Aka rooftop at Radisson RED Auckland reshapes central city dining
On level 15 of Radisson RED Auckland, the Aka Rooftop restaurant and bar has quietly changed how visitors think about dinner in the city since opening in late 2023. From this elevated rooftop space above 33 Lorne Street, couples look across the Waitematā Harbour, the Sky Tower and the tight grid of central Auckland streets while service moves with the confidence of an international hotel group. For travellers choosing a luxury hotel in New Zealand, the ability to step from room to rooftop dining in under a minute turns a simple stay into a short urban escape.
Aka Rooftop sits within the RED hotel as the signature restaurant bar, yet it feels more like a standalone destination for central Auckland than a typical hotel venue. The expansive rooftop space, protected by a retractable roof, holds around 120 guests for relaxed rooftop dining, drinks-led events and late night bar service that runs from 11.00 until late. For couples booking a hotel in the city, that scale means you can arrive for a quiet lunch, return for sunset at the rooftop bar, then stay on as the restaurant bar shifts into a more energetic mood without ever leaving the building.
The location matters for planning a stay in Auckland because Lorne Street runs parallel to Queen Street and places you within a short walk of the waterfront. Guests at Radisson hotel properties in the wider city, or at other luxury addresses near the business district, can reach this rooftop bar and its dining room easily on foot before or after harbour cruises. For those flying in for a weekend, pairing a night at RED Auckland with a second night near the airport is simple thanks to curated guides such as this overview of elegant stays near Māngere and Auckland Airport, which helps you balance central nights with convenient departures.
Pan Asian flavours and chef led menus 15 floors above Lorne Street
The culinary engine of Aka Rooftop is head chef Edberg Loh, whose kitchen leans into East and Southeast Asian flavours designed for sharing. Trained in Singapore and experienced across luxury hotel restaurants in Asia-Pacific, chef Edberg shapes a menu that highlights New Zealand seafood and seasonal produce through a Pan Asian lens. Under his direction, the menu focuses on dishes such as king prawn har gow with tobiko and wagyu, karaage chicken and deep fried pork and prawn shumai, all calibrated for group ordering that suits couples meeting friends or business travellers entertaining clients.
This is not a tasting menu temple but a rooftop dining room where plates arrive steadily, cocktails keep pace and the city hums below. Most small plates sit in the NZD 18–28 range, with larger sharing dishes and grilled items climbing higher, so guests can build a casual spread or a more elaborate dinner without guesswork. As chef Edberg notes, “We wanted a menu that feels playful enough for the bar but detailed enough for a celebration dinner, so guests never have to compromise when they stay in the city.” Aka Rooftop is positioned as both a relaxed bar restaurant for casual visits and a polished restaurant bar for special occasions, including anniversaries and small corporate events that want skyline views without leaving central Auckland.
The venue’s retractable roof means the rooftop space can adapt quickly to the city’s changeable weather, so couples planning a romantic dinner do not need to worry that rain will cancel their plans. Business guests often schedule meetings in the city during the day, then move upstairs to Aka Rooftop for a more informal close, using the rooftop bar as a natural transition from boardroom to skyline. That rhythm aligns neatly with broader itineraries that stretch a work trip into a short escape, as outlined in this guide on how to extend a conference trip into an Auckland escape. Couples can follow the same pattern: spend the afternoon exploring galleries off Lorne Street, pause for a drink at the bar, then settle into a corner table as the lights of the Sky Tower flicker on.
Cocktails, skyline views and why Aka matters for hotel bookings
The bar programme at Aka Rooftop is led by specialist Nick Bevin, who builds cocktails around modern Asian influences and New Zealand produce. A signature drink might weave yuzu, jasmine tea and local gin into a bright, aromatic highball, while another layers toasted sesame, umeshu and smoky whisky for something darker and more contemplative. Drinks are poured from a central bar beneath a sculptural red installation that reads like a contemporary cherry blossom canopy, tying the Radisson RED identity directly into the rooftop bar experience. For couples staying at RED Auckland or nearby hotels, that means you can move from pre dinner drinks to late night cocktails without losing the sense of place that makes central Auckland compelling.
For clarity, the venue itself answers three core questions for travellers: “What is Aka Rooftop?”, “Where is Aka Rooftop located?”, and “What cuisine does Aka Rooftop offer?” In practice, that translates to one of Auckland's notable open air rooftop dining spaces on level 15 at 33 Lorne Street, serving modern Pan Asian cuisine with a strong emphasis on shared plates. When you factor in the sweeping views across the city, the Sky Tower and the harbour, this rooftop restaurant at Radisson RED becomes a deciding element when choosing where to book your next hotel stay.
Couples planning a longer itinerary in New Zealand often pair a few nights in central Auckland with family friendly stays elsewhere in the city, using resources such as this review of what Auckland’s biggest hotel delivers for families to map out options. Aka Rooftop, and the wider Radisson RED hotel, slot neatly into that plan as the urban, adults focused chapter where rooftop dining, a lively bar restaurant and easy access to Queen Street define the stay. To check current menus, opening hours, chef biographies and reservation details, travellers should refer to official Radisson RED Auckland channels and the hotel’s own website information rather than rely on outdated listings, especially if they are planning special events or group bookings in this elevated rooftop space.