Heart of the City’s much loved Restaurant Month is back this August, and the 2026 programme is shaping up to be one of its biggest yet!
Running from 1 to 31 August, the annual celebration will see more than 100 Auckland city centre restaurants serving exclusive set menus from $30, $45 and $55+, alongside chef collaborations, cultural dining experiences and one off events.
New for this year is How We Eat, a series celebrating the traditions and stories behind cuisines from around the world. Diners can experience everything from Filipino boodle feasts and Korean street food with soju pairings to Ethiopian coffee ceremonies, Vietnamese family style dining and Latin American shared table celebrations.
Another exciting addition is Next on the Pass, which pairs leading Auckland chefs with culinary students from AUT. The initiative gives emerging chefs the opportunity to create dishes alongside some of the city’s best known names, including Josh Emett, Ben Bayly, Al Brown, Sean Connolly, Gareth Stewart and more.
Beyond the month-long dining offers, Restaurant Month also features more than 20 exclusive events, including special collaborations such as Agnes x Gilt Brasserie, Metita x Trivet, Yia Yia’s Dinner at Esther, Jamaican Independence Day at Advieh, and a nostalgic Eighties Whisky Road Trip at Vivace.
Restaurant Month is one of the best times of the year to explore Auckland’s dining scene.
The full programme, participating restaurants and event tickets are available here!