Fatimas

I’ve heard lots of advertising for Fatimas and I’m addicted to Middle Eastern and Turkish/​Greek cuisine so I’ve been meaning to eat here for a long time but hadn’t gotten round to it.
Came for dinner with a friend and we shared the Potato Koftas and pita chips and dips (hummus and an eggplant dip). And then had a spiced lamb pita each. I was quite disappointed with the starters in general. The potato koftas looked like potato hash bites that you’d get in the frozen section of the supermarket– and tasted the same. The pita chips were fantastic and there were heaps of them — but both the dips were rather bland.
The pitas on the other hand were excellent. Juicy lamb marinaded in a really nice spiced sauce with lettuce, tomato, parsley etc etc. Nice Mayo sauce as well. On the way out I saw their special was a chicken harissa pita so I’m going to be back to try that, but will pass on the sides next time.
Fatimas is designed as a takeaway place, but they do have 3 tables and a sit at bar for eating there.

Fatima’s has been around for some time now and I have been quite a regular customer to the Ponsonby branch, the other being in Takapuna. Fatima’s is a great takeout option for a filling and tasty feed.
They offer pitas, as shown below, chawarmas and salads. The pitas are a tightly filled wrap with most of them offering chicken, lamb or tofu for the protein. If you’re feeling adventurous give the ‘Catch of the day’ a go to have fish or if you are a fan of mango and avocado, opt for the ‘Pacific Pita’. To be honest most of the time I choose the Fatima’s favourite with Lamb and no cheese. Its my favourite and I can’t get enough of the combo of the tomato relish, aioli and chilli together. This place is great as they cook their meat to order and use fresh ingredients, giving you a nice hot pita or charwarma. So far all the proteins have been cooked to the right degree.
Ive had a chawarma once, its better if you don’t have a huge appetite as they are smaller but the bap bun is a nice difference from most eateries.
If you are eating with someone share a side of the koftas. Who doesn’t love little balls of fried potato. Served with their sweet chilli aioli it’s so unhealthy but soo good. My only small issue is I wish their chicken was Free Range, as their chicken options look delicious and i think they could widen their demographic offering FR Chicken.
Great ‘Quick Bite’ on the run or if you live near by and can’t be bothered cooking. Huge fan of Fatima’s and yet to be disappointed. Service is quick, online ordering is also on offer.
Rating
Food: ⁹⁄₁₀
Service: ⁸⁄₁₀
Value for Money: Good
240 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
Opening Hours: Mon-​Sun 1130−10pm

I love Fatimas. It’s a great choice for a reasonably quick casual meal that doesn’t involve the greasy fast food. I always get a gluten free wrap which is made fresh to order. They’re very careful with cross contamination. The koftas are really delicious too. It’s been a favourite of mine for many years :)

Here on business from the States, so I have been enjoying a lot of the meals New Zealand, specifically Takapuna North Shore, has to offer. Last time I was here the company brought me lunch from different restaurants, but I didn’t know where they were from. This time, I was delivered a pita with lamb from Fatimas just down the street: YUMMY!!! Very good balance in the veggies and sauces with the meat in this pita. I very much enjoyed it because it wasn’t overwhelmingly dry or excessively wet with vegetables. It was indeed as the word itself describes, balanced! I will definitely try another food item in the near future to vary my meal experience from Fatimas.

Oh, Fatimas. You kill me every time with your deliciousness, in the best way possible. Legendary range of vegetarian take out. So good.

I have given Fatima’s a good go before, actually more than a couple of times and everytime i kidd myself that its a healthy option — it’s not. Whether a schwarma or a pita or even a salad they come with at least 3 sauces that are so sweet and overpowering it can’t be good for you. Even the salads are downright greasy. My friends all rave about it but being a light eater and preferring healthy food Fatima’s is a little on the heavy side maybe that’s just me. One good thing to note is the small falafel side — they are crunchy on the outside and not to dry inside and it comes on a bed of lettuce, downside is it’s drowned in aioli. I’ve defintely experienced better, fresher middle eastern food.

What a meal!!!
Very reasonable price, tasty food, fast and easy.
Pretty much a flash takeaways.
Would certainly return.

