Whenever I travel I like to check out and then share great low-carb, sugar-free places to eat. As well as accommodation that doesn’t have a heaving ecological footprint and are… quiet and tranquil, suitable for thyroidy types. You can catch up on my New York, Byron Bay, Sardinia and Provence guides here.
I was in Auckland, New Zealand recently to speak at two conferences, Fizz and Low Carb NZ, and did a bit of research, calling out on social media and consulting a few like-minded Kiwis for tips. Here’s a cut ‘n’ paste rundown should you be heading over the Tasman soon.
1. Gather and Hunt – A good website, sort of the “Broadsheet” of Auckland, with lots of suggestions for eateries on the mindful end of the spectrum.
2. The Braemar Bed and Breakfast. I came across this place via the Googles (I search “environmental eco accommodation”). It’s in the middle of the city, but in a very quiet little pocket near some great jogging/walking parks. There’s only four rooms, host John is an absolute and wonderfully eccentric delight with a map and helpful directions and tips ready to go, and a cooked breakfast (mushroom, poached eggs and spinach) is included, along with brewed coffee, the papers and the company of the other guests (who seem to be regulars). Very much a home-away-from-home. Ask for the room with the massive claw-foot bath in it.
2. Wilder and Hunt. This is a Paleo cafe located in St Heliers. Funnily, I’d heard about it and was impressed with their focus on nutrient-dense, no grain, no sugar food. Then, at the low-carb conference, the two young women who started it approached me and very humbly told me they’d opened the cafe after doing my 8-Week Program. I didn’t have time to check it out, but wished I had.
3. Ortolana. A lovely indoor-outdoor restaurant in the Britomart complex in the city. The focus is on garden-to-table dining and they even have a natural wine produced on the owner’s property. Fresh food based around vegetables and herbs picked that day. Love it.
4. Little Bird Organics. A raw food cafe in Kingsland and Ponsonby areas. I’m not always a raw food fan, especially when travelling (raw food can aggravate Vata and raw food cafes can be a bit grain and legume-heavy), but sometimes it’s a good way to get veggies into the mix. I noticed they offer grain-free and sprouted grain stuff.
The next few recommendations came from Mikki Williden, a nutritionist and senior lecturer at AUT University.
5. The Commons on Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna. You can request a Paleo degustation menu.