Review Blue Elephant Thai Restaurant Parnell - Auckland Central

Yum yum yum. This little restaurant in parnell has an amazing vibe and the best food! We had a big party here for my friend and it was such a nice place to get together with everybody. We got a range of things from the menu that i’ve captioned in each of my photos but my favourite has got to be the almond chicken curry which was crunchy and so flavourful. The waiters were so kind and welcoming even when we took a while to choose. The only downside to this place is the space as it was a bit squishy for us. Overall amazing place and delicious food!!

Love the food and all the dishes we ordered. Had to wait a little bit to be seated after we had booked our reservation because it was super busy. But it was totally worth it. The service is splendid and the staffs are super friendly.

the food is really tasty and authentic. Except the restaurant is quite small, everything I have ordered is perfect.

The best Thai restaurant I’ve ever been to. The food is so delicious and the staff are just amazing with their beautiful silk outfit. The atmosphere great and definitely value for money. Will definitely go again on my next visit to Auckland. Highly recommended!

First time here and it was amazing! Staff were friendly and accommodating, great atmosphere.I was surprised by the quality and quantity of the food! it was more than I expected. Very fresh ingredients and seafood, authentic Thai and so good. Definitely come back again

The Blue Elephant is a must visit. I brought my family here for dinner, and we all enjoyed! I would recommend booking prior, as they can get quite busy and sometimes take slightly longer to attend your tables. Nonetheless, the waitresses are very friendly and helpful. I got the red curry - which was a 7/10 , only as I believe it could’ve had much more meat. Overall it was still food. I was given the green curry by mistake and the waitress quickly corrected it! :) The lamb massaman -8/10. Fantastic dish. Again, it just needed more meat. I cannot remember the seafood dish name, it was fried though(see video below) - but I would 11/10 recommend this dish! Located in the most cosiest spot in Parnell, which makes it amazing. Would visit again. Thanks Blue 🐘💙

Blue Elephant Thai Restaurant is a must-visit spot in Auckland City for vegans and vegetarians looking for delicious Thai food. The welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff made me feel right at home, and the menu offered a variety of vegan/vegetarian options. The Tom Yum soup with tofu & the Red Penang Curry with was bursting with flavors. Pad thai was perfectly cooked rice noodles and a balance of savory flavors. The dish was beautifully presented and a standout dish, making it a must-try for anyone visiting the restaurant. With its cozy ambiance and knowledgeable staff, dining Blue Elephant was a delightful experience. For anyone searching for delicious vegan Thai food in Auckland City, I would highly recommend it.

This little restaurant punches above its weight. The shared platter for two was absolutely delicious and the lady that served us took the time to explain the different flavours. The meal was above expectations. Thoroughly recommend. In particular, the seafood dishes that were cooked to perfection. Thank you for a lovely evening.

Had chicken satay skewers and lamb massaman curry. The chicken was tender, the satay sauce was delicious, plenty in 1 serving so really good to share between 2ppl. The lamb curry was great tender fall apart lamb, looks small but actually better to share between 2. We were a group of 3, service was great and attentive, we had drinks while waiting for entrees which were nicely done. Just a great night out, good atmosphere. I've been a few times over the years and never had any complains (well besides overeating but I can't even fault them on that! 😉) Edit 2022-11-29: went again tonight and we all loved the food, the service and the whole experience. Definitely will be back!

Great hospitality, great portions worth the price range.

Our 2nd time here, once again amazing food and top notch customer service by Kay, Esther, Bim. You gotta well respectful staff there love the way they treat and greet. Definitely coming back.

We were the second diners to arrive so it was nice and quiet then filled up quite fast, so make sure to book in advance! The servers are awesome, loved the traditional wear they had on and were able to help with menu items. The food was so delicious and enjoyed seeing the little elephant plates.

Let me start with probably the most important part: the food was delicious and it arrived quite quickly. I had 🐔 stir fry and a 🐔 soup. I especially appreciated that it was possible to have a stir fry without rice and a small soup portion. The service was problematic. The communication was not fluent, we waited quite a bit to pay when the waiters practically ignored us, some of our drink orders was mixed.

This is a very high-level Thai restaurant in Auckland. They have spacious seats, with creative dishes and traditional Thai-style meals on the menu. The delicious food looks great and super delicious. The atmosphere is very friendly and comfortable.

Great service and great Thai themed restaurant tucked away from the street. Ordered the blue elephant friends dish from the chef's special and it did not disappoint. It was delicious! Highly recommend. Will visit again next time I'm in Auckland.

If you love Thai food, this is where you should visit! Awesome dining experience in Auckland Central with nice people around. Great customer services and nice ambiance. The food is not very spicy, but if you like spicy, they will make it more spicy for u. Food portion are large and value for money.

Wanted to try this place for awhile, since it is one of the top Thai restaurant in Auckland. Had the sweet chilli fish and the blue elephant curry. The sweet chilli fish was quite nice, a bit of spiciness but not too much to handle. I wish the fish was meatier though. The blue elephant curry was more like a braised pork curry with ginger and peanuts. The pork was very tender and the sauce was a mix of savoury and sweet. Both the dish goes well with the jasmine rice which we get no limit in refills, that was nice. At the end of the night, it was valentines day, the staff gave us some red hearts chocolates which was a nice gesture. Overall, quite good, bit pricey but did not disappoint in the flavours.

Great food, and incredible service. The place had a lovely ambience and everyone serving the food was so kind and polite. We ordered vegetarian dishes and both my fiancé and I loved the food!

We ordered king prawns, spicy crispy pork, tom yum goong, larb gai and sweet chilli fish. I found the portion of each plates are too small compare to their high prices. The taste of the food were good but not that impressive and stunning compare to other thai restaurants I used to have.

We ordered a red duck curry and a chicken green curry. My preference for food is often more on the savory side, I really enjoyed my red duck curry despite it being more sweet. My dish was sweet, tangy and packed with duck and pineapples. The green green curry has an abundance of chicken and vegetables, I thought the green curry was more delicious than the red curry as it was more savoury. The only thing that I would change is switching out the chicken breast for chicken thighs as it's a more tender cut. Just as a side note, the curry doesn't come with rice which most other places do, so don't forget to add that. The atmosphere and decor was traditional and lights were dim. The service was top notch and I felt it was authentic. Overall, I'd go back for the experience again.

Highly recommend scollop and pineapple fried rice .<br/>Very good environment with friendly services.

Excellent food with excellent customer service. Went with friends and ordered Tom Yum soup, curry puffs, spring rolls, elephant curry, green curry, spicy noodles, chicken satay and drinks. Each item was delicious and had distinct flavours. Staff were super friendly and were eager to serve even though we went in quite late. As we were checking out, they learnt that we were there to celebrate one of our friend’s birthday. They were very close to shutting down their restaurant for the day, but they still prepared a small dessert with traditional sweets (sticky rice and bananas) and presented a small gift .... all compliments of the house!

Although had heard a lot about this place, but sadly our dinner ended up a disaster. The food was okay not amazing but it wasn’t our food which was disappointing, it was someone else’s food on the next table to us who created a ruckus about not his food being upto the restaurants reputation and his taste.Although the restaurant apologised but turns out everyone was pretty disappointed with the atmosphere of the place that night.

Service was excellent and the ambience was immensely aesthetic. However, both my friend and I found the pad thai to be very salty. The flavour was really good so we would have loved it of it wasn't the saltiness.

Very friendly staff. Paid attention to small requests, no fish sauce, no shrimp paste. I've had better red curry though. Vege spring rolls were good. Toilets were clean!

A great little Thai restaurant down a little alleyway off the Parnell Rise.<br/><br/>The food here took us back to Thailand.<br/><br/>We ordered the Thai Fish cakes, Chicken Pad Thai and the spicy whole snapper.<br/><br/>Food was delish, service was great.<br/><br/>Highly recommend.

