Eight of the Best Hotel Restaurants in Auckland

Found within one of the finest metropolitan hotels in Auckland, Cordis, Eight certainly doesn’t do things by halves, and by no means should you when you visit.

The restaurant service is led by a buffet to rule them all. Across lunch and dinner it features eight international cuisines, including a tandoor kitchen, a pasta station, an all-encompassing salad bar, a sushi and sashimi section, an on demand New York style grill, and more. You name it and you can probably eat it. Just save room for the infamous chocolate fountain.

Another offering by esteemed chef Sean Connolly, The Grill prides itself on the finest meat New Zealand has to offer — from pasture-fed Angus to 100-day-aged Japanese scotch fillet.

With so many options to choose from it can all be a little daunting — hence The Grill conveniently offers the ‘Study of Beef’, a selection of the chef’s three favourite cuts from what’s on offer that day. When that arrives at your table, my god, what a rush. One of the best meat experiences possible.

With its large balcony — typically heaving with customers — The Oyster Inn has a roadside allure that draws you upstairs even if you’re not in the business of dining — which could actually pan out for the best seeing it also quadruples as a bar, boutique hotel, retail shop and sometimes gig venue.

The restaurant is extremely pleasant. A table outside on the balcony is the quintessential dining or drinking destination to take in views over the beautiful Hauraki Gulf. The Inn’s namesake leads the menu with oysters available in four varieties. If the drinks become all too overwhelming, there are rooms available to sleep it off.

Hotel DeBrett is an old hostel which was transformed into a luxury boutique hotel thanks to a multi million dollar refurbishment. Bordering High Street and O’Connell, the hotel houses unique, functional spaces within, including the matter-of-factly named Kitchen Restaurant and the famous Housebar.

Each are distinct and worthy destinations in their own right, though the weekend high tea is definitely worth the money spent. Pop in for an afterwork wine or a cocktail whilst listening to live jazz on a Sunday.

While the name of The Hilton’s FISH is nothing to write home about, the menu suggests otherwise. There’s no beating around the bush that you can expect an abundance of seafood. FISH showcases the finest fare from local waters by offering the very best sustainable, and where possible, organic produce. Expect delights like crayfish mac ‘n’ cheese, crispy skin Akaroa salmon and Cloudy Bay clams. Those not entirely keen on fish are still in good hands with menu items like Southland lamb and Takapoto eye fillet.

The fine dining establishment comes with all the subtle trademarks of the five-star joint: white table clothes, contemporary art and that multi-million dollar view out across the Hauraki Gulf.

Sean Connolly’s Gusto at The Grand is a place to enjoy the finer things in life – good food, wine and company. The rustic Italian eatery seats 90 guests between a four-metre-long octopus artwork, an open kitchen and suave European finishings.

Matching the great space is a splendid menu that features dishes with the magic qualities of being honest and seemly simple yet tasting extraordinary — keep an eye out for the extremely comforting pappardelle with duck and pea ragu.

It’s classy, refined and high quality, yet relaxed, generous, familial and special.

Named after the Japanese symbol for prosperity and good fortune, you’re certainly in good hands at contemporary Japanese restaurant Masu. One of the culinary greats of Federal Street’s dynamic restaurant scene and neighbour to SkyCity Grand, Masu’s focus is on robata-style cooking — a technique which literally means ‘fireside cooking’, using open coals.

The tasting menu will open you up to an array of glorious bite-size morsels — like the ceviche spicy miso taco — and the restaurant’s own qualified saké master, Fumi Nakatani, will be happy to show you around the colossal 40-strong saké list.

The Crowne Plaza’s Aria is the kind of place you’d want to visit if you’d just been stranded on a desert island. The portion sizes here are seriously huge. Head-size, even.

Chef Adrian Walker’s menu is a mashup of bistro and gastropub, with everything from fresh Pacific oysters to house-made ravioli and high quality meats from the grill.

With the Q, The Civic and The Herald theatres all in close proximity, the restaurant also offers a pre-theatre dining menu which includes one or two courses before the show and dessert afterwards.