Rakinos

Amazing burgers. Its really been a while since I’ve had such a good burger I had the urge to write a review about.
Great tasting skinny fries + soft fresh burger bun and lets not mention the delicious mayo. Great location, vibe. Good for groups and its opening hours suits every occasion.

One of my favourite bars in the CBD, with some of the best club nights around, Rakino’s is a great place for a night out.
Open from the afternoon through to the early hours, Rakino’s is one of the premier venues in the city, with great music and DJs frequenting the bar.
The service is impressive, with the bar staff there to do one thing — their job. Service is always prompt, with the bar tenders knowledgeable, friendly and fast, in keeping with clientele of Rakino’s more or less.
The unique spot on the second floor in High Street can be very enjoyable for a late afternoon bite to eat on the deck. But be warned, this may lead to exiting in the early hours of the next day.

I’m no Rakino’s regular, but I have gone there a few times since the late 90’s. To begin with, any food places that are still going after at least 15 years must be awesome. I went there today for lunch and WOW. So good! I ordered the vege big grill because everything I love was included. Halloumi (!!), mushrooms, avocado, spinach, nice toast, and eggs. It was perfect (except the spinach was raw).
It was a beautiful sunny day so we sat out on the balcony watching the rest of hip high street go by beneath us — «why is that girl wearing a furry coat in this heat?» and listening to the nearby table discussions of trendy students pondering the differences between macro and micro economics.

The bar staff at Rakino’s are really what sets it apart. That, and the fact that it starts out as a relaxing place to have lunch or after-​work drinks, and then transforms seamlessly into a pretty happening little nightspot. And you can watch it all from their comfy couches or from the little tables near the windows, or even from the smokers’ balcony (enjoy the rarity of that feature why don’t you?).
I’ve always found the food and drink served at Rakino’s to be of a good, reliable standard, and overall it’s a good little spot to know about. Nothing mindblowing here, but it’s probably the kind of hangout that will grow on you.

My night out on the town is never quite complete until I have had a stop in at Rakinos to see what’s going on, which is usually heaps. This place attracts a good crowd which often makes it difficult to leave. The outside deck part for the smokers is small, but if you can fit out there it’s a pretty sweet place to chill. The bar staff here are friendly and the drinks are all good, especially some of the cocktails (a couple of long island ice teas and I’m set for the night). On busy Friday and Saturday nights when this place has a DJ there is usually a door charge, but it’s not much and completely worth it if you’re keen to rip shit up on the dance floor.

The natural habitat of the urban hippy, Rakinos’ great location, tasty food, and stylistic décor make it a worthwhile stop, whether for lunch or for a night out.
They have a great balcony which over looks the courtyard on High Street, perfect if your drunk and you suddenly decide that quitting smoking was a bad idea, head out to the balcony and have yourself and slur worded conversation with some fellow nicotine enthusiasts. The dress code at night is very casual as long as you look cool, can’t just rock in sporting you work jeans and running shoes, you have to look expensive casual.
They had a good dub DJ last time i was there with a good amount of people dancing, not to few that you are out there all alone, but not shoulder to shoulder packed either.

It’s a huge call, but I’m willing to put in writing that Rakinos is my favourite bar in Auckland. You don’t have to dress up, the music is good and so are the patrons. There are rarely any assholes that go to Rakinos, and it’s hardly the kind of place that attracts an underage crowd *cough*1885*cough*. It’s relaxed. There’s a little balcony for the smokers. I don’t smoke — I’m not cool enough, but I stand out there with the hopes of gaining some kind of street cred.
Happy hour consists of a passionfruit cosmopolitan which is very sweet, but very delicious. Have one and sit back and relax on one of the couches inside. The place is like your own lounge. The service is great — friendly yet reserved — the kind where your water got refilled and you have no idea how or when it happened.
Lesser known fact: Rakinos makes great food all day. They do $ 10 fish and chips on Mondays and it is fantastic. The prawn salad is good, the fries are excellent (I would know, I am a potato chip connoisseur), and the ‘hash high’ is a breakfast dish worth navigating High Street parking for.
Bonus: There are video games available to play for those who like to be antisocial.

My favourite place to meet the girls on a Friday afternoon for cocktails. Rakinos is located on High St right opposite Chancery Square and catches a lot of the later afternoon sun so is great for those after-​work/​Uni drinks!
Happy hour runs between 4−9pm Monday through to Friday, and during this time cocktails are only $ 11. I strongly recommend the cosmopolitan — it’s seriously delicious and refreshing. And pink, which is always a bonus.
Rakinos is open til the wee hours of the morning days, and often hosts gigs where one can hear the latest tunes and melodies created by local artists. The lovely Tyra Hammond, singer from the successful NZ band Opensouls can often be found performing at Rakinos and is definitely worth hearing.
Tip: Beware when you’re out on the balcony, it’s very small and when there are people smoking it’s easy to get burned by tipsy folk waving their cigarettes around — something I found out the hard way!