Review O'connell St Bistro - Auckland Central

It was my dining experience at O’Connell Street Bistro as one my good friend recommended we try and I was extraordinarily impressed. The service was exceptional as our waiter was extremely attentive and professional not to mention engaging and knowledgeable. The restaurant interior was simply elegant. One by one as our entrees, mains then dessert came out following the gorgeous complementary bread platter, I was visually stunned and the aromas were heady and beguiling only to be overshadowed by the divine flavouring of each dish. It was a highly memorable dinner and one I anticipate repeating. My favourite dish was the rock lobster ravioli, simply heavenly. Highly recommended!

Outstanding food and service - we had a lovely waitress from Toronto and very capable somelier who knew his wines! The food was sublime. The entree calamari has a nice hit of chilli accompanied by a good mayo. For mains we had the lamb and the chef special of braised chuck steak. Wow! The flavour in both was amazing and hard to fault. Well accompanied by the recommended wines. After a week of great food this was of and even higher standard. Recommend for a special occasion.

Lovely, ambient atmosphere due to thoughtful touches such as the tableware and lighting. Varied menu in a really interesting wine list that contains some unusual varieties backed by an excellent sommelier. The owners of O'Connell Street bistro understand how to make dinner out feel special.

The best customer service I have ever experienced! Staff is so attentive and makes sure you have a good time. Food was divine and wine was perfectly selected by staff to accompany the food.

Great valentines day special 5 course degustation with 4 wines paired, excellent service and food.

Amazing course within 60$ for 4 course and 40$ with wines. Nice and kind staffs, delicious food in CBD

Auckland and NZ fine dinning icon still going strong.Great service amazing food incredible wine list.

Lovely little restaurant in the CBD of Auckland, recommended to us by the staff of the Gin Bar this place has a simple elegance with friendly staff and modern cuisine to match. Booking ahead on weekends is a good idea as there are limited seats, however if you manage to catch a table by the service window you will be able to watch the chefs plate up all the lovely meals throughout the night. Well crafted menu with attention placed on quality over quantity. Would very much recommend for a romantic evening out

• they warmly welcome you. •the hospitality outstanding! • the food wasn’t food in my opinion, it was an art brought to you on a nicely designed plates to feed your 5 senses plus your soul to launch you flying to another planet! • so go in and enjoy your meal or you ll regret it! And to the all staff there, thanks a million!

One of the best restaurants in town. The food is amazing and the service is superior. Monay worth spending!

Elegant dining at its best. Small and intimate surroundings, the wait staff are so well trained. A delicious menu - a fusion of cultures and flavours. I loved exploring the flavours on my plate. You know you've landed somewhere special when you're greeted with a, "good evening, may I take your coat?". But shhhhhh - don't tell too many people or we'll never get another table :) Definitely suggest booking.

We had a wonderful meal here last night. Great food & wine. The staff are so attentive but not hoverers! The wine waiter was very knowledgeable and it was lovely to be served by waitresses with a French accent - very special!! Everyone is so friendly!! I have always loved this restaurant and it was good to see it is still fantastic. Thanks for a wonderful night!!

We had heard it was good, but what we didn't know was how good it really is ! Nice surroundings, prompt service, excellent staff and no long wait for food. Plenty of time for a pre-dinner drink and no rush to order whilst staff were always at hand for when we wanted to make our selection. Now to the food. Superb, delicious, fresh, complex flavours all served in generous portions without that overfill feeling....just right. Try the seasonal whitebait omelette starter.......best whitebait ever ! Then try anything.....it won't disappoint. Best tip ? Choose the cauliflower side dish, it compliments the meal and might steal your tastebuds. You might guess, highly recommended.

We always return here for special occasions. Ambience, staff and food makes this a favourite restaurant in Auckland. Love this place

We were at the chefs table and had an amazing view of the kitchen! The food was delicious � will definitely be back!

Amazing food, wine, ambience and staff, and an absolute pleasure to go somewhere with proper waiting-on staff.

Outstanding food and people. I tried the vegetarian degustation and it was so delicious! Incredible selection of wine as well.

An auckland icon. Food and service are always on the mark. The atmosphere at lunch outside makes eating an additional pleasure

The best place in town to celebrate in style .

A truly fabulous evening for Alastair's birthday at his favourite restaurant. Outstanding in every sense. Great welcome from the one and only Chris Upton and his great team including Jack, Benjy and our waiter Troy. We couldn't have had a more wonderful experience. Of course the food was AMAZING as was the gift of wine from Lou Chater. We love the quiet ambience where we can actually hear each other without music blasting in our ears. The staff are there when you want them but do not interrupt. The little surprises were special and a big thank you - we will be back sooner than later!

I try to get back here every time I'm in Auckland and it never disappoints. Highly recommended. In fact, do whatever it takes to get a table.

