 54I was so pleased to stumble across this bakery one tired morning with my friend! The best steak and mince pies ever! We came here because we were walking past on the way to my old house and randomly decided to stop and much to our delight it was delicious. Everything is cheap AND legitimately good tasting, quite a rarity! The workers in here are extremely friendly and always make an effort to make conversation with me if the place isn’t too busy. So if you live around this area be sure to stop by and get a pie you will not be disappointed! I am somewhat of a pie guru, not to toot my own horn or anything but I know my pies.
Anitra N.'s
Family friendly dining
- 18Dragon Boat RestaurantAuckland CentralI came here for the first time the other day with my friend because we were craving some Yum Cha. We got prawn dumplings which were amazing, I hadn’t tried prawn dumplings yet and I am addicted. Also the BBQ pork buns which I also had never tried so although I have nothing to compare it to I LOVED them. We also got steamed rice roll with BBQ beef which I highly recommend! I was quite wary coming here it didn’t have the most breathtaking set up but all that really matters is the food was amazing in my opinion! The staff were very nice and tolerable of my rooky knowledge of what particular menu options were. All in all this place is great to come to if your family love ethnic foods!
- 230Archie's Restaurant & PizzeriaNewmarketThis place is great to come with your family as the service is extremely friendly and the pizza/pasta options are elaborate enough to cater to all likes. I came here one afternoon with my family for a catch up as my sister heard this place was really good. I have to say, I agree. I took about half an hour to decide on what I wanted from the menu as everything looked so good, and I finally decided upon the Pollo e Pesto i.e. chicken, pesto, pine nuts, mozzarella and zucchini. Of everyone’s meals I especially liked what my mum got, the penne pollo fumigato which was smoked chicken cooked in white wine, fresh herbs and garlic with a creamy mushroom sauce. 5/5 food and 5/5 service.
- 39Gengis Khan is similar to Gengy’s, which I have reviewed also. Gengis Khan I think was the original Mongolian BBQ restaurant and since then many similar have been established. I just love this place, I would give it 10 stars if I could. For people like me who have no control over eating habits and eat not until I am full but until I hate myself, this place is heaven. It is the same deal as Gengy’s where you pick all your meats, veges, oils, spices and so on, then they cook it for you on a large circular table teppanyaki style. It is all you can eat hence my absolute passion for this place, and I certainly take that as a challenge. The pancakes here are amazing, I am not really one to eat dessert but I always have to have at least 2 helpings of pancakes here, HIGHLY recommended.
- 420Spicy HouseBalmoralSo grateful for this recent discovery. I just love those places that you don’t expect to be nice because it doesn’t have a fancy sign and does not look very aesthetically pleasing on the outside or the inside but ends up being AMAZING…. that encapsulates Spicy House. It’s always pretty busy in here no matter when you go, I saw people waiting for it to open on two occasions. The dumplings melt my heart. Also the egg fried rice is so good. There are so many options I always end up on the verge of tears having to just choose a couple of things. I wish I could have one of each. One day… This place is great to bring the family if you have young kids because the atmosphere is really casual and is always quite loud in there so it doesn’t matter if your kids haven’t taken their Ritalin.
- 54Came here for a catch up with extended family one night. This is a humble little Indian restaurant situated on Auckland’s North Shore in Milford. We ordered the papadum’s and prawn pakora (deep fried prawns) as entrees which were nice. As a main I got the chicken korma which was very enjoyable. It seemed that the take away option is very popular for most people as I noticed there were many people coming in to pick up orders. Probably a good idea when you want a quiet Friday night in with the family after a long week of work! The restaurant itself is cute and it was the perfect place to catch up with family in because it had nice decorative surroundings and it had a relaxed and quiet atmosphere, good for talking.
Anitra N.'s
Cool places to get a drink
- 15The Backyard BarNorthcoteBackyard bar is so completely underrated and underused in my opinion. Oh the things I would do with this place if I were an events manager! Firstly, the bar itself is a fantastic set up - it is a big expanse with a huge dance floor, big bar area to avoid clogging with the queues of people waiting for drinks and then there is the amazing outdoor area. When you walk outside there is a huge pool and patrons are welcome to drink around the perimeter of it. This bar is PERFECT for summer gigs and I don’t think I saw a single one here from the summer just been! The staff here really need to get this bar out there more because it has SO much potential. The only things I have seen it being used for as of late are for bikinis comps and they can do so much better than that…..
