Best gourmet restaurants in Auckland: find options near you

Great dining experience! The staff are all very helpful and friendly, the food and drinks are top level. The vibe and deco are also fantastic ! We’ll come back to try the pastry and lunch menu!

Came here for brunch and had a delicious pastry. It was very busy so service was a little slow. Prosciutto breakfast felt a bit same old by the end of it, the meatballs looked good. Most brunch items can be gluten free.

The restaurant is absolutely stunning, stylish and effortlessly cool.
One of the highlights is the open kitchen, where you can watch the chefs at work. I was especially drawn to the backdrop: those Portuguese-style tiles, raw wooden studs, and casually arranged fruits and vegetables on the counters all added a unique, rustic charm.

A round table in the center, laid out with fresh bread and butter, gave the space a warm, inviting, almost homely touch.

Service was impeccable. The staff were friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming.

The food was good, but a couple of small things were missing. The fish pâté, for instance, could’ve been lifted with a bit of lemon zest and some salty capers—just that little extra pop.
The lamb was warm and tasty, but everything else on the plate was cold, which took away from the overall experience. Cold veggies and plate just didn’t match the flavor.

Customer service is excellent. We enjoy our lunch here so
much. Steak, spaghetti and drinks are all amazing.
I just want to emphasize the toilets upstairs. The unisex toilet are absolutely clean with white hand towels provided.

Holy moly, what a treat. We had the lamb ragu and pipe rigate for mains and they were both outstanding. The baby cos salad had this beautiful Parmesan sauce, which was terrific. A fantastic restaurant with a brilliant atmosphere. Highly recommend.

really nice and authentic italian coffee. Service is so awesome we didn’t even notice how they refilled our (sparkling!) water. The bakery is awesome as well and the food is absolutely delicious.
Perfect for a weekend brunch with the family.

PS: they are child and baby friendly

What an incredible place – each of the dishes was beautifully prepared, with wonderful flavours. This was paired with an interesting drink menu, and tying it all together was the warm and professional service. A must go – try the kingfish, and the venison carpaccio.

I was really looking forward to going here, I absolutely love Italian cuisine and the restaurant is rated highly on Google. When we got there, my first impressions were good. We received a warm, friendly greeting, the restaurant was busy and the decor very nice. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and good when we got him, could have been a bit more attentive though as it took us quite awhile to just get some drinks. I had the Italian Cider and it was absolutely delicious and not super sweet. For dinner, I had the duck pasta, which I was incredibly excited about. However, found disappointing unfortunately, it is quite stew like, which I wasn’t expecting. The pasta itself was nice. Then came to ordering dessert. Our original waiter clocked out and then it took us a good 40 minutes or so to get the waitresses’ attention to order dessert. Once we finally got to order, the dessert came fairly quickly and was absolutely delicious. I had the canoli and it was perfectly balanced, crispy and the citrus flavor devine. I’m not sure of I’d go back here, I wouldn’t rule it out, but definitely disappointed in the service.

Upscale Italian restaurant located in the trendy waterfront of Auckland. The meals were tasty and well presented. I had the vegetarian pasta with pumpkin filling. It was delicious but was a bit light for size (see pics). I needed to order another bowl of bread in addition to my pumpkin pasta dish. My partner had the eggplant side dish and meatballs and was very satisfied. The “deconstructed” tiramisu was lovely, but untraditional.

When dining at an Italian restaurant in New Zealand, it’s often an occasion for a special treat. So, when picking a spot, I like to check out the menu for something unique the restaurant offers. Buduzzi caught my eye with its pappardella ripiena, a dish that’s not very typical. While I don’t have another version to compare it to, what I had was absolutely delicious. The marinara sauce was perfectly balanced with the ricotta. Personally, I’d have preferred a bit more pasta in the sauce rather than the baked texture, but that’s just a personal preference—overall, it was fantastic.