Absolutely beautiful food, great wine list, and excellent service. Thank you!

Always amazing food and service �

Elegant dining in an intimate setting. Exemplary cuisine, service and atmosphere!

Beautiful food, great service!

Delicious, unique, well presented dishes. Well balanced and defining tastes in each dish put together to provide a sensational experiences for the senses. I absolutely loved my experience at this restaurant. The intermate atmosphere made our table feel secluded despite sharing the room with several other tables. The wine list and knowledge held by the bar staff was superb. The wait staff were the most attentive I have ever experienced. They showed an extraordinary ability to read a table and ascertain and anticipate the flow and needs we had. Our main waiter made a good night an excellent one. I would absolutely recommend this establishment, be it an inimatie dinner for two or for a crowd.

A long time favourite that consistently delivers with great service, a menu that hero’s the fresh ingredients & a relaxed environment. Perfect for any special occasion too.<br/>Portions can be small, which isn’t unexpected considering the quality of the ingredients, so ordering sides is recommended. We had the fries & they were delicious<br/>I ordered the fish of the day, which was snapper. The whole dish was perfectly balanced.

A small intimate bistro on the corner of a quiet section of the cbd. We came here for my sister’s birthday dinner. The food was well received and the portions were relatively generous. The highlight was probably the creme brûlée. It had the perfect consistency of cream and the sugar was crisp! Highly recommend.

A traditional European dining restaurant located in downtown. Excellent atmosphere, great for a intimate or conversational dining.<br/><br/>Our waiter for the evening was very bubbly and helpful. Very attentive service.<br/><br/>The food were within reasonable standard, slightly disappointing for a metro top fine dinner. The fish ceviche and scampi tail with crayfish tasted delightful and had a good presentation. <br/><br/>The venison loin however was a bit dry and tasted a bit bland without much sauce being provided. The wild rabbit pasta was excellent, meat was well braised and pasta very chewy and flavorful. <br/><br/>The pineapple lump chocolate mousse was quite innovative, a bit too sugary however. Loved the complimentary chocolate which had an earl grey caramel inner.<br/><br/>Food: 7/10<br/>Food presentation: 8/10<br/>Service: 9.5/10<br/>Location: 8/10<br/>Ambience: 10/10<br/>Price $100 per person excl alcohol <br/>

I had a great dinner here with my colleagues last week, duck leg tortellini was delicious as start, then as main I had braised brisket with peppered eye filet and finished with dark chocolate fondant, the wine selection is a marvel, bringing my family here soon!

Tried the 3 course bistro menu for $48. It is good value for money. The service and atmosphere is excellent. Food was OK, lacked a punch in flavour in all the savoury dishes. Out of the bistro menu, my favourite was the salmon (1st course). The side dish (sweet pumpkin, bacon and maple syrup) was a bit too sweet for me. <br/><br/>Recommended for couples and small groups of friends for a fancy night out. <br/>Note: Bistro menu requires you to vacate the table by 7:15pm on busy days. <br/><br/>Overall: <br/>Food: 7/10<br/>Service: 10/10<br/>Atmosphere: 10/10

Nice enjoyable night out with a large group. Seated n comfortable private room with good atmosphere. Service was good. The squid entree was excellent, the fish main average and the dessert good.

Service was really good we had two people servicing us. We did the American Express restaurant turant month. It was a 4 course meal NOT SHARING which was great. The shellfish risotto was quite rich and me not liking seafood took a few bites and then passed it on to a friend to finish. The love lamb but unfortunately this one wasn’t to my taste the first entree was amazing along with the desert

Went her for Benjamin Flintoft ‘s birthday. What an amazing meal! We had the degustation menu and absolutely loved every single dish. Delicious wine recommendations. Perfect service, not too intrusive or hover-y. Can not fault it. Don’t know why I haven’t been here earlier!

Bad experience in formerly one of the top restaurants in Auckland. Firstly, when we arrived at around 6pm for dinner, the airconditioning was not on and the front door was open. When asked if the aircon was on, one of the staff present said that it was although we were sitting almost right under the outlet. The leaves were closed, so how could it be on. It was a sweltering Saturday on Jan 2018 and I had to take a walk out to Shortland Street to get some breeze.  Food was only okay, Nothing great. Have eaten better for less. Too much hype about this place. The standard and ambiance have progressively deteriorated into what is now a run-of-the-mill eating place, To add insult to injusy, the aircon was switched off again at around 8pm and when asked, the response was that some customers told them that it was too cold, so the management decided that the rest of us should sweat it out. FGS! if those customers were feeling cold, the restaurant should have asked them to move outside where there were tables for dining, NOT make the rest of us suffer. Don't know why people still want to patronise this place when there are sooooo many better restaurants to go to that care for their customers. Last time there.

