Review Grand Harbour Chinese Restaurant - Auckland Central

WE HAD A FAMILY DINNER HERE, ABOUT 8 PEOPLE.. THE FOOD WAS GREAT AND ON TIME... MY FAMILY ALSO LOVED THERE CORN SOUP 🍲... LOTS OF SPACE INSIDE AND ALSO HAS OFF-STREET PARKING AVAILABLE. (PARKING FINE MAY APPLY) GREAT VIEWS AROUND THE HABOUR IF YOU TAKE A WALK DOWN.. HIGHLY RECOMMEND AND ALL RACES ARE WELCOME 💯 💯👍

The ultimate Yum cha venue in Auckland for over past 15 years during lunch hour. Only issue is some serving staff do not speak English well, so it is difficult to correspond. The dim sums are brilliant and big grand hall.

Grand harbour is an old favourite. The chicken feet here is probably the best around. Siumai is the best in Auckland. Don't get the sweet and sour pork. Not good.

Great Chinese food restaurant you can found in Auckland city centre. Good taste and value for money.

We’ve always loved dining here. We keep coming back for their food. Service can be sluggish though if it’s a full house. Overall, it’s all worth the money and effort. Highly recommended!

Not my favourite but it's good enough. Location is exceptional so after a big meal you are welcome to walk along the pier. Yam Char, not the best in town yet fairly delicious, you can definitely have a great time. Different trollies push all those signature dim sum around which brings you the memory of Hong Kong in good old days.

I've had a fantastic time here. We came as a family of 4. 2 adults, 2 kids. The staff was very welcoming and the selection of food was great! Spinach and prawn dumplings, duck, roast pork, and taro dumplings were spectacular! We loved the jasmine tea as well. Golden yolk buns were very delicious too. A little pricey overall but well worth it.

The food was great but they to up the service alittle the staff were great but our table was 11 people and they forgot to take the order when we were ready we had to walk to the front desk to order. We can't just pick and order as soon as we walk in. Didn't know to have lobster it would cost almost 2 weeks of groceries. sad we couldn't get to taste it.

The dimsum has a great quality taste to it and it can be expensive. Great place for dimsum in cbd area close to harbourfront and qt hotel. Well the service is great and the waitress mostly young teens and keep offering the goods. All tasted yummy and had not visited this restaurant for more than 3 years but they are still providing great food and service

Come here if you are looking for a Chinese restaurant with good Peking duck in Auckland CBD. The dishes here we're kinda hit or miss. Some dishes were well executed whereas some dishes were not. Ordered dishes: - Peking duck 👍 - Steamed chicken with ginger sauce 👍 - Sweet and sour pork - golden prawn balls with salted egg yolk. -beans with olive and pork mince. - prawns noodles. - steamed fish with soy sauce 👍 Peking duck: 7.5 Crispy skin, good duck flavour. All together tasted good in the wrap. The bits of vegetables and prawn crackers providing good texture and hoisin sauce just tying everything together. Steamed chicken: 7.5 The whole chicken was cooked extremely well. Even the chicken breast was nice and soft which is a great sign of a perfectly cooked chicken. Ginger Sauce really lifted the chicken as it provided alot of flavour. Fried fish: 7/10 Fish was really nice and fresh! Fish was cooked well as the flesh was soft and flaky. Follow my Instagram for more indepth food review: kiwi_friedchicken

A classic yum char. Traditional cantonese with out travelling to asia. One of my favourite go-to.

Amazing food and great customer service. Was staying at a hotel at the viaduct and felt like some good gourmet chinese food late night, this place was it! Tipped the guy $20. Definitely coming back next time I'm here

Great, authentic HK dim sum!! Food was served hot and fresh. Best time to visit is weekend despite big crowd. Weekdays will see smaller crowd but not so warm dim sum. Also tried many Cantonese dishes, they are authentic and msg free. Higher price than other places but very well worth it!

Yumcha not usually my thing but we went for a farewell lunch. Food was nice, I'm not a seafood fan but the other dishes on the table were delicious. Service was great, atmosphere was nice. Lots of people for a Monday.

Went to there in the afternoon. The breads was okay. The service was terrible! When we just arrived, we ordered some food, one of the staff add some soy-sauce on it, the sauce was comes out, and she doesn’t even apologize, she just complained about the plate is not good. She didn’t even change the new table sheet. 🙄 Other thing was, we were eating, they walk with the trolley and they stopped next to our table for 5mins talk to themselves in very loudly. 🙄 The service was very very terrible! The food is not that good as well. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I thought they must be nice, but I was wrong. Very disappointed this time. 😭

I came here on a weekday noon to have a lunch with my friend. It was pretty packed already but we were accommodated fast and were given a table near the windows instantly, which we didn’t ask for but were happy to have gotten it. The dumplings were pretty good but I wish the sauces included vinegar and chilli. My favourite though was the pork buns, they were yummy and were served in good portions. The Portuguese custard tart was the star as it very yummy too and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting. I wish i tasted the mango pudding though, so definitely would come back to try other things :)

Rating 3.5 Cantonese style yum cha. For a weekday lunch there were still a good selection, and quite a few tables of customers. The service was average, hard to get attention some times. Overall the food quality was good particularly enjoyed the various dumplings.

First time in Grand Harbour after a few years. Parking has always been difficult but because of the Coronavirus, parking was a breeze. There was a young woman server who was screaming “you want anything from my truck?” at a piercing volume. <br/><br/>Some food items were below the usual high standard at Grand Harbour. The scallop dumpling skin was tough (old?), the bbq pork rice noodle was a bit pathetic with tiny bits of BBQ pork that’s hard to taste. Siu mai was ok, harkow was very good. Not sure what’s happened but standards might have slipped on this day? Wishing the best for this iconic yumcha place.

I go here for lunchtime yumcha. It's quite popular here on the weekends as there is a wait around 10-20 mins. All their yumcha are pretty good (apart from chicken feet coz I cant eat it). My faves are Prawn shiu mai, bbq pork buns, sticky rice in lotus leaves. For dessert I always get Taro cake and egg tarts.<br/>I've tried their peking duck but it's not as great as other peking duck restaurants.<br/>Service is quick and workers try to be as helpful as they can be.<br/>The place is spacious with heaps of tables and quite clean.

Had a lovely lunch here. It wasn’t too busy but was picking up as we left. Typical service of yum cha but the food was good and the servers were friendly and helpful when we had a young seafood hater with us. I’d definitely go back.

We probably went there in the rush time. There was a manager with short hair and black suit, who had a poor service attitude and did not know what was unhappy. But why should they convey this emotion to the guests? Ignoring our request to throw the meal on the table, she should be retrained in how to serve guests, how to manage self emotion.

Big fan of Grand Harbour. We’ve come here as a family ever since I was young, and it’s been a staple. Portions are on the smaller side, but it’s dim sum and big portions aren’t the name of the game anyway.<br/><br/>Personal favourite is the cow stomach!

Food was okay. Not impressed, but not disappointed either.<br/><br/>Had to say something about the service though, some of the older staff were really rude and they seemed to enjoy chitchatting during work...

I remember coming to this place a lot with my family when I was little for dinner. We decided to come here for fathers day for yumcha. The place definitely had a wider range of dimsum than most yumcha places I've been to, and the place is absolutely packed. <br/><br/>The parking situation is quite nightmarish - we parked next door (because there wasn't much option to do otherwise) and it was $18 for 1.5 hours - it might be cheaper to park in downtown parking and then take a little walk over in all honesty.<br/><br/>As with most other reviews, the place is definitely more expensive than your usual Chinese restaurant and has slightly better quality. The service isn't the best - one waitress in particular is very snappy and rude - can definitely be a little off putting - but generally the staff are quite polite and helpful.<br/><br/>I really enjoyed the soft-shell crab - it's not often that you can find this at yumcha places (or maybe I'm just going to the wrong ones)<br/><br/>Ambience 4/5<br/>Service 3/5<br/>Food 4/5<br/>Price 3.5/5

Quite fancy, quality of food is high but does lack slightly in portion size compared to the price. Otherwise great place to being guests as you can be assured the food won't disappoint.

Along with grand park, definitely one of the better yum cha places around town. Prices are a little on the more expensive side. The salt and pepper crab was one of the highlights with the taro dumplings.

Grand harbour is a white business mans paradise.... <br/>the yum Cha here is pretty good - one of the best in Auckland, but man is it overpriced!<br/>I’d say, unless you lived in the area, I would bother driving out to make the special trip.<br/>The dumbs are great though.... but it’s also very hard not to stumble across a tasty lil’ dumpling in Auckland....<br/>

Best yumcha in cbd, restaurant is really spacious and can get busy during lunch time. Lots of options and they were all fresh and yummy; staffs were friendly despite being really busy.

Food: 4.5/5<br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Overall: 4.3/5<br/><br/>Came for work dinner and we had the set dinner A for 10 people or above. The chicken corn soup was really yum. Everyone loved the deep fried appetisers and they were still crispy after cooled. Stir fried beef with seasonal veggie was surprisingly good. The beef was so tender! Mussel and squid stir fried with black bean sauce was also one of my favourite. Staff were really friendly and gave us some containers when we requested.

My favorite place to go to when I crave for Chinese cuisine. Staff were very polite and serve me well (even if I go here by myself). The peking duck is the highlight of this resto- the taste doesn't change even if I went here twice. The experience I had when I tasted it first was the same on the second.<br/><br/>Well done to the chef and staff. Keep it up! ;)

Best place for yum cha in the city. Food is fresh and comes out regularly and fast. Not too long waiting for a table. The Chinese broccoli is especially well cooked.

Come here regularly as the food are always good and reasonable priced. Nice location, easy to find parking during weekend. Will keep cooming back.

Nice place near the waterfront with welcoming environment. Food was a bit pricey but was high quality. Service is fast and the staff are friendly.

Food is consistently good especially the prawn dumplings, prawn toast and beef balls. Front of house service is appalling - not a high level of customer service provided -very transactional. Unfortunately the prices are so high now will not be returning any time soon.

This place is usually packed for birthday parties and the food is good but a bit pricey. <br/>On the night we went in for our family dinner it was a bit quiet but surprisingly service was slow. Had to ask a couple times to get what we asked for. <br/>If you’re in town with big family to feed you can try this place but if you want to save a bit of money shop around a bit. There’s a few places within the viaduct that’s well worth the trip and the money. <br/><br/>Overall score:<br/>Ambience 4/5 toilet needs an upgrade <br/>Service 3/5<br/>Food 4/5<br/>Value for money 4/5

Food was okay, there are loats of good yamcha place in Auckland. I was bit disappointed on staff’s service behavior. It was good time to have try this place. Ohhh all you must try the egg tarts !

Only decent yumcha in the city. Fresh, hot dim sum. The service was excellent, they all spoke English which made ordering for my colleagues easier. Though it is slightly more pricey than other yum Cha places.

it's the best yum cha restaurant. Service always friendly and polite, not as other poor service yum cha places. And there foods are always hot and fresh.

