A few years ago, I made a terrible mistake – I let a friend convince me that her favourite spot was the best Chinese restaurant in Auckland. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t – and it’s either I just have high standards or I was just at the wrong place.

The moment I started exploring restaurants with my team, the more the city seemed to surprise me. I used to think Auckland was all about fish and chips, but it had more surprises up its sleeves that I just came to know.

Under the very noble excuse of research, we ate our way through the best spots in the city to find the ones you simply can’t pass by.

1. Grand Harbour

Established in 2000, this restaurant offers some of the city’s best Hong Kong-style cuisine. They specialise in offering Yum Cha, which is a brunch or breakfast tradition defined by small, bite-sized portions of food.

We liked that their Yum Cha menu came with a wide range of freshly steamed options. This includes some delicious picks like xiao long bao, roast Peking duck, and black gold abalone. These are rolled out on traditional trolleys.

Their service earned our favour for being fast and efficient even during busy hours. Guests were generally seated quickly (sometimes even with no wait time), and staff checks in from time to time without being intrusive.

We’re happy to note that the place is flexible too, as it can accommodate both small and large groups. The venue can seat up to 80 diners, maintaining relatively low noise levels that are further made better by its location near the harbour.

Across 5 visits, the only consistent downside we encountered was the lack of on-site parking. It may be best to book a ride-sharing car or use public transportation to avoid the hassle. 

Amazing food

“I had yamcha with my family yesterday. The food was amazing, but the fried noodles were quite expensive. I recommend only eating the yamcha. No free carkpark need to pay on-street parking fees.”

Pwit Phyo Myat Su | Google Reviews

Consistently delivers amazing food

“I I have been visiting Grand Harbour for over 25 years, and this restaurant consistently delivers amazing food. The yum cha here is likely the best in Auckland. I highly recommend!”

Dominique Parat | Google Reviews

2. Ghost Street (Restaurant)

Our team had a wonderful experience visiting Ghost Street, making us feel like we travelled out of Auckland. With its dim lighting, moody red interiors, and open-kitchen layout, the restaurant nails that famous food alley vibe in Beijing.

The food itself is where the restaurant shines. Their biang biang noodles really pulled us in with their chewy texture and perfect seasoning. We also loved their Hokkaido scallop wontons in soy-vinegar dressing for their strong umami profile.

The portions were modest, but the tastes made up for it. Plus, we think it’s best experienced when you’re ordering multiple dishes to try – coming in as a group also makes it fun and easy to share various dishes.

The menu is diverse, featuring dishes from Sichuan spices to Northern Chinese staples. 

On top of that, the vibe of the entire place is energetic. It’s perfect for a younger crowd that loves liveliness without overwhelming conversations.

The one drawback may be the pricing. As the portions are smaller, paying $60 to $100 per dish may turn a few foodies off. Sometimes the food quality is slightly dry or bland too. 

Delicious food and friendly staff

“Kind of sad we didn’t visit sooner. All the food we ordered were delicious. The wontons are definitely pricey but they were also very delicious – great sauce. Didn’t expect to be so impressed by the tofu- great flavours. The biang biang noodles are popular for a reason, they are not too salty and amazing texture. Char siu was a tad dry but not to the point where it affected our overall experience. Really like the open kitchen and overall style of the interior. Very friendly staff! Definitely will be back.”

KC | Google Reviews

Try everything on the menu

“I recently visited Ghost Street, a restaurant in the basement of a building in Auckland. The location is a bit obscure, and the restaurant is often crowded, which can make it difficult for the waitstaff to provide attentive service. However, the food is delicious, and I would recommend trying everything on the menu, especially the egg tart for dessert. The portions are below average, and the prices are not cheap, so be prepared to pay a lot if you order more than one dish.”

Jeryl Tan | Google Reviews

3. BBQ Duck Cafe

Bringing that classic Chinese roast meat fare to Auckland, BBQ Duck Cafe is the ideal spot for sit-down family meals. Located in CBD, it’s a modern, no-frills eatery that impresses with expertly prepared duck at an affordable price.

We definitely loved their roast duck on rice. It’s crispy-skinned, juicy, and full of flavour, minus the unwanted aftertaste that duck dishes sometimes carry. For those who prefer other meats though, they also have pork BBQ.

Apart from the roast, the Peking duck also got our attention. It paired well with their shrimp fried rice and is even a nice, heavy match for an order of king prawn noodles.  There’s free soup that comes with orders that complete each order.

