Dec 3, 2015 etc
From the top shops and funniest people to the yummiest dumplings and most irritating fads, here’s what you told us about the best of the city.
We asked, you answered. Having pondered and squabbled and finally whittled down our annual Best of Auckland long list to a handful of finalists in each category, we threw it open to you to decide. The 2015 Best of Auckland poll picked your brains on some of the year’s most important questions, including who’s the best barber in town and where’s the best place for a date (once again, Waiheke is the place that lovers love).
In social media and humour, women rule. You voted Lorde’s mum, Sonja Yelich, the queen bee of Instagram, and Rose Matafeo tops on Twitter (she also edged out Urzila Carlson for funniest Aucklander).
We had so many questions about food that we gave it a poll of its own here on MetroEats, quizzing you not only about favourite restaurants and bars, but your go-to places for fish and chips, dumplings, bread and more.
Not content just to tick boxes, some respondents added comments. Our favourite? The new best way to keep fit in Auckland: follow the “Day-on Burger Burger, day-off Burger Burger” diet. That wins a gong of its own for Best Comment in Response to the Best of Auckland Poll.
Best cafe
Winner: Little & Friday (Ponsonby)
Runner-up: Orphans Kitchen
Restaurant
Winner: Depot
Runner-up: The French Café
Pop-up
Winner: When Bao Meets Burger
Runner-up: Popped Culture by Coffee Supreme
Cheap eat
Winner: Burger Burger
Runner-up: Sri Pinang
Bar
Winner: Golden Dawn
Runner-up: Bedford Soda & Liquor
Food truck or stall
Winner: The Lucky Taco
Runner-up: The White Lady
Bread
Winner: Bread & Butter Bakery
Runner-up: Wild Wheat
Butcher
Winner: Westmere Butchery
Runner-up: Grey Lynn Butchers
Coffee roaster
Winner: Eighthirty
Runner-up: Kokako
Specialist food store
Winner: Farro Fresh
Runner-up: Ponsonby Central Markets
Craft brewer
Winner: Hallertau
Runner-up: Brothers Beer
Market
Winner: La Cigale weekend markets
Runner-up: Matakana Village farmers’ market
Fish & chips
Winner: Fish Fish (formerly Jimmy the Fish)
Runner-up: Mt Eden Village Fish Shop
Dumplings
Winner: Barilla
Runner-up: Mr Zhou’s Dumplings
Pizza
Winner: Totó
Runner-up: Il Buco
Wine store
Winner: Glengarry Wines
Runner-up: Wine Direct (La Cigale & Ponsonby Central)
And the rest:
Shops (including best beauty, bookshop and clothing label)