Go here quite alot, been to the other yamcha outlets around the city including the New Market ones.<br/><br/>Good thing here is we can always get in without a booking for 2-3 people unlike the others that are fully packed at most times.<br/><br/>Selection is good, quality is good. Nothing overly amazing but a decent standard and fair price. We usually spend around $80 for two with a drink each.

Came here for Yum Cha a couple of days ago... staff is super friendly and the dishes are definitely pretty authentic and damn tasty! Def recommend!

Jus had dinner at this place and it was really good. Great food and a very welcoming place. The staff were really helpful. Will definitely recommend this place.

A classy chinese restaurant closely resembling ones in China.<br/><br/>Service: 9/10<br/>We were immediately seated since we had made a booking. The staff that took our order was very quick and efficient. They also showed us our lobster before cooking it to ensure freshness.<br/>There was one waiter that was super helpful and considerate. Every time we called for him, he would quickly come over and service us.<br/>The food was very quickly served and came out at a good steady pace.<br/><br/>Food: 7/10<br/>The Peking duck portion was a little small but it was crispy, fatty and delicious. They also gave us a generous quantity of pancakes.<br/>The lobster was very fresh and soft, we couldn’t stop eating until the plate was spotless. The noodles were nice and chewy, with nice soy sauce flavour.<br/>The sweet sour pork was super crunchy and the perfect ratio of sour to sweet.<br/>The pork spare ribs with salt and pepper were a little too greasy for me.<br/>The pork steamed with salted dried mustard cabbage was not authentic and I didn’t like that fat didn’t absorb the flavour, but it was super tender.<br/>The beans with olive and pork mince was average, nothing special.<br/>The shrimps with cashew were tender with a little bite. The cashews added a nice crunch and aroma.<br/><br/>Ambiance: 8/10<br/>This place is beautifully clean compared to other Chinese restaurants, perfect for family gatherings or work functions. <br/>It is very quiet and peaceful, especially on weekdays, which is great since most chinese restaurants are super loud and busy.<br/>There are large and small tables available depending on the size of your group.<br/>The traditional which tablecloths contrast the black light-absorbing chairs which creates a sophisticated atmosphere.<br/>There are also comfortable couches at the entrance.<br/><br/>One of the best Chinese restaurants in Auckland with a beautiful location close to the harbour. It can be hard to find free parking though.

After this Sunday I don’t know if I will go back here again. Used to be a place I would go every weekend because the food is good, you can find many options of your favourite dish and the overall experience was great. I didn’t mind the waiting list as well. But the factor who completely ruined my mood is them being cheeky with the bill. 3 weeks ago I went with a group of 4 people. It was outrageous expensive but we shared so I didn’t paid attention to it. 2 weeks ago I went there again with my sister and it cost us $89 for 2 people . We didn’t order much so I asked for the receipt after I paid. On my way home I noticed they have made me payed for 2 items I didn’t order, maybe was by mistake. <br/>I felt embarrassed to go back and it was my fault because I should have asked before paying for those items. Very angry though. <br/>Again I go on the next weekend. This time I wrote myself everything I ordered and I had a look on the notes they were doing on my paper. Couldn’t understand much. It was Chinese. When I went to pay they asked $20 more. <br/>(Also till that moment I always thought the tea was complementary. They offer it always without asking but I was charged $6 for 2 people. ) <br/>I questioned why those $14 remaining after the tea and I had the most rude answer: please pay now because there are other people behind you..... <br/>Like.....wtf . Very politely I asked again and they were acting as not understanding what I wanted to know. Made them call the manager but he was busy. He didn’t show. My parking ticket was already expired so I just payed and left. <br/>It’s a little to say I was very disappointed but also felt ripped off from them, it felt as they have built their own scheme. Food 4 star though, staff in general 3stars. My advice: check before paying.

This was my first Yum Cha experience and this place is amazing. No doubt why it is always packed with customers and would definitely recommend to pre book your table in advance especially during lunchtime.<br/>Yum Cha is a Chinese Hi-Tea experience where you sit at your table and the servers bring trolleys filled with Chinese delicacies from spring rolls,dim sums, sticky rice, chicken, veggies, steam buns, duck, etc to desserts and other teas.<br/>You just keep on eating and picking the dishes and they tick on their list what you have chosen and you later pay at the check out.<br/><br/>The Food was authentic, fresh and their Fresh watermelon juice was so good!<br/>I would definitely recommend this place to try out.<br/><br/>

Had eaten in this restaurant few times. Best Chinese food and yum cha. Quite expensive but you get best quality for what you pay. <br/>Weekend will be very crowded for Yumcha.

Really love this place for yumcha. It is well worth the price - being a bit more expensive than other places. Their staff are super attentive even when it’s really busy. If you want to come on a weekend make sure to book in advance!

I have to say this restaurant is the most favorite spot we have experienced recently. There are various dishes you can taste such as must-try steamed dumplings and steamed vermicelli roll, delicious fried stuff, delicate Guangdong style dessert. Every time we come forward, the whole lodge has been reserved by others. Portuguese egg tart is hot so that you can’t have it even at 12 o’clock. Getting there early to make sure that is still available.

This is one of the best chinese restaurant in Auckland. I went for lunch with my friends, I found foods were delicious and best service. Highly recommend!

SERVE UNCOOKED PORK MEAT AND SERVICE SO BAD! Just ate at this restaurant for dimsum/yumcha. Service was disappointingly slow, we only managed to eat the same food repetitively as only those few were going around. We tried to order some dish (BBQ pork bun and others) but the waiter said we have to wait for the food to come in the trolley cart 😑. Most importantly, the pork dumpling (shaomai/siumai) served was uncooked! The middle part was raw & pink! When we told the waiter, she quickly took it away and said she will exchanged one for us, but in the end didn't. The egg tart wasn't cook through too, the middle part was too watery, the pastry looked so fair like it was not baked enough. When we told the waiter, she didn't seem happy or apologise. We will NEVER come back!

Best yum cha in CBD, its a little pricer than your other yum cha establishments but you definitely get better quality here. I came here on a Thursday lunch time at around 1:00pm surprise surprise it was packed. Took me around 10 minutes to get a table and doing some due diligence I had a quick scan of the patrons dining in, confirming that the restaurant had a make up of at least 70% Asian faces I knew I could sit down without worrying about taste and flavour. <br/><br/>One other aspect which I really like about Grand Habour is that the tea here is a whole another level compared to most Chinese restaurants. The pu re tea here was light and flavoursome. <br/><br/>As I was dining in with some clients and colleagues who weren’t Asian I did notice that some of the workers would come up to our table more frequently and try to sell us westernised Chinese food like Sweet & Sour Pork, Grilled Stir Fried Prawns, Spring Rolls and Prawn cutlets. I don’t really have an issue with that, but I was here to have the authentic stuff like rice rolls, dumplings, chicken feet and siao Mao. Thats also what my French clients and colleagues had come for, a more authentic Chinese experience. <br/><br/>Grand Harbour is comfortably the best yum cha in Auckland CBD. <br/><br/>Showstopper: I love the braising they use for a lot of their steamed dishes. Grand Habour also have some of the best Prawn dumplings in Auckland. You can actually taste the natural prawn flavour with decent prawn filling.<br/><br/>Overall Grade: A-

We've been here for both yumcha and dinner. On both occasions I feel like GH is quite overpriced for what it offers. For yumcha you don't get anything special except a seafood siumai which other places don't offer. However the prices can be around $1 or $2 for each type of dishes. You can expect around $30 per person for lunch. Dinner was more tailored to European people as the dishes are not very authentic. The seafood dishes however, are quite well made with good flavours and large portions. Overall I won't come back here unless it's for work.

My best Chinese experience in new Zealand...<br/>My friend suggested and went for lunch on a Friday afternoon... Amazing vegetarians dumplings and crispy vegetarian noodles... Super yummy!!<br/>Tea is like... No-one can have just one 😋😀<br/>Thanks for very cheerful service 👍

Didn’t get any service because we are CHINESE. We asked a waiter to order something for us but he kept saying hang on and went to collect dirty dishes instead and never came back to us. Will never go back again.

We booked a table for six people for yum char one Sunday for 10.30 am. We were told that we had one hour as the restaurant gets very busy and has queues of people waiting for tables.<br/><br/>Luckily for us the run a very efficient restaurant so the pork buns, steamed dumplings, beans etc arrived in waves as we sat down.<br/><br/>The food was above average, the service efficient but not particularly friendly - they want you fed and gone!<br/><br/>Anyway and above average restaurant and well worth a go.

One of the better Yum Cha places in Auckland. Price is high but i do believe its worth it. Service is better then most Yum Cha places, i do consider this place more friendlier and they hardly miss any tables. I enjoy Yum Cha regularly and this is definitely one place i would keep going to.

your colorful chips were soggy and the food didn't really have much wow factor to it. the soup was really nice though. but like the beef and duck were quite dry.

Food and service spot on ! Service was so quick, waitresses very efficient and understood English and translated each dish so we knew what was inside each one. <br/>Dumplings were tasty, heaps of filling and not oily, tasted very fresh.<br/>Will definitely come back and have yum cha, everything was spot on 😊

Third time here......average<br/><br/>I think the yum cha at Alexander Park is the best.<br/><br/>Food is average, service is average, everything is average. Go to Alexander Park

Terrible service. Sat for 20mins and no food came our way. We asked if we can order and they said no. We finally got some dumplings and they poured chilli sauce on it without asking us. The manager said everyone loves the sauce. Excuse me obviously not everyone. Bad service . Don't u know customer service 101????. Definitely will not come back.

Did some research on Zomato, found several yum Cha place, try to pre book in the morning only this one answered, lol so went.<br/>Food is okay, but pricey comparing to Dunedin, the taste is overall good.<br/>Good things are easy parking, and after a full meal you can just walk around viaduct harbour and enjoy the views there.<br/>Btw, the service was pretty good, at least the wait staffs never stop loading us with food LOL

Unbelievably poor service!<br/><br/>Lunch on a weekend, why not a popular yumcha house - Grand Harbour. As Ive heared stories of good quality tasting yumcha.<br/><br/>1. Asked for water more than 5x before someone care to serve, should they just place a tap accesible to everyone instead of making their guests wait?<br/><br/>2. As we sitted, just like any other yum cha house where you are expected to eat some good siomai, we went into the condiments to get some chili sauce. A minute later, a manager (i just assumed shes a manager) came to our table in a classic poker face, telling us that we should finish off all the chili sauce and soy sauce we got, otherwise they will charge us if they see leftovers. - I dont mind it coz I know i can finish off whatever we got, but until that notice isnt placed in the condiments section - this is just money making and avenue for being rude - and the manner of delivering the message was so unpleasant that never got an ounce of empathy. - staff training perhaps?<br/><br/>3. Food was overpriced, considering their very bad service and unhappy staff - you’ll be unhappy paying 40bux per person for this kind of unhappy place<br/><br/>Food quality was average, comparing to a nice yumcha house in Brisbane CBD, Grand Harbour has lot of work to do to improve taste and overall guest experience<br/><br/>If not for the tasty siomai and crablets, wont even get a star from me. I walk out unhappy not for the food, but for having serviced by unhappy staff in an unhappy place<br/><br/>Will I be coming back ? - NO period

Good food good location there is no other better place to eat. Although a bit expensive but worth it. Amazing people that work there, having a walk down the harbour after having food from here is unbeatable

This place is in my top 3 yum char places in Auckland. They are always busy but totally worth the wait. Food is always tasty and nice. Although, some staff was not personable.