Very Authentic traditional Thai food. One of the best Thai in Auckland. Blue Elephant offers a good variety of food on their menu. Excellent flavored and reasonably priced.<br/><br/>Highly recommended<br/><br/>Food: 10/10<br/>Food presentation: 8/10<br/>Service: 10/10<br/>Location: 9/10<br/>Ambience: 8/10<br/>Price $50 per person

5/5 Taste<br/>5/5 Display <br/>4/5 Quantity <br/>4.5/5 Customer Service<br/><br/>Best Thai mid-fine Dining Venue Auckland<br/><br/>This is based on my past experiences, loving thai food I tend to try new places, this place has been so far the best in my opinion.<br/>Restaurant was decorated traditionally with waitresses in their thai traditional dresses. <br/>Food was superb, well decorated, full of flavours, can literally feel how fresh the ingredients were.<br/>$ph was not too high considering the sevice I recieved. <br/>Definatly keen to go more!<br/>

I have been dying to try out blue elephant for ages now. So finally got the opportunity, sadly disappointed! <br/>I really expected more, we ordered the mixed entree platter to try it all. Not bad but not great, the chicken satay was sooo dry and chewy. <br/>Then we ordered the two chef speciality, crispy pork and the blue elephant friend chicken dish. <br/>The pork was missing pork, we got a few pieces and a lot of veg, needed more depth of flavour like some acid or salt. <br/>The chicken was sooo bland and boring, the special sauce is coconut milk with some panang paste. Very watery!

Really aromatic curries . You can tell they put a lot of love into their food. Love the fact they have been there for years. It’s the second time we have been and will go back. Had the duck curry. The flavours were robust and a great portion of duck. Drinks were reasonably priced too. Excellent.

I had dinner with friends here recently. The restaurant is tucked in a cute little alleyway that’s easy to miss if you aren’t looking well. The staff was really nice and friendly, love the hot towel service between courses too. The food was beautifully presented and tasted great too. Had the pad thai and thought it was a pretty generous serving. Decided to skip dessert as there weren’t that many options. Would definitely come back to try more dishes.

My favourite place to go for a special dinner. I love everything about this place. Service, ambiance and food exceptional. Highly recommended.

Went with a group of friends and we all thought this was the best Thai restaurant we had been to in New Zealand the food is amazing every dish we had gave us something different all tasted amazing and also the service is amazing they do all the little things right and go that extra mile would highly recommend !

Blue elephant Thai restaurant have very good service but this place is not authentic Thai restaurant. I been there and ordered steamed fish it’s not like I used to eat in Thai restaurant. It’s taste really not good but service is very good.

I love this place! Food is one of the best, cozy, very reasonable price and everything taste so great. Customer service AAA++++. Everyone we took so far loved and became their customers.

Food is very good. At lunch time, sometimes you have to wait very long time to get food. When the staffs are busy, they would rush to service people, attitude can be not so pleasant. Not my most favorite Thai restaurant, but above average. Food is good.

The best Pad Thai The New Yorker has ever had, and that’s saying something! Tender satay chicken entree, with one of the most nuanced peanut sauces we’ve ever had (I’m a HUGE peanut fan). The Aroy Dee Thai Herb Wraps were spectacular, especially the prawn - the delightful waitress had to explain the method of eating - shove the whole thing in your mouth at once, to appreciate all the flavours - totally worth looking like a hamster. I had Blue Elephant Scallops for my main and delicious they were. Then, the sticky rice with red banana, which neither of us had seen before. Yum! Definitely going again.

3rd time here for family dinner and thank god we made reservations because it was very packed at 6pm. The big tables were gone so they had to join 2 small tables together and it was still quite small as it couldn’t fit all the dishes including 4 bowls of rice. We ordered the Pad Thai, yellow curry, green curry, king prawn, and beef basil & chilli.<br/><br/>The Pad Thai here actually tastes pretty close to the Pad Thai in Thailand as it had a very good taste of sweet and sour, more towards the sour side. The only difference is the texture of the noodles as I don’t think you could get those type of glassy rice noodles here and the noodles are a bit soft here as well. The nuts and lemons are served on a separate plate. <br/><br/>The green curry no doubt was the best one I’ve tried as the creaminess of the curry wasn’t that thick and it wasn’t overly sweet. Goes very well with the rice. <br/>The yellow curry, according to the waitress, was specially made for us because they knew my aunty. The ingredients in there (prawns and vegetables) are coated with sweetened scrambled eggs which gives you an omelette-like taste but the capsicums still remain crunchy. If you add some lemons, it’ll taste great! <br/><br/>The basil and chilli was actually pretty spicy for my sister and I could taste the spiciness too. Other than that, the vegetables remained crunchy and the bamboo shoots had a tiny sour taste which added flavor to the saltiness and spiciness of the dish. The beef was very tender. (If you’ve had the Chinese dish sizzling beef with black pepper, it tastes similar to that but spicy). <br/><br/>The king prawns was actually my favorite as not only were the prawns big and fresh, it wasn’t overly cooked (the more raw you eat these type of prawns, the sweeter they are). The dressing was a type of sweet chilli sauce with bok choi underneath which goes really well together with the prawns. <br/><br/>For dessert I was actually looking for mango sticky rice, a very famous Thai dessert, but they didn’t have any so I didn’t end up getting desserts.<br/><br/>From service to food and environment, it’s pretty good and very traditional. But as they get very busy, the service would slack off a little bit, but that’s understandable. The pricing is very reasonable for the portions you get.<br/><br/>Taste - 9/10<br/>Size - 10/10<br/>Service - 9/10<br/>Price - 10/10

Came here for my mum’s birthday dinner on a Tuesday. <br/><br/>We got 8 dishes, which we shared between 8 people. Namely these were Duck salad, Blue elephant curry, Blue elephant friends, Blue elephant spicy crispy pork, Sweet chilli fish, Peanut lovers-Beef, Sweet and sour-chicken and Thai Fried Rice-Beef. <br/><br/>Every single dish was amazing; my favourites would have to be the Blue Elephant Curry, which is fried chicken with almond coating. The crispy chicken and almond coating is a match made in heaven; the nutty crunch and the tenderness of the chicken was amazing. The chicken pieces lay in a beautiful pool of coconut curry which was mild yet powerfully flavoured. I would recommend this. <br/>Another favourite is blue elephant friends and the sweet and sour chicken. The blue elephant friends is a beef dish with a golden sauce poured over it; incredible tender beef pieces and rich curry sauce. I’d recommend any of the “blue elephant” signature dishes.<br/>The sweet and sour chicken was beautiful! Generous portions of sauce and vegetables; the lychee was an excellent touch and really added to the burst of flavours and texture! <br/>Sweet chilli whole snapper was a whole fried snapper that was crunchy, you can even eat the fins! Sauce was really good too. <br/>Peanut lovers was really enjoyable too, perfectly cooked meat soaked in a soup of peanuts; texture-wise it was interesting! Give this a try if you dare! <br/><br/>Service was absolutely one of the best I’ve ever received out of all of my dining experiences. The girl serving us was very thoughtful and attentive and caring. We asked for some hot water for the elderly and she came with a very pretty tea pot and cups. She made sure the food would all come at the same time and they would come and fill out glasses up very frequently. Another girl was always smiling when she came to collect our empty plates, and mopped up the table so she could serve our cake. And when she brought it out, she initiated the birthday song which I was really touched with. SUCH AMAZING WAITRESSES WHO ARE BEAUTIFUL AND CARING AND OBSERVANT! Really recommend this place! <br/><br/>The bill came to around $240, including 3 bowls of rice.<br/><br/>Food: 10/10<br/>Price: 10/10<br/>Ambience: 10/10<br/>Service: 10/10 !!! <br/>

Very friendly staff, quick service and amazing food and drink!! They do have a BYO wine and it is defiantly a good idea to make a booking rather than just turning up. The atmosphere is cosy and nothing was to fault. Definitely going back there again the next chance I can

Amazing service, with friendly staff. The food and drinks were amazing and the atmosphere is very calm and relaxing. Been here a few times and will go again

Omq, this place is awesome. The food is yum and the staff is kind and lovely. The cute little elephants at each corner of the restaurent make it more beautiful. <br/>I can come here every weekend. Simply loved it😊❤️

Absolutely amazing service tonight from the staff at Blue Elephant, not to mention the amazing food that we received as well. Highly recommend this place. Best Thai food I've had in ages. See you soon.

