An Auckland restaurant owner is defending his private picnic booking system.

People can book the outdoor garden space at Midnight Gardener on Ponsonby Road for two hours for $100.

There's a limit of ten people and they have to bring their own food and drink.

The initiatives come after changes yesterday which allows Aucklanders to meet with one other household outdoors.

Owner Luke Dallow told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's plenty safe and he sanitises the space after each group.

“I’m actually for the department of whoever is going to call me and they haven’t called me yet. And it’s been in the media for what — 24 hours? I would’ve supposed if they were really worried about it, they would’ve given me a call and said ‘shut down.’”

LISTEN ABOVE