We came here for a family dinner not knowing we were in for such an amazing evening out. The restaurant has a beautiful small dinning area, approximately 14 table; which creates a nice intimate feel. The waiters are some of the most professional in all of Auckland; service was of the highest quality. Finally the food. We had a 5 course tasting menu, however as we told our waiter that we had come to try their chocolate fondant, he managed to organise a 6th course. The food was delicious, every course has been well thought out and represents the high standards the restaurant maintains. Definitely recommend O'Connell street bistro for a luxurious evening out. Make sure you book

Seriously impressive inner city bistro with charm and panache. From arrival to departure we were treated to an experience of quality and character. Service was exemplary and the food more than outstanding. Definitely a cool place for a romantic dinner or a high class business lunch, and with the dearth of quality places in the inner-city this definitely needs to be on your visit list! My hazelnut bavarois was delicious and also the market fish with clams and ham hock.

Came here for our anniversary and the restaurant was so cozy and cute! The staff were super friendly the whole way through! The food was also very good and portions were not too bad. Also they gave us some complimentary little starters which was very good! Overall a really lovely place and kind of a hidden gem!

This has to be one of the best restaurants I have ever been to in Auckland. 100% would recommended for a special occasion, evening out, date night or just cause you wanna splash out on a fancy restaurant. The service was fine and I would suggest making a booking before you go as it is a small venue. When I went there I had the steak tarte to start, pappardelle for my main, beetroot salad (which was the best salad ever!) and for dessert the dark chocolate fondant. I can't wait to come back here another time.

one of my favourite restaurant in CBD. great servive great food. I always go there for their amazing pasta. big portion of entrees just cost little. goat cheese stuffed gnocchi was so lovely a perfect warm vegan main with the impressing so good roasted purple carrots . pork chop not enough flavour and sauce but three ways of pork and the tasty apple gratin definitely satisfying. prawn linguini a little bit too sweet but still great and so much refreshing flavour in it.

We came here for a date night and really enjoyed our meals.<br/><br/>The service was great and they happily let me choose a meal from their set menu instead of being restricted to the a la carte menu.<br/><br/>I really enjoyed my entree of steak tartare and the pork belly main.  Hubby also really enjoyed his meal - I tried some of his steak and it was delicious.<br/><br/>Overall, great food and service.  The only thing I didn't quite like was the fact that the tables were very close together and so, as a consequence, we could hear everything the next table was discussing and hubby was nearly in physical contact with the man on his other side.

First of all, the hostility is really good; and the lady suggested the market fish on the day. It was a brilliant decision to listen to her, and I enjoyed the night very well!

Romantic dining time, we had a wonderful time here at o Connell bistro<br/>Very stylish decor and superb staff<br/>The beef was cooked 100 percent as asked<br/>The lamb Wellington was amazing<br/>Ended with some great milk chocolate ganache and freshly brewed coffee<br/>Full marks to food and service <br/>.5 less to 5 just for value for the prices <br/>But will defined wld come back soon

I highly recommend - A great place for an intimate dinner. The wine list was amazing! And the food was on point, fresh and full of flavour. The waiter was very friendly and helpful. I can't wait to come back!

Went there for the restaurant month menu. Heard good things about the restaurant and they did not disappoint. The restaurant was very busy but not noisy, the staff had to dance around the tables but very attentive. Served us bread roll with butter (with roast almond), which was interesting and quite nice. The pumpkin soufflé was good but not as soft as I'd like, the smoked short rib with pomme mash was excellent, soft and flavoursome with a hint of smokiness.. Delicious!.. Finished with a dessert of creamed rice with poached pear and candied nuts, which surprisingly was the highlight of night, beautifully balanced.. A fantastic meal for not very much due to restaurant month but will definitely be back for their regular menu.

Really impressed by the Express Menu which we used (even though we were not going to a show). The Express menu may appear limited but they often have some extra special options and the quality more than compensates for any limited range. The staff just ooze quality and top notch fine dining - especially the sommelier. Beef rib was cooked to perfection and the date pudding was superb and the ice cream was so so creamy and flavoursome. What really stands out is the wine list which seems to stand alone on the Auckland restaurant scene.

Went for lunch - midweek - quiet - needn't have booked. Ambience is cosy - but decor possibly is getting a bit tired. Staff were lovely, but (no criticism) showed a formality that suited the businessy clientele. <br/>The menu was classic bistro but with innovation at the edges. The blue steak was perfectly cooked - no mean feat. The Hapuka steak - also perfectly cooked - topped with seaweed and sitting on a bed of Jerusalem artichoke was delicious for a psychologically light lunch. Affogatto - difficult to screw up but the real test is whether the ice cream is decent - it was. Praline coated chocolate fondant with candied pecan ice cream possibly needed a lighter foil to balance the richness.<br/>First date - yes: kids - no: parents and grandparents - yes: business meetings - definitely: foodies - yes at least once: <br/>The water conserving flushing toilet adds some interest - seriously!<br/>Prices are reasonable for auckland CBD. Wine list good with plenty of wines by the glass - and good value.