Lovely setting, authentic Thai food (you could actually taste the spice), love the traditional greetings and that the staff are Thai. Beautiful food.

I must say I was impressed by the ambiance. It was so cozy and warm. This place has these little quotes about wine. Loved it. It has some stories on the wall about the Thai culture.<br/>Let's come to hospitality- must say lovely smiling staff.<br/>Food - awesome delicious food. The presentation is even better which makes you feel tempted for the food.<br/>All the items were 👍 great. Their quantity is less than some other thai places but the taste is not compromised. Worth a try. Will surely visit again.

Blue Elephant is one of my favourite Thai Restaurant. They use fresh ingredients, lots of herbs, lime and chill which I love about their food.<br/>Love the Duck salad !! It is the main dish for me yum 😋

There are so many Thai restaurants in Auckland, but this is one of the better ones. Tucked down one of the side lanes of Parnell Rise, there are nice indoor & outdoor areas.<br/>Some of the menu items have quirky names, but they have most of the favourites & more. Faves are the prawn dishes (always a go-to), mixed entree & tom kha. The Penang is delish too. Service friendly & efficient

Blue Elephant is my favourite restaurant to go to! To start with the staff are all amazing! <br/>The food is to die for - curry puffs are the best starter in the world! <br/>I love how they give you chilli powder to create you're own heat with the dishes aswell. <br/>I went on my birthday once and they gave me a gorgeous blue elephant sparkly broach - it's the little things that count!

Best red curry I have eaten in Auckland as they have the option to increase the spice level to Thai hot, which is what my cravings always need. Really good flavourful food! I go back there almost once every month! Good and quick service ! Little Thai magical restaurant in Parnell !

Thai is my favourite food in the world!! This cute hide away Thai restaurant is one of my favourites to go to for lunch with my work friends!!! It's nice and secluded and never "jam packed" so the setting is relaxing! All in the heart of Parnell as well!

We came on the spur of the moment. Great choice. Fabulous food and service. Magical menu and we loved the atmosphere. Very friendly. We felt valued. Would come back. Claudia <br/>

Went there with high expectations, hearing that it was an amazing place. But this place did not fail to impress me. Amazing presentation of food (even the way each vege was sliced was amazing!). Great tasting foods, but a bit on the strong tasting/salty side for my taste buds so had to eat everything with the jasmine rice. Also the jasmine rice is unlimited refill which makes it all work out.<br/><br/>But the thing that made the dining experience so great is the service there. Staff were super accomodating as if it was visiting a friends place. Also the music was just so super comforting. <br/><br/>Price is on the steep end, but well worth it :) Would definitely go back again.

Came here for a dinner for three. Started off with the following entrées:<br/>1. Aroy Dee Thai wrap (choose either duck or prawns or both) - We decided to try both because why not. The idea is to wrap the spinach leaf with all the ingredients in and stuff it all in your mouth. It was a bit tricky as they were presented in very small saucers. Use a fork and you're in business. The flavors all work, both meat tender but what stood out was the ginger pieces included. It might not be everyone's cup of tea but it was refreshing and palatable.<br/>2. Blue elephant scallops - presented beautifully on soup spoons. The first thing it hits your mouth is the tamarind sauce. Sweet and sour paired with a little bit pf coconut cream. The casing for the scallops was top notch and don't get me started on the scallops meat!! Beautifully done and juicy. This was definitely the star dish for all of us. <br/>3. Mixed platter (a combination of Thai favourites) - spring roll - nice and crispy but found the vermicelli noodles a tad dry<br/>Thai curry puff - light and tasty chicken satay - juicy meat and satay sauce was just right<br/>Thai prawn cake -very flavoursome with generous prawn meat and not too spicy.<br/>For mains we ordered the following:<br/>1. Sweet chilli fish - my friend ordered this and I tasted a bit of everything. The sauce was spicy enough for my friend to start getting sniffles :) The fish alone was a not too small perfect for one person. The downside of this fish were the bones. Be aware when eating this dish.<br/>2. Blue elephant tamarind prawns - beautifully presented. Prawns were crisp and juicy and that tamarind sauce really brought the whole dish together.<br/>3. Blue elephant curry ( slow cooked curry with pork belly) - this is what I ordered and I wasn't disappointed. Pork belly size was generous and very tender. Sauce was super delicious together with the side condiment of pickled veges and spicy sauce.<br/>After our meal, we were given complimentary steamed towel which was what we needed after a very delicious and hearty meal.<br/>Our night was beautiful despite the wind and rain . The service was superb. Very accommodating and the beautiful ladies there always check on you which is always a plus when the waiters/waitresses pay attention to you. The place itself is small and quaint. Interior is decorated with homely decorations with a lot of elephant base themes all around. We all decided that the prices were reasonable and the portions were just right. Unless you're greedy, I suggest you try somewhere else. My only complaint is the toilet. Never have I been to a posh area with a restaurant that we have to actually walk out the restaurant and follow the signs to the loo. It was clean but still. Inside is better than outside especially when its windy and pouring.

Went here for a dinner on a Friday night. It was quite busy so book ahead. Food was nice. Just a bit expensive but you are paying Parnell prices. Decor was authentic. Staff were friendly and nice. Service was good, staff were very attentive. We didn't wait to long for our meals. I would definitely come back.

I came here earlier this year on a holiday and I had a lovely experience. <br/>The dishes were reasonably portioned and tasted amazing too! Although the cost was a little pricier, we were entirely satisfied with our meal and service. The staff were very friendly & attentive, and the atmosphere was relaxing too. They also offer complimentary snacks before your meal arrives and lemon scented hot towels too. <br/>Read more about my experience on my blog

I love Thai food and can't stop recommending this place enough. Their service is impeccable and the food is just delicious. I had the chance to talk with the owners and they are very proud, as they should be, of the amount of positive feedback they constantly receive. One of my top restaurants in Auckland!

A warm, quaint and cozy little Thai restaurant within the Parnell village.<br/><br/>Went on a date first then went back quite a few times. A great little Thai food place.<br/><br/>Food is amazing on every visit. Service is very prompt too. However customer service could have been a bit better.

We had dinner here tonight, after reading the reviews how good the food was and home welcoming the staff is. The food is good and yes the staff is very good. However I still feel the dishes are bit pricey by regular standard.<br/><br/>Good Thai food with decent portion sizes but expensive and reserve a table on the weekend it gets busy

Very happy to meet the real green curry dish there. What a pretty green color! Good smell good taste. The crispy pork dish was also good texture. Could enjoy large quantity of different vegetables in one plate. They offer the free snack and lemon scented hot towel. Good service and interior. Not cheap but reasonable price.

Top service , top food <br/>Is my fourth times I have dined here always the food and service is amazing, <br/>The waitress looked after us an impeccable way. <br/>Smiling all the time . Myself and my fiancé loved <br/>The best in Auckland <br/>Will be back more and more

What a fantastic experience. Personable staff that give you an authentic experience. Platter for 2 as an entrée was an experience in itself. Shared the Red Duck curry and spiced Pork. Excellent experience after a week at work.

This is my favorite Thai Restaurant. When you enter they greet you in Thai and make you feel welcomed. They offer to take your coats and hang them. The food is spectacular. Scallops were a hit as a starter. I've tried all the curries there and they are all equally good but as always, Red wins. The seafood is brilliant. Anything you order will be satisfying.

