Review Samadi - Auckland Central

A lovely gem: low-key, inviting, friendly. Small menu & a couple of vegetarian options not available on the night we went, which was a shame. Delicious food, small plates were a decent size. Both dessert options delicious. Complimentary green tea to finish was an excellent end to the meal.

Samadi is an Afghanistan family run restaurant with family cooking style. Went for a xmas dinner, which was lucky cause we got to try a bit of everything. And everything was so good! Especially the pumpkin with the Afgan bread mmmmmm, I actually expected it to be average but it turned out to be the best dish for me! The atmosphere was cosy and had authentic feel. We sat on a big family table next to the kitchen and could see the chef cooking the yummy kebobs. The sauces for the kabobs, chutney and yoghurt, were good but was amazing when mixed. We also tried all the desserts which went perfect with the chai tea and sitting round chatting. I ate too much. Lol. Still full. Going again.

Freshly made and tasty food. Mantu and skewers were really flavourous. Baclava is top notch - crispy top and just the right amount of syrup on the bottom. Though, the space is a bit tight and the plates could be pre-warmed as the food was quickly getting cold.

Very tasty food. Familiar but with an Afgani twist. The flavours are more subtle than Turkish or Indian cuisine, so that's really a relief. Try the Firnee if you like custard. Try it even if you don't. Very tasty! Awesome family vibe, but also professional and friendly service.

Very nice place food is very good most of it is authentic Afghan. Staff is very friendly, dining-in is good and takeaway is even better.

Opportunity to sample chicken Kabob and Aushak dumplings filled with chives and topped with yellow split peas and mince, salad on the side. Delicious! Washed down with Remedy's organic Switchel. We beat the crush and took dinner back to enjoy on our terrace at the Convent Hotel.

A good option if you like Afghani food, ambience is also very nice.

Just had dinner there last night with a party of 23 and we absolutely loved it! Staff were amazing, food was delicious. Food did take a little while but it all came out together so that was really nice, perfect for sharing around. Set up was super cool and the staff were nice enough to set up a normal table for those who don't have the knees to get to the low tables. Baklava was amazing, and thank you guys for the extra baklava for the birthday girl!

Super food. Delicious flavours and well presented. Made to order so a little wait involved. Seated at large tables so you may share space with other diners, but it works well. Low tables with lowered floor for our legs and feet...adds to the unusual experience. Friendly service. Reasonable prices. Short walk to the toilet which is in the neighbouring mall and requires key access after hours.

Great food and cool dining experience. Only glitch was that we didn't get the complimentary tea at the end of the evening. There is no wine/ alcohol served, so make sure you don't go with the expectation to get a glass of wine with that delicious food.

The staff here are attentive, friendly and the food is fantastic. We enjoyed all our dishes, would highly recommend this place to foodies. Ps they have the best baklava!

Can't rave about this place enough. Lovely customer service, great atmosphere and amazinggggg (and very authentic) Afghan food. We had an amazing time, and I'm glad we chose the banquet menu too. Highly recommend Samadi for a great night out with amazing food ��!!

Friends, classy ambiance, great staff, and great-tasting authentic Afghan food - best combination. Loved every dish we ordered especially the kebabs and dumplings! Will definitely go back!

The lamb was prepared perfectly. Their rice is the best I have had. Price was reasonable. This place is a gem.

Had dinner here last night, we just about ordered one of everything on the menu, and it was all delicious. And very reasonably priced too. Plus the staff were so knowledgeable and just fun. Definitely going back here again soon, this place is a wonderful addition to Pt Chev.

Excellent food and wonderful people. Keep up the great work. Highly recommend

So good!! Amazing food, well priced, and lovely ambience. Totally recommend - will be back :)

A place to feel real Afghan food. Best #kebab and rice. Green tea with speciality Afghan sweets. #Yummy! If you visit Auckland, do not miss the chance to test the Afghan food without going to #Afghanistan.

Amazingly tasty food - absolutely everything we had was delicious! Even after we were full we just wanted to keep eating. There is nothing not to like here; wonderfully friendly and generous staff, cosy atmosphere, reasonably priced. Make sure you book. Thank you Cindy and co. for a lovely birthday dinner!

Delicious food with lovely friendly service. Would definitely recommend this place.

Excellent food! Refreshing, delightful and tasty....would recommend to anyone who is up to trying something different and the service is always done with a smile!

