BODA is a modern Korean fusion restaurant perched on the top floor of the Mövenpick Hotel Auckland at 8 Customs Street East, commanding impressive views across the inner city and the Waitematā Harbour. Its name is Korean for 'to watch or to see' — or 'to make' — an invitation for guests to see and experience a menu that blends a deep connection to Aotearoa produce with vivid Korean flavours.
That approach earned BODA a Bib Gourmand in the MICHELIN Guide 2026, a distinction for restaurants serving high-quality food at great value, and a place among fewer than 100 restaurants across Aotearoa recognised at the awards. The ricotta gnocchi tteokbokki in soy beurre blanc with parmesan and smoked leeks is the dish most associated with the honour, while the signature kimchi mac n cheese, mushroom bulgogi and chocolate-forward desserts like the BODA egg keep regulars coming back.
The day runs long here: breakfast from 6am on weekdays (6.30am on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays), lunch from 12pm, dinner from 5.30pm, and a bar pouring from 10am to late. Little Boda, the gin bar in the hotel lobby, opens Wednesday to Saturday from 12pm to 8pm, and curated shared dining menus look after groups of eight or more.
BODA occupies the top floor of the Mövenpick Hotel Auckland at 8 Customs Street East, and its name sets the tone. In Korean, 'boda' means 'to watch or to see' — or 'to make'. Both fit. The room looks out across the inner city and the Waitematā Harbour, with the ferry terminal building in full frame, while the kitchen makes a cuisine of its own: modern Korean fusion built on a deep connection to Aotearoa produce and vivid Korean flavour.
Guests describe the feeling of being nestled between buildings, high above the CBD — an oasis in the middle of the city. It is, as BODA itself puts it, a restaurant fit for its views. Booths curve into golden light, and in the intimate bar lounge you can watch the day unfold right through until the sun slips behind Takarunga.
In 2026, BODA was awarded a Bib Gourmand in the MICHELIN Guide — a special distinction recognising restaurants that serve high-quality food at great value — and was one of fewer than 100 restaurants across Aotearoa to be recognised at the awards.
The dish most associated with the award says a lot about the cooking. The ricotta gnocchi tteokbokki arrives in soy beurre blanc with parmesan and smoked leeks, deftly juggling Korean and Italian flavours. In the restaurant's own words, it represents everything BODA aims to be: local ingredients and classic technique refracted through a Korean lens.
Dining here leans generous and shared. The kitchen's signature kimchi mac n cheese is a fixture of guest reviews, the mushroom bulgogi reworks a Korean classic around mushrooms, and comfort plates like clay pot rice sit alongside lamb with Brussels sprouts, wagyu, delicate cured kingfish and a pork belly diners compare — favourably — to the pork used in bossam. Even the humble cabbage earns its place, seared to perfection and drizzled with a dressing one reviewer called the winner of the table.
Chocolate has a following of its own. The BODA egg is the dessert regulars push on chocolate lovers, the chocolate fondue — an array of fruits and sweets for dipping, serving up to four people — turns dessert into an event, and the signature sundaes have inspired return visits on their own. There's even a chocolate hour from 3pm to 4pm daily.
Because BODA lives atop a hotel, its day is long. Breakfast starts at 6am on weekdays, and 6.30am on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, poured with locally roasted Eighthirty espresso and premium Lewis Road Creamery dairy. Lunch runs from 12pm to 2.30pm, dinner from 5.30pm to 10pm, and the bar pours from 10am to late. Down in the lobby, Little Boda — the gin bar — operates Wednesday to Saturday from 12pm to 8pm.
The Late Breakfast Club extends the morning mood for anyone not bound by a 9am start, serving favourite breakfast and brunch dishes, from nourishing options onward.
BODA has quietly become an occasions kind of place. Groups of eight or more can take curated shared dining menus designed to be enjoyed together, private events are a staple of the calendar, and seasonal moments fill the rooftop — a Christmas Day buffet beneath panoramic views, a Father's Day menu built for the family table.
The guest reviews tell the same story: birthdays and Father's Day lunches, champagne and cocktails, and staff thanked by name — including a manager who found room for a walk-in party on a rainy, busy night and looked after them to the end. The current Google rating sits at 'good' across 375 reviews, with the same team members recurring in the thank-yous.
Reservations can be made online or by phone on (09) 302 9424. The directions are short: head for the Mövenpick Hotel on Customs Street East and keep going to the top floor. The name promises you'll see something — the view, and the plate, deliver it.