Wide variety of dishes with helpful staff who promptly fill up your teapot when it's empty. Good quality food that's not super greasy as I've found in some places. Will be back!

Can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this place yet. I go here for yum cha every few weeks. I don’t go anywhere else pretty much. <br/>We get the usual siu mai, prawn dumplings, 排骨, 叉烧包, 凤爪 etc. We also get their spicy fried chicken which is so good when it’s just out of the kitchen. Perfectly crispy, with a hint of spice and the most tender juicy chicken ever. $16 though so kinda pricy. <br/>Last time me and my Cousin went we spent $59. She doesn’t eat much. But most of the bill was the fried chicken. <br/>Sometimes it can be a long wait for what you want so just ask one of the waiters if you can order what you want.

The best yum cha in town for me. We had all of the typical dishes which were hot, delicious and had good textures. So good we even had to get takeaways. Service is standard and the is nice ambience, it somewhat reminds me of being back in China.<br/><br/>*Updated* - came in expecting the usual of everything except the service was a let down, just really rude, more than usual. Food was still nice but not enough to turn my score around.

Took my parents here 2 weeks ago to have lunch with my boyfriend. Since we are Chinese we knew how to eat good dimsum and Chinese food. I already tried their other branch at Alexander Park so I knew their dimsum was good. We ordered the usual pork siumai, beef tripe, chicken feet, char siu bao etc. We also ordered the oysters with salted egg (to die for). This place really took me back home with their flavours and atmosphere.

Their yum cha has got to be the best in Auckland. They have a huge selection of food and are frequently passing by with different options on their trolleys. The food was tasty and piping hot. <br/>It's no secret they have good yum cha as the line was once again going out the door. <br/>The place was busy and crowded but the seating was comfortable and you get what you want without too much fuss.

The best yum char place I've been to. Perfect location and an even better environment. <br/>The amount of yum cha dishes here is insane! There is so much variety and the best thing about this place is that the trolleys come around literally every 4-5 minutes with new or the same dishes. My faves are their pork dumplings, prawn dumplings and the shumai. So yum. The roast duck and crispy pork is another fave. <br/>Would definitely come back

There's a first time for everything. So I hesitantly set foot inside with a veteran friend, and was led to a seat. As I took in the surrounding, the first of many staff approached in ill timed intervals with a trolley of interesting food. They don't hear what I say, and I have no idea what they say - settling on grunts and hand gestures. Doesn't get any more authentic. The food, atmosphere and service was great.

Good traditional Chinese restaurant with big robust delicious dishes. Had egg plant hot pot, beans with minced pork and chicken with macadamia nuts. Better than average. Cannot really fault them at all. Really nothing more to say.

Being from China, it's kind of hard to find a quality yumcha restaurant. I think Grand Harbour is pretty much the best place in terms of quality and would definitely recommend despite the slightly higher price point compared to other Chinese yumcha places. The restaurant itself is also really nice and inside, super comfortable and clean.

Good authentic Chinese food👍🏻 they have yum Chan during lunch time and good variety of choices to suit most dietary requirements. There is a carpark right next door where u can get discount parking if you eat there. Make sure you book for lunch or you may have to wait for a bit.

Rated one of Auckland's best Yum Cha places and now I definitely know why - they have such a wide variety of yum Cha dishes, and the trolleys come around quite frequently. Service and ambience is pretty good - they are able to cater for both large and small groups, and the environment is vibrant (like all good Yum Cha restaurants) without being overly raucous, thanks to the large area that the restaurant occupies. They do really good fried dishes and desserts, and signature steamed dumplings are done well as well. A tip though is to sit near the front area - trolleys definitely don't frequent as much if you sit near the rear of the restaurant!

Perfect ambience for yumchar time. Place was pretty high class, yummy food, busy environment and friendly staffs! Egg tart was so flaky and its custard was legit smoooooth! YUMMMM👅👅👅

Hands- down the best yum Cha in Auckland! I have been coming here for years and years, have tried other yum Cha in Auckland but always resort back to grand harbour. My only criticism is the staff, who are often not very 'happy'

Both Yon and I are a huge huge fans of yumcha. We have been to most yumcha places in Auckland and Grand Harbour is top three of our favourite. We have been here countless times. The best dish must try are bbq pork puff and scallop siumay.

One of the best Siew Mai in Auckland IMHO. For yumcha, go early otherwise there's a wait. However the wait time is usually less for us, since I usually only go with my husband. Much easier to seat 2 than a larger group. Expect service to be 'efficient' - on our most recent visit,, theuple at the table next to ours had to ask multiple times for soy sauce, some waiters even told them to go help themselves at one of the stations. There are drinks staff, staff who clean tables, managers/hosts who seat guests and take payments and then there are staff who bring you the actual yumcha dishes - all are good at what they do but unfortunately their jobs don't cross paths :)

As usual nice and busy, service has changed a bit, we were asked to only stay for one hour as the place is busy, as we were 10+ I think they missed out some business from us

Superb food. One of the best chinese restaurant in Auckland. Tasty, wide variety and they're famous for their seafood. Highly recommended if you are bringing guests from out of town. Yum cha here is also well known.

My favorite yum cha! You can kinda get carried away with the food and then you go up to the till and it's hundreds of dollars! But here they tell you how much you've got up too!

Hands down one of the top Yum Cha places in Auckland . The location and ambience is 5/5. Always packed with people, make sure to book in advance as you may have to wait along with a lot of others outside. <br/><br/>The service wasn't particularly great, the servers are actually not very friendly but I don't blame them as they have too many people to cater to. <br/><br/>We ordered shu mai, pork buns, prawn and chive dumplings, chicken chow mein, ice cream balls and the watermelon juice. <br/><br/>Everything was delicious , the ice cream balls were so yummy . Couldn't fault a thing.

My flavour Chinese Restaurant for Yum char, so many variety to choose from and the food just so delicious the service is good as well. The best thing is this restaurant is located at the convenient spot next to Wilson Carpark at viaduct.

Here are 7 benefits of smiling and laughing that the staff at Grand Harbour need to know about.<br/><br/>1. Endorphins are released when you smile.<br/>2. Endorphins make us feel happier and less stressed.<br/>3. When endorphins are released, the stress hormone cortisol is reduced.<br/>4. Laughing expands the lungs, stretches the muscles in the body and stimulates homeostasis.<br/>5. A good laugh can be an effective way to release emotions<br/>6. Smiling is an attractive expression, it's more likely to draw people to you rather than push them away.<br/>7. A happy, positive expression will serve you well in life.<br/><br/>Yum Cha.  Sunday lunch time.  Food is of a low standard.  Staff appear to be in forced labour and clearly lack any understanding that they're job is to provide a service.  <br/><br/>Possibly one of the most depressing meals I've had in my life.<br/><br/>You couldn't pay me to come back here.

bad experienced! Poor customer service . staff are rude ! I ask for some chilli oil ,she said it's not my job, showed me a face then walked away.What is that? ridiculous! Why showed me that face? Customers service are poor I don't think your food will bring customers back!!!!!!!!<br/><br/>

They serve quite authentic chinese dim sums. Not cheap but worth coming. Had the roasted pork but it is not too fresh. Chicken wing is nice. We were given 1 hour to dine in only as its getting crowded after that. Will come back again and try other dim sum.

We have just had dinner here and the food left a lot to be desired. The high light of the meal was the vegetables. The bbq Meat plate was cold and very fatty and not just the pork, but all of it. I am so glad we went her as we now know to never go there again. $240 on food that was very poor.

Have been to this yum cha restaurant a few times over the years. Food is consistently good with a great selection of delicious steamed dumplings and other yum cha fare.<br/><br/>We were in the area for the Auckland marathon and it's convenient location made it a no-brainer for an early lunch for our group of five. We were advised of the one hour dining limit which is sufficient given that there is a constant flow of trolleys and trays laden with food. <br/><br/>The only disappointment was the barbecued pork which was salty, tough and somewhat dry. Every other dish was perfect.

So I was really hangover today and all I could think about was dumplings. Never tried this place before first time! And all I can say is Wow! Prawn dumplings were on fire!!! Would definitely recommend

Best Yumcha in Auckland. Hands down!<br/><br/>This place is SO busy and in the weekends you only get about an hour to dine. But the food comes out really quickly and they have a large variety of food to choose from all the hot steaming trolleys! <br/><br/>The steamed rice dumplings and rolls are the best thing about this place. Everything is steamed to perfection. The pastry is not too chewy but not too soft, just the right texture! <br/><br/>The only thing that made this less than a 5 was that all the ribs and steamed meat dishes were always gone by the time it came to us because of how many people there were.<br/><br/>Great place for those dimsum cravings!

First time at this place lastweek sunday. They have a big menu with alot of choices. My favorite was the mixed meat platter & combination fried rice! Too on. We even got a lobster, even though the price for it was $900 that shit was the bomb! Deep fried lobster mmmm.. pretty pricey but good at the same time! Our bill came up to about $1500 zzz lol lucky the food was on point! Will be back again soon! Chur

Live next to the restaurant and popped in 2 days ago. Really nice menu and the environment but the meal I ordered was over salted. Unfortunately the staff members would not take me seriously saying I'm not telling the truth, they never had complains like this and not going to do anything to resolve the situation(quite rude) so I paid leaving food on the plate. Asked to speak with the manager who was not available at the time, so they got my number and told me the manager would get back to me the next day - never happened. I'm not trying to trash the place even though they deserve a shake, but feel really frustrated. Went to another place to get the dinner.<br/>Manager call me if you care!!!

Really good quality yum char, only slightly too salty & oily but everything was fresh and came quickly. Food is slightly pricey and if you come on the weekend, even with a reservation expect to wait.

Extremely appalling service.<br/>As an Asian myself, and having been to plenty of Asian places, I am used to service that isn't top notch or whatever but this time has really done it for me. <br/><br/>I booked a table and they seated us down at a table that was basically on a deserted side. All the food that came out came from the other side and they never ever came around our side. We had a time limit of 1 hour to eat, we got no food whatsoever in the first 20 minutes until we decided to order because we were so sick of waiting. The lady that was taking our order was dopey and barely took in anything we were saying. She wrote down what we wanted, and then when she left, still nothing came to our table.<br/>When we asked a waiter about our order, he said to us there was no order and what we wanted to order was not available at the time. Extremely upset because the girl did not mention this. The waiter was also extremely rude to us and walked off after giving us an attitude.<br/><br/>We left after ordering 5 things between 5 people. Never coming back again. Seriously appalling and have made us so angry.

Haven't been for ages but knew that it would be busy even for a late lunch on Saturday. We waited about 15min to be seated. The food variety was no different to other yumcha places but they so try hard to differentiate themselves. The prawns are visible in the dumplings rather than the usual ones that are all mashed up. The egg tart was extremely good but maybe because it was freshly out of the oven. The price was about $20more than what we would usually spend in yumcha outside of the city.

