The Eight Best Salads in Auckland
No city for day-old supermarket bags of mesclun.
Salads – traditionally seen as boring, unfulfilling, and the high-maintenance white girl's choice of first date dinner fare. But it doesn't have to be that way. Auckland's best cafes and eateries are now tossing salads that are the stars of their menu, not some sad-sack side to a slab of steak.
Our picks are delicious and wallet-friendly and will make maintaining those healthy eating habits you (hopefully) developed over summer a breeze. Dig in.
Bird on a Wire
Known and loved for free range roast chicken that melts in your mouth, the original Bird in Ponsonby and mini Box of Birds on Commerce and Elliott streets also peddle incredibly delicious and inspired salads. While there's a fresh selection every day (served in cute noodle boxes, hand-pulled chook on top optional), the raw mix of beetroot and carrot with maple dressing is a classic, as is the Dijon potato with rocket. Ingredients are sourced locally and seasonally and dressings are made in-house with nothing dodgy thrown in, so you can eat all the takeout you like with none of the guilt.
234 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
Little & Friday
Little & Friday's dinner service at its Belmont store is a totally different experience to popping in during the day (for starters, it's not acceptable to eat just a cream and jam doughnut). They offer hot meals to order and a range of cabinet salads that give their signature sweet treats a run for their money. It's not available every night though, so check the website for hours and menus.
43C Eversleigh Street, Belmont
Ripe Deli
Ripe on Richmond Road has a cult following, and it's no mystery as to why – the food is just perfect for those discerning types who want to eat well yet don't have time to cook. While their pastries, cakes, pizzas and burritos are pretty great, the salads are where it's at. Soba noodles with crunchy Asian greens, plump balls of Israeli couscous with roasted vegetables, and the super saintly Raw Energy – the options are endless, and change out regularly. They even ask if you'd like toasted sunflower seeds sprinkled on top. Yes please.
172 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn
The Fridge
Yes, The Fridge serve up the tastiest hangover cures in town in the form of their famous, golden-brown gourmet pies, but don't ignore the salads. Loads of choice, lots of hearty ingredients and yummy dressings, and vegetarian and vegan friendly too. Alternatively, get a side portion with your steak and mushroom pie if you want to feel virtuous.
507 New North Road, Kingsland
Wise Cicada
Wise Cicada is an organic food store and café in Newmarket that serves nutritious, satisfying vegan salads that everyone will love (as well as a great range of hot dishes, raw soups, fresh produce for sale, and healthy staples for your kitchen). Salads are a steal for $3.90 per 100g; you can mix and match and ask for additional extras – like tamari roasted nuts, mayo sans egg, and nutritional yeast (which tastes like cheese, so I've heard) – for free.
23 Crowhurst Street, Newmarket
Revive
If you work or study in town and want to avoid a midday meal that will leave you sluggish and craving chocolate all afternoon, Revive is the place for you. Their all-vegetarian salads are creative, filling and absolutely delicious (Cos Caesar and Greek are highly recommended). Pro tip: Revive has awesome deals on GrabOne every other week, so keep an eye out.
Catroux
Cool, white and kid-friendly, Garnet Road's Catroux is a little like the Dizengoff of Westmere. Their orzo "salad" (or pasta, whatever) with sundried tomato, feta, spinach and chorizo and roasted yam with bulgur wheat is amazing, and sits alongside several other bright and tasty options. It can be surprisingly hard to get a table on the weekends, but don't even bother - get takeout and head over to the beach, it's just a stone's throw away.
129 Westend Road, Westmere
Tiny Food Store
TFS in suburban Milford is well worth a visit if you find yourself on the Shore, and offers one of the best ranges of paleo-friendly meals, treats, snacks and salads in Auckland. The Asian slaw with crushed peanuts and salmon is light and zingy; the snow pea and capsicum perfectly crisp.
47a Nile Road, Milford
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