Best Vegan Restaurants in Auckland: Top Plant-Based Spots

Finding the best vegan restaurants in Auckland is far easier than it once was, with fully plant-based kitchens now running in Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Karangahape Road and the city centre. These are places where the whole menu is open to you, whether you want a Thai banquet, a loaded burger, a seasonal brunch or a long dinner with a vegan wine list. Khu Khu Eatery and Wise Boys lead the way here, alongside long-running Ponsonby favourite Little Bird Kitchen.

1Khu Khu Eatery

Khu Khu Eatery is a 100 percent vegan, Thai-inspired restaurant running three Auckland venues, in Ponsonby, Milford and down Snickel Lane in the city centre. The kitchen rebuilds familiar Thai dishes without fish sauce, oyster sauce or any other animal product, using organic tofu from New Zealand producer Tonzu and a compact menu designed for sharing. It suits groups, dates and anyone who wants Thai food where every dish on the list is actually available to them.

Services

• Thai-inspired shared plates, curries, wok dishes and street-style stir-fries
• Bottomless brunch and evening bottomless sittings at the Ponsonby and city centre venues
• Online ordering for pick-up and delivery
• Corporate catering
• Private event hire

Highlights

• Three Auckland venues: Ponsonby, Milford and Snickel Lane in the city centre
• Entirely vegan menu, including the desserts and the drinks list
• Wide range of gluten-free and allergen-free options
• Organic tofu supplied by New Zealand producer Tonzu
• Runs vegan Thai cooking classes and a 3 kg pad Thai eating challenge

Location & Contact

Name: Khu Khu Eatery
Address: 171A Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
Phone: 09 360 1992
Website: khukhu.co.nz

2Wise Boys

Wise Boys is a fully vegan burger shop that started as a food truck built from recycled materials and now runs two Auckland stores, in Grey Lynn and at Commercial Bay downtown. Everything is plant-based, from the house-made smash patties and original recipe fried chick’n through to the shakes, cookies and ice cream sandwiches. It is the pick for anyone after fast, indulgent food rather than something virtuous.

Services

• House-made vegan smash patty and fried chick’n burgers
• Sides including fries, tater tots, onion rings and BBQ jackfruit loaded fries
• Vegan shakes, handmade cookies and ice cream sandwiches
• The original food truck, available for event bookings

Highlights

• Two Auckland stores: Grey Lynn, opened in 2019, and Commercial Bay downtown
• House sauces and dressings now stocked in over 300 supermarkets nationwide
• Finalist in the Sustainable Business Network Awards
• Product wins across the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, NZ Artisan Awards and the Food Awards
• Gluten-free bun options on several of the burgers

Location & Contact

Name: Wise Boys
Address: 604 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Phone: 09 360 0801
Website: wiseboys.nz

3Little Bird Kitchen

Little Bird Kitchen sits in a rear tenancy down Summer Street off Ponsonby Road, and has been part of that neighbourhood for more than 15 years. Everything is plant-based and made from scratch, with no fillers or additives, and the menu changes with the seasons around local organic produce. The 56-seat room runs full table service seven days a week from breakfast through to mid-afternoon.

Services

• Dine-in breakfast and lunch, seven days a week
• Takeaway orders for pick-up
• Delivery through Delivereasy and Uber Eats
• Event catering
• Raw cakes, tarts and sweet treats

Highlights

• 56-seat venue with full table service rather than counter ordering
• Part of the Ponsonby food scene for more than 15 years
• Seasonal menu built around local organic produce
• Caters to dairy-free, gluten-free and paleo diets alongside plant-based

Location & Contact

Name: Little Bird Kitchen
Address: 1A Summer Street, Ponsonby, Auckland
Phone: 027 648 4757
Website: littlebirdorganics.co.nz

4Gorilla Kitchen

Gorilla Kitchen is a 100 percent vegan licensed eatery and brewtique on Karangahape Road in the city centre. The kitchen is run by a chef with more than a decade spent setting up and running New Zealand restaurants, cafes and pubs, and all the food is free from dairy, eggs, honey and animal products, with a stated GMO-free approach to ingredients. The range runs from raw wholefood dishes through to pub-style comfort food, so it works for a quick lunch or a longer evening.