Had a nice dinner here tonight with friends. Menu is special made for the special person. Lovely place for special occasion. Enjoyed. @<br/>Food is delicious, waitress well service and recommendations was professional. Very happy first time experience.

Been here with my bf today, we ordered the lamb and mushroom, very yummy. But!!! I found hair in my mushroom! We called the waitress here and asked her, then she give me another mushroom. Believe or not!! She only said one piece of word" apologize".....ok. Good..I'm fine... Actually, what I only wanna do is purge all the thing out!!!<br/>I planned come here to celebrate my birthday next month! <br/>Never be here again in the rest of my life!!!

Not Impressed. Have to say I was very disappointed with this place after hearing about the reputation. We had a large business overseas group who were mostly happy to boost the alcohol sales rather then the critic the food, But the slow service starting with getting our first drinks put a damper on that and would have cost them a fortune. in missed sales. The Staff seemed uninterested and didnt seem to know much about what they were serving, The food was ok ,but over rated for the price's, dont think I will be back in a hurry, There is plenty of better palces in Town

Overall, I would say that I liked the work of O'Connell St Bistro. I'd love to be able to come back for another meal and hopefully they will have a better vegetarian main for me to try at that time. Undoubtedly, the selection of regional meat and seafood ingredients will keep any discerning diner satisfied. In particular, O'Connell's lunch express/pre-theatre menu offers outstanding value at just NZ$42.50 for three courses - perfect if you're looking for fine dining which won't bust the wallet.

Dined here a few weeks back as a party of 4.... from the moment we walked thru the door till we left the experience was fantastic. Our meals were spectacular i always order fish for Entree & Main and was not disappointed. The service was flawless even down to the timings of our party needing a top up in their wine glasses. Wasnt prepared for their toilet experience but understand the method in the madness and just glad I had high heels on so I could reach the towels... Can highly recommend this cosy fine dining experience.

After looking forward to the evening we were  disappointed with the very slow service.  We waited 50 minutes after being seated to receive attention from a waiter to take our wine and food selection.  The food however once we received it was delicious.  it was a pity that their customer service let them down on this occasion.

Finally dined here for the first time (on a Sat evening) and overall a pleasant experience, however a little underwhelming..my friend enjoyed his octopus carpaccio and veal and I found the rabbit pappardelle and beef fillet tasty without being drop-dead exceptional..maybe I'm being too picky? The servings could have been slightly bigger at these price points and the spacing between the tables too intimate. Service was pleasant and unobtrusive.<br/>Yes, deserves the 4 stars, however would try other establishments first before returning again.

Been here a few times and just love the food, always the hardest part is deciding what to have. Highly recommend going here to everyone, local or not, it's worth a night or lunch out. Staff are always amazing and know their stuff also. Worth six stars.

I have been here for dinner on Wednesday night, pretty full but somehow they managed to get a table for me!<br/>In very short words service is outstanding<br/>Wine list is great<br/>FOOD is outstanding<br/>And they know how to make Martini! !<br/>My one of the favourite place! !

We had dinner on a Saturday night, predictably the place was full. I started with the steak tartare which was excellent. The fish of the day was hake (unusual choice, probably not my first choice but I do really love hapuka...) panfried and served with a scampi risotto and beurre blanc sauce which was very nice indeed. Around the table the other dishes which stood out were the scallop entree and the enormous chicken liver terrine, the duck and venison mains looked very tasty. The wine list was good although we were recommended a rojas by our waiter which failed to hit any high notes, the other bottles were excellent. On the whole service was tidy although we were served two incorrect desserts which shouldn't happen at this level. All in all a very nice dining experience, I don't know why I just expected a little more

The food and service was very good. The owner was very nice and chatted with customers constantly to make sure they were happy. We were so impressed that we even hired the place for a private function which turned out great. The only reason I didn't give it the 5 stars was when our large group ordered coffees it took longer to get the coffees than the meals. Eventually we had to cancel some of the coffee orders cause we had to leave. Would definitely come again but in smaller numbers =)

