Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
www.ebisu.co.nz
; 116-118 Quay St; large plates $30-36; noon-late Mon-Fri, 5pm-late Sat & Sun)
Ebisu specialises in
izakaya,
a style of drinking and eating that eschews Japanese formal-
ity, yet doesn't involve food being flung around the room or chugging along on a con-
veyor belt. This large bar gets it exactly right, serving exquisite plates designed to be
shared.
Soul Bar
MODERN NZ $$$
$$$
( 09-356 7249;
www.soulbar.co.nz
; Viaduct Harbour; mains $22-42; 11am-late)
Eating sea-
food by the water is a must in Auckland; this modernist gastrodome boasts an unbeatable
see-and-be-seen location.
Freemans Bay
Queenie's
CAFE $$$
( 09-378 8977;
www.queenies.co.nz
;
24a Spring St; breakfast & lunch $11-25, dinner $28-29;
8am-10pm Wed-Sat, 8am-3pm Sun-Tue)
Kiwiana reigns supreme at this eccentric corner cafe
with one wall devoted to a 1950s paint-by-numbers Maori maiden mural. The food is a
step up from standard cafe fare, with an adventurous menu justifying the prices. Bistro-
style dinners kick in from Wednesday to Saturday.
Clooney
MODERN NZ $$$
$$$
( 09-358 1702;
www.clooney.co.nz
; 33 Sale St; mains $40-46, seven-course tasting menu with/
without wine pairings $235/140; 6pm-late Tue-Sun, noon-3pm Fri)
Like the Hollywood actor
of the same name, Clooney is suave, stylish and extremely sophisticated, suited up in ba-
sic black. While the taste combinations are complex, the results are faultless - which,
coupled with impeccable service, puts Clooney firmly in the pricey-but-worth-it cat-
egory.
Ponsonby & Grey Lynn
Auckland's busiest restaurant-cafe-bar strip is so damn cool it has its own website