Amazing. Just had a fabulous dinner at Samadi. Beautiful, flavoursome food, great atmosphere and spot on service. I will without doubt be back soon. Thank you Samadi Team.

We just had the most amazing dinner and service at Samadi. Afghani cuisine of the finest. And vegetarians will be very happy too. A must try. Will come back soon again

Wonderful food and staff, tastes are amazing. Just need a drinks license but the food even out weighed usual glass of wine.

A hidden gem I might say, tucked away in the Pt Chev Arcade - Samadi offers a one of a kind experience with a killer Afghan-inspired menu. I came here for dinner on a Saturday night & wasn't sure what to expect but I'm glad to say I was completely blown away by the food. The Qabuli Palau was cooked & seasoned amazingly well! I would've happily eaten a bucket of it. The baklava was the perfect way to end the meal & the complimentary tea was a nice touch. It's safe to say they've earned a lifelong customer in me. Outstanding. 5☆

Celebrated my wife's bday at Samadi. The food is absolutely delicious. We ordered Banjan Sia (eggplant) and Kebobs with rose milk and dokh (salted yoghurt). Everything was so good that we repeated the order and enjoyed every minute we spent there. Totally worth the time spent. The staff were friendly and the ambience was good. I must admit that I was quite impressed(blown away) by their presentation, taste, ambience and the customer service and would love to visit again

An absolute delight of a restaurant. The eggplant was one of the best I have had! The staff were friendly and we loved the atmosphere, it’s so lovely looking out into a green space with the setting sun. The menu was simple and delicious with solid portion sizes. This is now a new favourite restaurant for us!

Gorgeous, gorgeous food from this place. First of all the indoor table seating was very unique and loved the authentic feel of it! The food was very very tasty and everything was so fresh and full of flavour. Highly recommend this place for a lovely feast of Afghan food!!

Be food in Auckland if you live middle eastern food. Great service and good people. It’s a one of a kind in Auckland. Pt chevalier is a great place to go to. Went to beach before hand.

We’ve been living down the road from the Point Chev for over a year yet it was only the other day we stumbled across Afghani restaurant Samadi. This restaurant was certainly a great introduction to Afghani cuisine. It was very reminiscent of other Middle Eastern cuisine in flavour, but did have its own unique flare. Although the vege options weren’t endless, there was just enough on the menu to keep us satiated. ⁣⁣<br/>⁣⁣<br/>𝐊𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐨- First we ordered a sautéed pumpkin dish which came topped with a garlic yogurt and fresh mint (reminiscent of tzatiziki) and Afghan bread. The pumpkin was super soft and sweet and tasted divine combined with the yogurt and on top of the pillowy Afghan bread. 8/10⁣⁣<br/>⁣⁣<br/>𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐚- This was a very similar to the first dish with the same yogurt topping and bread, except the pumpkin was replaced with succulent eggplant. Eggplant can be so hot or miss but this was perfectly cooked, to the point it simply melted in the mouth. The spices it was cooked in were subtle but still sufficiently flavourful. 8.5/10⁣⁣<br/>⁣⁣<br/>𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤- Believe it or not, one can find dumplings outside of the Chinese ones on Dom road. These morsels had a very similar outside to a traditional dumplings but were stuffed quite simply with chives and not much else. Luckily the lack of filling was made up for with toppings, included yellow split peas and the same delicious garlic yogurt. 7.5/10

Loved the food here! What a unique dining experience just what Auckland needs more of. Such good service and the food was delish. Favourites were the dumplings hands down.

We really enjoyed our experience trying out Afghan food for the first time at this gem. We came quite a while ago when they had opened not long. We loved the food and the owners were absolutely wonderful. It’s a small restaurant with limited indoor seating, mainly just a table for a larger group, other than that it’s outdoor seating where the ambience is not really nice.

This is a lovely family run Afghan restaurant. Food is delicious- familiar spices all done a little differently . We've been 4 times now and it has always been excellent. Good value at well.

Authentic and yummy Afghani food with some of the tastiest kebabs and Afghan dumplings that I've ever tried, the menu isn't that extensive but makes up for it in the quality of the food. Even the decor is gorgeous, the interior tables are made so you are sitting on the floor. Only downside is that it is quite pricy for the amount of meat that you get(two skewers and a bowl of rice for $26), otherwise  the service was top notch and the experience was even better!