FOOD 6/10<br/>ENTREES<br/>Crayfish Ravioli<br/>good<br/>Leek Terrine<br/>terrine? packed together leeks-no filling. mozzarella ricotta too gentle a flavour for this dish<br/>MAINS<br/>Beef Cheek (day special)<br/>Tender, fall off the bone. Plain presentation<br/>Crayfish Tail with Witloof and Shallot Vinaigrette (day special)<br/>Sauce not complimentary. (same one as for the scallop dish)<br/>Cooked medium rare??! I should have sent it back <br/>Side Dish Beetroot<br/>lovely<br/><br/>SERVICE 7/10 <br/>Very good but not special. Rather like the bland service at The Grove. Should have suggested a side salad for the Crayfish<br/><br/>TIMING 9/10<br/><br/>AMBIENCE 7/10<br/><br/>WATER SERVICE 7/10<br/>Arrived promptly but not replenished<br/><br/>REST ROOMS 5/10<br/>Unisex at this level of restaurant? used towel bucket overflowing<br/><br/>WINE LIST 8/10<br/>Sommelier was asked for advice, not offered. enjoyed the wine selection<br/><br/>GREET/FAREWELL 6/10<br/>On arrival matre' d ignored the woman, and addressed the man. Seemed rude. On leaving, he was with other customers, but could have caught our eye with a 'thank you smile'<br/><br/>VALUE FOR MONEY 4/10<br/><br/>AVERAGE OF 6/10<br/><br/>Not good, for a restaurant of this supposed quality.

My partner and I dined at O'Connell St Bistro last night, my partner has been several times but this was my first. The excellent reviews and awards this establishment receives, year on year are certainly true to form.<br/>For a Monday evening there was a good buzz, so we were glad we booked. My partner enjoyed his Gnocchi &amp; the recommended house speciality - Rabbit. The Chicken Liver Parfait was so divine it melted in my mouth and the Lamb for my main was cooked to perfection. The drinks selection is outstanding with many excellent wines available by the glass.<br/><br/>The mood was relaxed and we never felt rushed.<br/>Our lasting impression was how impeccable the service was. Bart, our waiter is clearly passionate about food and has an incredible knowledge of every ingredient on the menu - right down to the Rock salt. He was just delightful and leaves every other waiter in New Zealand for dust.<br/><br/>Thanks for a fantastic evening!

Yes as good as it gets in New Zealand and possibly the world . I always feel welcome , always feel as if I am receiving the best of service and style . Style is very important to me .The staff are very good .<br/>I just order what ever the chef recommends and am never dissapointed .<br/>It may seem strange to others but I enjoy the Bistro on nights when it is raining .Thr reflected light the patter of the rain and the rush of people out side ,I often feel that I am some where else in the world . I always catch a taxi back to the hotel after a nice glass of red wine .<br/>The retuarant is not cheap and really it is for the after sevens or may be the later diner . Who has the time to enjoy the ambiance . A small bar area is great for before and after chit chat , meeting new people or doing million dollar plus deals .Thanks Chris and his wonderful partener .{my next booking is in place and I took time out just to savour the up and coming dinning event}.

Had a pre-theatre meal here last night and was left feeling VERY disappointed.....<br/><br/>First, as soon as we arrived we were told in no uncertain terms that we had to be out at 7.30pm and shouldn't order any of the slower cooking dishes (lamb etc). Wasn't too perturbed at this as we had an event to get to anyway. What was seriously irritating was the fact that they then took well over an hour to bring our mains!! It's not like the food was the hardest to prepare either- scallops and gnocchi, hardly a slow cook!<br/><br/>When we raised our concerns, the young American waitress was very grumpy and unfriendly, and full of excuses. Apparently, the kitchen is small and only has two chefs and we 'had to understand that.' Ok- but an hour plus???? Give me a break. If you can't deliver food in a reasonable time, you either need less tables or more chefs. An apology would have been nice, not a defensive, snarly rebuttal. The maitre d' was just as rude.<br/><br/>We won't be going back. There are too many good restaurants in Auckland to be putting up with places that have such a massive chip on their shoulder.......<br/><br/>The food was ok but a bit boring- definitely not a mind-blowing experience

I have been dining at O'Connell St Bistro since the day it opened and have only had extremely good experiences. When ever I am in Auckland I dine at the bistro and my last visit was as good as the first. Fresh Bluff oysters, Serrano ham and figs, a crispy fillet of snapper on a perfectly cooked risotto finished off with an interesting selection of cheese. Great food accompanied by a wine list with breadth, depth and interest. Great service - I look forward to visiting when ever I am in Auckland.

We have eaten twice over the past year at O'Connell St. Its location in the centre of town makes it an easy choice, especially with business guests.<br/><br/>On our last visit the filet steak was perfectly cooked medium rare, with bearnaise sauce was beautifully made alas it came with only a very small portion which is healthy but one of Frances greatest sauces requires us to enjoy a little indulgence, pont neuf chips were also served. <br/><br/>A lovely meal, with attentive service and a wine list that has rightly made O'Connell st famous.

Well, waited long for this visit. Yet, left feeling ok, yet not whow! Agree with service,excellent, yet the proof is in the pudding as they say. In this case the rabbit dish,way too salty, for a delicate meat to be served in this way. I was advised that this had been on the menu for 9 years, time to refresh the run for the rabbit! Pasta too firm, disappointed. O'Connell's obviously thrives on its reputation on serving professionals who are indeed in need of old fashioned comfort food and would be best to go home early and prepare something.So, I will gladly let my yearning rest comfortably knowing I have not missed out on anything wondrous offered at O'Connell's.