Overrated basic suburban Thai. Nothing wrong, but absolutely nothing good either.<br/><br/>Satay sauce thin, insipid, & tasteless. Spring rolls the only real highlight, or should that be least bad. Satay chicken sticks a weird shade of faux yellow, whilst the prawn cakes tasted of tomato infused curry. Very odd, served with the identical sweet Thai chilli sauce as the spring rolls. Not good.<br/><br/>Sauce and the lychees of the red duck curry pretty good, but I've seen more ducks in a NZ test cricket team. L'essence de canard is closer to the mark. Larb Gai quite pleasant. <br/><br/>But there the platitudes abruptly end. Beef with green beans, chilli and holy basil tasted precisely like the pork belly with stir fry veges. And I mean exactly, right down to the garnishes. They were OK, sure, but really?<br/><br/>Pad Thai chicken boring and unadorned - no peanuts, no lemon, no sprouts. Was that flavour making a dash for the door?<br/><br/>Dishes evacuated without so much as a hint of a dessert menu or a cup of tea. Really quite rude.<br/><br/>But the highlight was the adjoining table of two young Irishmen, who had obviously been there for hours, absolutely off their face. One so paralytic that he couldn't be roused, his head lolling, asleep absolutely in his chair. At one point his mate pushed his head into a post. When we asked the manager to call an ambulance, she refused. She was obviously most nervous about having breached responsible service of alcohol.<br/><br/>If your mum picked up takeaway on a Sunday night, you'd be satisfied but not excited. How is this place in the top 1000 restaurants in Auckland, let alone ranked 4th. Good lord. This is so pedestrian I was looking for a zebra crossing.

I came here with some friends for lunch on a weekday. Maaan this place wasn't the easiest to find. <br/><br/>The service was quite good, if anything we were checked on a little too much, although it was quiet and I don't particularly mind being well looked after.<br/><br/>I ordered the green curry, holy moly. Yes is the only word I can think of, it was a beautiful dark green with perfect spice and taste, the chicken was nice and tender.<br/><br/>This place is overall very nice - If you're feeling Thai and are willing to pay the price, this is a good place to try.

I'm not even the greatest fan of Thai food, I find "average" Thai basically inedible. This place stands out. Really sweet wee location set back off busy Parnell Rd with charming decor, lovely staff who make sure you're happy but aren't all over you, and superb food. Really beautiful food. I will definitely be a regular, either dine in or takeaway.

A lovely place, the staff were super friendly and most importantly the food was amazing! Loved their pad Thai and the fish that we had ordered! Reasonable pricing for the food that great! Will definitely recommend and come back :)

Great authentic Thai restaurant. Food and service is great. Only possibly improvement could be more water being available at tables. Nice cosy environment.

A great little Thai place hidden quietly in Parnell. The place was really busy but staff managed the service both professionally and carefully. Food was great. We especially enjoyed the shared entree as its not the typical money bags or curry puff you would normally get from other Thai places. A nice personal touch of giving a hot towel after dinner! It's not a cheap place but we would go back for sure.

Ordinary at best. We were 4 including 2 kids and ordered mix platter of entrees, basil chicken and Thai green curry for mains. We were insisted, politely though, that one main is for one person. Portion size was good, as we couldn't finish it, the flavours were bland and lacking the punch of core Thai flavours. This was our second visit but will think twice before visiting again

Best Thai food I have eaten in Auckland.  Highly recommended.<br/>Service: 4/5<br/><br/>Wait time: 4/5<br/><br/>Environment: 4/5<br/><br/>Food Quality: 4.5/5<br/><br/>Food Quantity: 4/5<br/><br/>Price:4/5<br/><br/>Overall: 24.5/30

This is probably one of "The" best thai restaurants in Auckland. Delicious meals packed with balanced thai flavours,  must try Blue Elephant Spicy Prawns. Very friendly staff and excellent customer service. Its a small cute restaurant so bookings essential.

Amazing service! The restaurant is well designed and has an elegant atmosphere. The food and wine was absolutely delicious. This is a high quality place for such a reasonable price.

Amazing service, great food! Love the outdoor setup! Cozy place for a cold night. Very authentic service, food arrives super quickly and tastes amazing!

Situated in Parnell, hidden inside one of the little alleyway is this awesome authentic Thai restaurant which you have to come! We ordered entree platter to share - the oyster was juicy and tender, fish cakes / herb roll / spring rolls were full of flavour! We had red duck curry and crispy pork and both were cooked to perfection. The service was great!! Good selection of wines to accompany the food. In terms of the price, it is slightly more than the average Thai restaurants around Auckland but the food and the service is totally worth it!

One of the best thai food ... Lovely staff .... Went for a friends birthday and it was completely worth it. Bar also had some authentic thai drinks ..... Would go there again soon :-)

I was pleasantly surprised by the restaurant. I say quality wise it's pretty good although I feel like each dish is about $5 too expensive. The service was great and the food delicious so but still feel it's a tad expensive by would still go back all the same. The restaurant has a good selection of vegetarian options which is great to see.

Nice cosy place in heart of parnell town..... went w a group of friends... nice cosy atmosphere.... we did not have a booking but staff accommodated us well.... food is to die for... I had fresh spring rolls n basil chilli. Fresh rolls nice n refreshing w prawns n fresh<br/>veg. Basil chilli Such a depth of flavour w crunchy veg. Friends had lamb in oyster sauce, green curry.... all really tasty. Service is excellent.

Best Thai in Auckland and the service is unbeatable. Was sick and craving thai - called Blue Elephant and even though the kitchen wasn't quite open they were incredibly obliging and whipped me up the best spring rolls, curry puffs, beef cashew and pad thai we could ask for. Nothing like incredibly friendly service that goes over and above along with THE most delicious thai to help you feel better. Thanks Blue Elephant - I will be back again and again and again!

Perfect, perfect, perfect! Start to finish. Amazing food, wonderful staff, relaxed atmosphere. Cannot recommend more or praise highly enough. Can't wait to come back ! :)

1st of all best Thai food in Auckland , secondly they have the most courteous staff ever... Very attentive ... Thank you for an awesome dining experience

Such a good restaurant with authentic Thai food. The best thai food I've tasted so far. Lovely staff and excellent service. Will definitely be coming back! ⭐️⭐️⭐️️️️

Very cosy little restaurant tucked away from the main road. Good food and service. Good portion sizes and prices.<br/><br/>Recommend to try!<br/><br/>We went as a group of 12 and found it a bit cramped by the door/bar area. But it looked great for a small family or couples.

Quite simply the best Thai food in Auckland with reasonable pricing for the quality you get. Great hospitality and a very good location as there are plenty of desert options nearby.

Beautiful place with delicious food and lovely staff. Went here for lunch ($13) and had the pad thai, spicy noodles and panang curry. Serving size was small as expected from a Parnell fine dining restaurant which left us wanting more of the very tasty food! Staff were nice enough to bring a comfy high chair out for our 11 month old and he had his lunch with us happily too :)

Gorgeous Thai food and a really authentic experience and ambiance. All four of us were more than impressed with our meals, mentionables were the super tasty tom yum soup, delicious massaman lamb curry and a surprising peanut lovers dish. Portion sizes were great. Highly recommended.

We chose Blue Elephant due to the good reviews and they did not disappoint. The first thing you notice is the warm and genuine welcome and the biggest smiles. We were a table of 10 and had a reservation for 8:15. Maybe the fact that it was a Tuesday night meant we were one of the few tables at the restaurant. Can't praise the service enough, the staff were very attentive and obliging. <br/><br/>We ordered right through the menu as we were a big group, and the food from the chefs special stood out, especially the crispy pork and almond chicken. <br/><br/>The actual restaurant is a little small but I feel it adds to the charm. But all in all a great night, highly recommended

Delicious food. Hands down the best Pad Thai here in Auckland. Consistent service; always smiling and friendly. They even manage to find us tables when we haven't made bookings and they're quite busy. Portion sizes are good and price is good too. A must try.

So quiet on Monday! There are so many Thai restaurants in Auckland, I don't know what <br/>authentic Thai food taste like, the food in Blue Elephant is nice enough to me! Anyone notices that the staff here got the most sincere and genuine smile in town ?? ^-^ Namaste.