What an amazing experience! Just warm and welcoming from the get go. The menu explained well by the owner who was also very attentive fantastic service for sure. The food was incredible a flavour explosion at every bite sour, salty, meaty sweet nutty just sooo good, the kobab, Munto dumplings and korma is definitely our go to. The only suggestion for improvement we had was if the portion sizes were slightly bigger, the experience leaves you wanting more but overall great experience will definitely be back thank you for the awesome night!

Absolutely stunning food and incredible staff. We organised a group dinner for 20 people at Samadi last night, and the owner kindly offered to provide us with a banquet-style set of dishes so everyone could try as many items off the menu as possible. The "banjan sia" (creamy eggplant dish topped with yogurt and dried mint, served with Afghan-style bread) is pure heaven. And save room for the Baklava!  Thank you so much Samadi for a wonderful, cozy evening filled with good food and great hospitality! - RASNZ Team

First time having Afghani food, suggested by a friend of mine. Absolutely mind-blown by how good everything was. The qabuli rice was beautiful, but so was the eggplant. The lemon soda water surprisingly nice too. Loved loved loved the setup inside, everyone was really friendly.

I really like this place. Gr8 Afghan traditional menu. Very warm atmosphere and friendly service. A must visit for a beautiful evening with friends and family.

This my first time eating Afghani food and it taste amazing. I highly recommend eating the kebab with qabuli rice and the mandu/dumplings. I’ll definitely come again.

Lovely family owned restaurant providig authentic afghani food. <br/>Our favourites are the mantu (packed with flavour) and the beef korma (meat so tender) which compliments well with the qabuli rice. <br/>Perhaps the only down side is that the grilled meat could sometimes use a bit more seasoning, however thats only if I’m really nit picking

I was very pleased with how great the food was. The place is small but its a starter, tidy, with a hint of creative interior design and without a doubt feels like an under rated gem. Even the drinks where unique and excellent. The menu doesnt have much to choose from however that is certainly not a negative. It is clear the intention is quality over quantity and what they serve is definatly quality! The amount of food is decent in size for the price. I will be bringing my family here for certain. I hope this place stays with us for a while. Auckland desperatly needs quality!

My partner and i had the large plates of Ashak, Mantoo and a small plate of the banjan seya (eggplant stew). For dessert we had the firnee. Loved the food, very authentic. The prices were reasonable and i would def recommend this restaurant.

We went as a large group for a celebratory dinner. The menu isn't huge so we were able to try almost everything. All the meals were great! I particularly loved the rice and the eggplant dish. It was my first time having middle eastern dumplings and they were quite enjoyable! We also indulged in a milk pudding dessert which was fantastic. Great ambience in this place and the staff are just lovely.

Sometimes you find little gems you don't expect when you dine out and it's a nice surprise when you do. Samadi is one of those places. Nestled in the heart of Pt Chev the space was cosy and welcoming.<br/><br/>The food...oh the food. Never tried Afghani food before and definitely won't be the last time. Had the Banjan Sia-eggplant dip, Qorma- beef with Palau, Aushak-dumplings and so much flavour went into every dish. My favourite the Aushak dumplings...a taste bomb with every bite with a slight hint of sourness. Just perfect.<br/><br/>It says on the menu the restaurant is three decades in the making and you can tell. In this family owned business, it's the homely cooking made with love and passed down from generation to generation, and the genuinely friendly service that you just don't find in other places that make it stand out.<br/><br/>

Arash Tayebi <br/><br/>Samadi is awesome. Very nice food and friendly staff. It deserves a 5-star. We enjoyed our night and will definitely go back.

Read some great reviews of this place so we had to give it a try. Ambience is nice, the service is great, fast and friendly. We had the small plate mantu, banjan sia, qorma and kabob with marinated lamb & chicken. We also had the anor and limu soda to boot.<br/><br/>The sodas were nice, I should of gone for the anor since I have a sweet tooth but the limu is nice if you like less of a sweetness. Everything came so quickly and was delicious. I really can't pick out a favourite, too hard to decide.<br/><br/>A great place with great food, I look forward to my next visit.

It's truly an amazing food experience at Samadi. It's a feast for the senses. It begins with a cosy ambience wrapped in earth tones, then comes the aroma of wonderful dishes leaving the kitchen and finally just when I'm green with food envy - our dishes arrive! What a treat! We had the mantu, beef qorma, kabob and banjan sia. Some of the dishes came with Qabuli Palau and bread as sides. They were all perfectly cooked and wonderfully spiced. The service was great as always. If you are keen to try something new, this place is a lovely gateway to middle eastern food. Can't wait for our next visit.