Services

• Plant-based burgers, pizzas and nachos
• Salads, bowls and keto-friendly plates
• Licensed bar with a fully plant-based drinks list
• Table bookings and online ordering for takeaway

Highlights

• Licensed eatery and brewtique rather than a daytime cafe
• All food free from dairy, eggs, honey and animal products, and GMO free
• Kitchen led by a chef with over ten years running busy New Zealand kitchens

Location & Contact

Name: Gorilla Kitchen
Address: 146B Karangahape Road, Auckland CBD, Auckland
Phone: 09 392 9190
Website: gorillakitchen.nz

5East

East is an entirely vegetarian modern Asian restaurant on Nelson Street, and the great majority of its menu is marked vegan, so a plant-based diner can eat right through from bites to dessert. The owners are lifelong vegetarians with Hong Kong roots, and the kitchen team draws on Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indian and Sri Lankan cooking. This is the choice on the list for a proper sit-down dinner with a full drinks list, rather than a casual counter meal.

Services

• Modern Asian bites, small plates and shared signature dishes
• Vegan Yum Cha every Sunday from midday until 3pm
• Lunch and dinner service seven days
• Takeout ordering
• Trust the Chef set menu for tables of two or more

Highlights

• Listed as a Michelin Selected restaurant in the MICHELIN Guide New Zealand
• Water Chestnut Wontons named in Auckland’s Top 100 Iconic Eats
• An all New Zealand wine list that is entirely vegan friendly, with many organic or biodynamic labels
• Interior created by architecture and interior design firm Luchetti Krelle
• Vegan, gluten-free and nut markings against every dish on the menu

Location & Contact

Name: East
Address: 63-67 Nelson Street, Auckland
Phone: 09 399 2361
Website: easteats.co.nz

Vegan Restaurants in Auckland at a Glance

How to Choose the Right Vegan Restaurant in Auckland

• Check whether the kitchen is fully vegan or vegetarian with vegan dishes, because a fully vegan kitchen removes any question about shared fryers, stocks and sauces.
• Match the venue to the occasion: counter-service burger shops and daytime eateries suit a quick meal, while a licensed dining room with a wine list suits a longer dinner.
• Read the dietary markings if you also avoid gluten, soy or nuts, since plant-based menus lean heavily on tofu, wheat protein and cashews.
• Look at where they sit on the map and how you will get there, as Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Karangahape Road all have very different parking and transport options.
• Check whether they take bookings, offer takeaway or deliver, particularly if you are feeding a group or eating at home.

Frequently Asked Questions About Auckland Vegan Restaurants

Which Auckland restaurants are completely vegan?

Khu Khu Eatery, Wise Boys, Little Bird Kitchen and Gorilla Kitchen all run entirely plant-based kitchens, so every item on the menu is vegan. That means you can order without checking ingredients, asking for substitutions or working around a shared preparation area.

What is the difference between a vegan restaurant and a vegan-friendly one?

A vegan restaurant serves nothing containing animal products at all. A vegan-friendly or vegetarian restaurant may have an excellent plant-based selection but still uses dairy, eggs or honey elsewhere on the menu, so dishes are marked individually and you order from a section rather than the whole list.

How much does a vegan main cost in Auckland?

Prices vary a lot by format. Burgers at Wise Boys run from about $14.50 to $18.90, Thai mains at Khu Khu Eatery sit around $30 to $34, and signature plates at East range from roughly $32 to $37. Sides, sharing plates and desserts are priced separately.

Can you get vegan food in Auckland outside the city centre?

Yes. Ponsonby has both Khu Khu Eatery and Little Bird Kitchen, Grey Lynn has the original Wise Boys store, and Khu Khu also runs a venue on Kitchener Road in Milford on the North Shore, so you are not limited to the central city.

Do Auckland vegan restaurants cater for gluten-free diets?

Most do, though the approach differs. Khu Khu Eatery lists a wide range of gluten-free and allergen-free options, Wise Boys offers gluten-free buns on several burgers, and Little Bird Kitchen caters for dairy-free, gluten-free and paleo diets. Always flag an allergy when you order, since kitchens cannot always guarantee a fully separate preparation environment.

Can you book a table at Auckland’s vegan restaurants?

The sit-down restaurants take bookings, which is worth doing for a weekend evening or a group. Khu Khu Eatery, Gorilla Kitchen and East all run online reservations, while Wise Boys works on counter service and Little Bird Kitchen operates as a walk-in dining room.

Is there vegan fine dining in Auckland?

East is the closest to a fine dining experience among plant-based options, with a modern Asian sharing menu, a full cocktail and wine programme, and a set Trust the Chef menu for tables of two or more. It is entirely vegetarian rather than entirely vegan, with vegan dishes marked throughout.

Where can you get vegan takeaways in Auckland?

Khu Khu Eatery, Wise Boys and Little Bird Kitchen all offer takeaway, and Little Bird Kitchen and East also list delivery or takeout ordering through their own sites. Wise Boys is available on UberEats, Delivereasy and DoorDash from both its stores.