Awesome service. Delicious Thai food. I had the vegetarian noodles and it was yummy! This has become my favourite Thai restaurant! Will definitely come here again and bringing more friends!

Beautiful food. Top notch service. Nice setting. Ideal 👌the duck was absolutely delicious. Menu provides many options, especially for the vegetarian community. Would definitely dine there again<br/>

Delicious tasting Thai food , make a booking as usually very busy ! Portions are quite small but are so tasty which makes it worth the price :)

Very authentic Thai food that we can get in Auckland. The restaurant is located behind the main row of historical shops on Parnell road. The price of the food is above market price. But the food is so delicious. I like their tom yum prawn soup, fried pineapple rice. Fantastic Thai good!

Dined here for a date night, it was lovely. Food was amazing, the tom yum soup was super packed with flavours compared to other thai places. Pad thai was also a standout compared to other places. We also order the whole fish which was also great, although I'm not a fan of bones, but was still very delicious. Parking can be a challenge because its Parnell, but worth it because food is amazing!

Time and date: Wednesday Dinner 2 weeks ago, previous visit was in 2011<br/><br/>Food ordered: Basil and ginger pork stir fry, duck curry, toufu stir fry and lamb curry, blue elephant king prawn <br/><br/>Ingredients: Fresh and high quality <br/><br/>Authenticity: Less like Thai cuisines, more like Thai fusion <br/><br/>Taste: Overall tasted quite pleasant for Thai fusion, but lacks the explosive flavor of an authentic Thai cuisine <br/><br/>Environment: Very pleasant and definitely a good place for a family meal and workmates dinner<br/><br/>Service: Very good customer service <br/><br/>Costs: less than $30 per person <br/><br/>Will I return: Occasionally

The food was really tasty, specially the soup. Ample sweet chilli dipping sauce was really good, good place and also friendly staff..... highly recommended.

Highly recommended by my boss, she decided to treat some of us a nice Thai dinner after a hectic week at work. We all enjoy Thai cuisine and it was a perfect choice for our diverse group as we had some vegetarian, one who loves spicy food as well as myself who is down for good meal! Blue Elephant Thai Restaurant has one of the most extensive menu I have ever come across with over 70 different selections including vegetarian dishes, entrees, curries, salads, soups and their chef specialities.

One of the best restaurants that I've come across in Auckland. I would rank Blue Elephant at the top in all the sectors - <br/>•Food - The is the key to this restaurant, not only the taste, but the presentation of all the dishes and form is just amazing. The best part is they do vegetarian meals equally good as the non-vegetarian. I have never seen such good vegetarian options in a Thai restaurant elsewhere in Auckland.<br/>•Ambience- feels like you are dining in a 7 star restaurant. Although the space is small, but, the it is very neatly presented.<br/>•Service - Excellent staff, friendly and helpful.<br/>•Testimonial - this is the only restaurant from where I knew about Thai cuisines and the food and since then it has been my and my husband's favourite restaurant. Everytime we visit this restaurant we experience the same quality of food and also the service.

This was the best thai food I've had in auckland. Service was excellent. Highly recommended. We all loved it. Everyone had excellent food.

We tend to set spring rolls as the benchtest for Thai restaurants. Not disappointed as they have a unique taste with vegetarian black fungi. Ample sweet chilli dipping sauce. 8/10 right time spaced between entree and mains<br/>Mains were whole snapper 8/10 and a red duck curry. 7/10 curry was on the smallish side and light on duck meat. Flavour was not as rich as last weeks thai venue. Rice was only just warm when served and personally i liked hot steaming rice to keep the sauces honest. Plenty of waitresses delightful conversation and great table service. 9/10.

Wouldnt recomend this place if you are hungry and after a decent feed. My partner and I are small people, but left feeling a bit disappointed and still hungry. The food was ok but extremely pricy and portion size was very inadequate. To add insult to injury, we were asked if we wanted to order rice with our curries! I cant imagine eating a curry without rice, and at $30 per curry, I would not have expected to pay extra for rice. Additionally, the rice was a bit mashy and overcooked. One last thing to note is that the toilet facilities were somewhat removed from the premises and were poorly maintained and actually appeared to be public toilets.

Highly recommended by my boss, she decided to treat some of us a nice Thai dinner after a hectic week at work. I’m a huge fan of Thai cuisine and it was a perfect choice for our diverse group as we had some vegetarian, one who loves spicy food as well as myself who is down for good meal! Blue Elephant Thai Restaurant has one of the most extensive menu I have ever come across with over 70 different selections including vegetarian dishes, entrees, curries, salads, soups and their chef specialities.<br/><br/>Our meal began with an entrée platter and it was an impressive start. A selection of some of their best-selling entrée, there was not a curry puff in sight. It includes the Thai herb wrap, made up of a mixture of prawn, capsicum, peanuts, red onion and coconut, wrapped with a young spinach leaf and finished with a sweet tamarind sauce, the spicy deep-fried prawn cakes mixed with red curry paste and sliced green beans, their house made grilled Northern Thai sausages with herbs and pickled vegetables and my favourite out of them all was the Blue Elephant Scallops which was paired with a rich coconut cream based casing. An exceptional start to our meal and a great way to sample a bit of everything! Good thing we ordered two, so there was plenty to go around.<br/><br/>Without being aware of the size of the platter, we ordered quite an assortment of mains. The vegetarian mock chicken green curry with green beans, zucchini and bamboo shoot was very popular amongst the vegetarians and spice lovers. This was too hot for my palate, so I happily devoured my favourite dish for the night, the Blue Elephant Curry. A traditional Northern Thai curry, this resembles more like a pork dish rather than a typical curry. Pieces of moist juicy slow cooked pork belly, covered with a sweet and tangy sauce and served with peanuts, scrumptious! The spicy crispy pork with basil, bamboo shoots, green beans, and broccoli had an appetising heat which goes perfectly with steamed jasmine rice and the vegetarian fried rice with tofu was very enjoyable.<br/><br/>There were a couple of other dishes that I didn’t manage to take a photo of, but are ones that I would recommend. The main component of the Blue Elephant Friends (one of the chef’s specials) was deep-fried chicken coated with slivers of almonds. Despite being meat from the breast, the chicken retained the moisture and was easy to chew. The pits of almond gave a nice texture variation compared to the usual bread crumb crust. The red duck curry with lychee, pineapple and grapes was another favourite amongst the table. Plenty of sliced roast duck in the dish, it was another great dish to pair with rice.<br/><br/>It was such a satisfying meal and I’m amazed that I didn’t know about this place till now! I’m fond of the variety that Blue Elephants has to offer as well as the execution of the dish. The dining area is cosy with limited seating, so it is recommended that if you wish to dine in, call ahead so you won’t leave disappointed. The service was friendly and attentive; they even offered to loan us their umbrella when we left because the weather decided to turn for the worst. So go and give Blue Elephant a try, because like me, you might get hooked!

Best tom yum soup for a Thai restaurant in Auckland, got all sorts of surprizes in their seafood tom  yum!<br/>Nice cosy environment, great for winter! If you are coming on friday evenings remember to make a booking!<br/><br/>Curry is good, nothing else too surprising since you already come here with high expectations<br/><br/>Awesome staff<br/><br/>Service: 5/5<br/><br/>Wait time: 4/5<br/><br/>Environment: 4/5<br/><br/>Food Quality: 4/5<br/><br/>Food Quantity: 4/5<br/><br/>Price range: $50+ pp

Very cute and cozy restaurant. Three of us came here for a birthday dinner. The service was excellent, and the staff were very friendly. Food was delicious and they have a great vegetarian menu. The presentation of the food was amazing. One of the best restaurants I have been to.

Dined in a few times, outstanding!!!!<br/><br/>The service was fantastic and the food delicious. <br/><br/>My favorite dish was the pork ribs, but everything we have had was delicious.<br/><br/>My mouth is watering as I write :)<br/><br/>We would definitely go back!!!