For the secondi, I opted for the Vitello Perlato, and the meat was cooked to perfection. The combination of tender meat with fluffy arugula, balsamic, and Parmigiano Reggiano added such a lovely aroma and depth of flavor. If this dish were served in Italy, I imagine it wouldn’t include the potatoes (seems to be more of a Kiwi twist to have meat paired with potatoes).

A special shout-out to our French waiter, who served us with great humor and made the whole experience even better. Your service was exceptional!

Complimenti al chef, la tua cucina è un capolavoro!

Thank you for taking me back to Italy. Buduzzi, compared to Bossi, is no match—Buduzzi is truly authentic in both its cooking style and atmosphere. It was far from pretentious and incredibly welcoming. What we ordered we thought the price was very honest.

Honestly a five star experience. Exceptional food, Michelin Star level, knowledgeable friendly service, especially with the wine recommendations (next level!), all with an Italian home-cooked vibe atmosphere. Loved the kitchen-view table and Iralian server!!

Review from our visit in June 2024

We had a mixed dining experience at Baduzzi – some dishes impressed, while others fell short:
– Ginger Hero mocktail was a standout surprise – crafted at a cocktail-level standard with great depth of flavour. Highly recommend it!
– Pumpkin Pasta was excellent, rich, and well-balanced, though it could have been served hotter.
– Pan-Seared Line-Caught Snapper had great flavour but was on the smaller side for the price.
– Beef Short Rib was a disappointment – lukewarm and lacking depth in seasoning.
– Lamb Meatballs were let down by poor execution. While the sauce was a saving grace, the meatballs themselves were underwhelming – surprising, given it is meant to be the trademark dish here. There also seemed to be miscommunication in the kitchen – our plate was preheated but had cooled by the time the dish arrived, and the accompanying pappardelle didn’t come out with it, leaving the meatballs to go cold as we waited.

Service was friendly but timing and kitchen coordination left much to be desired. Given the reputation of Baduzzi, we expected better across the board.

Would we return? Maybe for the pasta and cocktails, but overall, it didn’t fully live up to expectations.

All food was amazing! We had an eggplant thing as a starter, a crayfish meatball, a duck pasta and a tiramisu. Staff are very friendly and professional. Will definitely come back again 😉

Ok, so this was a tough one. The menu makes the food sound fantastic but when it arrives (very quickly and only warm, not hot) it is just nice. It has flavour and is presented well, but it’s just nice. The meatballs must be pre cooked and then reheated as they were warm and didn’t have a freshly made look. Service friendly and efficient. Look, try it, you may get a better meal, but be prepared to be underwhelmed.

Beautiful food and lovely view overlooking the water.
My salad had such beautiful flavours with every mouthful!! Big servings !!
The pate was devine too
We booked for lunch – as had been disappointed before for not booking.

I had read about Soul before visiting Auckland so when my husband and I were walking around the harbor and saw it, I needed to try it! The staff was super accommodating for our walk in and seated us right away. Our server was great with recommendations and attentiveness. We got the pea risotto which was so creamy and delicious but the lamb rack was the true star. It was cooked perfectly and the sauces were great. We were celebrating our honeymoon and they even brought out a little desert for us. Highly recommend for the food, staff and vibes!

WOW. I am blown away by this place. My new favorite spot in Auckland. First off, the vibe in the place is incredible. The entire place is so cute!! If your looking for a place to go and have nice drinks in a gorgeous more upscale environment, i definitely recommend this place for that. Secondly, let me say the service here is outstanding. I worked in miami nightlife, restaurants and bars in america for years and you would think at this place theyre working off tips because they are on top of the service. No waiting to order and super attentive to the table for everything like refilling water, noticing our wines were under half, and clearing dishes immediately. Best service I have had in Auckland since i moved here one year ago. Lastly, the food and drinks were up to par as well. They had a vegetarian menu for me which was amazing and the ricotta tortelli was delicious as well as the goat frais app. My boyfriends prawn & saffron dish was great too. Amazing wine and drink selection too. I cant wait to come back!