- 212The CarparkAuckland CentralCarpark seems to be a popular joint to go to for after work drinks and pizza. I used to go there after uni on Fridays for the good, cheap pizza then have a few drinks and move on. This place gets packed out on Friday and Saturday nights and often there are uni parties held here so beware in advance for the swarm of hoons, if you are not one yourself. Many a great time is to be had at Carpark but it is definitely for the younger crowd. Recently I have seen photos of fire breathers and performers outside Carpark entertaining the long lines of people waiting to get in on Friday and Saturday nights which is a cool feature.
- 330OrleansAuckland CentralThis place has just opened up in Britomart and it used to be the popular Agents and Merchants. It had big shoes to fill because it was a favourite with everyone and they have definitely surpassed expectations with this one. It is definitely now my favourite place to come on a night out or for a quiet drink even. Earlier in the evenings it transforms from a chilled relaxed vibe to a packed and lively place to dance in the evenings on the weekend. Also apparently the food here is amazing (Southern style themed) but I have not been here to eat yet - soon!
- 418Freeman and GreyPonsonbyA good friend was back from the UK and we wanted to catch up somewhere classy. A few of us separately requested we go to Freeman & Grey because we had all heard from different people about how nice it is. We ordered drinks and some of us got the ‘Farmer’s Platter’ to share. This had chicken wings, meatballs, calamari, wagyu beef sliders, stuffed mushrooms & beer battered fries. All were AMAZING although this conclusion may have been reached due to the numerous wines that had been consumed by the time the food came out (not implying that it took a long time but rather that we went all out on this particular occasion with the drinking). I have been back many times since and will continue to. The lovely outdoor area and the balcony upstairs that overlooks Ponsonby Road makes for the perfect place to have a casual wine after work and I think that is what this bar was created around the notion of; for that casual after work drink/bite to eat.
Anitra N.'s
Best gift stores
- 12All Bright FlowersKingslandI came here to get my friend some flowers for her graduation. It is a small, quiet store located in Kingsland just opposite where my flat was which was handy. I ended up getting some beautiful orchids,a card, and a Hello Kitty teddy toy thing that went with the flowers which was perfect because my friend has a Hello Kitty obsession. The girl working in there was very nice and helpful, she gave me advice on the cheap flowers (I’m a student) and what ones would be nice to get for a graduation. All up it was twenty something dollars which I thought was a GREAT deal and my friend loved it! So cheap here!
- 21Zinc Global DesignNew ZealandZinc design is an awesome little gift shop in the heart of Takapuna. I just love coming into this store there are so many cool trinkets to look at and play with. It is filled with quirky and fun products to decorate your house with - from clocks to jewellery there is a huge range of great stuff in here. The perfect shop for that off the tangent friend who you don’t know what to buy for (we all have one). Zinc design is very unique and wacky.
- 31Texan Art Schools - TakapunaTakapunaThis is probably my top loved gift store in Auckland. It is a very modern and has a Kiwiana theme to it. The items range from clocks to candles, canvases to ceramics, frames and prints to jewellery and lamps, and glass to wood features. Everything is very quirky and unique to any other gift shop because of the Kiwi/modern theme and it is something that every New Zealander would appreciate so finding something here for any birthday or anniversary is an easy task. The prices are very decent for such individual items, so this shop makes for a great go-to if you are doing a last minute shop because you are always guaranteed to find something!
- 46Gusto & GraceNewmarketThis is the place for the individual who is willing to pay more for their present, it is definitely one of the higher end gift shops out there. But this just means the quality is great and the selection is unique. Similar to Texan Art Schools, Gusto & Grace has a NZ Made or Designed section where you can purchase items ranging from jewellery designed by NZ musician Boh Runga to NZ Made cufflinks by NZ designers. They also have really quirky and fun items like record coasters and an amazing star projector. This place is somewhere to come if you are looking for someone who loves unconventional gifts
- 52Redcurrent AlbanyAlbanyRedcurrent is the perfect place to gift shop for women stereotypically (not to sound negative, just being honest that it is catering to the masses). It is full of items for the house like decorative furniture, ornaments, cushions and so on. It has items for babies, wedding gifts, corporate gifts, they really cover a wide range in this store. Gift wrapping is free here and they also throw in a free hand written card to go on your gift of choice which I thought is a nice addition. Redcurrent’s items are beautiful and usually one of a kind to other gift stores, perfect for the high maintenance woman you are shopping for!
