Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
Chinese
Indian
Japanese
Thai
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Asian
Taiwanese
Vietnamese
Gluten-free
Honey
A vegetarian restaurant serving modern Asian plant-focused cuisine. Chefs representing Japan, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka take inspiration from the near and far East. The menu consists of bites, small plates and larger dishes all designed to share, some of which are vegan. The drinks menu features organic and vegan wines, bespoke cocktails and sustainable New Zealand craft beer. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-10:00pm.
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63-67 Nelson St, Auckland CBD, Auckland, New Zealand, 1010
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- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 24 Aug 2022 by Guest
Update business info -
Added by deadendjob on 13 Jan 2021
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62 Reviews
First Review by renatedesully
spise01
Points +945
Delicious! 4 stars because they serve some egg/dairy - Edit
Everything was great. I had the Penang curry which was sweet and delicious, the wok Asian greens which were good but only bok choy, rice of course, and tried the chocolate tart and key lime kaffir. Both desserts were delicious but I highly recommend the chocolate tart.
Read morePros: Almost fully vegan, Friendly service , Delicious!
Guest
phynal
Points +172
Eat at east - Edit
We found most dishes were vegan and staff very knowledgable and helpful with choices. Highly recommend the gochujang cauliflower.
Read moreGuest
Lunatarius
Points +341
Amazing Vegetarian East Asian eats - Edit
Amazing selection of both vegan and vegetarian dishes, beautiful presentation and ambience. A bit on the pricier side but well worth the visit.
Read morePros: Lots of vegetarian and vegan dishes, Good service and ambience
Cons: A bit on the pricier side
Guest
DHAMLYN
Points +138
Tasty. and many vegan options. - Edit
Hot, fresh, tasty and fast vegan dishes. If I lived here this would be a regular dining spot.
Read moreGuest
Meiga
Points +51
Best kimchi ever! - Edit
I had lunch there recently and I was impressed by the food. Most of the time it's difficult to get good Asian vegetarian food, but here the choice was really big. I especially liked the kimchi, it was literally the best I've had outside Korea.
Read moreGuest
VeganBLS
Points +116
great food and vibes - Edit
we booked at the hotel and only found out that the restaurant had great vegan options on arrival. we’ve eaten here twice and tried lots of the menu now. everything has been amazing, but the stars of the show include:
Read more- the shitaake mushrooms
- the aubergine/eggplant special
- the salt and pepper tofu special
Pros: lots of vegan options - almost all, nice vibes in the restaurant , good wine and beer selection - all vegan
Cons: a little on the expensive side - but worth it!
Guest
ilikevegg
Points +350
A classy establishment offering vegetarian & vegan food - Edit
It's wonderful having a classy vegetarian restaurant in Auckland! (Finally.)
Read moreEast has some fab vegan options, but I would love to see them switch to all vegan. I believe they use eggs in their noodles so they're not vegan which is upsetting.
Most of all the dishes I've tried have been really impressive. The mushrooms, cauliflower and curry dishes are all very good.
Sometimes service can be pretty slow, and it's not uncommon that your cocktail will come after you've already finished a few starters.
Overall, I would recommend East and fingers crossed they'll go vegan!
Pros: vegan curry
Cons: Slow service
Guest
dongjidong
Points +5819
Mediocre - Edit
Sadly, like so many restaurants in NZ, East also suffers from excessive use of sugar in their dishes.
Read moreWe tried 4 different dishes: pickled cucumber, bang bang mushrooms, spicy eggplant, and their monthly special. The pickled cucumber must have been marinated in syrup. I didn’t enjoy it, but it was nothing compared to the (bang bang) shiitake mushrooms which felt like they should have been part of the desert menu. The spicy eggplant was not spicy but rather on the sweet side of things. However, if you eat it after the shiitake mushrooms you won’t notice it so much.
The monthly special (bean curd mince) was the best dish. I loved the Thai spicing of the mince and that it was not sweet. The original dish came the egg on top but we asked it to be replaced with vegetables. It was served on top of white rice which is kind of random given that the dish doesn’t contain any sauce.
Note that all dishes are pre-prepared. Before ordering we inquired if they could prepare the dishes without added sugar which wasn’t possible.
Also, they add charge 2% fee for paying with card. Apparently if you have a physical debit card issued in NZ you can avoid this, but it doesn’t help you much if you are just visiting.
Guest
SaveTheKiwiBird
Points +74
Best meal I’ve had in ages - Edit
Everything was delicious. Lovely atmosphere. Staff was great. We had the crispy cups, the ginger caramelized shiitake mushrooms, sticky jackfruit bao buns, mushroom and truffle steamed dumplings (Out of this world! You know the scene in Ratatouille where Remy’s brother Emile experiences the fireworks of mixing flavors? It happened to me eating these dumplings!) papaya salad (fresh and fantastic!), spicy garlic eggplant (I hate eggplant but someone else in our party ordered and I ate two, big for me) and ended with the salted caramel chocolate tart (I don’t like sweets but someone else ordered and it was very good). Don’t you dare set foot in this restaurant and miss the truffle dumplings, they are a bit of heaven melting in your mouth. You will not regret it. You’re welcome.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-01-02
Pros: Tons of vegan options, Delicious food, Elegant atmosphere
US Kiwi
The meal was absolutely fantastic!
Read moreGuest
US Kiwi
Points +156
Absolutely fantastic! - Edit
One of thee best restaurants I have been to in a long while. The food was absolutely fantastic and the drinks also so tasty and well presented. You MUST try the dumplings! There was not a thing on the menu we tried that we didn’t like. #Veganuary
Read morePros: Amazing food, Awesome drinks , Great staff
Cons: They keep the recipes very close to the chest….