Best yum cha I've had in a long time, came here about an hour before it was over and unfortunately they were only serving a limited range at the time, would highly recommend this place for a great yum cha and to go early for the good stuff.

Well this is definitely not my favorite yumchar restaurant. Been here twice and I now can say that both quality and quantity are poor for a very expensive price.

Had a booking for our family of 6 at 12 noon on a Sunday and we didn't have to wait long to be seated even though it was very busy. Definitely a plus as we have been to several other Yum Cha places where bookings are expected but one ends up waiting for up to half an hour to be seated. Also not as noisy as most others and it had an excellent location - a walk along the Viaduct after the meal was quite pleasant.<br/><br/>Now to the food. Overall, it was a bit underwhelming for us, perhaps because we had high expectations of it based on friends' experiences. We waited for a bit for the soup cart in the beginning as we prefer to have congee first but that didn't come around until much later. We tried the chicken and mushroom version - ok but not outstanding. Do try the crispy duck - thumbs up for that. So too for the pork dumplings and sesame ball. Greens were not over cooked and had just enough drizzling of sauce. The rest were so-so (zhu mai, prawn dim sum, salt & pepper squid and some others that we sampled). We do have to qualify our experience here as we have had better dim sum in at least 2 other yum Cha joints around Auckland plus others in Sydney, Hong Kong, San Francisco and Fiji. Now that we have tried their yum cha, we plan to book next for dinner - hoping it will surpass this one.

Whenever I visited here, there was so crowded and long waiting time. When I arrived and earlier, I could be introduced many different food. However I couldn't even get either a menu or any cart with food when I arrived little late. I had to wait long and ended up get out.

This is one of my favourite yum cha places however it is recommended that you almost always have a booking made otherwise it's a long wait. The yum cha is pretty good and has a lot of authentic flavours. The only downfall is how noisy it can get and that it is slightly more expensive than other yum cha restaurants in the CBD.

I'm Chinese, so I have pretty high standards for yumcha. Typical range and variety will not faze me, because in my mind, that's just standard yumcha fare. Suffice to say, Grand Harbour is my absolute favourite restaurant for yumcha and Chinese food in general. The restaurant always bustling (its not uncommon to have to wait for a table during peak morning hours) with chinese and english chatter mingling into a symphony of noise, and the restaurant itself is decorated in a very authentic, oriental way, with live tanks of fish scattered throughout the restaurant. The food itself, is spectacular. Every dish is so good, we always end up ordering some of everything (which is a lot!). I especially recommend the congee, chicken feet, pork buns, custard buns, egg tarts (both kinds), and these unique mochi balls filed with ice cream! I could go on and on about this place. It doesn't just give you a taste of Chinese food. It gives you a taste of China.

Grand Harbour is usually our go to place for yum char and has always been really affordable with friendly service. Our latest experience was very disappointing, costing far more than we've ever paid for the same amount of food. When questioning the staff as to why the bill was so expensive they were rude, disrespectful and couldn't give us a clear answer. We were charged for the tea which has never happened before, and it was put on our table without us asking for it. Won't be going back there!

Grand Harbour simply has really yummy yum Cha. Almost tucked away as its behind the viaduct - those that know how good it is keep it busy without having to worry about passing foot traffic. Luckily we made a booking as you will usually need to wait if you just show up.<br/>Service is very standard for yum Cha - not as good as at Sun World, but still very good. At some times you can wait a while for dishes, but if you ask they are quite helpful. Quite efficient too - we found we could eat a decent meal for a reasonable price & be back at work within 45-60mins.<br/>Fave dishes are the BBQ pork, shumai, pork steamed buns, prawn dumplings. Actually most dishes are really good, but these are a must.<br/>No photos on this visit as we were too busy eating & talking ☺️<br/>Definitely a good destination (up there with Grand Park & Sun World) for delicious fresh yum Cha.

Good food, clean restaurant, and enjoyed it all at a reasonable price. two of us full for $60 with a good selection of dumplings, prawns, squid, shu mai, sticky rice,

Food is usually great service is usually good went here today waiting 30 minutes got served no tea , no food and got charged 11$ for 2 small L&P <br/>After asking 5 different people for food we left never felt so ignored in a restaurant before

One of the best mainstream Chinese restaurants in New Zealand. Extensive menu and good sized portions. Went early on a Wednesday evening so no problems to get a seat. Attentive and polite staff. Wee bit on the expensive side but this isn't your run of the mill Chinese. Great stuff

The second best Yum Cha place in Auckland😏. Central location ✔️Very clean✔️. Finally got a chance to try their dinner menu. The roast duck was absolutely palatable. The rest ... So-lala.

The food is average but the service is horrible! Staff are unfriendly and not attentive. Got my pork buns after an hour's wait. Price is not too expensive. It was around $120 for 6 people.

The food is delicious (one of the best places for Yum Cha in Auckland CBD) but service is inconsistent. Been here a few times. If they seat you in the side section out near the front bar, they rarely bring food around to you, and when they do, it's often the same thing over and over again (and the boring stuff!). You can often see all the trolleys circulating in the main dining area, but most don't come over to you. Also I asked for a glass of water with ice once. They refused putting ice in the glass because it was only tap water.... If the service was better and consistent at this restaurant, I'd probably rate it a 4 or 4.5 (the food is really good!).

We went last weekend. Service very slow and unresponsive but food up to the usual high standard. Remains one of the best yum char spits in town.

Heard it's one of the best places for yumcha so paid a visit ! Located a bit off central queen Street but easy to find<br/>Staff were very attentive and friendly !<br/>Most spoke English which was very helpful<br/>So delicious !!!<br/>If you like yumcha this place is a must

I'm having the good food here. Only thing with the tables is it was very close together and the old white man become offended when I am talking to my friend. I have the delicious food like chicken fried rice, sweet and sour chicken and maybe 2 beers. Only cost me $55 with student discount.

Got in a little after 9 pm...and we were greeted with a "Can you finish eating by 10 pm?". Not a good start..and it didn't get any better. We ordered chicken fried rice, Stir fried prawns and the Sliced lamb with Mongolian sauce. Food was delicious and the serving portions large. However, the service was atrocious...<br/>The staff were itching to go home and had no interest whatsoever in serving the customer. There were only three tables being served and more than 6 waiters but no one seemed interested. Considering the exorbitant prices, a little concern for the customer would have been highly appreciated. Overall, food was good but the service needs massive improvement.

Cut to the chase - this is not the place for Yum Cha on the weekend  unless you are prepared for an unrealistically long wait for a table and then prepared for poor delivery of food to your table.<br/><br/>Went there today ( Saturday) and waited for 35 minutes for a table - conversation with others waiting was that they had been told 30 minutes but gave up and left  after waiting 45 minutes. Finally given a  four place  table by the bar (which had been sitting waiting to be cleared for 10 minutes ) and managed to get a few steamers of dumplings (which were of a good standard) before the whole food supply vanished and we gave up and left after a 15 minute hiatus .<br/><br/>Family waiting at the next table actually collared a waiter after 10 minutes and ordered dumplings ( which had still not arrived after another 15 minutes).<br/><br/>Sadly the only competition for grand harbour closed down a couple of years ago and the lack of competition shows.

Best yum cha that I have been in. Food is great, service is average, too many people and bit hard to get a table unless you book a day or 2 before. More varities of asian dessert comparing to the others.

Prices are ridiculous, $25 for a fried rice, now I am not a tight person, but I refuse to pay that much for rice absolute joke. I understand making a profit but that is flat out ripping people off, no rice should cost that much no matter how good it is.

One of the best yamcha/dimsum spot in Auckland. Food quality are not much difference between them and Sun world in New market. However, Portuguese Egg tart, Steam prawn rice roll and BBQ pork bun is a MUST as I think they have the best of these three in Auckland. Steam prawn rice roll, or known as "Cheong fun" is silky and nice, but the prawn they use are not the normal big ones. Portuguese Egg tart is also not sweet enough but I think it's worth it as none of the shop in Auckland can bake such a tasty Portuguese Egg tart. However, the parking in Viaduct harbour is expensive, so kindly consider about it.

This is definitely one of the top yum cha places in Auckland. The Portuguese egg tarts and watermelon juice are a MUST. The pork buns was also very delicious. The restaurant is very big, clean and spacious. It is a very popular restaurant with a large selection of food. The staff were friendly and helpful and kept giving us more tea. The parking is very expensive $12/hour and the restaurant gives you a parking discount of $5. I will 10/10 come back for more dim sum

My family of 10 came here to celebrate a family birthday. We visited on a Tuesday night and were seated quickly - I was happy as the queue at Grand Harbour usually goes around the corner on weekends!<br/><br/>The food was great, well cooked and perfect for sharing. We had a mixture of soups, wontons, and stir fry dishes. This is a great place to come to with a big group, it's what this dining is known for I guess - and the staff know how to look after groups of people.

The one time I have been here for a work function, it was good. The staff were nice but the food was even better! I was here for a dinner and the group was large enough to take up three tables. the dishes came out buffet style and I can say I was a fan of the fried rice. I shall return for the yum char though!

A good place to eat, but the dishes aren't cheap at all. Places like these tend to be for special occasions. They do good Chinese food and they do it well.<br/><br/>Food: 8/10<br/>Service: 4/5 <br/>Ambience: 4/5<br/>Value: 3/5<br/>Overall: 19/25

One of the best Yum Cha places I've been to! The restaurant is huge but it's always busy in the weekends. We had to wait awhile for our table and it's pretty much an eat-and-go system because there's a lot of people waiting outside still waiting for a table. The food is really good, I love the sesame balls and the dumplings! The place can get a bit crowded though so it's not the place to go if you want to chill

Yep! Best Yum Cha in Auckland & not expensive!

Best yum cha restaurant in Auckland. Clean, quick service. Well cooked dishes. Tastes extremely authentic. My favourite would have to be the shu mai.

It's my favorite Yum Char Restaurant! Great food and always busy with long queue on weekends. They have a good variety of Dim Sum and love that they taste real Hong Kong style yum cha! <br/><br/>One thing I am not liking is they place time limit for yum cha session, I can only sit and eat for max an hour on weekends and depending on where the location of your table sometimes it's hard to hail the trolley of dim sum.... <br/><br/>The food is good and I love it!<br/><br/>Ambience / Decor: 4/5<br/>Service: 3/5<br/>Food / Taste: 4/5 <br/>Overall: 3.5/5

Came here for a family dinner. There was about 10 of us. Meals where huge tasty and service was ohhk. I'm not a lean Chinese eater but was a special occasion. Can't say il rush back but nothing against the place.

Went for lunch on a working day. Asian cuisine is my favourite so I thought will give it a go as its near to my work. So, didn't check out the menu or style of the restaurant. Yes it's a yum char style and am all alone by myself. Thought will have fried rice or noodle. Checked the menu however the price isn't included in the menu. Zomato app came to help. Most of the mains are in the $30 to $40 range. Yes it's yum char style so it's a Chinese version of shared menu<br/>Finally I decided to try out yum char on my own. Tried few items but I think as I was sitting alone the wait staff were not very keen to bring the trolley to my table.<br/>Anyways the ambience is good. It's got huge capacity. There's $5 parking. Would love to come again with some friends.