As mentioned, pricing is a really strong draw here, with most meals falling within the $20 to $30 range. Even with the low prices, the service is fast (delays happen but they’re infrequent), and the staff remains friendly all throughout.

If there are areas of improvement, it’s consistency and hygiene – a few regulars told us that portions are occasionally smaller-than-expected and that the glassware wasn’t cleaned properly. Improvements here will make the experience more wholesome.

One of the best roasted duck

“Okay so not the best place in terms of service – say only one person knows how to speak english in this establishment. But let’s speak the truth, they have one of the best roasted duck I’ve ever tasted. Also the bbq port. The duck is cook soo well that you won’t even taste say the after “fishy” taste of the duck. Def my go to duck restooo. Fried rice and noodles are the best, ofc Asian standards for sure.”

Carla Volante | Google Reviews

Superb service and environment

“The foods always satisfy our palate and full our stomach. The service also superb, warm welcomed. Their best deal never fail!”

Thomas Andrianto | Google Reviews

4. 印象 Impression Restaurant Auckland

Impression is one of the top-rated Chinese restaurants in Auckland, offering an elegant dining experience for those who love traditional Chinese flavours.

We loved that they offer a tapas-style menu, which allows guests to sample several dishes in small-to-medium portions. If you’re coming as a group and just want to explore dishes, this is definitely an advantage to avoid big spending.

The menu features many regional Chinese options, including peppercorn fish, Chongqing spicy chicken, crispy pork belly, and stir-fried cumin lamb. We find them all consistently good, with solid textures and well-balanced seasonings.

Food is served hot in visually appealing presentations, so the overall food enjoyment is pretty high on our end.

The ambiance is also one of the venue’s best features. Our team loved the stylish decor and calm atmosphere, which we found ideal for date nights and intimate group dinners. 

The place is spacious. Noise levels stay low enough to hold a conversation as well – something that we realised is quite rare in Asian restaurants, in general.

However, one issue we discovered while speaking to clients is the occasional poor service. There were many attentive waiters, but there were a few who appeared to be inattentive and slow.

Great portions and yummy food

“Super yummy food! We ordered 6 tapas and the portions were great. There were three of us. Really impressed by the pepper corn fish and stir fried noodles and the beef! Will definitely come back! Nice vibes and elegant deco as well.”

Shuping Liang | Google Reviews

Very genuine Chinese dishes 

“What a great find. Very genuine Chinese dishes almost made me feel like I was back in the Jing (Bei :). Fantastic hosts and a really nice environment. Wasn’t the cheapest night – but we also weren’t shy on the ordering 🤭 I think the tapa size plates would be perfect for smaller groups to be able got try a wide selection.”

Patrick Watene | Google Reviews

5. Huami

Huami is one of the city’s most upscale Chinese dining destinations. Located within the SkyCity precinct, Huami immediately impressed us with its refined atmosphere and premium interior that’s ideal for special occasions or intimate meetups.

Our team fell in love with the range of dishes they offer. The fruit wood-roasted Peking duck with its natural fattiness that’s enhanced with a slightly fruity aroma. The Tabasco prawns are savoury with the perfect amount of spice.

There’s also a nice range of vegetarian options. And if the meal doesn’t meet your preferences, they’re open to accommodating requests or special changes.

The cocktail list is just as polished, though a little too limited for our taste. We did like the Jade Dragon and Fox Tail, though, as they offer a nice fusion of East and West touches.

Prices are on the higher end, typically ranging from $40 to $100 per person. However, they’re justifiable given the portion sizes, quality, ingredients, and setting.

While we liked almost everything about the place, it’s not without faults. During our visit on a high-capacity night, we saw delayed drink service and were even served with lukewarm dishes. They may need better management during busy hours. 

Exceptional dishes

“We had dinner at Huami on Sunday, May 18th, and it was an outstanding experience. The food, the setting, the cocktails—especially The fox tail and the jade Dragon—were all exceptional. What really made the difference was the service: attentive, professional, and genuinely caring, even though we arrived close to closing time. We felt welcomed and well taken care of from start to finish. A truly memorable evening—we’ll definitely be back!”

Hinarii PICARD-ROBSON | Google Reviews

Delicious meals plus amazing customer service

“This is our 2nd time dining at Huami. Delicious foods plus amazing customer service as always. Everyone always has a lovely smile, professional and super friendly. We tried these 5 dishes, I love it everything but highlight were the crispy prawns with pomelo salsa sauce and spinach egg tofu 💯, the scallops also very nice!!”

Nann Ly | Google Reviews

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