Grand Harbour

This Chinese restaurant has been here for a long time and one of the more popular ones. I was here some years ago, the food was good and now, still as good. The steam fish we had was the blue cod. It was like the 'ikan hantu' or 'soon hock' we called back in Malaysia. The blue cod meat here is softer than the soon hock. The long beans was just deliciously fried with minced meat. I love the braised tau foo with pak choy and seafood, it was nicely done. The four kinds meat platter was surprisingly good too. Not forgetting the seafood fried rice, it was yummy too.

Grand Harbour mistreats the seafood they serve, keeping lobsters and fish crammed into small, poorly maintained tanks with little regard for the animals themselves. The sight of it alone makes you question how fresh or ethical the food can be. On top of that, the prices are outrageously high for what’s offered—tiny portions that hardly justify the cost. It feels like customers are being charged premium rates for poorly treated animals and disappointing meals.

Grand Harbour is probably the best place to come to have Yum Cha. If you’re entertaining family or friends or just want to come to the best place in Auckland for Yum Cha, Grand Harbour is the place. Massive selection of dishes, perfectly complimented by hot jasmine tea. Fully licensed if you’d prefer a beer or glass of wine. Comfortable seating - whether you’re one person or a small group. Want great Yum Cha? Look no further

The food is nice 😊, kids love the roast peking duck with pancake. Lobster with fried rice must try too. 😙

Great Cantonese food place! Seafood is fresh and yummy! Black Gold Abalone is the best!

Still good, Beware even if you tell them about peanut allergy!!!

The food and service were excellent, worth coming back

I had yamcha with my family yesterday. The food was amazing, but the fried noodles were quite expensive. I recommend only eating the yamcha. No free carkpark need to pay on-street parking fees.

Check out this review of Grand Harbour Chinese Restaurant on Tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g255106-d723421-r994270264-Grand_Harbour_Chinese_Restaurant-Auckland_Central_North_Island.html

Outstanding dim sum. I've had dim sum in China, LA area, Hawaii, Vancouver, Hing Kong, NYC and many other places in the US and abroad. This restaurant ranks very high on my list in my quest for the best dim sum outside of China. The dim sum is perfectly cooked and tasty, brought around in traditional style using steam carts. The staff was very friendly, even helping us with suggestions of things to do while visiting Auckland. Will definitely come here again when we are in the area.

They are large and spacious and classy enough inside, although clearly classy from a few years ago as opposed to more recently. The outside is deceptive, they don't look nearly that large, but clearly they get big crowds and are used to it. Got there early so hard to properly evaluate service (which was excellent, even a little overbearing) as they were virtually empty when I walked in. The dim sum itself was from so-so to just okay, the har cheung fun (shrimp rice noodle roll) was a good example: skins too thick, shrimp not memorable at all. Beef tripe (ngau paak yip) is usually a pale white but well seasoned, this one was off in color and perhaps a tad over-steamed as the texture wasn't perfect. It was adequate if you need your dim sum fix.

After a long walk I was craving dim sum. We walked here, and from the outside it didn't seem busy. But once we got in I realized that the restaurant was pretty big. They had the dim sum carts that went around. We got pork shu mai, chicken feet, different dumplings and rice cakes. It was good enough. The only challenge was the carts stopped going around after 230p. Maybe because the restaurant closes at 3pm. I am sure if we wanted more we can just ask.

Dim Sum service was fantastic. A lot of variety and tasty small bites. Soup dumplings are a must. Seems a little pricey but worth the money. Ambiance was fine and overall meal experience very good.

Good authentic dim sum, interior decor is decent, lively ambience even on a week day lunch. In a cool area of town - many locals here coming in for dim sum lunch. We ordered some local lobsters too, was cooked well. Would recommend to add the e-noodles underneath the lobster Overall a yummy meal!

Such a busy yum cha restaurant! We came here on a Sunday and managed to get a table right away since we avoided the lunch crowd. The crowd started swarming in right as we were about to finish our meal, and the wait was insane. They serve dim sum here in the push carts, although if you're seated in a corner, you might be forgotten by the dim sum ladies :( Food here is decent, although I prefer Pearl Garden!