A group of friends and I enjoyed a beautiful few hours with a fabulous lunch and service at Soul Bar for my birthday. The food was superb and we were treated like Queen’s. So much variety in cuisine, it was difficult to choose from such a varied menu. The whitebait fritters were divine – more a delicate crepe in lemon butter, just superb, as was the trevally toast, crudo, crayfish crumpet and oysters. My friends devoured their duck gnocchi ragout and commented how tender and delicious it was. A friend who dines at Soul regularly could not bypass the Green Goddess salad and Korean chicken and I will be back for that! We could not fault a single thing. Thank you Soul Bar for a wonderful experience and for my sweet birthday treat at the end of our meal.

We felt like having a special date night last week, I had been to Soul before just for drinks but had heard the food was exceptional. Despite being a Tuesday night, Soul Bar & Bistro was lively, busy and definitely the place for a fancy date night, work drinks, and family/friends group dinners. The staff are lovely and helpful and food was amazing. I had to try the famous Mac n Cheese – was unlike anything else I’ve had, did not dissapoint! Drinks were really good as well. All round the spot if you have anyone you’d like to take to a nice dinner on the waterfront. Still raving about it- we will be back

Soul Bar & Bistro is definitely one of our favourite places in Auckland, we happened to walk past it multiple times but never had been in until a few weeks ago. We absolutely loved the vibes and you definitely are getting what you pay for, the food was delicious (our favourite would’ve been the green goddess salad, prawn pasta & mac & cheese). We ended up going again last weekend to celebrate a birthday and had a lovely waitress I think from memory called Anessa? She made it super special and was super accomodating! Definitely will be back 🙂

I’m so glad I chose Soul to celebrate my graduation! Everything was absolutely perfect — the food, the atmosphere, and especially the amazing staff who were incredibly friendly and kind. The beautiful dessert you brought out made me feel so special — thank you for that sweet surprise! I’m truly happy I picked your restaurant for such an important day. I’ll definitely be back. 10/10 all the way!

Enjoy a lovely lunch with friends. The food is amazing, especially the pizzas, which are hard but delicious. Almost everything here is really good.

Lamb was cooked incorrectly, medium rare instead well done and took long to fix. The food tasted decent. Be aware of long wait times and hard to find parking spots.

Delicious food! I had the Prego Pie, and it was absolutely delicious, flavourful, hearty, and incredibly filling. The pie was perfectly crispy, and everything on the plate complemented each other beautifully. It felt like the ultimate comfort food. I’m already looking forward to coming back and trying more dishes from the menu!

The customer service was excellent as well. Our server was friendly, attentive, and made the experience even better.

Having heard from some friends that Prego is one of the best Italian spots in central Auckland, we were keen to give it a try! It definitely lives up to the hype!

Getting there was easy—though depending on the time and day, parking might be straightforward or involve a short walk. The venue is surprisingly spacious and seats a good number of diners. According to their website, they don’t take reservations, so we walked in for dinner on a Monday evening. Even though it was still busy, we were seated right away. The staff were attentive, friendly, and quick to top up our waters throughout the night.

For two people, we ordered the calamari fritti ($28), linguine alla marinara ($42), and filetto ($48). The standout for me was the linguine—partly because I’m a sucker for seafood, but also because the pasta was perfectly cooked and generously loaded with prawns, mussels, cockles, and tuna. The seafood was beautifully tender and fresh, adding real depth to the dish.

The filetto was served with potatoes au gratin that were crisp on the outside and beautifully layered—absolutely delicious. The steak itself was topped with chimichurri and a rich jus, and we were pleased to receive it exactly as ordered: a perfect medium rare. No complaints—just a perfectly executed dish. The calamari fritti was also cooked beautifully—light and tender and perfectly paired with some greens and lemon.

To end the night, we couldn’t resist trying the tiramisu ($18), especially after seeing a few go past to other tables. I’m glad we did—easily one of the best we’ve had. The sponge was nicely soaked with espresso and marsala, and the balance between the whipped egg and mascarpone cream layers was spot on. Rich, but not overly sweet—something many tiramisus struggle to achieve.

