Khanz Mediterranean Restaurant has been bringing the flavours of the Mediterranean and the Middle East to Auckland from Great South Road in Papatoetoe since 2015. The kitchen works with aromatic herbs and a blend of ancient techniques and modern methods, turning out charcoal-grilled kebabs, slow-cooked karahi and generous shared platters known for both their taste and their healthy proportions.
The restaurant is famous locally for its generous quantities, quality servings and hospitable staff. Its buffet is a particular draw, with reviewers counting roughly a dozen mains, sixteen salads and dips and more than twelve side sauces, all freshly prepared. A la carte favourites include the king charcoal platter, chicken and lamb karahi with garlic bread, tandoori chicken and a vegetarian-friendly Arabian okra stew with rice.
Beyond the dining room, Khanz offers a beautiful sheesha lounge, an in-house bakery with well-loved cakes, and Turkish coffee to finish. The team also caters for events, with indoor and outdoor catering, venue hire and a functions hall. Family-friendly, warm and often busy, it is a spot best enjoyed with company.
On a stretch of Great South Road in Papatoetoe, Khanz Mediterranean Restaurant has been serving Aucklanders since 2015, when the team set out to introduce the delicious — and famously healthy — food of the Mediterranean to Kiwis. A decade on, diners keep reaching for the same phrase to describe it: a hidden gem.
The cooking blends aromatic herbs with a mix of ancient techniques and state-of-the-art methods, and the portions are famously generous. Reviewers talk about meat that arrives with a genuine grilled, smoky scent, freshly prepared dishes and staff who make a point of checking on every table.
Fire does much of the talking at Khanz. The king charcoal platter, built for the table to share, is one of the most frequently praised orders — diners love the colourful plates and unique cutlery it arrives on. Kebabs served with rice and tandoori chicken come off the grill with the same charred depth of flavour, and one regular notes that the lamb, chicken and beef were all cooked perfectly.
If you're after a curry, the chicken karahi and lamb karahi, often ordered with garlic bread, are house favourites. Vegetarians are well looked after too: the Arabian okra stew with rice has been singled out as a standout meat-free option. The kitchen's Arabic roots run deep — one reviewer praised Khanz for never failing to deliver some of the best authentic Arabian dishes and desserts, and another calls it the answer for anyone craving Middle Eastern cuisine. The Mediterranean's reputation for healthy eating is part of the pitch as well, with fresh ingredients and careful seasoning doing the work rather than heaviness.
Khanz runs a buffet that has earned a devoted following. Buffet-goers count roughly a dozen mains, sixteen salads and dips and more than twelve side sauces on a given visit, all freshly prepared — with more than one reviewer calling it the best buffet in Auckland and several describing it as outstanding value. First-timers describe being delighted by the variety, and it is a family-friendly affair popular with groups who want to graze their way through the options.
Save room for dessert. The restaurant has its own bakery section, where the cakes get a specific nod from regulars, and reviewers repeatedly recommend finishing with a Turkish coffee.
The space itself is part of the appeal. The main dining room is warm and atmospheric, with music in the background, and when it fills up staff seat guests in a beautiful sheesha lounge or the extended area at the back — one table of five said it made them feel like they were in a different country. The team, more than 25 strong across the group, is frequently described as welcoming, professional and quick with a good recommendation.
Khanz says more than 7,000 satisfied customers have come through its doors, and the repeat business is easy to believe — one local says she used to bring a different group of friends every week to show the place off.
Khanz also caters for occasions of its own. Services include indoor and outdoor catering, venue hire and a functions and party hall, making it a one-stop option for birthdays, celebrations and corporate events. For everyday visits you can book a favourite table through the website or order online for food to go.
Practicalities are simple: there's parking at Eric Baker Place just off Great South Road, service runs from midday most days (with an early 6:30am start on Tuesdays), and there's a short break between lunch and dinner on Monday and Wednesday to Friday. Whether you come for the buffet, a charcoal platter or a slow-bubbling karahi, expect generous plates, a warm room and a meal built for sharing.