The best restaurant I've been to in Auckland.<br/><br/>Before anything, the service at O'Connell is flawless. The staff makes you feel like a king. They service you with the best attitude, while making you feel at ease.<br/><br/>The four of us ordered all the famous mains: The duck, the lamb, the beef and the rabbit.<br/><br/>The maitre d recommended a few wines to go with our meals and we decided on a French Pino Noir. It was rich enough to match the taste of red meat, and yet smooth with a clean after taste.<br/><br/>We finished off with another wine and their famous creme brulee which were delicious.<br/><br/>The restaurant itself is quite small, but it provides quite a homely aura, and doesn't get noisy.<br/>The waiting staff were always attentive whenever we wanted their service.<br/>And they also had wide knowledge about other bars nearby, and gave us much information about the place.<br/>The pricing IS quite dear, but this is a high quality bistro with high expectations.<br/><br/>We were happy with everything for once.

This is my favourite restaurent in Auckland, its cosy, inviting and you only have a handful of choices (I hate overdone menus). I have had most of the dishes and they are all melt in your mouth delicious. Service is impecible and the best part of all....the creme burlee for desert!

We wanted to go somewhere special to celebrate a few special occasions in the family and I had wanted to go here for awhile, so it seemed like the perfect occasion.<br/><br/>The restaurant is cosy and intimate but a lovely surrounding. The service was superb we never wanted for anything during the meal.<br/><br/>The food was amazing, I had a vegetarian main which is an unusual choice for me but I love goats feta and it didn't disappoint. For dessert in accordance with my current fixation, I had a salted caramel mousse and it was divine.<br/><br/>If you are looking for a place for a special dinner out, I definitely recommend considering O'Connell St Bistro.

This place is one of my favourites, nice hearty dishes, flavours were perfect and had atmosphere to match.

The food is good and the presentation is great as well. Just a bit pricey.

