Where to find Auckland’s best seafood restaurants

With two harbours on its doorstep and some of New Zealand’s best produce arriving fresh from the ocean, Auckland’s restaurants serve everything from just-shucked oysters and elegant waterfront dinners to laid-back seafood feasts by the beach.

One day might look like champagne and ceviche in the Viaduct, the next a long lunch overlooking the water on Waiheke Island or snapper sliders before cocktails downtown.

Here’s where to book when you’re craving some of Auckland’s best seafood dining.

Waterfront institutions and iconic seafood dining

Auckland’s harbourfront is home to some of the city’s most established seafood restaurants, often featuring front-row seats to the comings and goings of the city’s social scene.

Located inside Hilton Auckland on Princes Wharf, FISH Restaurant is known for fresh, sustainably sourced seafood. Surrounded by harbour views, it’s a fine dining option, ideal for long lunches or sunset dinners.

In the Viaduct, Soul Bar & Bistro has long been one of Auckland’s iconic waterfront restaurants and a favourite haunt for locals, visitors, and the occasional celebrity. Book a table out on the verandah for prime marina (and people-watching) views, then settle in for fresh oysters, raw fish dishes and seafood-inspired pasta as the sun goes down over the harbour. 

In the heart of Westhaven Marina, Sails Restaurant delivers one of Auckland’s most quintessential waterfront dining experiences. The marina itself is the largest in the southern hemisphere, and from both levels of the restaurant every table looks out across a forest of yacht masts towards the Auckland Harbour Bridge, North Head, and Rangitoto Island. Unsurprisingly, the menu leans heavily into premium New Zealand seafood, with dishes like scallops, snapper ceviche, salmon tartare, oysters, and their famous New Zealand crayfish, which is worth the visit alone. 

Also in Westhaven Marina, Swashbucklers Restaurant & Bar has a relaxed, old-school waterfront charm. There are plenty of fresh fish and classic seafood dishes across the menu, making it popular for casual feasts. If you can’t decide, go straight for the famous Pirates Platter, a generous spread loaded with oysters, shrimps, rolled smoked salmon, breaded scallops, king prawns, steamed mussels, battered fish, and calamari.

A more recent addition to the marina precinct, First Mates, Last Laughs delivers an upbeat atmosphere within an airy, sunny space. The menu features plenty of New Zealand’s coastal bounty, including fresh sashimi and classic whitebait fritters.

Bravo at Cracker Bay has quickly become a go-to for long lunches and marina-side dinners in the sun. Sitting right on the water with yachts bobbing nearby, the atmosphere feels lively but unfussy, with a menu built for sharing. Order the Bravo seafood platter for the full spread, or dive into fresh sashimi, crayfish, and a genuinely great beer-battered fish and chips with a cold drink overlooking the boats.

Top spots for indulging in oysters

If fresh oysters are your measure of a good meal, we got you. Renowned for its freshly shucked oysters, Depot on Federal Street remains one of Auckland’s most enduring dining institutions. Of equal notoriety are their fish sliders, which have become a regular fixture on the Iconic Auckland Eats list for good reason.

At St Marée, Takapuna’s newest seafood bistro, the menu is built around whatever is fresh and in season. Named after the French word for “tide”, the restaurant embraces this seaside suburb’s relaxed coastal feel, with market oysters from the raw bar being a menu highlight. The black pāua risotto balls are also a must-try.

The Shucker Brothers is a relaxed joint whose offering, as the name suggests, is firmly centred around great oysters. Expect freshly shucked premium oysters alongside seafood-forward small plates that pair perfectly with a crisp wine or cocktail.

Nestled into Orakei Bay Village, Beach Club Oyster & Kitchen invites you to settle in for a long afternoon by the water. The oyster bar serves freshly shucked oysters either au naturel or battered, best accompanied by a cheeky glass of bubbles overlooking the water.

Add a day trip or overnight stay on Waiheke Island into your Auckland itinerary and be sure to book a table at The Oyster Inn, one of the island’s most iconic dining spots. Seafood lovers are spoilt for choice with this menu, which includes fresh oysters shucked to order and served how you like them. Indulge in more seafood delights at Ki Māha at Onetangi Beach. You’ll find oysters here too, as well as fresh fish dishes like tuna crudo, kingfish sashimi, tuna tartlet and scallop ceviche.

Auckland’s contemporary seafood restaurants

Auckland’s newer generation of restaurants is pushing seafood dining in fresh directions, blending local ingredients with global influences to create distinctly modern Kiwi cuisine.

Find kingi within the beautifully restored Britomart precinct. Here, sustainability and seasonality shape the menu, with sustainably sourced seafood showcased through elegant takes on classics like crayfish tacos and pāua bolognese.

Nearby in Commercial Bay, Ahi celebrates regional New Zealand ingredients through a sophisticated menu that highlights premium seafood from around the country. Don’t skip the Koura Rangi (scampi), which rightfully earned its place on the list of Iconic Auckland Eats 2026.

At Metita, acclaimed Kiwi chef Michael Meredith reimagines Pacific cuisine through fresh seasonal ingredients and contemporary techniques. The result is one of Auckland’s most distinctive dining experiences, with dishes like kingfish oka and so’e (squid) as definite highlights.

Trivet also brings a fresh Polynesian perspective to Auckland’s seafood scene, with a sharing-style menu that reflects the multicultural spirit of Aotearoa. The raw bar is a standout, featuring everything from Te Matuku oysters to mussel ceviche, Aoraki dry-aged salmon tartare, and octopus carpaccio. Their must-try Pāua Palusami has also earned a place in the seafood category of the Iconic Auckland Eats 2026 awards.

You’ll find inventive dishes on the menu at Milenta, tucked into Victoria Park Market, which call on South American flavours brought to life over coals in an alfresco kitchen. While meatlovers are also well-catered to here, seafood fans will want to try the passionfruit macha ceviche, grilled tiger prawns and the market fish.

Inside the Park Hyatt Auckland, Onemata is an easy choice for elegant dining near Wynyard Quarter. It offers harbour views, refined interiors, and a menu showcasing fresh seafood, including braised pāua, fish crudo and a roasted fish curry. Nearby on North Wharf, The Conservatory’s menu reflects its harbourside position, with a selection of casual seafood dishes to cater to all sorts of cravings.

Over in the Viaduct at Hello Beasty, Asian-inspired flavours are brought to life with premium local seafood. There are too many menu highlights to list, but the prawn and crab toast is a must-try.

Neighbourhood gems worth travelling for

Just over the bridge, the menu at Fantail & Turtle, at Smales Farm on the North Shore, is designed to be shared. Which is great news if you want to try a bit of everything. Whatever your picks, be sure to include their pāua and fry bread, also recognised as an Iconic Auckland Eats for 2026.

Nearby on Takapuna’s waterfront, Regatta Bar & Eatery serves up relaxed coastal dining right beside the sea. Snack on some smoked fish pate, warm up with seafood chowder or share some crispy snapper wings while enjoying the view over Takapuna beach.

In Onehunga, Manaia Seafood Boil serves generous seafood dishes packed with Pacific flavour and designed for communal dining. Their much-loved (and most-talked about) lobster tail bundle has earned recognition in the seafood category of the Iconic Auckland Eats 2026 awards. Arrive hungry and prepare to get your hands messy.