We’ve arrived at the final calendar month of the year, and with it comes a raft of delicious dining experiences set to help us slip into the festive season and out of the office in spectacular style. From exceptional new openings to anticipated Christmas feasts, new seasonal menus, lunchtime specials, and neighbourhood wine bars, here we present our definitive December dining guide.
Noche Buena at Bar Magda
When & Where: December 21st, Bar Magda, Auckland
If you crave the thrill of culinary discovery in Auckland, Bar Magda is your hidden gem. Tucked away down a staircase on Cross Street, just off K Road, this cosy, softly lit eatery has earned its stripes for serving up some of the city’s most imaginative dishes. This season, chef Carlo Buenaventura and his team invite you to experience the warmth of a traditional Filipino celebration with Noche Buena on December 21st. The decadent four-course menu is a true taste of the season, featuring generous shared plates like chicken relleno filled with duck embotido and beef morcon, and vibrant desserts such as bibingka bisaya with summer peaches and biko ice cream, offering a deliciously Filipino twist on festive fare. Tickets are $78 per person for the entire feast, with a minimum of two per booking. We suggest you gather a group and make the most of Magda’s generous BYO offering.
Takapuna Surf Club’s New Menu
When & Where: Available now, Takapuna Surf Club, Takapuna
Head straight for the sand and dive into Takapuna Surf Club’s vibrant new menu. Savour ocean-fresh prawn lettuce cups with tangy vermicelli noodles and crispy shallots, or gather friends around pillowy puffed bread and creamy burrata. This family-friendly spot lets you skip the evening chaos and enjoy a relaxed meal right by the waves.
New Bivacco Summer Dishes
When & Where: Available now, Bivacco, Viaduct Harbour, Auckland
Housed in a stylish waterfront venue, Bivacco has long reigned as one of our favourite destinations for slow lunches or after-work drinks. This season, it unveils a bold new summer menu that perfectly captures the spirit and excitement we’ve come to love. Among the new menu additions are the seasonal standouts — crudo, prepared three ways. First, the wild-caught king fish crudo: eight succulent slices, served over crème fraiche, doused with shallots, red chilli, oregano, dill, and lemon. The sashimi-grade tuna crudo is dressed in olive oil with shallots and chilli and served on top of fresh avocado, while the Sicilian is a medley of four fish: tuna, kingfish, salmon, and snapper, served simply with a drizzle of lemon chilli oil, capers, and chives. A vibrant heirloom tomato salad, silky duck liver parfait with brioche, delicately crumbed swordfish, and tender lamb shoulder complete a menu that welcomes the season of lingering lunches and al fresco feasts.
Blue on Franklin’s Festive Ice Cream Stand
When & Where: December 8th – 25th, Blue on Franklin, Freeman’s Bay
Savour the magic of the season as you wander the legendary Franklin Road lights, ice cream in hand from Blue’s festive stand. The Freeman’s Bay favourite will be pouring hot coffee Supreme, rich hot chocolate, and spiced chai from early December through Christmas Eve. Tempt your taste buds with inventive flavour combinations like marmalade and hazelnut or honey and fried rosemary, plus classic soft serve for little ones. What better reason to stroll in awe?
Metita’s Afi Afi Hours
When & Where: Tuesday – Saturday 5-7 pm, Metita, SkyCity, Auckland
Celebrate the arrival of summer at Metita, where chef Michael Meredith’s Pacific-inspired menu sets the scene for a tropical escape. From Tuesday to Saturday, Afi Afi Hours invites you to slip into island time as the early evening glows with sun-drenched flavours and lively drinks. Sip on Valima Samoan beer, toast with Mumm Marlborough Brut, or cool off with a zero-per cent Otai, made with mango, pineapple, and coconut. From 5 to 7 pm, enjoy refreshing drinks, snacks, and complimentary popcorn that brings the spirit of the islands to SkyCity’s thriving precinct.
Friday After Dark at Rooftop at QTs
When & Where: Throughout December, Rooftop at QTs
Step up to the Rooftop at QT this December for the return of Friday After Dark and the irresistible ‘Martini Meal.’ Think grown-up happy meal: crispy fried chicken, golden fries, spicy habanero mayo, and your favourite martini, all in one. As the clock strikes 8 pm on Fridays, the energy shifts. Resident DJs spin while Belvedere tiny-tinis circulate alongside free fries. Magnums of Perrier-Jouët are ready to pop for $299. Explore QT’s plentiful ‘Mini Bar’ Menu all week long, brimming with bar snacks and tempting sample-size martinis.
DineAid Christmas Campaign Returns
It’s the season for giving — and dining out has never felt more rewarding. Until December 31, 61 of the country’s favourite restaurants are joining forces for the 13th annual DineAid Christmas campaign, proving that a little generosity can go a long way. The initiative encourages diners to add a $3 donation to their bill, or $1–$3 to a featured dish or cocktail, with every cent going directly to City Missions across Aotearoa.
Thanks to the generous backing of Precinct Properties, one hundred per cent of donations raised will help fund food banks and community kitchens through City Missions in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, reaching more than 135 distribution points nationwide. It’s a deliciously simple way to do good while enjoying a long lunch or festive dinner out.
Founder Mark Gregory says, “We’re so grateful to the restaurants and diners who show up for DineAid each year — their kindness makes a tangible difference to families in need.”
So this festive season, eat, drink and give generously — because every bite counts.
The DineAid Christmas Campaign runs from November 1 to December 31, 2025. For a full list of participating venues, click here.