This is place is always  busy... and bit pricey compared to other Yum char places.<br/>The food tastes is average I perfer other Yum char places in East over this one.

Never been to a yum cha style restaurant before. The novelty of the spinning table is fun, the service is average and so was the food. Found it far to oily or fatty at most times and maybe just a bit pricy too. Fun to try for a first time but wouldn't do it again.

Service: 7/10<br/>Food: 6/10<br/>Cleanliness: 6/10<br/>Value for money: 6/10<br/>Overall: 6.25/10<br/><br/>This place contains all the elements for a perfect yum Cha restaurant.

Always my go to yumcha and I go a lot. Best in Auckland always reliable that will taste great. Heading there again today and can't wait. Always packed which is a great sign.

The food here is always good. Went there on the weekend for yum cha and unfortunately the service has gone downhill. <br/><br/>We had a table for 10 at the back of the restaurant. Out of sight out of mind. It took us quite a while to get an order in for rice and drinks. Multiple times the waitresses would say they'd get someone down for the order but no one came. I had to get up in the end and walk up and down the restaurant to get someone. Got the drinks but the rice never came. Not all the food carts came our way. Didn't have any BBQ pork or duck etc. Barely any deserts either. <br/><br/>Not sure if we'll be back anytime soon. <br/><br/>

Very busy and food came around almost instantly once we sat down. Enjoyed almost everything I ate, only complain was I found it hard to understand some of the ladies who brought the food around and found the squid a bit tough but really enjoyed everything else I ordered especially the BBQ pork buns, prawns and the cold bean salad. Would return for lunch again

My favourite yum char in Auckland. The steamed buns are particularly good and the egg tart. You often have to wait as it is popular but they are very efficient in their service. Very clean and tidy place and as such reliable.<br/>

ERMAHGERD. Best yumcha I have ever had. If I could immerse myself fully in all of their food, I would. Really friendly staff and obviously amazing food.

Best yumcha ive tasted so far in New Zealand ! Everything was so good and they have a good range of variety such as clams and crabs which was delicious. The roast duck was crispy and tasty, and the congee was lovely!! Eaten here twice and would definitely come again!!

Very popular yum cha place and great location. Food is good. Service is not.....at least whenever I have been there. Prices expectedly a little steep for the Yum Cha menu. Food (yum cha) 4/5, Service 2/5, Location 4/5, Price 3.5/5, Portion 3.5/5.

Yum Char here is delicious. All we had was dumplings and some spring rolls. Was waiting for the vegetables to come around but it never did, disappointed but I'm sure it was because we sat down around 2pm and it was probably too late. Service was great, attentive and nice.

Service is second-rate and negligent in this commodious restaurant, even at dinner time when the restaurant has very less patrons compared to their chocker yum cha morns. Barbecue pork is average, the steamed blue cod is technically competent while having ho-hum flavour but their lamb cutlets in pepper sauce are delicous. We wanted to try their Singapore fried rice noodles but they didn't remind us that the kitchen had closed. We thought of returning to try more dishes but their terrible communication skills put us off. Service is second-rate and negligent in this commodious restaurant, even at dinner time when the restaurant has very less patrons compared to their chocker yum cha morns. Barbecue pork is average, the steamed blue cod is technically competent while having ho-hum flavour but their lamb cutlets in pepper sauce are delicous. We wanted to try their Singapore fried rice noodles but they didn't remind us that the kitchen had closed. We thought of returning to try more dishes but their terrible communication skills put us off.

Good for a corporate lunch if you work in the downtown/viaduct/CBD area. Favourites are the fried squid, prawn har gow and glazed buns (can be filled with BBQ pork or custard/coconut dessert versions). Pricier than other yumcha restaurants that I've been to, but prices are well within the price range expected of this area. Not recommended for people who have a dislike of seafood or have allergies etc; finding dishes can be especially hard if you don't eat seafood, meat, mushrooms, or nuts. Yumcha is best with a group of friends so you can try a bit of everything!

Ive only had the Yum Char here but the overall experience each time was good. It is undoubtedly one of the few good Yum char places in Auckland. There is a good variety of food and service roundings come quite regularly so you're never left unpleased. You can always order any items if you wish without waiting for the carts to arrive. You may get a hefty bill at the end depending on how much you eat, but is not overly too expensive in comparison to other yum char places. Been here many times with friends and family and will do so in the future.

Had lunch today with three work mates and had a really nice time. Although this is not the best Yum Cha I have been to, it is still one of the better Yum Cha restaurants in Auckland. The staff here are really friendly. The downside of this place is that they don't bring round enough different options. I got a good serve of steamed dumplings, and my work mates choose some other plates, but there definitely wasn't enough variety. Having said that, I could sit and eat prawn and chive dumplings, and ice-cream balls, and nothing else, and still be extremely happy. Overall, this place is slightly above average.

Great place to come with a large group for dinner as you can order lots of dishes to share around on the table. We enjoyed all the food that we ordered.... Service was good. We have since come back a couple more times as the quality of the food is good.<br/>

Visited here recently with some work friends. The food we had was tasty but it was hard to see what each thing was when they brought the selections round and the people serving were very hard to understand.

Pretty disappointed with this. Food was good but not any better than star cafe and other Yum Cha. Was a lot more expensive too. I was shocked when the bill came around. I wouldn't go again unless I wasn't paying.

Came here with friends for dinner. We had entree combination, first of all, it came as a shock for us. There were only a few fried chicken wing, spring rolls and stuff on the plate, nothing special at all, felt even like some regular stuff you get from supermarket. Next dish was chicken sweet corn soup. This made up a little bit for my disappointment with the first one. The shredded chicken did taste soft and tender, the portion was a bit small though. Then we had bean thread with beef satay, stir fired scollop, and shrimp with cashew nuts. Average dishes, nothing stood out.<br/><br/>

It was a nice bottle of wine. That was about it. Had the beans and pork and olive. Very salty. Fried rice was dry and cold and they forgot our BBQ meat dish so by the time that came out the rest was cold. Would not go back.

It's a miracle that the restaurant still opens with the unique terrible service.

Good Dim Sum. We are always looking for good Chinese food while we travel and we pleased to find this restaurant. We arrived around noon on a Sunday and were immediately seated at our table. Before our tea arrived we had dim sum dishes on our table. The ladies serving the dishes kept coming and coming, each of them equally conversant in Cantonese and English. There was quite a variety of dishes as well as a la carte items that could be ordered. I really liked the siu mai, spring rolls and custard tarts. I was pleasantly surprised at the generous serving of Chinese broccoli and its freshness. And one of the best things was there was no MSG in the food. Food is a bit pricier overall in this city compared to home but not unreasonable for the amount of food we ate.

The worst service you'll ever get in any restaurant.

Have been going here off an on for some years now. The last couple of times we came away disappointed. The service was slow had to ask 5 times to get chinese tea. The traditional yum cha food was lacking. Lots of sweetcorn was used in the dumplings? I do like their ice cream balls if you can get them.

A large selection of dishes however given the size of the restaurant it can take awhile for food to reach your table and often by the time it does your favourites are gone. On the plus side you can order it instead. Overall, the food is relatively average, nothing too spectacular

Great yum cha selection and a large restaurant. Great for lunch with friends, where you can share and try more and more dishes. Service is unintrusive and good.

Dinner review as oppose to yum cha lunch as I was still left craving a good dose of salted fish chicken and tofu. Following the bad experience at Seafood king and given it was a special day with baby 100 days old felt Grand Harbour was ideal.<br/>The tofu casserole was very tasty,cooked perfectly and with the proper soft tofu thecwas a soft salted fish taste without a straight salt taste of the badly made restaurant dishes that pass off as salted ffish. 8/10 (unlike Seafood King) <br/>Other dishes were crab and bean thread vermillci. This was also flavoursome yet also not distracting taste. Crab meat os not my favourite but this was still well done.

Always been told this is one of the best in Auckland and having already been here multiple times we still found the yum cha food selection to be excellent. Of course arriving late-ish we were put near the back of the restaurant which meant long waiting times for the trolleys to come past. There also seemed to be a lack of the more conventional dim sums that we prefer, ie prawn dumplings and dumplings in general. The place was packed out as it normally is and seems quite reasonably priced to me compared to having a non yum cha lunch. Looking at the despondent fish in the tanks is a bit of a turn off, but having so many Chinese in the restaurant obviously affirms its authenticity!

Good yumchar place in the city. Price is okay and they have big range of yumchar. Service is not good and sometimes difficulty in communicating with the servers as many do not speak good english. However I would still come back.

Love the food at this place however some big concerns about a quite large cockroach we saw on our table (after our meal) and management's unwillingness to simply apologise and promise to deal with it. Instead they wanted us to email their outsourced cleaning company about it. A big let-down in an otherwise awesome restaurant.

Most dreadful dining experience, atrocious service! Rock hard Bbq pork buns!We were seated for more than 40minutes and only had 3 dim sum dishes because no variety of food and dumplings would come past our table. When we finally got our hands on some bbq pork buns, it was not fresh, stale, and hard. The restaurant should not be serving food like that and they know it. After a number of requests that went into deaf ears, We finally got hold of the 'general manager' that was in charge on the day but she insisted on arguing and refuses to listen. Very obnoxious and very arrogant. In the end, after causing a scene, she finally admits to the service being below optimal and the food being horrible. But no apologies. Needless to say, I will very highly discourage anyone spending their hard earned money on this restaurant and I will for sure be taking my business elsewhere.

The BEST yum char in town hands down. Get there early enough to enjoy all their delicacies fresh out of the kitchen. Love their wide variety of dim sum and the effort and care into making them so beautiful. Try everything if your stomach permits it!

Fantastic yum cha. Their service is top notch with friendly and inviting staff and the food is consistently good. The mango pancakes are a winner

Services was not good, though maybe its because they were very busy and most of my friends didnt know how to order so we had to ask.<br/><br/>I have been to Yum char several times and I wouldnt say this is the best one.  It was ok and a bit overpriced.

I went to Grand Harbour Yum Cha for my birthday and had a wonderful experience. The food was very hot and there was good selection. I particularly enjoyed the sesame balls and the ice cream balls. The sesame balls were nice and crisp and not too hot. I enjoyed my lunchtime experience as I was able to have all of my favourite dishes. I also enjoyed the pork buns, which I still think are the best at Grand Harbour in comparison to other Yum Cha places I have been to in Auckland. However, one improvement could be that the food could have been quicker, we were sitting down the end so it took quite a while for some of the food to get to our table and we were often waiting a while for new dishes to come around.