Oh Grand Harbor you missed on the key ingredient, speed. We were seated for lunch kinda in an awkward corner that the trolleys didn't bother passing down. seamed like there was very little food actually being served and I wasn't overly impressed with the food we did end up ordering of the menu. The fried squid was rubbery, beans were cold, dumplings average. I did enjoy the steamed greens in oyster sauce. We ordered icecream to finish but after waiting 10-15mins for a sweet cart to pass by we gave in an ordered but after that another wait forced us to pay and leave before icecream :( With such a large dinning room make sure you are seated closer to the kitchen, there was a long wait for food and some dishes that were meant to be hot where cold before the cart made its way down to the end. Also weirdly, there was a few gents smoking cigars outside that you could totally smell inside while eating. no open windows that I could tell. I think I will be sticking to China yum char in the future.

Fantastic pork and preserved egg congee! Shrimp dumplings are great, too. The space is huge and the carts are plentiful. Very authentic experience! I also had a delicious fresh pressed watermelon juice. Ask for the chili sauce (it's amazing and super spicy)

My mum always says you can judge a good restaurant by how many people are inside eating. And if this is the case, Grand Harbour should be a 5 star. It's never not busy. Every time I've been there, people have been lined up waiting to sit in the waiting area. Most people would just turn around and go somewhere else. But let me assure you, the wait is definitely worth it. This is Yum Cha at its finest. Dumplings, pork buns, duck, and of course the odd pair of chicken feet and sheep testicles (it wouldn't be Yum Cha without them). Every thing feels fresh, unlike a lot of Yum Chas, and delicious. They do however serve Shark Fin soup, which is illegal in most countries, so I would strongly recommend you don't order that. I've been there for work dos, birthdays, farewells, and just because we've had a severe craving for Yum Cha. If you haven't been you should definitely go, even if Chinese food isn't your thing, the experience is something not to be missed.

I've been to a few different Yum Cha in Auckland & I would rate this the best one yet. This is based on the variety of dishes, service and the cleanliness of the restaurant. You never can go wrong with Yum Cha. There's those times when nothing else will quench your lunch hunger but yum cha. When you're full to the brim its that kind of food that never makes you feel icky afterwards but you always feel wonderfully satisfied. Must be the loads of green tea that help wash down the great food too that does the job!

Grand Habour is at the top of my list when I'm in the mood for Yum Cha. It's always packed in the weekend but the place runs like a well-oiled machine. I've never had to wait more than 20mins. I like to mix it up every time I go but they make a mean pork bun and of course, dumplings are a must. As is the bok choy - got to get some greens in there somewhere. All up our feasts (incl. beers) end up being around $20-25 each - not bad if you ask me!

We've been here many times, always at weekends. We were introduced to this place years ago by Asian friends who really know their yum cha. I have been to other yum cha restaurants in Auckland in the past and this is definitely be right up there in terms of its central location and the quality of food, service, decor and of course price. It is always packed to the gunnels and there are queues out the door, of mostly Asian people who know a good thing. Fortunately we've never had to wait long because our friends know someone who works at Grand Harbour and, bless 'em, they always magically find us a table! Like all Asian restaurants it's very kid-friendly. There's always a ton of food coming out and the beauty of yum cha is that you don't have to wait so kids can stuff themselves silly without getting antsy and annoying/terrorising fellow diners. The fish tanks are always a great source of entertainment for kids with the crayfish eyeballing and waving at you through the glass... There are definitely other perfectly good (and probably cheaper) yum cha restaurants in Auckland but if you are looking for consistent, quality yum cha in upmarket surroundings you can't go past Grand Harbour.

Food is standard Yum Char fair, so I haven't posted any photos. This place is very busy on a Sunday, so unless you are disparate to stand around waiting for a table (even after booking, which is a must do on a Sunday ) and happy with pretty slack service then I would say going somewhere else is probably a good call.

