Amano: Why Breakfast Feels Better When the Kitchen Is Part of the Show
There are restaurants you visit for a particular dish, and then there are restaurants where the whole experience starts before the food even arrives. Amano is very much the latter. Sitting in the heart of Britomart, overlooking Auckland's waterfront, it is the sort of place that feels effortlessly busy: people coming in for breakfast, others grabbing coffee and pastries from the bakery, the kitchen working away in full view and a steady hum of conversation filling the room.
It is bustling without feeling frantic, and there is something particularly appealing about being able to see the food being prepared. The open kitchen is very much part of the experience, rather than something hidden away at the back. You can watch the chefs working while the restaurant around you gets on with its morning, which gives Amano a feeling that is somewhere between a neighbourhood café and a serious restaurant.
And perhaps that is what makes it work so well.
Amano describes its food as rustic, Italian-inspired cooking based around seasonal, sustainable and local produce from New Zealand growers and farmers. That philosophy is evident on the breakfast menu, which changes with the seasons rather than trying to offer the same predictable dishes all year round.
A breakfast worth lingering over
I went for the mushroom with truffle, chilli, poached egg and sourdough, and it was exactly the sort of breakfast that makes you glad you didn't just grab something quickly on the way to work. The mushrooms were rich and earthy, with the truffle adding another layer without completely taking over, while the chilli gave it enough heat to stop the dish becoming too heavy. Add a perfectly poached egg and good sourdough and you've got a breakfast that manages to feel indulgent without becoming ridiculous.
My friend took a different approach and built her own breakfast, putting together exactly what she fancied. At NZ$28, it also felt surprisingly reasonable for the setting and quality, particularly given that you are sitting in one of Auckland's better-known restaurants rather than an ordinary café.
That flexibility is part of Amano's appeal. The current breakfast menu includes everything from granola with feijoa, yoghurt and lime and pastries from the bakery to frittata, smoked warehou pâté, avocado and the mushroom dish I ordered. There are even breakfast cocktails if you are determined to make a proper occasion of it.
And if breakfast isn't quite enough of a reason to visit, the bakery next door makes Amano something of an all-day proposition. Fresh bread, pastries, coffee and takeaway options mean you don't necessarily have to sit down for a full restaurant meal to enjoy what is happening here.
The kitchen is part of the attraction
One of the things I particularly liked about Amano was that you never feel removed from the food. The open kitchen sits right in the middle of the action, with chefs moving between stations while diners watch the plates being assembled.
It gives the restaurant an energy that some more polished dining rooms lose. Amano can look beautiful and feel grown-up, but it doesn't feel precious.
That balance has been part of the restaurant's identity for years. Denizen describes Amano as a converted heritage warehouse with high ceilings, a bustling open kitchen and a bakery that has become a destination in its own right.
There is also an interesting new chapter unfolding in the kitchen. In June 2026, Amano announced that Dino had become Executive Chef after joining the restaurant in 2018 and serving as Head Chef since 2020. He has already helped shape many of the dishes and the restaurant's produce-led approach, so this isn't a dramatic reinvention as much as the next stage of a kitchen that already knows what it wants to be.
That feels rather appropriate for Amano. There is no need to shout about what it does. The food, the produce and the kitchen do most of the talking.
And for a breakfast in the middle of Auckland, that is exactly what you want.
Practical Information
Amano
68 Tyler Street, Britomart, Auckland CBD
Open daily from 7am until late. Breakfast is currently served until 11.30am.
Breakfast: Seasonal à la carte menu, including mushroom with truffle, chilli, poached egg and sourdough, avocado, frittata, smoked warehou pâté, pastries and more.
Bakery: Amano's bakery operates alongside the restaurant, offering freshly baked pastries, bread, coffee and takeaway options.
Contact: +64 9 394 1416
Website: Amano – Savor Group
TTT tip: Go early if you want breakfast without the busiest period, and allow yourself time for coffee and a wander around Britomart afterwards. The restaurant is open from 7am, making it particularly easy to turn Amano into the start of a morning exploring Auckland's waterfront.