O’Connell Street, High Street, Vulcan lane and the adjoining end of Shortland street, boast some of the few older buildings within Auckland City. On the corner of O’Connell and Shortland street lives that Auckland institution, O’Connell Street Bistro, neatly perched to serve the business people, lawyers and various other moneyed in sundry, that frequent the local area. They serve classic bistro fare, with a few Italian dishes thrown in. Mains range in price from about 35-48 dollars. There is a tasting menu as well.<br/><br/>The Room<br/><br/>The bistro itself is divided into two rooms. One is a small bar. The other is a dining room, which is also small and cozy. Anachronistic in feel, the walls are covered with artwork, tables close together to make the most of the small space, adorned with odd phallic lamps, that bring a mixture of unease and intimacy. I have been there a few times and always in winter, the dining room has been warm, perhaps somewhat stuffy. The tables are close together in order to maximise their covers. While not altogether unpleasant and certainly sophisticated, the cramped conditions never seem ideal. Not all restaurants can spoil their patrons with room and privacy, O’Connell Street Bistro I think runs the edge of the boundary. Your neighbour’s conversations often infuse your own. The room is kept dark and so is somewhat gloomy. However it is not without its charms, nice artwork and details, not withstanding penis lamps, do distinguish it.<br/><br/>The Service<br/><br/>I have never found the service particularly good. It tends on the stiff and formal side of things. The wait staff never quite seem that friendly. The service is often patronising and formulaic. I have found this on repeated occasions. For example the staff thought it was necessary to explain that the Crayfish was from Coromandel, which was fine, but then explained that Coromandel was a peninsula that was a couple hours drive south of Auckland, or when they deemed it necessary to tell us all about the Bluff oyster and then explain they were harvested in the South Island. These are minor problems of course, nothing was disastrous, but I mention this because it is obvious that they are trying for excellent service. Even if it must be overly formal, the need to treat the customers like idiots is beyond me. At the very least talking to the customer would have revealed very quickly that we did not need to have it explained to us where Coromandel was or that there was this thing called a bluff oyster that we may not have heard of. Having said this, when we did receive a dish that was below standard they did not charge us for it and removed it without question. I would say the service is alright, but the formalism I think gets in the way and as a result it can seem a little unfriendly and cold. It is interesting to compare to the service at Kazuya, which is also very formal, but it feels much more personalised and less scripted, which is partly why O’Connell Street Bistro’s service feels less than it could be. They are trying, but perhaps a little hard.<br/><br/>The Food<br/><br/>The food is on the whole excellent. The food is in the style of classic Bistro cooking, as a result it is tradition bound in comparison to some of the other fine dining restaurants around. I will discuss a few specific dishes and then discuss the food more generally.<br/><br/>Vitello Tunnato – This is a classic Italian dish of veal cut thinly served cold with a mayonnaise and tuna fish sauce. If you have not had it, it may sound a little odd, but it is one of those combinations that just seems to work. The O’Connell Street version was pretty standard. The veal was served rare and was delicate in flavour. The mayonnaise was smooth and not heavily flavoured with fish. It was also served with potato chips. That is deep fried thin slices of potato. This was not really a technical dish, but the trick of Italian food is not to push complexity and flavours too far. The only real addition was another sauce, which added some piquant flavours, but given it is quite normal to contrast the veal with capers for example this mad a lot of sense. In this I think the dish succeeded admirably.<br/><br/>Leek Terrine – The leek terrine was probably the most interesting dish on the menu. It was paired with goats cheese and a few other components. Eating cold leeks with some cheese, does not perhaps seem that exciting of a dish. However I have to say this was not only clever, but delicious. Serving cold leek is difficult and I am not totally sure how the dish was executed, but they had vibrant flavour, slightly sweet and offsetting the lovely, somewhat sharp cheese. Excellent combination of flavour and texture.<br/><br/>Chicken Liver Parfait – I have no picture of this sadly, but it was probably the best parfait I have had. Served very pink, with plenty of mediera, it was sweet, impossibly smooth and deeply flavoured. It was served with a celeriac remoulade, which was equally good. This seems to remain on their menu pretty constantly and with good reason. I would say it is worth going there pretty much to just try the parfait.<br/><br/>I also tried a few of the other dishes, the oysters (reliably good), scallops (also excellent). In generally I would say they that all of the entrees were superbly cooked and flavoured. The only dish I have been slightly less than impressed with have been the veal sweet breads. I love sweetbreads, but I generally cook lamb, because I can only get veal frozen. Sweetbreads are normally blanched (in court bouillon) and then cooked again into dishes. The blanching process removes a lot of their organ flavour. It also should imparts some of the flavour of the court bouillon, so they should be pleasantly imbued with the aromatics in the bouillon. I will discuss this more when I get to mains, but I have found them underwhelming in this. Their texture is excellent, but they always seem a little flavourless to me.<br/><br/>Beef Cheek, Mash, Glazed Carrot, Onions and Veal Sweetbreads - Technically the dish was next to faultless. The beef cheek was perfectly braised, unctuous and deeply flavoured. The flavour of the cheek, still holds strongly in my memory. It reminded me of dry aged beef, in its complex and slightly musty flavour. Beef cheek is always well flavoured, but this was particularly exceptional in that regard. The sauce was complex, free of fat and delicious. My favourite element however were the onions, with a moist almost gelatinous interior and sweet flavour seemed a wonderful accompaniment with the beef. They were both sympathetic in texture and contrasting in flavour. Served atop the beef cheek, were deep fried sweetbreads. I like the concept here, most of the other components, the beef cheek, vegetables and potato were all softer textures, the sweetbreads, with their crumbed coating provided contrasting textures. My only complaint as I alluded to above, is I think the sweetbreads lacked any real flavour. Both my encounters with sweetbreads at O’Connell Street have seemed that way. The technical elements of the dish were good, but together, while delicious, it was less impressive than some of the other dishes I had.<br/><br/><br/>Venison, Hazelnut Gnocchi, Brussel Sprouts and Cranberry – Another truly excellent dish. The venison well matched with its accompaniments, was tender and perfectly cooked (I’m guessing sous vide given the moistness and very thin crust around the edges). The sauce was excellent, clean and complementary. Of particular worthy mention were the hazelnut gnocchi, which were cooked and then crisped on two sides. They had a great texture, light, but with some bite from the seared exterior. These were potentially the highlight of the dish. It combined several great conceptual features, highly textured, great balance of flavours and refinement of technique.