I have been to many many yum cha places in Auckland, but I have never seen such terrible service in my life. If I could give this place a 0 star rating, I would. Came here a while ago because we thought it would be similar to Grand Park but with less people. We got seated in a corner and only 1 food cart came by in 30 minutes of us sitting down. Getting frustrated, we ordered some food from a waitress, and were told to wait. Another 20 minutes later, still no one came to serve us so we asked a waiter if the waitress had put our order in. He replied rudely "you can't make orders right now." yet the waitress clearly took our order. She didn't even bother to tell us that we couldn't order despite us waiting for 20 minutes. We told him there were no food carts coming around and he rudely said "there is, wait for them" and left. Worst service I've ever gotten, completely ruined everyone's appetite.

This place offered up a great atmosphere with a warm greeting at the front desk. I must say that I wasn't expecting to be brought my choice of food while I sat at the table and sipped my parched lips on my green tea. Unfortunately my experience there was not all that good. After a few minutes or so of being served squid and dumplings and pork buns, the food just suddenly stopped coming. I waited at least 20 minutes before I got up and left (paying first of course). I then made my way to McDonalds where I chowed down on some good ole burgers. Overall; what food I had was good but the service was lacking. I give this place 2 stars out of 5.

Second time eating here. Quality of the food the same, Great. We over ordered as usual and it was hard not finishing everything.

Reserved a table that had a time limit because it's full. Got a table in the corner, but have had no food delivered to this corner. We ordered food because we thought it might be because there was a lot of people, but they forgot out order. We complained but they treated us rudely and barely listened when we complained. Not coming here again.

I like the idea of Yum Cha. The idea that freshly cooked food gets delivered to your table and you can pick and choose your treats, sounds good to me. The thing is, I'm just not adventurous. Sitting with an equally blonde female friend, we soon discovered the waiters did not even venture near our table most of the time, as they were carrying delicacies such as chicken's feet or some kind of meat porridge during many of their food deliveries. What I did try, I have to say was not very adventurous, except for the "Yum" dumplings with unidentifiable filling that did not live up to its name. If you have exotic and adventurous tastes I think Grand Harbour would be great. If, like me, you don't, then it's probably not for you.

Grand Harbour is the Rolls Royce of Yum Char restaurants. Being of the Asian persuasion, it's pretty easy for me to go there and order and be served what I want. I think it's a little more difficult for others at times. The language barrier can be pretty stressful to deal with when you have no idea what you're eating. You've got to be kind of adventurous with Yum Cha. They do fried squid well, as well as steamed dumplings and the steamed greens with oyster sauce. People love the BBQ pork buns but I think I ate too many of them as a kid so I'm over it. Same with the ice-cream balls. Probably the priciest Yum Cha restaurant you'll go to, but you're paying for the cleanliness and Viaduct location.

My family have been going to yum cha around Auckland for years and years. They think this one is the best. Unfortunately, they don't have any quality vegetarian main options. I'm not even talking about the yum cha options because I understand almost everyone who goes would be meat eaters. But on an expansive menu, you hope for at least one decent vegetarian main. So, I sit at family dinner and look forward to the (really good) desserts.

Grand harbour is a great place to go for Dim Sum. Wide variety of food, and their dumplings are amazing. Do note, it is very popular and so you often have to wait for a table, especially if in a big group!

Must admit that I'm a bit of a yum char novice, this only being my second time in general but first time at this restaurant. I went here for a birthday Sunday lunch with a very large group of over 25. For a group that big Grand Harbour is well suited as it is a central location and can definitely accommodate large(r) groups. One of the best things about it is that there is a great variety of options except if you are a vegetarian in which case your options are very limited to a few. Yes it is chaotic and yes you will have to be patient in riding with the waves of food trays and trolleys strolling past your table, but that is yum char in general so you can't really make a fuss about it because it just comes with the territory. I'm only giving 3 stars because of the lack of vegetarian options and the other yum char place I've been to was way more delicious!

Perfect for dim sum or for dinners. This place is always full of people and sometimes you do have to wait for tables to be available if you haven't made a reservation, but this is a testament to how good this restaurant is! It's worth going to an great for gatherings and family get togethers! I always leave having eaten too much because there are just too many yummy things to eat! Delicious little parcels of dim sum and a wonderful range of dishes!

If you like yum cha in the slightest and you haven't been to grand harbour yet then you are truly missing out! This place has established itself as the best in auckland and if you want a table in the weekend make sure you jump on their website and book one in advanve. Dumplings, shumai, beans, sticky rice, crispy pork, duck, panfried pork dumplings, spring rolls you name it - you won't find better anywhere else. And if you can squeeze in a few treats.. try out the apple custard rolls, pineapple buns, coconut buns, and/or icecream balls. YUM!!