In my opinion Grand Harbour sells the best yum char in Auckland, and when we recently (October 2014) went for lunch with friends over from Brisbane after they demanded we went back due to them being so impressed after eating there on their last trip in 2011, it certainly did not disappoint,<br/>This restaurant is definitely a favourite and is on the list of things to do in Auckland when family and friends visits. <br/>I would recommend this as the perfect place to go with a large group as the plates are great to share.<br/>Favourites are the BBQ pork, prawn and coriander steamed dumplings, BBQ pork buns and to finish the pineapple buns are wonderful. <br/>

I went here on a Friday lunch time for Yum Cha about two weeks ago for my anniversary with my partner. After having read very mixed reviews I was a bit worried about how it would be I am very glad I went for it because we had a wonderful experience! <br/>We had read that two person tables may not get as much attention as others and we would struggle to get offered food, but that was certainly not the case!<br/>The food itself was very yummy and even though I had read it was more expensive, I myself thought it was well priced and worth it.<br/>The staff were very attentive and got us water refills straight away when we asked, and had no problems with giving us takeaway boxes at the end when we just couldn't finish it all!<br/>All in all, a great experience and I would definitely recommend.<br/><br/>Oh and P.S, the BBQ pork buns were so amazing, we had to order two plates! YUM!

I love Grand Harbour yum cha. Until recently I worked just around the corner from Grand Harbour and whenever my colleagues and I were going out for lunch I would persuade them to go to yum cha here! Starting my new job in another part of Auckland has been amazing EXCEPT it is no longer walking distance to Grand Harbour! Instead I coerce my friends and family to go to yum cha at Grand Harbour on as many weekends as possible so that I can get my fix. The fried squid and the pork belly are both amazing, and you can’t beat their BBQ pork steamed buns and their great variety of steamed prawn dumplings. It is all really fresh, really fast and really tasty! Go there, now! Oh, but make sure you book, especially on the weekend as there are literally queues out the door of people waiting to dine. That’s how good it is.

Have been going to Grand Harbour for 8 years now and have never been dissapointed. I highly recommend this place for Sunday yum char. Their dumplings are to die for.

This restaurant is a fantastic place to have dinner with big groups. The area is very spacious to say the least, with amazing facility and equipment. The waiters are very friendly and well-knowledge and also very helpful to new customer like me. The dishes has the right proportion to them according to the price. A dish that I would recommend would be the "Spicy and sour soup" (I think that's what is called) It's an appetizer that cost $8 which could feed up to 2 people and it contains prawn and pork which was a surprise to me considering it only costed $8. The total cost for that night was around $100 for 4 people including me. I wouldn't say that the cost was expensive because the food was scrumptious, waiters were nice and the proportion of the food was perfect and it was a high class restaurant so to me, $100 is definitely a good price.  I would recommend this to any of my friends if they are planning on bringing a huge group of people to a restaurant but have no idea of where to go.

Another fabulous experience at Grand Harbour.  If you want yum cha this is the restaurant of choice in Auckland.  Service is quick and the selection of dishes delicious.  Staff are polite and make every effort to fulfill diners needs.  This was a busy Friday crowd but yet again I was impressed by the ability of the Grand Harbour team to quickly have our party seated and eating with a minimum wait.  I look forward to my next visit.

I went to Grand Harbour a week or so ago with a small group of friends.  The staff were really nice (which I find is rare with Yum Cha restaurants) and shout outs to Tim for being such a good sport!  The duck was A M A Z I N G.  Basically, all of the food was great.  Our drinks were brought to us quickly which is very important!  I also rate the dim sims too :)

Best place for a long lazy Sunday arvo lunch!  Wish I could come back more often, parking is a slight hassle though, and wine a little overpriced, but still the food makes up for it: :)

Ever since I was a teenager I have loved coming here the chilli dipping sauce is amazing and ive never had better dumplings anywhere else best yum cha in new zealand

Come here about once a month. Being seated is less than 5 minutes for a table of 2, and considering it is usually the weekend when we go, it's extremely busy so 5 minutes is hardly any wait! Our favourite is sticky rice, which I normally eat 2 of (whoops!), but we also really enjoy pork siu mai, prawn dumplings and bbq pork buns. I love bok choy too, but the serving is quite large and I wouldn't be able to fit in my 2 sticky rice if I ate that too!

Had juice poured down my dad's back from a lousy waiter, service from waitress took way to long, failed to bring us tea within 5 minutes of us being seated (industry standard is usually within 2 minutes), food was of decent quality but could be better for the price, one of the managers ( I think bar manger) was extremely rude. Why should I drive out all the way to the city when I can have a better experience closer to where I live? Just because you're usually busy because lousy reviews suggests that people should eat at GH, it does not mean that your service should go down the drain! I had elder staff apologize to me because of all the younger staff were impatient and rude. Their excuse? "Its busy." 3 Times our family ate at GH over the past 2 or so years, not one occasion had a good out come. The last occasion damn near caused a fight between your dear CUSTOMER and your terrible staff. I will not be going back even if my food, parking and fuel is paid for. Can't believe that NZ Herald placed this place in the top 5 yum cha spots. Have the editors and judges ever been outside of the CBD?

Absolutely delicious! I love Grand Harbour, have been there a few times and hoping to go at the end of October again for my birthday. The food is always so yummy, the variety is great and you will never be served cold food. Service is fantastic, everyone is so friendly and nice. One of my favourite places to go when I can. Looking forward to my next visit!

Slightly over rated and expensive dim sum restaurant in Auckland CBD.   Even though we had a short wait while they cleaned up a table, the service was indifferent.  I had to repeatedly ask for the same thing several times both in English and Chinese before they actually acted on my request.  Some of the dim sum dishes were pretty average while others  were passable.  I would not suggest to travel across town to come here, but if you were in the area, then by all means give this place a go if you do not mind the prices.<br/><br/>check my website for an indepth review.

Probably the most well balanced chinese restraunt in Auckland that has great service, as well as a comprehensive menu. This is the best representation of Hong Kong cuisine. The staff are nicely dressed and can speak both English and fluent Mandarin/Cantonese. On most days, yum char is nicely packed with range of dishes people can try. Their BBQ pork buns and variety of dumplings are a must try. For dinner, their extensive menu can please both traditional Chinese and people that have not been acustomed to Chinese food.  What Grand Harbour does well is its presentation but also the way it refurbishes Chinese culture in a slick and modern New Zealand environment. The menu is not overpriced but moderate. Dinner dishes are around $20-$28 each which is great considering their generous proportions. Their tables are clean and have constant staff to help with your needs.

Excellent Food, Great choice of the menue. Service is good too. wait time is long but its worth it and worth the money. Love to go here

I have been to Yum Cha / Dim Sum about 4 times now and really enjoy it.  I have had large groups of 20 and small groups of about 6.  Each time we have all enjoyed it.  <br/><br/>I make a reservation each time so no wait time.  With a busy place like this on the weekend I would recommend making reservations so you don't have to wait.  <br/><br/>It is a great place to meet family for a meal and no one cooks, no dishes :).  Sometimes there is a language barrier with the staff but it is a Chinese restaurant. ;) I enjoy the variety of the food and the quality is very good.  I love Dim Sum and this is on of the best in Auckland.

I have been to this place for Yum Cha more times than I can count.  It is a favourite of mine and my partner's and now also my parents since we introduced them to it.  Any time someone asks where a good place for Yum Cha is, I always tell them to go to Grand Harbour.  My favourite dishes are the steamed dumplings (any kind), BBQ pork buns and sticky rice but there are many other good ones too.  The service here is also much better than many other Yum Cha restaurants in Auckland.  The staff here are friendly and attentive without being demanding and in your face.  It's no wonder they are super packed in the weekends, booking is a must.  Can't wait to go again soon.

Having grown up in a country where ‘dim sum’ (small plates of Chinese delicacies to be shared by all) was a tradition on weekend mornings, I found myself missing it severely during the two years that I spent in Christchurch. Fortunately, Auckland is home to an abundance of dim sum eateries, more commonly known here as ‘yum cha’.<br/><br/>The best and most authentic of them, in my opinion, is Grand Harbour by the viaduct. The locals appear to agree, as the place is not only consistently full on weekend afternoons, but there is also typically a queue stretching through the entirety of the entry lounge. Turnover is pretty quick, however, and the queue is dealt with with an efficient numbering system, so don’t be dissuaded by it – we typically get seats within 10-20 minutes.<br/><br/>After you are seated, though… the service is a bit hit and miss. The servers are (usually) reasonably polite and efficient, but (1) There is no system for you to place an order, so unless you manage to flag down an especially helpful waiter, you will be at the mercy of the dim sum carts that are being pushed around. This would be fine, and normal in dim sum eateries, except for the fact that (2) The place is large, and whether or not the specific carts that you desire pass you in a timely manner is entirely up to luck. We once went about 20 minutes without a single one of our desired dishes passing by.<br/><br/>All this being said, the food is amazing (when it does come). Their egg tarts are a pet favourite, the crusts crisp and flaky, the golden egg custard fragrant and delicious. The ice cream balls are another popular item, and the ‘shao mai’ (steamed minced pork dumplings) are delicate and well-balanced. Their congee is excellent, with crispy pieces of ‘you tiao’ on the top – try the one with preserved egg and pork if you’re feeling adventurous, otherwise the peanut congee is good as well.<br/><br/>Other dishes that we’ve tried include ‘phoenix claw’ (fancy name for chicken feet), pork ribs, deep fried taro dumplings, prawn dumplings, dou hua (beancurd pudding with syrup), and xiao long bao (minced pork and soup wrapped in a thin skin). The only disappointment thus far has been the xiao long bao, although we also tend to stay away from ordering the roast duck/roast pork/fried prawns/veggies, as these are not standard dim sum fare.<br/><br/>Note: Dim sum is only served in the afternoons, between 11-2pm (and you should try to be there by noon, as many of the popular dishes sell out by 1.30pm or later).

Went there for yumcha, I was very impressed with the waitstaff's professionalism and helpfulness. The service was prompt and courtious. The food tasted excellent and the serving size just standard yumcha-sized. Also, something rare for a Chinese restaurant, A WINE LIST! WITH DECENT SELECTIONS!<br/>Not sure about the price as I didn't pay. The only downside to the restaurant that I saw was how they put a steaming pot of hot water, used to blanch veges, in a trolley in the middle of the corridor where diners, including children, were walking/running past. This is a serious health and safety hazard, I hope it was a one-off incident.

I love Grand Harbour. It is my favourite place to go for yum cha and believe me I have been to them all!<br/><br/>I have been going to Grand Harbour for years because of its timely,  exceptional service and wide range of tasty food. <br/><br/>If your going there for the first time I highly recommend the dumplings, rice rolls, BBQ Pork and Roast Duck, so deliciously satisfying. <br/><br/>I look forward to going to Grand Harbour today for lunch, cannot wait!!!

This is the first restaurant we have ever walked out of!! - With the prices they are asking the least this place could do is hire some professional staff..... The restaurant was fairly empty on our visit so after a long wait with no service we politely asked a passing waitress if we could please order, she quickly walked off and spoke to another waiter who promptly came over to our table. We were given the impression we had done something to offend them as he was smirking at us while taking our selections and didn’t seem the slightest bit interested, I nearly asked if he was even listening to us?! – a short while later he passed by our table and threw our order receipt at us!!!!!! and carried on walking, we couldn’t believe how rude the staff here were – we would NOT recommend this place to anyone. Your money is more welcome elsewhere

I'm not fussy in the least- but multiple flies landed on our food and crawled around in our glasses while we ate. When we queried this at the counter with Amy, one of the general managers, we were told we should have spoken to a manager before the flies landed on our food. She told us to speak to a manager about it despite having "manager" on her name badge. We didn't want to pay but did in the just gave up because she was so aggressive about it. Won't be returning and wouldn't recommend to anyone.