We've been there with another couple and we all loved it. Food is delicious and waitress is so friendly and nice... Every single plate was a travel into the middle east tastes... I absolutely recommend it.

10 out of 10 - amazing food, it was all so delicious. The flavours are amazing, it is hard to choose but my favourite might have been the potato bolani. All the meat was super tender and tasty, Qabuli pilau and salad with pomegranate dressing both light and flavoursome. Aushak were melt-in-your-mouth. Very friendly and professional staff. Beautiful and different decor. This could be my favourite restaurant in Auckland.

When I first walked in the atmosphere felt very tense. Eventually I was welcomed by the workers and they had great customer service and I felt very comfortable and welcomed. I went in a group and we all chose our table and sat until the lady came to take our order. I was confused with the menu as it was unclear what I was ordering. The food eventually arrived after a long wait and it was relatively under cooked and unsettling for my stomach. I felt like I needed to rush to the bathroom. The food looked quite unhealthy as it was made out of flour mostly and the meat tasted extremely raw and under cooked. I left unsatisfied and do not think I will be returning in the near future for the sole purpose of a lack in quality of the food although the customer service was great none the less I would still not recommend to my friends.

I don't know what's better, the food or the service. <br/><br/>This place was an absolutely wonderful restaurant with beautiful Afghan food. My friends and I ordered several dishes and were impressed with each and every one. The food tastes like it was home cooked and made with love, the service was also brilliant and accommodating. Definitely worth a visit 👌🏾

Delicious food and fantastic service! Great value too. We shared 3 entrees and one main between 3 of us and it was plenty, they were all good but the dumplings were my favourite. Highly recommend it!

This place has the best afghan food and we've been here on over 8 occasions with consistently good food. The service is like 20/10 super good . The staff are very friendly and Cindy is lovely. They make you feel so welcome and the seating is cosy and warm . So everything on the menu is great I couldn't fault anything . The aushak is my favorite and so was the eggplant. Everything here is made with love and you can taste it . The Bolani is great and both the baklava and firnee are perfect. Can't wait to come back for some mantoo and aushak craving it already !

This place is amazing! We came out with full tummies and were very impressed by the Afghani cuisine. Great value for money. The lamb skewers and the eggplant dishes were particularly good!

When I read in Paper Boy that the Samadi family had opened a restaurant in West Auckland, I just knew I had to make a booking and get in early while they're still hot off the press! <br/><br/>From the moment you sit down, to the time that you leave, the family treat you like one of their own. The service is friendly and warm - natural, and without effort. They have western style seating outside under a patio (couldn't see heating elements so might get cold in winter?), and a traditional seating area on the inside.<br/><br/>It was recommended to us that we order two small plates and a large plate between two. We ordered the Bolani, Banjan Sia, and a big plate of Mantu. I won't go into each dish and will let my photos do the talking - the sheer volume and combination of flavour and spices between each dish was incredible, and I think I've found a new favourite cuisine! The yoghurt and cucumber that's used in abundance definitely turns this style of food into a real summer treat. The dumplings tasted fresh, and while they were soft, it was nice that they were easy to burst open, because then the toppings and spices could better mix with the mince on the inside.<br/><br/>They have three dessert selections - and we ordered all three, especially seeing as it only cost $12 to do so (cheaper than one dessert at some restaurants). While the $3 desserts (Baklava and Sheerpira) were small, they had a tough exterior and therefore more filling than they looked - we were warned and told to just use our hands and teeth! I personally enjoyed the Firnee the most, it was a bit like a panna cotta!<br/><br/>They don't yet have their alcohol licence however I understand that it's in the works - don't let that be a deterrent however, as they have a unique selection of traditional Afghan drinks, including a salted yoghurt, mint and cucumber drink called 'Dogh'. Mind you, we saw that everyone around us was drinking Rose Milk, so we'll definitely need to give that a go should we come back again!<br/><br/>Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of the food, the service (so friendly and personable), and the simple setting. And at $69 for two people, I was also very happy with the price, especially considering that involved one large plate, two small plates, three desserts and a drink, plus the complementary chai tea.<br/><br/>Will hopefully return!

I went in on a Saturday night with some friends and we absolutely loved the food. Great ambience, very friendly and helpful service. Don't miss the quabuli pulao and mantu.