We like: Cafe Hanoi

We're big fans of Auckland's Cafe Hanoi, not only for its fantastic Vietnamese street-style food, but for the beautiful interior of the building the restaurant occupies in Auckland's Britomart Quarter. When you consider the disrespect Auckland has generally had for its old buildings, it's a delight to see a 130-year-old warehouse as cleverly refurbished as this. The restaurant is featured in our current issue of the magazine. These images are from Jeremy Toth's shoot.


Nat Cheshire of Cheshire Architects wanted to preserve the integrity of the existing structure and the layers of history it contained. So paint was scraped back and left exposed, while the room was fitted out with paper lanterns and red-painted, reupholstered vintage chairs.


Cafe Hanoi is one of those rare restaurants where, if the need arises, you can feel very comfortable dining alone, especially if you sit at the bar with its view of the kitchen.


As the restaurant doesn't take reservations in the evening (apart from large groups - it does take lunch reservations), the bar is also the place to wait at for a table. You never have to wait for long, and the view of the bustling, beautifully decorated room makes the time seem to pass quickly anyway. We suggest you visit as soon as you can.