Dining here is definitely a treat, but it’s an experience worth having. We’re already looking forward to coming back to explore more of the menu!

We loved the food, atmosphere and especially their customer service. Special thanks to Sam!

We had great pizza and pasta recommendations and quick service. I can’t wait to go back!

Purely an Italiano aura

I recently visited Auckland, New Zealand, for the first time, and I absolutely loved everything about it! After a full day of exploring, we had dinner at Prego and enjoyed a lovely evening. We started out at the bar with Strange Nature Spritzer, which was most excellent. Olie and his bartending partner were so much fun! They created 6 Spritzers for us. We were then so very excited to get a table for a large group outside. It was a really nice night. We shared a platter of calamari, which was delicious, and then I had the seafood pasta, which was divine! I even had my cold leftovers for breakfast. That was super. I highly recommend Prego. I will go back again!

Got here at around 8:30pm on a Saturday, only around a 30min wait for a table, but we sat at the bar and had cocktails and the time flew!

We were seated outside undercover and were served by Cameron who was delightful. Food was definitely worth the wait! I couldn’t decide, so I had the pizzetta, kingfish crudo and linguine marinara all to myself – absolutely delicious!

Went here for a birthday dinner. Service was great, you couldn’t ask for a more helpful waiter. The steak tartare was really yummy, not something I’d usually order but did enjoy. Had the steak as my main & it was cooked perfectly. All the food & cocktails was presented beautifully as well.

What seemed like a fantastic idea turned into an experience that left me questioning whether it was mere mismanagement or something more concerning. This restaurant came highly recommended by my mum, and upon discovering that Mother’s Day fell on a Sunday and that One Tree Grill was surprisingly open with a special menu for the occasion, I booked immediately for me, Mum, and Dad. Perhaps I should have hesitated.

The food quality was excellent: visually appealing, harmonious flavours, and expertly cooked—except for the duck, which tasted faintly of five-spice and was slightly chewy. The service team was plentiful, attentive, and professional.

However, the three-course meal took 2 hours and 20 minutes, with the dessert arriving over an hour late. We were told three times it would be “5 minutes away.” My dad grew visibly annoyed, and just as we prepared to leave without it, the dessert finally appeared.

Despite the food and service standards, the delays left a sour note. Deeply disappointing.

An amazing dining experience with delicious food and fantastic service best sums up One Tree Grill.
The atmosphere is warm and relaxed, on entering you walk across a glass floor viewing the wine cellar below, staff are attentive and responsive to your needs. The food is presented superbly and the meals divine, and very timely between courses leaving you space to savor the wine and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
The perfect location for that special occasion and definitely wont be our last visit!

We phoned ahead of time incase we got lost on our travels….

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted by a lovely young lady.

The soft lighting and elegant decor created a calm and refined ambiance. The staff dressed impeccably and were very hospitable.

We choose the Degustation Set Menu,
Every dish was beautifully put together and each bite was a harmonious blend of textures and flavors.

The desserts were well crafted and the flavors were incredible.

As our evening was coming to an end, we felt completely satisfied, not only from our delicious food but also the overall experience. The staff were amazing and our drinks were delicious.

I would definitely recommend One Tree Grill and go back again.

We are a couple of foodies from Christchurch who travel internationally to eat in the best restaurants in Melbourne Singapore and New York, and we love having discovered One Tree Grill on a quick Kings Birthday long weekend getaway.The ambiance service and flavors are world-class.You can eat the best and save the airfares.
The manager is a true professional, and that reflects in the wait staff and chefs.
Thanks
We will be back.

Had the 6 course degustation, it was phenomenal. Absolutely amazing food, good wine and great service. Lost a star for atmosphere because it has quite dim lightin.

We had a very nice dinner at One Tree Grill. Food was delicious, service was great and atmosphere was delightful. Really enjoyed it, thank you

Absolutely one of the best food experiences in Auckland. Highly recommend.
The Herbed Scramble is delicious.
Look and feel of the restaurant is amazing, the food is top notch and the staff… They’re all friendly, helpful and professional.
Thanks for the experience, team. Great job.