3 of us came here last night for a birthday celebration after reading a review online. This restaurant had been regarded as one of Auckland's top 10 Chinese restaurants, so we were really looking forward to going.<br/>It was a bit of a disaster from the start, as many other reviewers have pointed out. <br/>The service was a bit haphazard to say the least. 2 of us had entrees. 1 arrived and we waited for the other, and waited, and waited....<br/>Eventually it arrived, along with the main courses. The food was average to poor. I couldn't eat the beef dish I ordered as it was bland (I asked the waiter if he could recommend something crispy and spicy). It tasted of nothing really and the texture was soft and rubbery and kind of grey looking. Totally unappetising, so I left it uneaten. The pork dish my other dining guests ordered was a bit better, and I ate some of that instead.<br/>There were more staff than diners in the restaurant, but as others have pointed out, the staff seemed very disinterested .Maybe it's a lack of training or something. I felt like I was in an episode of Ramseys kitchen nightmares as an unwitting diner. There is definitely something going on behind the scenes with this place. We couldn't wait to leave which is quite sad when you're supposed to be out celebrating with your family.<br/>I'm not too fussy really regarding the service side of things when I go out to eat, but I do expect to eat tasty food. Our experience was so disappointing, that this is the first time ever I have decided to review a place to eat.<br/>Won't be coming back here I'm afraid.

Don't understand the past few reviews; the service is okay. Not excellent, but okay. If you are expecting fine dining service, you will be disappointed, but that isn't what authentic Chinese dining is about.<br/><br/>That being said, I love this place. I've tried quite a few yum char places in NZ, in Christchurch, Welly, and Auckland, and this is the best hands down. Their price is a little steep and the wait for a table can be long, but for good reason. The dishes are authentic, delicious, varied, and more importantly - delicate, as how dim sum should be. No huge lumps of pork masquerading as siu mai as you'd find in random yum char places.<br/><br/>Docked a star for the waiting and inaccessible parking.

This place has sh*t service!<br/><br/>I felt like I was part of a production line in a factory. The waiters didn't smile, they spilt food on my coat, my phone, my plate and when I spoke to one of the ladies about the bad service we got, I saw her make a face when we left. <br/><br/>Never coming back here again.<br/><br/>The food is not good.

If I can rate this place a 0 out of 5, I would, mostly because I was appalled and disgusted by what had happened and reading the reviews on here, I'm glad I'm not the only one who has experienced such treatment.<br/><br/>Food = A 3 out of 5, I only had my entree that evening as the rest of my family ate, I lost my appetite half way. From what I ate though, the dimsum (i.e. Siomai, as we call it in my country) was delicious. Deep fried food, what can go wrong? It's so bad for you, so it obviously tastes good! Had the spring onions, wontons and chicken and all was well and good. Until we tried the soup. It was a bit under-seasoned, and that could have been fixed with salt, had there been salt in the table. Other than that, the food that followed after was average. I wished there was more to it, but it was just really average.<br/><br/>Service: Horrible. Disgusting. <br/>We were seated and it took the guy 45 minutes to realize we were there and that we wanted to order. (We kept looking at them the whole time and tried to catch their attention, until it was finally up to me to raise my hand like a little school girl in an attempt to grab them or something) See, for how the whole place looked, and for how much we were willing to pay for, we expected good service. PLUS, it wasn't like there were about 200 tables, just 4 around with people seated, you'd think they'd be able to notice.<br/><br/>Everything was all right at first, and the rest of the family came, it was good. Until one waiter brought in soup and spilled it on my sister's jacket accidentally. He murmured a sorry, but he didn't seem very apologetic about it. I said it is fine, no sweat. These things happen. Working in hospitality myself, I know things like this happen a lot. It's just how people try to work around it, but then there was more. <br/><br/>Things were just really uncomfortable. <br/><br/>I had to ask one of the front of house staff for 6 glasses of water and he had the audacity to sigh uncontrollably loudly behind our backs. Well sorry for being thirsty, buddy! If you gave us a glass of water earlier, we won't have that problem. Needless to say, after that whole ordeal I didn't even bother asking for salt or pepper. <br/><br/>Throughout the entire dinner, the restaurant made us feel unwanted just because everyone around us was just so rude. By the end of the night, my mother went to the till and just told them how she was not satisfied with the service, and the manager, instead of listening decided it was good to talk back in a-matter-of-fact tone.<br/><br/>As soon as my mother turned around, we were already outside at this point. And from our end, the way the manager stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes towards my mom as she walked out of the restaurant was definitely the last straw.<br/><br/>We are never going back there again.<br/><br/>Pardon my language, but I ain't paying so much for so fucking little in return. <br/><br/>Service definitely needs to change. <br/><br/>And the manager could use a better attitude, or you know. <br/><br/>A new manager.

Went there for yumcha for the 8th time yesterday, was rather disappointing, not sure if it was because instead of a large group of 7 or 8, there were only 3 of us this time, so service was drastically different. <br/><br/>We were ignored more of the time, had to keep requesting the same thing more than once (had to order because we were seated in the corner and the cart always misses us). The Chinese waiter named Oliver who were in charge of this particular side of the restaurant appeared to be helpful initially, however, we wondered if he was actually doing that on purpose, because our companion, who spoke some Chinese, said he was laughing and joking to other waiters about how funny we all looked when we had to wait so long for food to arrive. <br/><br/>If that was indeed the case, something has to be done about this particular waiter. Was his job so miserable that he had to take it out on customers who were non-Chinese? <br/><br/>We later voiced this to the lady at the counter when we paid our bill, and she apologized on behalf of Oliver, who apparently came from China only recently and was trying very hard to speak proper English. We said his English was fine, it was his attitude and manner in toying with us that we did not appreciate, it was completely uncalled for. <br/><br/>Told the rest of our colleagues at work what we experienced at Grand Harbor, none of them were impressed. Won't be going back for a long, long time (as long as Oliver works there anyway).

I've been here a few times now for Yum Char lunch and will definitely be back for more. Despite the busy and sometimes loud atmosphere the staff are helpful and attentive. The food is great and although this isn't the cheapest lunch one could have it is always fun trying different dishes.

Best Yum Cha in New Zealand. <br/><br/>I eat yum cha 5 days a week. Other yum cha restaurants have second tier food and crap service. <br/><br/>This one is outstanding. I cannot believe how professional each waiter is. A lot of effort has been put into this restaurant. Definitely doesn’t disappoint. <br/><br/>Best yum cha fo sho.<br/><br/> Service: 5/5<br/> Environment: 4/5<br/> Food Quality: 5/5<br/> Food Quantity: 5/5<br/> Price range: $30+ pp

nice food, and friendly staff.

Went for Yum Cha yesterday. I'll be brief - food was average, not authentic at all just westernised crap for the NZ consumer. But the service was so much worse - dismissive, short, unhelpful, unfriendly, from the waiters to the guy at checkout. And the bill was embarrassingly large for what we ate. Honestly, everyone, do yourselves a favour and skip this place, it's trading on old merit, go find yourself an authentic Yum Cha place, I can name two off the top of my head on the North Shore that run rings around this over-hyped place.

We came for yumchar once and it took forever to bring food around. In addition to this, the food they brought around was very average. It was only vegetable and unhealthy fried items. Where was the dumplings? steamed pork? beef? chicken? We waited for ages and they still didn't come around. We ended up leaving after 30 mins because nothing we wanted came around. So disappointing.

Well where do we start - the outside of the restaurant beautifully lit up with lights for nigh time dining, looking forward to lovely dinner etc - booked for 22 people for dinner on a Sunday for special birthdays. We all very excited - love Chinese food. Arrived on time only a few people in the restaurant lead us down near end of restaurant to left near the kitchen of what could be heard dishes banging. Two tables set up one right by the kitchen where you can look right in and other next to kitchen. Asked if we could be moved as the restaurant didn't look busy = told me they were fully booked - bummer for celebrating 3 50ths birthdays. Then waiter said we had to go to the bar and get our own drinks which was by the entrance way what this is supposed to be one of the best restaurants won Metro Awards and prime minister John Key been there where the service obviously all gone downhill. The entree arrived not the cheapest all on one plate everyone had one tasting and just about finished they remembered the dipping sauce must have been thinned down lots cause nothing stuck to mine was like water and tasteless everyone else had finished - disaster and embarrassment. The mains the waiter could barley understand English finally sorted - small dishes for hungry guests who been waiting ages. Considering the basic plate based around $22 - $24 plate. Ordered sweet and sour pork but told us they were out of pork. No one came over to see how the meal was going or if we were happy - even though they still not busy in the restaurant. A waiter even leaned over a guest of ours spilt the glass then on another leaned and tried to take glass away that wasn't finished - what wrong with these people - manners!!!!! We bought in a cake the cake was really soft they were so disorganised supposed to put music on what a disaster - when we finished and we were talking they started clearing dishes trying to get rid of us was only 9ish pm so not late Another matter try not to go to the ladies toilets they were dirty had two bins in there sinks filthy - the staff were not that busy was it the managers fault or are they always like this yuck!!!!<br/>I can recommend that you go to another Chinese restaurant that will have some courtesy and respect for the customer and will want to have you there dining at their no1 place and not feel like a hindrance we actually had 22 people for dinner and another table was booked so what a pity. Won't be back not recommending either no award from us - there are many other deserving restaurants of this award. Also the restaurant wasn't busy barely anyone there 4 tables at most.<br/>The bill came in Chinese - what we supposed to read all that they spoke English!!!

Took my wife into the city for one of our rare visits and found the best Chinese restaurant in the country. Unbelievable service, great atmosphere and to top it all off the best authentic Chinese food we have eaten since being in Hong Kong. Cannot fault this restaurant so give it the highest recommendation we can. Will definitely be back-this time with all the family.<br/>AlanM

Was here yesterday and had the best yum cha in the 5 years we have been going. Every Sunday we at least think of going in not go. Sticky Rice, BBQ Pork Buns, Spinach Dumpling, Cabbage Dumpling, Seafood Dumplings all of it is amazing. We had the Congee yesterday to start, Pork and Egg and Tofu, amazing, will have it every time now.<br/>Get here early as it gets busy. Unless you are a big group I wouldn't bother booking

There's a reason why Grand Harbour has survived over the many years , the food speaks for itself the most authentic and real experience of Chinese cuisine in New Zealand. There's no bells and whistles the food is the most authentic and delicious cuisine found in NZ. Once you walk in you step into family traditions enriched with culture and more importantly a genuine taste of Chinese dining. Yum Cha is a must and if you are new to this, it pays to do some pre reading to understand the etiquette and realise what your in for. Fast. Tasty. Authentic , don't squirm at chicken feet and tripe your a guest in tradition if you want sweet and sour pork and prawn twisters go to a takeaway ! However, these guys serve them anyway. Every dumpling possible, steaming and fresh. Grand Harbour is no hassle dining - know what you want and order, amazing food, great value and enriched with true culture! Ring ahead and avoid the queues, and side step the odd protestors outside who when I approached them on occasion actually have no idea why they are there but are just helping a friend out? Gives you some entertainment while you wait for your table. Always on my recommended list, it sits amongst the best restaurants in Auckland for a reason. Leave your western ways at the door and enjoy tradition and leave satisfied and wanting to come back! Guaranteed 10 out of 10!!!