Recommended by a well traveled work mate. He was over and suggested to go here. Quite frankly, this would be one of the best Thai restaurants I have ever been to. The food, amazing and the service to match. Highly recommend and will return again soon.

Excellent food , excellent service, excellent atmosphere.<br/>Been this restaurant 3 times already but always consistent...food wise n service wise also..never ever disappointed us...went there first 4 of us n 6 of us lately...all of us thoroughly enjoyed all of elements....well done

Awesome service.. definitely made us feel welcome and were always asking if everything was ok. Love it and will definitely bring my freinds. Keep it up!! The food was delicious and im vegetarian and there was many options to choose from lovely and spicy as intended and i cant say how much i loved the service such a freindly bunch .. very welcoming and proud of thier culture

We just visited for a special occasion (our last night in NZ after living here for a year) and could not be happier with our experience. The service was absolutely top notch and the food was excellent. Our waitress was so helpful and courteous, making us feel at home and even bringing us a free entree so that we could try one of their most popular dishes (Aroy Dee Thai Herb Wrap), which was delicious. For our mains we tried several dishes with prawns, chicken, scallops and beef. We were impressed by the incredibly tender cooking of the seafood/meats and the level of flavor and spice that was brought to every dish. Even the dishes we ordered "as-is" had a fair level of spice, while the "thai-spicy" curries we ordered were by far the most flavorful and intensely spiced dishes we have tasted in the country over the past year (warning: their "thai-spice" level of heat is definitely not appropriate for the kiwi palette). I would highly recommend this restaurant just based on the food, but the attention to detail and service put it over the top. 10/10.

I went here with high hopes for my birthday dinner. it is a cute cosy location with great atmosphere. it is not too loud and the music was fitting. we were met by 3 immaculately dressed waitresses. The best dish is all of them. they gave us towels at the end to wipe our hands with. Very professional. best Thai restaurant in Auckland.

Went for the first time after reading brilliant reviews and i must say i was not disappointed one bit. Food was great and some unique ingredients on one of my dishes but the chefs made it work perfectly =D.<br/>Service was fantastic, my table was wobbly but i didn't really care, then the waitress from nowhere comes over and fixes it without me having to ask. Friendly staff that know how to treat customers.<br/>Would happily recommend this restaurant to all my friends

We have been going to this little yet amazing Thai restaurant. Blue Elephant is our favorite restaurant for Thai food. To develop the taste of Thai food, was this and only restaurant which gave us the start for liking Thai food and now it has become our top favorite. We are Vegetarians but there is no difference in the taste and the flavour in their meals, specially the curries or starters with Mock meats is amazing, we have never had this option of mock meat in any other Thai restaurants. From soups to mains or noodles, it's aromatic and mouth watering.... The staff there is so hospitable, friendly and caring. Also the ambience is very traditional yet very romantic. What else do you need to become a regular customer of a restaurant ? We love Blue Elephant, what would we do without you for Thai food :):)

We ate here 2 weeks ago. The food was ok, we think was not really authentic Thai food. Adapted for western taste, service was fine. Not too happy with a grumpy waiting staff face. She should stay home if not happy to come to work on a busy night !!!

Absolute best Thai food I've had in Auckland. Tucked away in a cozy little restaurant with a very authentic feel, we were greeted with smiles. The duck and crispy pork we ordered was amazingly good. The waitresses were very attentive, and the owner even checked to make sure we were enjoying our food. A nice touch. At the end of the night, we received hot lemon-scented towels to wipe our hands and two free chocolate hearts. (It was Valentine's Day) We will definitely be back.

If I had reviewed the Bue Elephant after going the first time before Christmas it would have been a straight 5 stars. We had the duck curry with the grapes and the fried almond coated chicken. It was quite different from what you get at typical Thai restaurant and very good. This time we had the Mussaman curry and the crispy pork. Unfortunately the taste of the curry was dominated by cinnamon, which made it very off balance in my opinion given that would normally been a range of spices and flavours in such a curry, such as cardamoms, lemon grass etc. Unless you really love cinnamon don't go for this one. The crispy pork was good but nothing special. The starters were really nice both times and I would recommend the herb wraps and fish cakes in particular. The staff are very attentive and friendly, knowledgeable about the dishes. The restaurant is in a very nice little nook tucked away in a back alley in Parnell and it's nice and small. If going with more people I would definitely book.

We have a fab night at the blue elephant. The service was great. Most of our food was tasty and up to expectations. I do have one complaint and that is the delay in food. We were a party of 10 and received our entrees and some mains(individual orders) at very staggered times. We have 6 ppl get their entrees and were done by the time the other 4 arrived and it was not different items. And same with mains with the delay being long enough that 2 ppl were left eating on their own at the end. The rice situation is a bit stingy especially since its being charged separately. It was a very small serving offered each time and charged every time whereas other places offer rice for 2 dollars and I've never had to ask for more. Anyway it was a nice place and everything but the prawns were great. The service was very friendly albeit a bit delayed.

I went to the Blue Elephant last night for dinner. We ordered two entrees and two mains. The Pad Thai was really tasty as were the entrees. Unfortunately our mixed seafood curry arrived with the sauce (coconut cream) split, i.e not creamy but liquid with congealed bits in it. I asked the young waitress about it and an older more senior waitress came over and told us it was meant to look like that as it had egg in it!! I have been to many Thai restaurants and had many fish curries that have not looked like this. She offered to redo it if we didn't like the taste. It tasted ok as it was not the flavour that was at fault. I am always reluctant to send food back to the kitchen if having to complain. It is a shame they didn't take the time to re-do the dish before sending out to us as I will not recommend this restaurant or go back in the future. The young waitresses were very attentive and the decor pleasant.

Awesome awesome awesome, especially the Blue Elephant Curry and Massaman Lamb Curry. The Blue Elephant Curry is out of this world, never tried anything like it. Service was excellent too. Strange that the waitress served the rice from a "communal" bowl (when you needed more you had to ask) but everything else was top notch.

The best thai food I have ever had!!! Amazing and original, the food has the real thai spices. Tom yam soup is my favourite thai meal and I can say I have tried quite a several around Auckland and have never tried anything like this!!! The spicy scallops were just heaven to try!!! The dishes are well presented and we didnt have to wait long for the food. The service was great, staff helpful and attentive. Well done!!!

Wife and self dined at Blue Elephant hidden down the lane next to the ANZ in Parnell. It was worth the hunt. Food excellent, staff charming and attentive. Would recommend for that plus excellent value for money.

Yummy!!! We went with a group of 6 and we all very much enjoyed our meals.<br/>Fantastic service, setting and food. <br/>The best thai I have had in Auckland, we will definitely go back and would highly recommend!

Fantastic, authentic Thai food, wide variety on the menu. If you like fish try the "Chubby young blue elephant" - delicious! Attentive and super friendly service with reasonable prices. There is a reason this place has so many good reviews... We're definitely going back!

WOW!!! Pure pleasure...the best Thai food I have ever had. Karen and Wayne are fantastic hosts and have created a first class intimate Thai dining experience. I would highly recommend the Blue Elephant in Parnell.<br/>Thai Food as good as it gets!!!

The portion was big (for me and my girlfriend), and the ambient was great. However the taste of the food was only above average. There are better Thai food in the area. Great services by the waiting staff - gave us a good explanation on the menu items. Would go there again for the atmosphere rather than the food.

the best Thai food we've ever had!! This restaurant is amazing! there were so many flavors in each bite of our meal ~ The prices are very reasonable, the menu extensive, and the owner, Karen, is a sweetheart! Great wine, too! We'll definitely return, on our next trip to New Zealand!!

All three of us gave this lovely, charming restaurant full marks.<br/>-Love the menu which had some unique offerings, in particular the herb parcels which were just divine and just completely different to what we've ever had in a thai restaurant.<br/>-Food was well prepared but also beautifully presented, spiced just right and delicious<br/>-The location was quaint, surrounded my greenery in the heart of Parnell.<br/>-The actual place was charming, tastefully decorated with music appropriate to its theme<br/>-The hostess was warm and ensured we were happy and comfortable.<br/>-Fully recommend for both couples and small groups as it was a lovely, intimate setting.