Good taste! Juicy chicken with pickle cucumber that’s wonderful! Dessert, the lemon dressing is delicious! All staff has nice and helpful! Good experience of this lunch.

Coming back with friends again and still a really good experience. The food are delicious, matcha latte is well-made, waiters and waitress there all have friendly attitude and if you wanna try desserts, go for the dark chocolate one, it’s really tasty.

Breakfast was incredible and it’s probably the fastest coffee I’ve ever had made for me. Keen to go back!! This place would definitely be popular in Melbourne.

Enjoyed a delicious Mothers Day breakfast. We ordered 3 dishes, all were top notch. Great service!

Amazing service. We had 2 Odettes Complete, a latte and an apple juice. Paid 83$ and it was worth it. The waitress was very kind and she gave us complimentary still water. You can ask for sparkling. We recommend

Wie haben ein sehr gutes Frühstück genossen und hatten einen schönen gemütlichen Platz im Freien. Das Restaurant war sehr gut besucht und es gibt auch für Personen mit Unverträglichkeiten Alternativen wie zum Beispiel diverse Milchalternativen oder auch Muffins mit Mandelmehl. Absolut zu empfehlen.

Great Kai

Front of houseスタッフのサービスは素晴らしく、店の雰囲気も良かったです。残念だったのはお料理で、Pappardelleがきちんとほぐれておらず、2枚重なったパスタの茹で具合が良く無かった。パスタの量も満足出来なかったです。その他の料理の出来に関しても思う事があり自分は楽しめませんでした。

Zdecydowanie najlepsza włoska restauracja którą odwiedziliśmy podczas miesięcznego pobytu w Nowej Zelandii. Bardzo miła i profesjonalna obsługa, lokal czysty i klimatyczny. Bardzo dobrze przyrządzona wołowina i jagnięcina. Dwie drobne sugestie to niektóre warzywa były delikatnie za twarde i pancette pokroił bym na drobniejsze kawałki i lepiej wysmażył. Nie obraziłbym się również na miseczkę z parmezanem na stole – ale to drobnostki , zdecydowanie polecam to miejsce !!!

Very sadly did not enjoy this one though I had high hopes. The staff weren’t very attentive we had to wave them down a few times to place an order. We had the piadina and the pane frito. The sauce for the piadina was just.. not good. It tasted very strange and the flavours just weren’t good together. Couldn’t have more than a bite. The pane frito was drowning in too much cream – though thankfully the flavours were palatable (unlike the piadina). Given the price and food, it’s unlikely I would return.

I’ve dined here on numerous occasions, and despite menu updates per season, the quality remains consistently high. I also appreciate the fresh juices and their creative, healthy, and delicious combinations.

Absolutely delicious!!!! The foods, the wine & cocktails, the staff, the deco and vibes, excellent! Love everything about it!

The seafood risotto is sooooo yum! Top 3 I have ever tried .
Broccolini is a bit disappointing because it’s too dry.
Love the vibe and service here too

I had a fantastic time with friends, and the atmosphere was amazing. Romantic and so chill. I will have another great time with friends there, not so long. Haha. Enjoy the music. The beer meat tastes too wild for me. But the others are good

My birthday dinner was so well celebrated at Cazador! We had the food from the chef menu putting together the best dishes! I’m a happy birthday gal. Must visit again!!! Kudos to my hubby who brought me here first time! Love him so much

We visited a few weeks ago and loved it—so we had to come back, and it was just as good the second time (and the third!).

The coffee is top-notch—lattes, mochas, and hot chocolates were all delicious. Not too sweet, just really well-balanced.
But what really won us over were the pastries and snacks. A lot of what they offer changes with the available ingredients, so there’s always something new to try. One time, we had an incredible strawberry cheesecake tart. They also do the classics really well—croissants, pain au chocolat, cookies, and their Basque cheesecake is unreal!

