Akdeniz is a bar, café and Persian restaurant on Victoria Road in Devonport, Auckland, run by a small family business — a working couple who cook and serve Persian and Mediterranean dishes made with love. Proud of introducing Persian cuisine to people across New Zealand, they've built a loyal following who praise the traditional Persian setting, the beautiful atmosphere and the warm, friendly service.
The menu stretches from charcoal-grilled Persian classics — joojeh, koobideh, barg and the celebrated shishlik lamb cutlets — to slow-simmered stews like ghormeh sabzi, fesenjan and gheymeh, and rice dishes such as zereshk polo and baghali polo. A café side covers salads, burgers (regulars rave about the Big Boss Burger), vegetarian and vegan plates, kids meals, sides and desserts, headlined by baklava that the owner's wife bakes fresh every morning in small batches.
Everything is halal. Dining in? Booking your table is essential — call 09 6002125. Taking away? Online click-and-collect and phone orders are pick-up only and must be confirmed by phone to arrange a time; no deliveries. Open Thursday to Sunday from 9am to 9pm, and Monday and Tuesday from 9:30am to 2:30pm.
On Victoria Road in the seaside village of Devonport, tucked into a little arcade that reviewers describe as a hidden gem, Akdeniz operates as bar, café and Persian restaurant in one. It is a small family business run by a working couple, and their aim is simple: great service, delicious Persian dishes made with love, and the pleasure of introducing Persian cuisine to people across New Zealand. The menu ranges across flavours from Persia (Iran) and the Mediterranean, and everything is halal.
Feedback from diners follows a familiar pattern. Guests praise the sophisticated ambience and the warm, extremely friendly service. One family held a 21st birthday here and left with top marks for food, atmosphere and service; others call it simply the best spot in town and promise to return.
The backbone of the menu is the Persian grill. Joojeh (saffron-marinated chicken), koobideh (the classic minced kebab) and barg appear alongside bigger statements: Soltani, Momtaz, the Akdeniz Mix and King Plates, and combinations like koobideh with shishlik. Shishlik — marinated lamb cutlets — has drawn the loudest praise, with one diner ranking it the best she'd ever had. Chenjeh and the house shahi kebab round out the skewers.
Alongside the grill sit the stews and rice dishes that define Persian home cooking: ghormeh sabzi, the deeply green herb stew; fesenjan, rich with walnut and pomegranate; gheymeh, also served with eggplant; and baghali polo with chicken or slow-cooked lamb shanks. Zereshk polo pairs barberry rice with chicken, while dizzi (abgoosht) offers the old-school Iranian stew for anyone wanting the full traditional experience. Starters are easy to share — trio entrees, kashke-badenjan eggplant dip, and Persian marinated olives.
Akdeniz is also a genuine café. Separate salad, burger, vegetarian, vegan, sides and dessert sections keep mixed groups happy, and a kids menu covers cheese, chicken and fish burgers with chips, plus chicken nuggets. One regular sends friends straight to the Big Boss Burger, and on a hot day another counted the iced coffee — tall, loaded with ice cream and cream — among the best she'd had.
If one item has a following of its own, it is the baklava. The owner's wife bakes a fresh tray every morning in small batches, working from a recipe she has been perfecting for eight years. Diners describe it as crispy, sweet and perfectly balanced, and more than one has called it the best baklava they've ever had — the perfect little treat to carry down toward Devonport's harbour.
The setting is a traditional Persian one, with an atmosphere guests repeatedly single out as beautiful. It works just as well for an individual table as for group dining, and the staff earn their own share of compliments — great service, friendly faces, and thanks from diners already planning their next visit.
Akdeniz opens Thursday through Sunday from 9am until 9pm, with shorter Monday and Tuesday service from 9:30am to 2:30pm. Booking your table is essential — call 09 6002125 to reserve.
Takeaway works by pick-up only. Online click-and-collect orders must be confirmed by phone to arrange a pickup time, and phone orders are taken on the same number; the restaurant does not offer deliveries. You'll find it at 5/15 Victoria Road, Devonport, Auckland — an easy stop before a walk around Devonport's beautiful harbour. Book ahead, plan your pick-up, and save room for baklava.