The food was mediocre they never came by to see how our dinner was or to replenish our water and to add insult injury as we paid the bill they didn't even ask how the dinner was so they know the food is mediocre would not recommend this place

I do dig a good Yum Char, and as far as food and surroundings go, this one is one of the best you'll find. It's very generously sized, impeccably tasteful in its decoration, and always very clean. This, along with its Viaduct location, make it very pricey for a Yum Char place and that's what I don't like about it - my favourite part about eating Asian is bang for buck. While this place is a cut above most others, the price point means it sort of misses the point for me. I did enjoy the food though - great pork buns and dumplings as you;d expect, and all sorts of adventurous stuff which I wasn't necessarily able to identify.

Excellent dim-sum. We visited Grand Harbour twice during our 4 days stay in Auckland. The taste of their dim-sum rivals that of many top dim-sum places in United States. I don't go to Chinese restaurants expecting 5 star services but found the servers here actually friendlier than most Chinese restaurants I've been.

Took a large team from work to Grand Harbour, booking the private dining room. The food was authentic and quite good. The sweet and sour fish was a hit with everyone, followed by the Peking Duck. I would go again, but it would be nice to see faster and friendlier service.

Good food but terrible service! If you want to queue up for above average yum cha then get the most abysmal service you have ever experienced come to Grand harbour. They are usually really busy and don't give you the time of day. Asked for water 4 times and was ignored. Felt very disrespected after a session at this place.

When we arrived there were about 6 little kids standing by the doorway in white dresses holding balloons, we soon realized there was actually a wedding occurring at the same time we were eating at the restaurant. The only seperate on between us and the wedding was a small wooden structure about 6 feet wide. the whole restaurant was empty but it was odd because they sat us at the closest possible table to the wedding, with the board directly behind our table. The restaurant is quite large and there were many tables for four a good distance from the wedding. We asked for a pitcher of water and never received it, service was awful, wedding was extremely loud and it was almost uncomfortable that we were there butting up against their wedding. The bride's bouquet could have easily landed in our laps! The food was pretty good, the wonton soup had about 6 huge thick wontons filled with some weird mixture of meats that none of really wanted to know the name of. The minced green beans were the best part of the meal, really greasy but delicious. lamb was okay. vegetarian fried rice was pretty tasteless. Wedding ruined it for us though.

Had Yum Char for lunch today - this place was very chaotic! Service was not good and variety was minimal (maybe because it was a week day??). We also kept getting directed to different staff when we wanted something. Not a pleasant experience at all.

Some days you just need yum cha and it's usually a Sunday. If your looking for a quiet place the day after a big night out then this place won't fit the bill but if your looking for a buzzing atmosphere and lots of delicious dishes to try then immerse yourself into grand harbour and soak up the sounds and smells. Yum cha was fresh and tasty, beer was cold, what more do you need for a lazy yum cha lunch on a Sunday apart from good company to gather round the lazy Susan with.

Grand Harbour is pretty well known Yum Char place for a long time. Have not been going there for a long time and recent experience is not being great. Services is quite poor considering the prices they charge compare with other Yum char places. The quality of food has also drop considerably compare with the past. In summary, OK food with poor service and over priced (over $27 per head for 4 people).

This is by the far one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had in New Zealand. Went for Yum Char one Sunday when the restaurant was full and very busy. Firstly, there was simply not enough food circulating around the room. We spent much of the time waiting and looking for food that didn't arrive. It was so bad that a guy at a nearby table was literally chasing after the trolley as it wheeled off into the horizon. We saw no pork spare ribs, tripe, beef tendon or chicken feet the entire time we were there. I particularly wanted chicken feet, a common enough dish on any dim sum menu. I asked three different wait staff passing my table if I could please have chicken feet but it never materialised. I eventually asked the manager if I could please have the chicken feet a la carte but that never materialised either. After one final failed attempt we gave up and left the restaurant hungry and disappointed. Chaotic, over-priced, and with extremely poor service.