TotallyOz

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Restaurants Chapel Bistro | 147 Ponsonby Road | 9-360 4528 | http://www.chapel.co.nz/ Chapel has a mixed homo/hetero crowd that yums up the well-priced menu of truly eclectic foods for every taste – from pizza to corned beef sliders to tortillas to calamari. It's good if you're down for some well-cooked, regular food.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Restaurants The Golden Dawn | 134 Ponsonby Rd | 9-376 9929 | http://www.goldendawn.co.nz/ Yes, this is mostly a bar, but their food menu is amazing. If you're here with friends, get a bunch of dishes to share and taste as much of the menu as possible. More than one patron has made a full meal out of the figs, Welsh rarebit, prawn buns, terrine... we could go on and on.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Restaurants Coco's Cantina | 376 Karangahape Rd | 9-300 7582 | http://cocoscantina.co.nz/ Coco's is a K Road go-to spot for solid grub Italian-style. Their polenta fries are the crack of side dishes, and the pork belly is so satisfying. A good option when SPQR is simply not in the budget.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Restaurants Bambina Cafe | 268 Ponsonby Rd | 9-360 4000 | http://www.menumania.co.nz/restaurants/bambina-cafe Amazing breakfasts, yummy lunches and a cool crowd makes this award-winning cafe a frequent favorite on Ponsonby Road. Their coffee makes even the snobbiest barista swoon.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Restaurants Garnet Station | 85 Garnet Rd | 9-360 3397 | http://www.garnetstation.com/Home.html Did you know that New Zealanders are really good at coffee? Llike, really good. And Garnet Station is a definite stop on the espresso trail. They also have wonderful casual eats, from muffins to tarts, and chill out with a coffee for as long as you please.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Restaurants The Fridge | 507 New North Rd | 9-845 5321 | https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fridge-Cafe/126733667364542 Super gay, super cheap, super delicious – and super fun! Stop by anytime for good eats that you choose from the display, and chow down while you check out the scene.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Restaurants Clooney | 33 Sale St | 9-358 1702 | http://www.clooney.co.nz/ Clooney is not cheap, but you get what you pay for – exquisite food, exquisite setting, and a mostly gay crowd that worships the food placed in front of them. Splurge on the omnivore tasting menu for a truly spectacular meal.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Restaurants SPQR | 150 Ponsonby Rd | 9-360 1710 | http://www.spqrnz.co.nz/ SPQR – Senatus Populusque Romanus ("The Senate and the Roman People"), the motto of Rome – sets the tone for this Italian restaurant that is ground zero for the gay scene on Ponsonby Road. And the food is amazing – try the pumpkin ravioli, or share the tasting plates with friends.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Restaurants Kamo | 382 Karangahape Rd | 9-377 2313 | http://www.menumania.co.nz/restaurants/kamo-restaurant-bar Kamo is one of the joints that are in both the bar and restaurant category, but don't discount it for either! The eats are good here, definitely better than they should be, so don't be shy about tucking into a dish here. Great to go to with friends and stick around for the bar scene later.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Saunas Centurian Sauna | 18 Beresford Square | 9-377 5571 | http://www.centuriansauna.co.nz/ There are 14 private cabins here, so there's always room for some private time. There are also extensive cruising areas as well as a video area and buck-a-minute massages. Free lube, condoms, tea and coffee are on offer to patrons. Weekends feature late-night discounts.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Saunas Wingate Club Bathhouse | 76 Wingate Street | 9-828 0910 | http://www.wingateclub.co.nz/ The Wingate is a nice big compound that has plenty of areas for canoodling, as well as great actual sauna and spa facilities. The outdoor pool is a big draw when the weather's nice – and it's heated! Note that a fire in May 2013 has closed the bathhouse temporarily; stay tuned for news of its reopening, scheduled for July 2013.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Clubs The Basement | 12 Canada Street | 9-302 2250 | http://basementnz.com/ The Basement is a sex shop with a cruise club attached to it. Plenty of porn films, obviously, plus a cruise hallway, private cabins with beds, a dungeon playroom, glory holes, sex sling, and full shower facilities for cleaning up before heading back out. They also have snacks and drinks.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Clubs Salvation | http://www.salvationparty.co.nz/Default.aspx Salvation fairly infrequent parties are roving, so sign up on their website to get info about their next one whenever you're in town. You're guaranteed a good time, because everyone looks forward to them and there's always a huge turnout. And they do it up right, from laser light shows to excellent DJ guests to hot themes that will get your juices flowing.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Clubs Lateshift | 25 Dundonald St | no number | http://www.lateshift.co.nz/index.html The front room at Lateshift is a definite pool bar with a bar menu, but don't let that fool you. They've got a maze, a playroom with a sex sling, the “Pump Room” in case you have some kind of action movie setting fetish, and other interestingly designed cabins and rooms to get your fuck, fist orfetish on. Sundays are nude.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Bars Everybody's | 44 Queen St | 9-929 2702 | http://everybodys.co.nz/ Everybody's bills itself as a casual restaurant with a Japanese menu, but make no mistake about it – drinks are the star here, and its massive space with a hint of seating definitely lends itself more to a bar scene than a place where you go for dinner. Sublime scene here, lots of power gays being fabulous. A truly wonderful space.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Bars Saloon | 280 Karangahape Rd | 9-309 0213 | no website Saloon is only open until 10pm during the week, so if you want some actual action than weekends are where it's at. It's a great dive bar that everyone goes to when they more rowdy places are packed, so it's got a “we're all in this together” vibe that makes for some fun antics