The staff are super friendly and up for a good chat. Mornings can get a bit busy, but it’s absolutely worth it.

We came here on first table and had the feast menu. We loved the story of each dish. The service was awesome.
My fav was the duck hearts and carrot. The fish was also really good ! Everything was cooked beautifully. Will love to come back to try the a la carte.

음식 하나하나 고급 파인 다이닝처럼 맛있고 예뻐요
처음나오는 오리 스프는 밥이랑 먹고싶은 맛입니다

사슴 스테이크를 처음 먹었는데 부드럽고 꼭 드셔보시면 좋겠어요 대박입니다!! 한국에서는 먹고싶어도 찾을 수 없더라고요
저는 고수를 전혀 못먹는데 여기 메뉴에 들어있더라고요 그냥 먹었는데 이런 고급스러운 고수면 먹을수 있습니당 정말 맛있었어요!!

처음부터 끝까지 배부르고 간도 딱맞고 디저트까지 완벽했어요.

인테리어도 특별합니다. 오클랜드에 맛집 많이 없는데 여기 가보시면 좋을 것 같아요

1등 맛집입니다잉

한국인이 리뷰가 없어서 고민하신다면 꼭 가보세용~

쉐리도 특별하고 시도해보시면 좋을것 같아요. 한국 매실주? 정종? 섞인맛이 나요. 와인보다 특별하고 맛있더라고요

Had another superb experience at this wonderful restaurant last weekend.the service is always top notch, only surpassed by the incredible food! I had the Quail, my partner the venison, and others on the table had the fish. All were stunning, special and unique in their own way. Having shared sides of Brussels Sprouts, roast potatoes and olives – it’s fair to say we left with empty bellies and big smiles on our faces. I will always recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a boutique 5 star dining experience. Keep up the great work Cazador!!!

Fabulous from start to finish. Exceptional, friendly, knowledgeable service, beautiful food that had had mmmmimg at every bite. Drinks pairings with the feast that was beautifully matched, informative and in many instances quite unexpected. We’ll be back!

Absolutely delightful! I’ve dined here three times for the NZ Food Story set meal, and each visit brings a new, wonderfully surprising dish. The creativity and consistency are unmatched—this is, without question, the best tasting restaurant ever. I’ll definitely be coming back for more!

The food was exquisite, all the dishes had a nice presentation and most importantly, tasted magnificent. The kitchen had a nice open concept, so you can look at everything being skillfully made from the bar stools. Upon arrival to the table, the dishes’ contents were all described, and it made the staff look well versed in the menu. But I’d love it if they added matcha latte to their drinks menu. Apart from that, I had a nice time on my visit.

I enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere and the beautiful view of Auckland Harbour. The food was fresh and tasty, with ingredients sourced from all over New Zealand. We liked starters as well as mains although we didn’t try dessert menu.
The drink menu is excellent, and the sommelier provided excellent advice on selecting the appropriate bottle.

You can’t fault this restaurant, it ticks all the boxes. The super friendly staff know every ingredient on the menu and take care and time to explain each item. The food is just delicious. Beautiful setting overlooking the ferry building and Harbour. Definitely an experience you must try.

The express lunch for 90$ pp is a value deal. The oyster is the best I’ve eaten so far. All dishes were full of complex, sometimes unusual flavors. We liked the chef’s creativity. Pretty view from the balcony and professional staff. Fantastic experience overall, we would definitely come back !

We had an amazing time at Ahi, the customer service provided by not only the servers but the chefs was amazing the food was definitely an experience I would recommend if you love to try new things, there were a couple new things I tried which took me by surprise but I’m not going to go into full detail about the food provided because that will take away from the amazing experience but to give you an idea I don’t like oysters but the oyster we tried was paired with a fresh flavour and it ended up being one of my favourite things that we ate.
Highly highly recommend this for a unique experience!!