We went here tonight after reading the great reviews on this site. It was REALLY delicous! We eat Thai at least once a week, and we will be going back for sure. Can't believe I haven't found it before now - YUM

Nice and friendly environment. The staff and the food are superb. Our children loved the presentation of the carrot flowers and the chance to have a try by themselves as well.<br/>I can write pages here about their high quality service and delicious food but it must try it. I only had the same feeling at Carinthia that I'm the most honoured GUEST here and the food and the staff is for my satisfaction.<br/><br/>Since our first visit we often visit the Blue Elephant and always really satisfied with everything such as food quality and taste, hospitality... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Excellent food, specially their prawns were ultra delicious. The banana dessert was extremely wonderful too. Went for my wife's birthday there. will go back again.

Fantastic food awesome atmosphere, fab staff, would recommend to anyone wanting a nice relaxing night out with friends, you can't go wrong. Their Chubby Young Blue Elephant (Hapuka with stir fried vegetables) and the chicken cashew nuts are a firm favourite, I would highly recommend you try them.<br/>I travel from West Auckland even for takeaways. A++++

Our last meal in New Zealand was at the Blue Elephant, and what a fantastic memory to leave NZ with. The Blue Elephant is hidden away in Parnell Rd and is a perfect setting for such a lovely little Thai restaurant.<br/>The menu is exciting to read, and our host explained all the dishes in such a friendly manner that we felt as though we were dining and an old favourite. We had the Mixed Entree which was superb, followed by Massamam Lamb Curry and Blue Elephant Spicy Crispy Pork.<br/>The meals were generous and the flavours were magical. The Crispy Pork unlike anything I have ever tasted before.<br/>The service is first class and friendly; also probably the cleanest restaraunt I have ever eaten in (look at the cutlery, glassware and furnishings!)<br/>Our only regret was we couldn't try the 'Chubby Young Blue Elephant' or any of the other fabulous dishes on offer.

This is the best Thai food I have ever eaten. In fact, it is better than Thai food. It should have its own distinct category, 'Blue Elephant Food'. The menu offers a blend of traditional dishes and slightly more exquisite creations that will surprise any seasoned Thai goer. The service from the owners and the intimate dimly lit surroundings are equally genuine and lovely. I just can't rate this place too highly.

I heard about this place from this web site. We were celebrating a family members birthday and we didn't really want to visit the city - after all - we do have a fair choice of good Thai restaurants in the Eastern suburbs. It was my decision to try the Blue Elephant and I'm glad I did. From a very genuine welcome from the owners we were shown to our table. I had already checked out their menu so had an idea of what I wanted to order. Trouble was - there was too many I wanted to try! We were a party of 5 with 1 fussy eater (no seafood or chicken!). We ordered 8 entrees between us so we got to taste quite a few of what was on offer. Presentation of the entrees was fantastic and the various flavours were ... well words fail me but the word "fresh" comes to mind. The mains were also excellent but again we had over ordered. The servings are probably a little larger than what we are used to from a Thai restaurant - but even so .. we over ordered!!! It's so hard to choose what you aren't going to choose here. We all liked the way the menu was structured. Simple enough to pick your style and then pick which meat you want done that way. The service was attentive without being over bearing. The owners, Wayne &amp; Karen, took an interest in us and chatted informally. I felt like we were regulars even though this was our first visit ... won't be our last though!!! Karen &amp; the staff very kindly took away what we couldn't eat &amp; packaged it up nicely for another meal the next day. She then arranged a small (thank goodness!!)desert complete with 2 candles for the birthday girl .... complimentary. A very kind &amp; generous gesture. Even our 'fussy' eater was impressed. We love Thai food and have tried many very good places up &amp; down the country. If this isn't the best it sure is in the top echelon. Try it. You will be impressed. Thank you Wayne &amp; Karen &amp; staff for a great night.<br/>P.S. beware of the extra hot chilli king prawns ordered by another table .. the fumes even had Wayne coughing!!!

What an amazing journey for your taste buds.<br/><br/>Truly the best Thai Cuisine I have ever tasted.<br/><br/>The decor and the service is also amazing, a delightful find in Parnell. <br/><br/>Well done Thai Blue Elephant

My absolute favorite Thai restaurant in Auckland. The food, service and atmosphere are consistently excellent. <br/><br/>The atmosphere is tranquil, the food is generously served, beautifully presented and delicately flavored.<br/><br/>Highly recommended!

Simply the best Thai food I have ever eaten, friendly service with a lovely ambiance. <br/><br/>All dishes ordered were cooked to perfection, the crispy pork, red duck curry are to die for.<br/><br/>Will definitely be frequenting on a more regular basis.

Undoubtedly the finest Thai restaurant in Auckland. <br/>From the warm, friendly and relaxed atmosphere to the luscious, exquisite, tantalizing food, the Blue Elephant is a hidden gem. Well done guys.<br/><br/>PS. Try the spicy crispy pork! Mmmmmmmm

We found the Blue Elephant from a deals site and we challenge anyone who say this is not the best Thai restaurant in Auckland. That is why we have been back 4 times since December 2010. The food is totally authentic as Sopida can testify since she is Thai. The service is very friendly and efficient. Thanks to Karen, Wayne and Kwang. We really love this place and been telling as many people as possible.

I would rate this a ten star if I could.. the food is great and the service is just as good as the food :) it is in lovely, quiet cosy location... you are guaranteed to enjoy your meal every time... I find myself re-visiting the BLUE ELEPHANT at least twice a month or more... hope you all enjoy the food as much as I have :)

Wonderful restaurant, a great dine out experience. Place is dimmed with lovely fittings lit by candle lights. It is atmospherically romantic with great service, food was delicious, highly recommend to all! Because of Blue Elephant, I've fallen in love with Thai food!

Absolutely superb. Each dish was fresh and each had an exquisite characteristic flavour. <br/>better than most Thai restaurants in Auckland, which tend to have a "uniform" taste for every dish.<br/>Definitely going again.

Blue Elephant serves up some of the best Thai I've ever had. Always fresh ingredients and clean presentation you wont be disappointed here. <br/>If I lived in Parnell I'd be eating here every night

We had dinner there for the second time last night,we have eaten at nearly every major Thai restaurant in Auckland and again it was by far THE BEST and most exquisite meal we have ever had, from entree to desert the meal was faultless, this restaurant has to become the top Thai dining experience in Auckland.<br/>Highly highly recommend

just been there for dinner with my partner and I have to say that is probably the best Thai restaurant we´ve ever been here in Auckland (and we´ve been to a few)<br/><br/>The flavour was just incredible, and the sticky rice!! since we came back from Asia 2 year ago we haven´t been able to find places that serve this kind of northen east Thai style. JUST GREAT!<br/>the service and the atmosphere was fantastic.<br/><br/>Thanks so much for everything! we´ll be coming back certainly!<br/><br/>By the way, the entrance to the restaurant and the portions are huge and well balanced!... maybe the people from the review by Orly was really oversized...;P

We dined here on Friday night and the place was packed - maybe the promtional voucher which gave us $50 worth for just $20? Parking was a nightmare but what would one expect in Parnell on a Friday? After several circuits we found a space a short walk away. Ambience was ok, tables very close together meant no privacy of conversation, and I didn't really like the cheesy piano-by-candlelight music which seemed a bit at odds with Thai decor. The food was fairly standard tasty Thai fare, perhaps could have been hotter, servings were HUGE, and we took away doggie bags willingly offered, and with fresh rice added compliments of the establishment. Service was friendly and professional. Good value, especially with the discount voucher.