<br/><br/><br/>Ossobuco – I love ossobuco, It is another classic Italian dish, of braised veal shin. The previous versions that I have made and eaten are light of flavour. Unlike a French style braise, the broth used to flavour the ossobuco is lighter than french stocks in intensity, but is made with more meat than bones, so the dish is a little less heavy normally, but still broadly flavoured. White wine is also the primary flavour in the braising liquid other than the mirepoix and broth. There are versions of ossobuco, that use red wine as well, although this is less common. The version that I had at O’Connell Street Bistro was flavoured with red wine and made in a more french style, with a brown stock base, rather than blond. The sauce was thick and sticky and not as light as a normal Italian version. It was served on mash potatoes. I do love the traditional Italian version, however this was still an excellent dish, far more reminiscent of a French braise however, deeply coloured and intensely flavoured, it suited the rich winter environment, perhaps better than traditional ossobuco. Certainly in context of the entire meal, it made more sense, given the largely French perspective at the restaurant. Although I admit to generally preferring a more traditional Italian version generally.<br/><br/>I tried a few other dishes as well including, rabbit pappardelle, a vegetable and blue cheese pie and a few others. All of which were excellently cooked. However the sides were a mixed a bag. They had an excellent radicchio salad, but their mixed vegetables were terrible. The broccoli was overcooked, as were the green beans (very slightly, this was forgivable) and the grilled zucchini was not only out of season and flavourless, but it was too limp. This was perhaps the lowest part of all the food I had. Although they did not charge us for the dish, when this was pointed out. Interestingly I never got to dessert, on one occasion the heat of the room got to me and I felt sick and after that I favoured cheeses.<br/><br/>The cheese selection merits some discussion. On the menu were four cheeses. A Kapiti blue cheese, a Richmond Red, a French brie and a ash rind goats cheese. First up the Kapiti, I will never understand why restaurants serve Kapiti cheese. I find some of their cheeses descent, enough for kind of casual eating, cheddar is good, as is one of their blue cheeses, but none of the blues I think hold a candle to continental blues in this regard. They are two singular in flavour. They lack the complexity of a great Stilton, St Augur, Roquefort, Gorgonzola or any of the others. I am not saying that New Zealand blue cheeses are bad, but I do not find the Kapiti blues to be of sufficient depth of flavour to compare to their European competition. So this was a miss for me. The Brie de Meaux is not a bad cheese. It is reasonably complex, with a creamy rich texture, but it also failed to wildly excite, perhaps I have had it too much. The last two cheeses were excellent however, in particular the subtlety of the ash rind goats cheese (selles sur cher) was superb. Delicate, but complex in flavour and surprisingly less sharp than you might imagine. The Richmond Red from Nelson was superb as well. Again the depth and complexity of flavour here were excellent. The cheese itself was harder in texture and offered more sharpness than the others. They had excellent ginger biscuits that accompanied the cheeses.<br/><br/>The strengths of O’Connell Street I think is the cooking. Generally from a technical standpoint the components were well executed. There were on occasion a few things that could be improved, the consommé was perhaps not perfectly clear (although it was free from fat) and one or two components I suppose could be better, but texture and flavour wise, the food was cooked to excellent standard. However I think there are a few problems that warrant some discussion.<br/><br/>To say presentation is an issue is perhaps to overstate the point, but given the quality of food coming out of the kitchen, some of the presentations I think could have been better. The sauces were often a little sloppy in their plating for example, the consommé was not perfectly clear and other small problems existed. However most of these were forgivable, because in general the details were good, the perfectly coloured skin on deep fried items, the beautiful glazed carrots, the clear sauces and the like. However what I found disappointing was the plate composition. Some of them just did not look that good. I understand that it is a traditional restaurant in this respect and so there will not be the more adventurous presentations of more cutting edge restaurants, which I personally prefer, but I think more care could be given and inventiveness displayed in them. This is a small problem, the individual components were largely great it was more the composition of plates.<br/><br/>The next issue for me is seasonality. The menu frankly lacks enough sense of season. For example our terrible mixed vegetables that we received included zucchini, why? In the middle of winter zucchini are going to be hothouse or imported and frankly of poor value. There are a plethora of winter vegetables that could be chosen from and cooked without a problem, but why choose zucchini as a choice? The venison advertised figs with it on the menu. As it turned out they used cranberries. It was not clear to me if figs would normally be served with it or not, but they are clearly out of season (and I would guess next to impossible to find good ones). Perhaps this why they serve cranberries, but regardless, it goes to show the menu is not updated for the season and so they obviously are relatively static in menu construction. Why serve lamb loin, when braised cuts would be best, given the relative toughness and flavour this time of year? Again there is a lack of season consideration, in winter where are the soups? Why serve green beans, when again they are not at their best in winter? Where are the cabbages? Celeriac? Beets? Salsify? What about truffle, they served only essence as far as I can tell? They did serve lots of broccoli, I suppose. At least the vegetable terrine featured a seasonal vegetable (leek), as did the venison (brussel sprouts), despite its inclusion of figs. This is disappointing for me, as it seems to be giving up opportunities for better food for no real reason.<br/><br/><br/>What I love about the restaurant however is that it cooks food that works as a whole. Each dish, never feels like a bunch of components slapped on a plate. They feel integrated, this may simply be because they are serving food deeply rooted within a tradition, but regardless it makes their food work. The central core of the food is strong and relies on excellent technique and for that reason I think O’Connell Street Bistro is an excellent restaurant. It does not serve the most challenging food, but it is richly rewarding to eat and savour. Some of the things do bother me, probably the service is my biggest annoyance, but I enjoy eating there and if you want something that serves relatively straight forward, but excellently cooked bistro food, you need to look no further. Other restaurants compete in this field, but I think that O’Connell Street Bistro is the best of them.<br/><br/>reposted from http://foodtrace.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/oconnell-street-bistro/