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Bars Kamo | 382 Karangahape Rd | 9-377 2313 | http://www.menumania.co.nz/restaurants/kamo-restaurant-bar Kamo is another restaurant that turns into a bar at night. Its outdoor seating on K Road in the gayborhood makes it a prime spot for checking out the local talent that's cruising on by. Karaoke nights are a popular draw.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Bars The Golden Dawn | 134 Ponsonby Rd | 9-376 9929 | http://www.goldendawn.co.nz/ While Golden Dawn does have a good enough menu to warrant an entry into our restaurant listings, later on in the night it's a legit bar with guest DJs, cool concert afterparties, and even a jazz night on Sundays. It can get a bit messy late at night sometimes, but it's a good choice for a chill night out in the gayborhood.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Bars Eagle Bar | 259 Karangahape Rd | 9-309 4979 | https://www.facebook.com/The.Eagle.Bar Eagle bar is a super-fun down-home gay bar that has its fair share of regulars who bring the fun to theme nights. Make friends, get silly, and keep coming back until you're a regular, too! Good happy hour specials.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Bars Urge Bar | 490 Karangahape Rd | 9-307 2155 | http://www.urgebar.co.nz/ This wildly popular bear bar has leather nights and underwear nights sprinkled among quiz nights and happy hour specials on their agenda. Paul and Alan, the couple that runs Urge, are sweetiepies, so make sure to say WOOF if you bump into them!

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Bars Lolabar | 212 Ponsonby Rd | 9-360 0396 | http://www.lolabar.co.nz/ (doesn't work) This is an upscale cocktail bar, so come dressed accordingly and get your flirt on with swanky gays drinking swanky drinks and getting frisky as the night goes on. Watch your intake, though, lest you get down with the random stripper pole in the middle of the bar.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Bars Switch Bar | 309 Karangahape Road | 021 942 318 | http://www.yelp.co.nz/biz/switch-bar-auckland Switch Bar is a K-Road joint that is a go-to for all sorts of events, so if you're looking for just your everyday bar, check the schedule. But tit's worth it to stop in, as the recent renovations have brought the crowds back in full effect.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Bars Caluzzi Bar & Cabaret | 461 Karangahape Rd | 9-357 0778 | http://www.caluzzi.co.nz/ Hands-down the best drag show in town, Caluzzi brings in a mixed homo\hetero crowd that watch “The Girls” strut their stuff. They have a full dinner menu, too, so you can enjoy a meal while you check out the antics at this raucous evening of fun.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Bars Family Bar | 270 Karangahape Rd | 9-309 0213 | http://familybar.co.nz/ Family can seem more like a bar when it's karaoke night or there's a drag show on; more like a blub when they have a guest DJ or there's a theme party. But it's worth it go at some point every night you're in town, because sooner or later, every gay in Auckland passes through its doors. Go after 10pm for the most action.

Auckland Gay and Gay Friendly Hotels 23 Hepburn | 23 hepburn St | 21 633 472 | http://www.23hepburn.co.nz/ Each of the three rooms at 23 Hepburn is a study in shades of white and cream, with a few accents in sublime colors. Their beds are ridiculously comfortable, and the original details of this Victorian home are proudly highlighted. A true Ponsonby gem.