We booked in for a birthday dinner on 26 July @ 8pm. We loved the food and the atmosphere but what I did not like was the host who welcome us in was not very friendly. He seemed like he was having a rough day maybe? But his demeanour (rolling eyes) clearly can see was just a low for us. Kinda left disappointed what brought it up was the food.

We had the eight course Gaggenau test menu. The highlight for us was the aged duck, cooked to perfection. I have never thought corn will compliment duck so we’ll but it did. The fig leaf ice cream was interesting too. It opened my mind to what you can do with the leaf of a fruiting tree without actually using the fruit. The tea-like drink with a cinnamon stick in the photo is a Chai style spiced mock tail, I suggest giving it a pass and choose something else. I give atmosphere a three star because I must say after going to various different trendy restaurants around Auckland, this is is starting to show its age and feeling a bit dull. It’s true that the menu and finesse of cooking skill should be the most important thing but when you are competing in a world of fine dining, ambience becomes important too.

No words about the 6course tasting menu we have in April 2025. Every small details well thought out. This place has been on my list places to dine for about 4-5years and I’m glad I got to experience it.

We ( me and my my wife) plan for one fine-dining experience in every trip and this was our choice for our New Zealand trip in November 2024 (as they were accommodating to our dietary preferences – I’m vegetarian and my wife is vegan).

The restaurant has an elegant casual vibe and looked to have limited seating for providing premium experience. The service was impeccable right from the welcome helping us with storing our coats, guiding us to our table, confirming our dietary preferences and helping us with more details on every dish. We opted for a six course tasting menu.

Since it was a degustation experience, we were served dishes one after the other each with their own plates and cutlery. The first one was a palate cleanser drink that was very refreshing. The cold salad in the first course was just amazing. Each dish was presented perfectly and tasted great.

The overall experience took about 3 hours and since it was our first day of the trip, we were little jet-lagged and could not completely enjoy the experience due to the fatigue. We probably would have enjoyed 4 course option for our appetite, 6 felt a bit over stuffed at the end. The food had more influence on Indian flavors (kofta, naan, gravies) compared to French than I had expected and hence reduced 1 star.

We loved everything we ordered and the service was warm and attentive

We had the following dishes:

Potato and truffle doughnut (truffle flavour was devine)

Black pepper prawns, mushrooms, pear, nori

Pork belly, grilled cabbage, fenugreek, apple, turmeric

Dry aged duck, spiced leg, grilled leek, pomegranate, date

Pommes Anna, koji mayo, parmesan

Chocolate cremeux, mandarin, honeycomb, lychee

Fig leaf ice cream, feijoa, gin, caramelised white chocolate

Favourites were the donut, Pork belly and dry aged duck. Perfect balance of flavours

Fantastic. It is a while since we ate at the French cafe (It was Anise when we last went. ) but we shall be returning as soon as we can. What an absolutely amazing night we had. Two delicious snacks paved the way and the rest of the meal was faultless. We had the 6 course tasting menu. The kingfish with an apple sorbet , asian sauce and draped with a clear soy flavored gel is not to be missed. Duck and lamb were not only visually exciting but delicious to eat. The service is, and always has been, faultless. The staff really contributed to a great night. Great to see the restaurant was full on a Wednesday night- deservedly so

We recently dined here for the 8 course test kitchen menu, the food was beautiful, service was attentive and warm. A few elements detracted from what could have been a perfect evening. The interiors felt a little dated and didn’t quite match the finesse of the food. We also noticed a number of fruit flies — one landed in a glass of wine, which the wait staff very promptly replaced after it was brought to their attention. Lastly, we had noted a birthday in the booking, but this was overlooked — a small touch, but it makes a difference when celebrating something special.
A lovely evening overall, with great food and service, but the attention to detail and the ambience could use some refinements

We had the most AMAZING dining experience last night at The French Cafe. Matthew and team took exceptional care of us. Their customer service, the innovative food, beautiful presentation, and knowledgeable detailed description of each dish, paired wine and flavors, was fantastic. If you are looking for a special night out in a class all of its own, this is it! You will not be disappointed.