The Five Best Dates in Auckland This August

Fact: With the temperature's seasonal, biting dip, leading a sedentary life and turning your bedroom into a Netflix and chocolate-filled outpost against the winter is an easy way to see through the the tail end of the winter season.

Fact: Being permanently blanket-wrapped, horizontal and grazing for months on end makes for a pretty boring season.

Fact: It's hard to know what to do when it's so cold though.

Which is where we step in with this list of the best dates you can have for the latter part of this season. Take a friend, take your significant other, take that person with who you have a thing but you're not putting any labels on it.

Chef Dining Series

If names like Grossi Florentino, Momofuko Seiobo, Pope Joan and Osteria Mozza mean anything to you, August will be a good month for you. If not, it may be time for you to book a table for two at the various participating restaurants and pay your respects. The various legendary kitchens behind the previously mentioned restaurants are taking over selected Auckland eateries for a night each to bring you a menu inspired by their own back home.

Various locations / 3 August - 31 August / Various prices

Waterfront Pop-Up Sauna

Follow the winter tradition of all self-respecting Scandinavians and get yourself a hot and sweaty session at the waterfront pop-up sauna. Summer is almost here again, but in the meantime you can feel its heat again for an easy tenner.

Karanga Plaza (near the Wynyard crossing bridge at the Waterfront) / 5 - 26 August / $10

Cleo Wade: Poetry and Self-Love

Known for her 25-foot love poems and her Instagram poetry on love, equality and empowerment, American poet Cleo Wade is making a stop at Seafarers this August for a poetry reading. Wade is an advocate for self-love as well as love for each other, which makes listening to her a perfect date night choice.

Seafarers Britomart / 11 August / $42.69

Maala

With a croony voice and steady, catchy beat, Maala's music is strangely fitting as both the soundtrack for cute, coupley-type moments as well as a good rhythm to cut shapes to on the dance floor. Whatever your choice of activity, it'll make for a cute night.

The Studio / 12 August / $18

Dine, Drink and Stay on Princes Wharf

File this one under special date nights out. Dine, Drink and Stay on Princes Wharf starts with a cocktail at Bellini, followed with stroll up the stairs for a fish tasting selection and some bubbles at Fish, then walk around the corner for a crab sample and wine at The Crab Shack and then finish up your the savoury part of the progressive meal at The Culpepper for a smoked meat board with wine, beer or a cocktail. Finish up dinner with dessert at Euro. For those wanting a higher blood alcohol count, stop at Coley & Punch before wandering over to the Hilton Hotel for a night in one of their harbourside rooms.

Princes Wharf / Starts at 5:15pm, 12 August / $425 per person ($600 for two)