Guest
DanielSchroppe
Points +345
Great food and ambience - Edit
Loved the cool open place, linked to a hotel. A lot of light throu the windows. Very nice presentation of the food. All dishes I had were delicious..
Read moreGuest
MatureVegan
Points +131
Delectable - Edit
First time here. Will definitely be back. The Bang Bang shitake mushrooms were a revelation. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Vegan Chef's Choice menu for 4, Friendly staff
Cons: 1 satay skewer between 4 not enough!
Guest
Zelena
Points +168
Cozy and stylish resto with delicious food - Edit
The vegan options are clearly marked and ingredients listed to ease choosing and altering per your needs. The food is yummy and nicely presented. The pancakes with jackfruit were really filling and flavorful.
Read moreI certainly recommend the place for a nice dinner.
Updated from previous review on 2022-11-14
Pros: Vegan options clearly marked, Location and ambience, Service
Guest
deadendjob
Points +2760
Delicious - Edit
Great food, drinks and service. The Bang Bang Mushrooms & Peang Curry in particular were excellent.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-10-02
Guest
Einahpets216
Points +943
Delicious, fun and central - Edit
East has some very delicious dishes, friendly staff and an overall elegant yet funky vibe. The bang bang mushrooms were very tasty and every dish we had was a hit. Would happily go back again with more people and get the “trust the chef” menu.
Read morePros: Largely vegan menu with a few vegetarian dishes, Nice cocktails , Lovely decor
Cons: A little dear, No easy parking
Guest
KateGreenaway
Points +40
Amazing - Edit
So nice to have some authentic and delicious vegan options that are different from the typical vegan options in NZ! More towards fine dining than a Friday night takeout. Portions were varied! But so delicious. Gorgeous venue too with lovely staff.
Read morePros: Delicious, Different
Guest
RaneKD
Points +72
Interesting fusion flavours - Edit
Had a selection of mains and sides for our table of 4. The 'smaller plates' were just that - small. But otherwise, really nice flavours.
Read morePros: Mostly vegan menu, Interesting new flavours, Excellent service
Cons: Portion sizes are small - especially for the price
Guest
MeiLi
Points +391
Flavours that pop! - Edit
Half vegan, half vegetarian menu. Creative pan-asian, fusion dishes full of flavour. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: good variety, all veg/vegan, Pretty sure it's wheelchair friendly. no steps.
Cons: decor is nothing special, no barriers/privacy between tables
Guest
plantbasedlifestylenz
Points +75
Feast at East - Edit
This was our second visit to East Restaurant, and it was just impressive as the first. Great menu, which is completely vegetarian with most items (about 80%) also being vegan, without any modifications to what’s stated. Great service and a great vibe.
Read moreHighly recommend the shiitake mushrooms, bao buns, edamame, fried rice, peking jackfruit pancakes - let’s be honest, the whole menu is great - you can’t go past the deserts either.
Pros: Lots of vegan options, Very tasty food, Welcoming and friendly service
Guest
McCraineToia
Points +112
Vegan - Edit
Second time visiting East, amazing food. Vibe and atmosphere is in point.
Read moreHighly recommend this place.
Pros: Lots of vegan options
Guest
ianel
Points +234
Okay - Edit
Not bad, not great. Very quick service (worryingly quick service of hot meals.) Rubbery mushrooms, nice overall, but not very special. Feels like it would be great for a corporate power lunch.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-07-23
Guest
jodoyle
Points +134
This is the place to go for a special meal - Edit
I've only been here once and enjoyed every dish I tried. A great spot for a special dinner. Not cheap but worth it. The menu is mostly vegan so lots to choose from. Some very creative dishes with an Asian spin.
Read moreGuest
Estelle.ghost
Points +1262
Fantastic! - Edit
Dined here with some vegan friends and we shared multiple plates of food. Everything was really delicious and full of flavour, and the staff were really lovely too.
Read moreGuest
Jackie07
Points +16
Loved my experience - Edit
My partner and I heard so much about this restaurant from fellow mates that we starved ourselves to make the most of this night. We arrived there at 7:30pm with a booking and were greeted immediately. Our server was exceptional with a beautiful smile (karishma) if I spelled this correct looked after us extremely well. She asked us if we had been here and gave good details on the food concept and drinks she recommended the East margarita and my lord it was as amazing as she said. The food is by far the tastiest food I have had being East Asian and vegetarian. Our favorites being the caramelized mushrooms , dumplings, tofu salad, som tum was more of so yum. Beautiful ambiance lovely service ask for her as your server when you visit if you want to have fun, amazing drinks good job bartender I’m coming back for more.
Read morePros: Lovely service , Drinks are exceptional , Food will take you to wonderland
Cons: No parking for guest diners valet is expensive , I didn’t like the noodles much but personal choice
Guest
JinkiCambronero
Points +68
Delicious dining - Edit
Most of the menu is vegan-friendly. I have been a couple of times and loved it. Flavorsome and inventive dishes. It feels special to dine there. The whole wine list is vegan friendly.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-07-08
Pros: Inventive flavours, Great options, Relaxed up market feel
Guest
AlexandraOliver
Points +36
Must try ‘duck’ pancakes - Edit
I’ve been vegan for years and duck pancakes are the only thing I’ve missed and these guys solved that problem! Their mock duck pancakes with jackfruit are amazing. Also a great wine list that’s mostly organic and fully vegan. Great restaurant, nice to have a higher end vegan option.
Read moreGuest
edelany
Points +249
Good decor, attentive service, food fine - Edit
Expected a little more from the food. A few interesting options but 80% are veggie dishes you could get in any decent Asian fusion restaurant.
Read moreMains portion small and unimaginative for the price.
Pros: Upmarket decor, nice ambience , Has a full bar.
Cons: Portion size, nothing that exciting. , Staff were a bit pushy on selling drinks
Guest
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