Ayrburn Christmas Markets
When & Where: 11 am – 4 pm, December 6th and December 7th, Ayrburn
Get ready for a dose of festive magic as the Ayrburn Christmas Markets return on December 6th and 7th. Step into a wonderland of local vendors, delicious treats, and family fun, all wrapped up in holiday spirit. Mark your calendar and watch for upcoming details on how to join the festivities.
Mother’s Evening Service
When & Where: December TBD, Mother, Grey Lynn
A fast favourite among Grey Lynn locals and passersby, by day, Mother’s menu leans into European café culture with coffee, freshly-baked pastries, the sublime chicken sandwich, and fresh, seasonal salads that can either be enjoyed on the go or lingered over. By night, it will soon draw crowds offering something more intimate, “Simple food made exceptionally well,” as owner Hugo Baird puts it. Expect Mediterranean-inspired small plates — food that is familiar yet somehow surprising, paired with an ever-evolving wine and cocktail list that follows the same ethos. Grab a seat in the sun and watch the world go by. While a definitive date hasn’t been confirmed yet, we’re told evening service is only weeks away.
Masu’s New Lunch Menu
When & Where: Throughout December, Masu, SkyCity
Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh menu edit to tempt us back to our favourite dining spots. From Wednesday, November 26th, Masu invites you to experience their reinvented lunch menu, brimming with inventive new dishes and crafted tableside, for a dash of culinary theatre. Savour the Japanese tuna tataki caesar salad, mixed before your eyes, or dive into the Japanese Sumo Bowl, where market fish or silken tofu nestle on furikake-seasoned sushi rice with saikyo miso, avocado, and crisp salad greens. What’s more, from December 1st, the SkyCity favourite will unveil two new matcha creations: the yuzu cloud matcha, served hot or iced, and the Masu Matcha Moment, a hot libation prepared tableside for a truly immersive treat.
Bivacco’s Sunday Christmas Feast
When & Where: Now until December 21st
Perfectly timed to usher in the festive season, Bivacco’s famous Sunday Feast returns as the Sunday Christmas Feast. Expect a parade of nostalgic, seasonal delights at the waterfront mainstay, including the holiday hero — the glistening free-range Christmas ham. Glazed with maple and orange and surrounded by sides and nostalgic appetisers like pigs in blankets, honey-glazed carrots, and colourful antipasti; expect an afternoon of pure indulgence. Bivacco’s Sunday Christmas Feast will be available until Sunday, December 21st. Secure your booking here.
Knead On Benson Christmas Offerings
‘Tis the season for tasty little morsels, courtesy of Remuera’s favourite local bakery. Available right up until Christmas, this year’s seasonal selection includes a nostalgic runlist of tried and true gems — think house-made fruit mince tarts, the biscuit selection, Christmas cake and the almost too-pretty-to-eat gingerbread tree.
Hinemoa Cellars
When & Where: Early December, Birkenhead, Auckland
Venture over the Harbour Bridge, and the names Sarah and Jordan Macdonald have become synonymous with Birkenhead’s bourgeoning dining scene. The husband-and-wife duo behind some of the North Shore’s favourite bars and eateries, including Duo, Bon Pinard, and Osteria Uno, are now set to open a curated little wine shop, created for locals — by locals. Hinemoa Cellars (located directly next door to Osteria Uno) will offer a tight edit of sublime pours sourced from near and far. Set to open during the first week of December, watch this space (or keep an eye on their Instagram account) for more details.
Kid-friendly Dining at SkyCity
When & Where: Throughout December, Cassia, Masu, Depot, Fed Deli, SkyCity, Auckland
As the festive frenzy sweeps with holiday happenings, let SkyCity’s eateries take the stress out of family dinners after you visit with Santa. The beloved restaurants have given their classic menus a playful twist, reimagined for little hands. At Cassia, kids dine free with every paying adult, while Masu’s Bento and juice box combo promises smiles from even the pickiest dinner dates. Head to Depot for fish sliders and crispy potato skins, or treat the family at Fed Deli with the Lil Fed menu, where cheese toasties, fries, and a banana split await.
Dom Pérignon and Bites
When & Where: Available now until December 10th, Advieh, The Wine Room, and ROKI Collection Queenstown
With any glass of Dom Pérignon 2013 purchased before December 10th, guests dining at Advieh, The Wine Room, and ROKI Collection Queenstown will receive a complimentary chef-crafted snack to sit in harmony with the standout vintage — orchestrating a single moment of culinary perfection. To really elevate the dining experience, buy a bottle of Vintage 2013 and receive up to six chef-crafted bites to be savoured among friends.
NSP Long Lunches
When & Where: Available Saturday & Sunday from now and throughout summer, Non Solo Pizza, Parnell
Parnell institution Non Solo Pizza is inviting Aucklanders to embrace La Dolce Vita in true celebratory style. With summer’s arrival comes the return of NSP’s Weekend Long Lunches, bringing together generous dishes, fresh produce, and the convivial spirit of Italy, all enjoyed in a sun-soaked courtyard. These long, vibrant lunches begin at midday every Saturday and Sunday and are made to last as long as the stories and the laughter do. It is the perfect weekly ritual for relaxing, reconnecting, and indulging.
Denizen’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining Guide
When & Where: December 24th and 25th, various eateries, Auckland
If you’re outsourcing the festive fare this Christmas, consult our definitive guide to the city’s best festive menus available. If you do decide to leave the magic to the professionals, or dare to do things a little differently this year, embrace a European-style celebration and reserve a spot at a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day lunch, to let the festivities linger a little longer. Whatever your itinerary, we strongly suggest you skip the stress and ditch the dishes — eat, drink, and be merry instead.