I usually rave about Grand Harbour, I rush to get there every time I visit Auckland. The Yum Cha is fantastic and it is always buzzing! <br/><br/>However the last time that I visited Grand Harbour with three girlfriends I was bitterly disappointed. We ordered a little bit of food as the girls had not done Yum Cha before so were hesitant to try some things. When coming to pay the bill was ridiculous! They OVER CHARGED us SEVEN dishes! $39 dollars each seemed high for the 10 dishes we had. I asked for the receipt but was only given the final print out no the one that they write in Chinese of what you have actually had. She did not want to give this to me.<br/><br/>I would recommend going here, the food is great but count your dishes and don't let them rip you off like they did to us!

Had a delicious birthday lunch here. Helpful staff not pushy, happy to explain different dishes. Most of our group had never experienced Yum Cha and can now see why we have been raving about it.<br/>Will definitely be back.

Our dinner was a birthday celebration of which there were nine of us. When booking we were not informed that a wedding reception would be taking place, in which case we would have chosen another venue. The restaurant was very busy and noisy; when discussing menu options we were made to feel like an inconvenience and the staff didn't have the time to assist. The food was very poor with little meat or fish and bulked out with lots of in season cheap vegetables. The Peking Duck was a total rip off; there was little meat and lots of fat, served on rice crackers to make the portion look larger. We ordered 2 and this wasn't enough for 9 people; at $50 per duck this was expensive. During the whole time at the restaurant we were not offered the usual Green Tea. Not value for money, poor food, service and very expensive. We will not be returning.

The food is great, very tasty, the best in CBD, has lots of varieties to choose from, but the service is poor, it's more like self-service restaurant, the dishes are dirty as, they don't use dishwashers since it's too slow...but still will go back there again just for the food, it's truly delicious

Good enough food and service for a yum cha menu but to my absolute disgust, we were offered shark fin soup. What a total disgrace. The restaurant should know better than this and while shark finning is unfortunately not illegal in NZ and we are in the top twenty exporting nations of shark fins (much to our shame), I was shocked to see it on their menu. <br/><br/>I will never eat here again.

I came here with a friend on my birthday for Yum Char during the week for lunch. I have been to this restaurant once before, and was disappointed with their lack of service. I gave them the benefit of the doubt this time round, hoping that their service would have improved since then, but I was wrong. <br/><br/>We came for lunch about an hour and a half before the end of the yum char service. We were given a table to sit at, then we were basically ignored. We weren't asked whether we wanted to order drinks, we weren't given chinese tea to start, and the food trolleys that came around were almost non existent as the lunch rush was starting to die down. <br/><br/>We ended up having to wave a waiter down, ask them for tea, ask them for sauces to go with our non existent yum char and ended up having to order from the menu as the trolley rounds were far and few in between. <br/><br/>After finishing our first dish the waiters started clearing our table and tablecloth asking if we were finished. We were still waiting for 3-4 ordered dishes to come from the kitchen. Quite rude really. <br/><br/>I have given them one star as I do enjoy the food however I will not be returning as I do expect to be served when I dine out. If you are planning to visit this restaurant for yum char, I would suggest take out, as the service is non attentive and at times non existent.

I have been to Grand Harbour for Yum Char before which was great, but this time I took some friends out to celebrate a birthday dinner; unfortunately this last visit for dinner was sadly disappointing, our entrées were not served together, while one person was served at the table and we had to wait ten minutes for the others on the table which was very embarrassing to my guests.<br/><br/>But the main disappointment was the surly service and the lack of it that we received, when we asked for questions in regards to certain dishes just got told look at the photo!<br/><br/>Hard to find staff to help us follow up on orders they appeared not interested in being attentive or helpful, food was okay but nothing fantastic.<br/><br/>It 's a shame but this is not a place to go to celebrate a special occasion especially if you want good service.

First time dining here for yum char. Very dissappointed! Booked a table online for 12:00 but when we arrived, still given a ticket no. <br/>and finally given a table at 12:30. Have to wait for sometime for other food trolleys to pass by. We ordered a fried rice from the kitchen and waited 30mins for it to come out. We ordered drinks at the same time and need to follow up before its served as its not noted by the waiter. Hard to find a staff to help us to follow up our order as everyone seems busy. Food is average and nothing special, you can just eat it in foodcourt in malls. Asked for a sweet chili sauce for the deep fried dish as we normally have from other yum char but nothing. We dine out that time to celebrate a special occassion but turns out to be an ordinary one because of the restaurant. Definitely not coming back. Not a place to celebrate special occassion.

Wasn't very impressed when we visited on Friday the 29th June. I booked for my birthday celebration, 3 hours before I phoned and reduced the numbers as something had come up with a group of friends but I still kept a table for 8. <br/>We were put in the back corner of a completely empty restaurant right next to the noisy kitchen where staff would come in and out (and also socialize alot with visiting family/friends) staff attitude was ok when we eventually got their attention by waving to order drinks or more utensils. Food was good but nothing special. <br/>I had been once before and loved it but this time it really wasn't anything special and we all felt it was a real disappointment and not value for money unlike previous visits. We all agreed we wouldn't be returning.

Went here for dinner last night with family. Loved it. Staff attentive, helpful and knowledgable about wines. Loved the Peking duck and lemon chicken and the promptness of the service. Will be coming back for Yum Cha

Sure go to this restaurant if you feel that you would like to support the shark fin trade in Auckland. Between 70-80 million shark are killed each year for the tasteless broth which is known as Shark Fin soup. Sauteed Shark's Fin with Egg at $220per person seems a big price to pay for you and the finless shark sitting on the ocean floor with no fins.

We had planned to dine here to celebrate a relative's academic achievement. We don't usually dine here, with the exception of weddings, of which we have attended on numerous occasions.<br/><br/>At one particular wedding reception, a guest on our table expressed her concern over finding a metal remnant in her soup, which looked like it had originated from a dish scrub. The waiter responded by removing the debris with a spoon so that she could proceed to continue with her dinner. <br/><br/>This I thought, was appalling. However, I thought it was merely the waiter at fault, not the restaurant, so I did not complain and enjoyed the wedding.<br/><br/>However tonight, the service and attitude of the manager, a member of staff who reflects the reputation of the entire restaurant, was what can only be described as rude and disrespectful.<br/><br/>The restaurant had obviously been booked prior to the evening as we had anticipated a lovely dinner after the celebration of a milestone. One of our guests did not like where we were seated, so he asked if we could perhaps be seated elsewhere. The manager responded, as if to rebut his request, by saying that the booking was not confirmed and that they were really busy, and she tried to find a seat for us just in case we made it, as if to imply that if it wasn't for her, we might not even have the opportunity to dine there tonight. <br/><br/>No one else was even there. And plenty of groups walked in to dine, without a booking.<br/><br/>To make matters worse with regard to the confirmation of the booking, she said she had rung the person who had made the booking multiple times today, but he did not respond. <br/>However, despite being at an important event today, his phone was on the whole day. He did not receive a single call from this restaurant. <br/><br/>Since this was an important event for us, we decided not to throw a fit and leave, and thought our dining experience would get better.<br/><br/>To make it easier for us to order our food, we wrote down the number code of the dishes on a napkin so that we could flip through the pages and identify what we wanted. When the manager saw us doing this, she immediately intervened and said "don't write down the code number, we can't understand what the code number is. We have to write down the name of the dish". So we explained what we were doing. Then when the time came to order, she said "see, I told you, it's hard isn't it, you can't understand what the number is". <br/><br/>The waiters were doing a good job, and the food was good- not as good as other Chinese restaurants that I've been to, but not bad either. However, it was the poor attitude of this manager that ruined my dining experience here. She made us feel as if we were not welcome at this restaurant, and she didn't want us there.

The service was substandard. The manager treated me as though I was a beggar and that the waiters were doing us a favor by serving us in the first place. If I were you, I would not waste my time on this place. <br/>I felt humiliated in front of my guests from overseas as this was their first impression of New Zealand. Definitely not first class dining- for instance, there was a sandfly sitting on my table. Appetizing.

This used to be my favorite place to eat in Auckland. However, the last few times I went, they either did not serve enough variety of food, or there was just just not enough food. I always went for yum cha, and after spending just $22 between two people because the waitresses kept bringing the same dishes around, and having to go and get lunch elsewhere, I decided not to go back until the reviews improve.

We dine here on Yum Cha Sundays occasionally. As with most Yum Cha restaurants service is ho hum. Generally if you want something done don't ask the male waiters as they are hopeless...<br/><br/>Quality of food is good, and atmosphere is good. Probably the best thing about this restaurant is the range of food. Crispy duck is Yummy! If you see it grab it as it goes fast!,

My family have tried verious YamChar in Auckland and this is the best. They have variety of Dumplings which are all good. I especially like the shrimp dumpling wrapped with seaweed. You can't expect friendly service and quiet atmosphere at any of the YamChar restaurants, though we never had bad service experience at the Grand Harbour. It is always crowded during lunch time, but you should dine at the busiest time cause you get variety of selections and all are fresh! You can book easily online and booking highly recommended as you don't have to wait on ine.

Horrible service....forgot to serve the soups.....sides dishes were served first...followed by the mains....coffees later....and then the soup arrives.....what a laugh...the food though was not bad....under staffed and took 40 minutes to serve the first blotched up order. All they say is Sorry but you can see they are used to this?...

This is one of my favourite dim sum places. Would highly recommend!

love the food so much, beef, seafood, and shows, but .... why you doing buy 1 get 1 free in Botany branch, but not city? if do b 1 g 1 speciol, i ll go every day!

We go on a regular basis for dinner. It is a great place to enjoy a meal with friends. The food is always good and service is fairly quick even when busy - which it usually is - they do try to push the drinks at you, but so do most other places nowadays. <br/>Comparing it on the whole I think the Grand Harbour is hard to beat for value. It will take a lot to stop us being regular visitors.

Excellent Yum Char.The service was good and I also got takeout (Fried Beef Noodles) and it was excellent.

Have had yum char hear on numerous occasions. Great food, decent enough service, and a toddler friendly atmosphere. The roast duck is the best i've had, and the BBQ pork buns are awesome. Ask for a table near the fish tank if you've got kids.

Visited this twice with family, have two pre-schoolers and they loved the chicken wings and rice/ice cream stuff. Myself the squid and pork buns... Fantastic service and a great atmosphere.This is a favourite of ours.Not that costly considering the amount we ate. Great choice of food....

Great food in central Auckland. Nice atmosphere and great staff.

My favourite Chinese restaurant. Food wonderful and always good to watch huge tables of people celebrating birthdays etc. Kids love watching the seafood in the tanks, adults like eating them!

Over priced. Portion of the dish is just a joke. Although the atmosphere and interior is better than other chinese restaurant, the food is just average. The worse the interior of the restaurant the better the taste of the food, especially for chinese restaurants!