Anitra N.'s
Get a taste of culture here
- 11Fong Mei CafeHowick, Mellons & Cockle BayI heard of this place first through my Howick friends who go on and go about it, so I had to get it with them one night. The annoying thing is I don’t think there is an online menu for this place so my friend spent about an hour going through all her paper menus trying to find Fong Mei’s one and by the time she found it the place had closed. So the next night we phone ordered then went and picked it up and brought it back to her house. The food was delicious, I ordered the fried noodle with black pepper beef and it was very authentically Asian and absolutely delicious and equally filling. Definite 5/5 for this place and highly recommended to anyone who appreciates genuine Cantonese cuisine.
- 233Dos Amigos CantinaMission BayThis place is pretty cute, came here the other day and was greeted by a girl in Spanish (Hola) although it was ultimately quite weird because she put on a thick Spanish accent to say Hola, gracias and adios then switched back to a New Zealand accent… oh well it was a cute façade in the name of the restaurant anyway. Anywho so we got the Grande nachos with chicken and it was soo good, the ones I attempt to make at home could never compare. The topping to chip ratio was extra pleasing as well, definitely do not get ripped off here. The beef quesadilla was really delicious and the pinos gris was very crisp. The lizards sitting in the tank by the register were a treat for the eyes too.
- 332Nishiki Japanese RestaurantFreemans BayNishiki was the port of call before a night out in Ponsonby and our friend arranged for us all to come here beforehand to eat and drink before heading out as it is BYO. It is always quite fun ordering from here, everything is very cheap and you choose a whole bunch of little things to eat at one time. A must get is the chips with maple syrup - sounds so weird and that is what I thought but it is SO yum. We got so many dishes I can hardly remember most of them but I do remember there was nothing I did not enjoy. So we ended up getting quite drunk and gave the waiters some grief with our drunken antics and we have been too scared to return since. Hopefully by now they have forgotten our faces. Definitely one of my favourite Japanese restaurants.
- 412Bona CafePonsonbyI came to Bona Pizza with my two girlfriends one night before heading out because they both love the place. Upon seeing it had colourful fairy lights splayed across the store front I was already sold. It is a small and humble restaurant with only a small number of tables but it suits it perfectly. It is byo which made my experience even better, but I was impressed by their pizzas. We ordered the Ponsonby VIP Grande and the Al Pollo Affumicato. Simply delicious. The first pizza had tomato sauce, cheese,chicken, eggplant and sundried tomatos and artichokes while the second had tomato sauce, cheese, smoked chicken, green peppercorns, capsicum, parmesan cheese and sweet chilli sauce. I had never seen pizzas with such ingredients in my many years of pizza trialling so this was a pleasant and delicious surprise. HIGHLY recommended. Also the owner is SO sweet, such a lovely woman.
- 550Cafe HanoiAuckland CentralThis place was simply divine. I went here on a date (yay for me) and I am so glad I listened to my friends recommendation on this one. Situated in Auckland’s trendy Britomart square, this little slice of Vietnamese heaven is one of the best restaurants I have been to. We turned up without reservations on a Wednesday night and had to wait for an hour to be seated so be sure to book in advance. We got a couple of shared plates which included a hotpot of caramelised pork belly and chicken skewers. We ordered the herb tray for a laugh but turned out to be a really good idea to mix with the mains so be sure to get that as well. We finished with a dessert wine each which was absolutely delicious. The service was great, it was a great environment and my company was certainly great (thank god for that). Also the toilets were located underground down numerous staircases and around a labyrinth which eventually took you to the bathrooms which were styled like boutiquey powder rooms with candles as lighting. Very cute. Love this place.