The French Cafe

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.