Fatima’s has long been a favourite of mine, with it being a fairly unique food option in the city of Auckland.
Initially I religiously ordered the Pacific pita and Crisp Chick but eventually began exploring the menu. The Pacific pita’s main features (which I ordered with chicken) were the mango and avocado, but I began to become sick of this as it was slightly overpowering. The Crisp Chick was a nice change and provided some nice heat with the chili sauce and had some really fresh flavours. The koftas are undoubtedly ordered on every visit, being little deep-​fried hash bites for those that haven’t been.
I have ordered the catch of the day on occasion but the method of cooking seems to make the fish quite dry and try to avoid ordering it again, even though I prefer fish over chicken any day.
Recently, I have become a chawarma fan, often ordering two just to ensure I am filled right up. I usually order the chicken with the pita wraps or chawarmas, as the lamb tends to be a bit on the chewy side. I love the amount of sauce piled into the charwarma, and the bap is also tops.
Parking can sometimes prove to be a bit niggly, as with anything located on Ponsonby Road. I just tend to use the KFC carpark.

I rate Fatimas because they do original flavours with fresh, tasty ingredients; and I think they are a step above other pita bread shop chains.
When I last visited I somehow missed reading my pita would come with chilli sauce (I think I was pretty hungry so didn’t read the menu too carefully)! I’m not used to spicy foods, so it got my sinuses going but I did still manage to eat most of it.
I am keen to visit their shop again and try more from their menu. Their different take on flavours with high quality ingredients impressed me.

I feel like Fatimas is a really great place. Their food is good and for the most part seems to be reasonably healthy (apart from their deep fried potato tot things). The main problem is that it’s really expensive. Considering it’s located at the heart of Ponsonby rd though, that’s hardly a surprise.
Their milkshakes are really hot stuff. I usually get one of the vegetarian kebab thing, some tots, and a milk shake when I go there. You gotta admit, that’s an undeniably classic line up. The aforementioned potato tot things are bloody delicious. Really really into them. I also like their neon sign.
Fatimas gets really damn busy, so if you’re going to hit them up during the peak period, expect a bit of a wait.

One of my favorite hangover cures, Fatimas’ will serve you up a delicious gourmet kebab that will hit the spot time after time. The first thing you will notice about Fatimas’ is that their recipes are original. I mean, the amount of kebab stores around that just serve the exact same product, seriously, they need to take a page out of the book of Fatima and switch up their recipes a little bit. Fatimas’ offers a range of kebabs, all of which have a slight twist on what you are used to, and for only a few dollars more than your run of the mill doner, there is no competition. I should also mention that the staff there are always really friendly,

A Ponsonby Road institution, this place is crazy busy on a friday night but the wait is totally worth it. From good looking front of house staffers who are more than happy to help you make decisions when you become overwhelmed by all the salivatory menu choices (which is pretty much inevitable) to the actual food, which brings to mind muggy evenings somewhere in the middle east scoffing hummus; tabouleh, pita and other assorted goodies.
The salads are pretty great when you dont want the added bread factor of the pita. My staple is usually the Chicken classic salad as I really am a creature of habit. Fatimas uses quality chicken cooked in flavour inducing herbs and you can really taste the difference that it brings to the meal overall. While there have been some complaints about the price, this is really quality nosh so if your a poverty sticken AUT student probably best just to go down to your local, but really worth a try otherwise. There’s nothing better on a hot day than grabbing an ice cold beverage and plonking yourself down on the outside furniture and watching the hipsters of Ponsonby Road go by.

Fatimas is tasty but pretty expensive for what you get, in terms of takeaway food. So avoid if you’re starving or you’ll end up spending a fortune!
But the koftas are to die for — little pillows of potato served with a sweet chilli aioli. If you’re having a drink at Bonita next door you can actually have the koftas served at your bar table, the perfect accompaniment for a Friday night drink.

Fatima’s is a tasty twist on the classic shawarma, but at just under $ 12 for a pita you’ll pay extra for that creativity. While my «Fatimas Favourite» was delicious, it was also pretty small. If you’re hungry you’ll need some $ 6 potato koftas to fill you up. Factor in a drink and you’re looking at $ 25 a person.
I left happy, but if I’d been hungrier, or if I was having to pay for two, it might have stung. Definitely worth a shot for a light bite though. They also have a newer store on Anzac Street in Takapuna for those on the Shore.