Forage and graze at the Zoo! Whether you're after delicious takeaway fare or a sophisticated dining experience, Auckland Zoo has something for everyone.

There are also a number of picnic areas - sit back and relax with your purchased or packed lunch while enjoying the sights and sounds of the Zoo.

​Our cafés source products from local suppliers wherever we can, and any products that use palm oil contain only Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) that’s rainforest and wildlife friendly.

Note: *Old Elephant House, Mokonui café (The Watering Hole), The Lookout and Korimako café opening hours are weather dependent.

Old Elephant House and The Lookout are open every day during school holidays.

Wētāpunga café is located outside the Zoo entrance and people are welcome to enjoy the food/drinks without a Zoo ticket. All the other Zoo eatries are located within the Zoo and can only be acessed with an Auckland Zoo general admission ticket or Auckland Zoo Membership.

Our Zoo Eateries

Te Puna

Located right in the heart of the Zoo, Te Puna offers a wide range of hot and cold café food and drinks.

Open 7 days till 5:30pm

Wētāpunga café

Conveniently located in the Zoo's entrance plaza, Wētāpunga café is the perfect meet up point before or after your Zoo visit.

Open 7 days 8:30am – 5:30pm

Korimako café

Located opposite the band rotunda, this pop-up café offers American hot dogs, takeaway coffee and scoop ice cream.

Open 7 days 11:00am – 4:00pm*

The Old Elephant House

Nestled deep within the Zoo by the South America Rainforest Track, our iconic Old Elephant House is a bistro-style restaurant.

Open Friday to Sunday 10:30am – 2:30pm*

The Lookout

Located in Te Wao Nui, The Lookout offers coffee, cold drinks, and a range of Kapiti ice cream.

Open weekends 11:00am – 3:00pm*

Find the café and picnic locations on the Zoo map
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Join us in drinking to a better future!

We’re constantly working to improve our sustainability practices and are excited to share that ‘Single Use Cups’ (SUCs) will be going for good from all our cafés by the end of 2025. We’ve now removed SUCs from our dine-in cafés - The Old Elephant House, Te Puna, and Wētāpunga, and will be phasing them out of our other takeaway outlets over the coming months. You can join us now and help wildlife and our planet by bringing your own reusable cup from home - and you'll enjoy a discount on your hot drink. Making long-life re-usable cups our ‘go to’ saves precious natural resources and reduces waste going to landfill.

Learn more

Visitor information

Our cafés source products from local suppliers wherever we can, and any products that use palm oil contain only Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) that’s rainforest and wildlife friendly.

Find out more about palm oil, why Certified Sustainable Palm Oil is important, and what you can do to get involved at home with the help of our PalmOil Scan app.

Find out more

Auckland Zoo prohibits visitors from bringing alcohol onsite.

If you are 18 and over, and would like to a beer, wine or cider while you enjoy your lunch, these are available every day from Te Puna café.

The Old Elephant House, which is open during term time: Friday to Sunday, 10:30am – 2:30pm, and open during school holidays: Monday to Sunday, 10:30am – 2:30pm has a range of cocktails, beer, wine and cider available.

Please note that alcohol purchased at any of our cafés, must be consumed at the café it was purchased at and cannot be taken out into the Zoo.

In 1979 at the Zoo’s request, and in the interests of animal health and welfare, Auckland City Council implemented a ban on Zoo visitors feeding animals.

As a result, animal health improved as did the Zoo environment, with less food waste left inside animal and public areas. This also resulted in fewer incidents of people being unintentionally harmed when attempting to feed animals, or having their property damaged. 

Today, the science of nutrition is integral to the Zoo’s holistic approach to animal care. Working together, our veterinarians and keepers create dietary plans tailored to every species' biology. This ensures the food the animals receive is appropriate, high quality and meets the nutritional requirements they need for their ongoing health and wellbeing.

Please do not feed the animals, this includes the free-range birds that visit the Zoo.
Do not leave any food unattended as visiting free-range birds may steal your food.

For more information, please read the full terms and conditions of entry to Auckland Zoo

To reduce the use of single-use plastics, Auckland Zoo does not sell bottled water. Bring your own bottle – or purchase a reuseable bottle at our Zoo Shop – and fill it at water refill stations around the Zoo or at the chilled water fountains located at each of our catering outlets.