My partner and I arrived the restaurant after 9pm since we couldn't find a parking. Even though we were late for our reservation, the staff(later we realised the lady was the owner "Karen") was welcomed us -It was a great start. We ordered the whole snapper dish which was moist and tasty -actually the size of the fish was much bigger than we expected so we were struggle to finish it though it was delectable;) Another dish called "Crispy Pork" was just superb!<br/>We thought the way they treated customers was warm and equally friendly to anyone. The ambience was perfect too! Although we've been to many Thai restaurants, the experience at the Blue Elephant was so far the best. Definitely we would go back again! Thanks to you all.

I dined here on the weekend after buying a voucher deal. The service was amazing, Karen and Wayne were great hosts and made us feel extremely welcome. The food was delicious - one of the best Thai restaurants I've eaten at in a long time. Will definitely be back!!!!

We first went to Blue Elephant as we had purchased a voucher deal. Our first experience was lovely. We were seated and assisted quickly with very friendly service (possibly one of the owners). Everything from the moment we sat down until the moment we left was absolutely marvelous. The food was by far the best Thai food in Auckland, let alone NZ. Being from the US, we have been looking for an authentic Thai restaurant and are so happy that we finally found it! The food was delicious and the experience was even better. We have since been back and it was yet again wonderful. This is the only Thai restaurant to eat at in Auckland unless you are looking for non-authentic, rush you out the door service. Can't wait to go back this week!

We regularly go to the Blue Elephant, the food is fresh and delicious, and the service is excellent. Highly recommended!

Lovely authentic Thai restaurant. I go here regularly for lunch. Pleasant decor, fantastic service and the lunch menu is beautifully presented, delicious and affordable (dinner here is a bit pricey). Unlike cheap Thai restaurants which tend to be heavy handed on the oil, their meals are perfectly balanced and beautifully presented.

I haven't really been a huge fan of Thai food, but I loved my lunch here at Blue Elephant. It's tucked away down a little alley from the main road so it's conveniently close to the main road shops and bus stops but the restaurant itself was a tastefully quiet place to relax. The decor and beautiful table setting makes it a perfect high end place to take to impress someone.<br/><br/>We started with the mini lunch entree of two mini spring rolls each. They were absolutely delicious, with crisp warm outers and vermicelli, wood ear and other Asian salad vegetables inside. Served with some sweet chilli sauce and an adorably small spoon to spoon the sauce over them, it was a great start to the meal. I'm a sucker for great presentation and Blue Elephant does really good presentation.<br/><br/>The green curry with chunks of chicken, bamboo shoots, green beans, carrot and so many other veges was aromatic but not as thick as I expected it would be. If you like curries, this is great for you, served with some fragrant rice. It's a bit on the watery side and I personally didn't like the colour, but I'm not a fan of curries per se. My boyfriend super liked it, however, so I'm guessing it's a recommend for curry fans.<br/><br/>I opted for the stir fried jasmine rice with duck meat, egg, assorted vegetables and a slice of lemon. It was the best stir fried rice I've had in New Zealand at a restaurant. I loved it so much as the flavours all went really well together and the duck was succulent and it wasn't spicy (thank goodness, I don't like spicy food) at all. Previously my experience of Thai food has always been super spicy stuff, so this stir fried rice made an amazing impression. Dare I say it, but they cook fried rice better than most Chinese. All dishes were served with some julienned white cabbage, parsley and gorgeously peeled carrot flowers that I could hardly bear to eat because they looked so good. Seriously, how did they make those thin carrot flowers?<br/><br/>We also got a dish of curry puffs. Even though I don't like curry, and these smelt similar to the green curry and were a little spicy, I quite liked these. With a less curry-ish filling, they'd be a sure favourite for me too, but I guess that ruins the point of curry puffs. The pastry was flaky, multi-layered and golden brown, a sign of an excellent chef. There was some chicken, potato, onion and curry inside, just a bit, and overall it was delicious. I do recommend this dish for sure. <br/><br/>Overall a delicious meal that was well-presented with excellent service throughout. I highly recommend the Blue Elephant for a quiet high end meal with some friends you want to impress. If you're on a budget, lunch of a dish per person is totally affordable, or if you're feeling celebratory then splurge on a sumptuous dinner. With a variety of dishes for those who like spicy and those who don't, all served in incredibly creative and pretty ways, you must visit here at least once. Thanks Zomato for the voucher!

Came here with a friend and booked for a table outside. It is a beautiful restaurant and they even have thick blankets you can use. However my seat was right next to the opened door which made it slightly uncomfortable for me to remember to avoid it with my elbow. I also really like the service here which was friendly and elegant.<br/>We ordered the fresh spring rolls (ie summer rolls) with prawns - I love the plum sauce it came with but the roll itself was towards the tasteless side and quite forgetful.<br/>For main we ordered the Massaman Lamb Curry and the Blue Elephant Spicy Cripsy Pork. The curry had a great slightly sweet flavour. The lamb was fairly tender, my friend liked the potatoes and I liked the crunchy nuts and roasted shallot they added. I enjoyed the pork dish as well especially the crispy pork and the bamboo shoots. It being medium spice was just about right too.<br/>For drinks, I had the Blue Elephant cocktail which looked amazing and tasted alright. My friend had a glass of gewurztraminer, which I am glad they stocked as I have experienced many restaurants not having this wine despite it being on their menu!<br/>All in all, I thought the price is a little bit high but it would be a great place to impress your guest as the dishes and the place look amazing.

Blue Elephant is tucked into a small alley off Parnell Road, giving it some privacy from the bustle of the main street. First appearances, I was somewhat apprehensive. An ethnic restaurant in just about the least ethnically diverse and one of the most expensive suburbs in Auckland doesn’t bode well. <br/><br/>We were warmly greeted, and opted to sit outside in the cool breeze. The servers were in beautiful traditional attire, and service was incredibly gracious, as you would expect. I asked the server for recommendations, and after some confusion around what was most authentic on the menu (I should have asked what were the specialties of the restaurant), we decided on three dishes. <br/><br/>The recommended starter of Aroy Dee Thai herb wrap (4 for $12.50) were fantastic. These are a palate cleanser combination of duck or prawn with finely cut aromatics (ginger, red onion, a sliver of lemon, capsicum), roasted peanuts and toasted coconut shavings generously drizzled with a sweet-sour tamarind sauce. The morsels are wrapped in spinach leaves, which you have to eat in one bite. It was a sensational burst of flavour which evolved as you chew through the different components. <br/><br/>For the mains, we had the massaman lamb curry ($25.50). It was full of wonderful spices, rich and creamy, with very tender and generous pieces of lamb. My friend, who is a massaman curry fiend, said it was a very good version. <br/><br/>My favourite though, was the tamarind king prawns ($29.50). The five extra large prawns were presented in a teepee formation surrounding a mound of beans and broccoli. These were excellent; sweet prawn meat, lightly coated and deep-fried, giving it a savoury, crispy layer, and drizzled with a sticky tamarind sauce. The prawns had already been partially shelled, so you could if you wanted to, be more dignified and eat with cutlery, but fried foods always seems tastier when eaten with fingers. <br/><br/>At the end of the meal, you receive a warmed lemongrass-scented hand towel, which is a very thoughtful gesture, especially if like me, you have sauce stained fingers after eating the prawns. <br/><br/>I enjoyed Blue Elephant’s innovative menu and especially the friendly staff. My one disappointment was the lack of Asian vegetables on the menu. Budget wise, including two drinks and rice, ran to nearly $90 for two people.

I am not a big fan of Thai food, so that does play into my rating. I went to Blue Elephant for dinner as one of a group of six. The service was quite good for a busy Saturday night - the waitress came to check on us regularly, and came to take our orders in a timely manner.<br/><br/>We ordered starters, and they seemed quite big. I ordered the prawn cakes, which came with sweet chili sauce. With some rice, I would have been quite happy to call that my evening meal! <br/><br/>As the main, I ordered beef Pad Thai. I found this to be overbearingly sweet and couldn't eat much of it. My dining companions were more pleased with their selections - the green and red curries were reportedly both very good, while the sweet and sour dish was so-so. We did not have dessert.<br/><br/>One interesting thing to note is that Blue Elephant have quite a good wine list at reasonable prices.