Review Giraffe Restaurant - Auckland Central

It was a beautiful day, the hostess was very polished, & welcomed us with a smile, the food came soon after our beverages & water. Nothing seemed to be a problem for the serving team. The young man noted my daughters empty water glass & smoothly & efficiently had anticipated her needs. Well done. The food was perfectly cooked & well presented. We left Satisfied & content. Thanks for a lovely experience😃🌷

Always a great experience. This time I had Canterbury Duck...the meat was lacking in flavour - but the waiter said it was 'different'. It wouldn't be at the top of my try again list. But a good night with great service (Reuben?).

What a great experience, the staff were welcoming and friendly, especially our waiter Herbie, whom is genuinely friendly and attentive. The food was excellent, from the Entrée to the Desert, compliments to the Chef and the Team. We were taken back when Herbie provided my wife a Birthday treat, which was a nice surprise and completed our evening meal experience. Highly recommended, we'll definitely be coming back. Thank you for our lovely evening 😃

5 stars for our amazing server Kristine! We had a table of 10 that must have been a lot of work! She was very VERY patient, polite and friendly. She made sure all our requirements were met and was so helpful when we were ordering. The fish (& chips) was divine; moist and perfectly cooked. Highly recommend. We did want to pass on feedback for one of the male bartenders working at the time who seemed quite upset that we went up to order drinks, rather than ordering through our server. He might want to work out the back if front-facing service isn't for him.

Delicious food, fabulous staff, great atmosphere. The chicken with pine nuts, spinach and mozzarella on seasonal veges is so good. The banoffee macaron is the best dessert I’ve had in years. Thank you to the wonderful waiter who had photos to tempt me and was outstanding in his service.

Used the online booking to get a table, was sat beside the Viaduct view, was served by Ruben which made the experience much more memorable. Had the scotch fillet med-rare (cooked to perfection) and my partner had the fish of the day (also flavorful). Thankful to experience a great dining experience in Auckland. Would recommend.

Very nice restaurant at the harbour. Service was lovely. We went at 5 pm so it was not yet busy. The best thing we ate was the pumpkin ravioli, very sweet and soft. The bread with avocado hummus was very good. As a main course we had the duck, which was tender and tasty; and the gnocchi, which was a bit heavy paired with mushrooms and cream but still very nice.

Had dinner and breakfast here and both were lovely. Good service and great food, would visit again

I was really impressed by this establishment. The food was great, a specialty cocktail was offered which was exceptional. The services was stellar.

Really nice restaurant in the viaduct. The entrance is off to the side which makes it a bit hard to find but keep an eye out for a giraffe and you'll know you're at the right place. We came for one of the Grabone meal deals for a degustation at the counter. Even though it was for a voucher, the service was impeccable. I quite enjoyed it since it was fairly casual and slow-paced. We just enjoyed the range of food at our pace and was served the next course when we were ready. The "olives" were interesting. I quite enjoyed the mussels and pasta dishes. I also liked watching them create the dishes since we were sitting just in front of them. We watched them brulee our dessert just before serving us. I really enjoyed both the food and the experience.

Will never go back again. Paying $22 for a French toast which only had slice of bread and half banana...The taste is also pretty average

Had high expectations of this place but was a little disappointed. The service was very friendly but a dish got lost along the way... the suckling pig and chicken were both alright. Nothing was particularly bad, but it wasn’t incredibly interesting taste wise. Didn’t delight me the way suckling pig and blood pudding should.

Fantastic meal. Blown away by the squid two ways. The wagyu was amazing but the only time i have ever had it so i have nothing to compare. <br/><br/>Got lucky on $10 cocktails.<br/><br/>Creamed spinach beautiful.<br/><br/>Great staff and location, if you can nab a viaduct sided seat

Had a high expectation since it’s near the viaduct :( roast chicken taste like those countdown one and green tea frappe tasted like those instant one. won’t say their dishes are bad but they were very average :((<br/>⁣⁣—————————————————⁣⁣⁣<br/>Taste: 2.5/5 • Interior: 3/5 • Service: 5/5⁣⁣⁣

Great place to go would go again

Lunched here yesterday<br/>Great premises and location<br/>Service mixed bad<br/>As was food<br/>Some excellent<br/>Some ordinary<br/>Drinks very good<br/>But Sherry v Port confusion well sorted<br/>Could do better<br/><br/>

Beautiful fit out, good lighting, and nicely presented dishes. We went twice in the same week since we were quite impressed with the food on the first time. Service was a bit slow on both times considering that it wasn’t very busy. Price was on the higher end of the spectrum but not insane.

Came here for breakfast, quite pleasing and nice dining area. 👍

We went to celebrate a birthday. Service was nice, but the food was not. Tiny portions! Avoid if hungry.

I’m in Auckland for work and staying at Viaduct Harbour and am spoiled for choice for dining. I really enjoyed my lunch at Giraffe. The staff are amazing, the food is very good and the coffee was like heaven for this Melbournian. Great views with a relaxed vibe. Despite the many options nearby I have no doubt I’ll be back.

I came especially for the suckling pig with cauliflower purée & tempura black sausage. It was good but not as good as I expected; the black sausage was a bit bland. My wife had the Wakanui Scotch  Angus Hereford with Shitaki mushroom sauce & my friend had the same steak with green peppercorn sauce. Both were very nicely cooked. The sides of French fries & fried onions were beautiful.<br/>(Food - 4/5; Service - 4/5; Ambience - 4.5/5)<br/>Visited on 28 July 2019

Top notch restaurant here. The food is exceptional, I could not fault anything that came out. I ordered the spaghetti and prawn and also the chips, however did try a lot of other people’s plates. Came here for a family lunch with one 5 year old and they were very accommodating

Came to Giraffe for breakfast and was seated immediately by friendly wait staff. After we were seated we waited quite a long time before anyone came back to take our order (15-20 minutes), we did notice the wait but weren’t to worried about it as we weren’t starving and had no need to rush. After our order was taken within 5 minutes the head chef came over and apologized profusely for the wait and gave us a complimentary bowl of fresh fruit- we were confused and thought it must be wrong because we didn’t have any issue, the food was brought over maybe a minute later. Then the manager came over again and apologized for the wait on ordering and offered us a complimentary drink, we declined because we didn’t want to take advantage. The food was amazing and delicious, all the staff including the head chef (who said goodbye to us when we left) were super friendly and approached. Despite the wait on ordering we had a great experience and would definetly recommend! They went out of their way to make sure we were happy which we absolutely appreciated!

The food and the chefs were amazing. We had the chefs table and the chefs were extremely friendly and nice to talk to. The food was amazing the flavours matched perfectly. The only let down was the wait staff, that were either late with the wine pairing or didn't seem as friendly.<br/>The food and experience however was really good.

Fancy dinner at Giraffe a while ago. I got the Lamb Rack as my main and shared creme brulee and chocolate pudding for dessert after. Food was lovely, but I was most impressed with service! Definitely haven't experienced staff with such passion and knowledge of their menu in a long time - good on you guys!<br/><br/>Check out my insta @ohmyfoodiegoodie to follow more of my tried eats!

Went on Valentines day, surprisingly not was not that busy. They were definitely either short staffed or had new staff onboard. Many dishes were unavailable (at 8:15pm). Simon Gault greeted us well. It took almost an hour and a half for our food to come out. It looked very amateur and tasted bland. The only dish i liked was mashed potatoes.<br/>A very unfortunate experience for a restaurant of this calibre.<br/><br/>

Had an amazing anniversary dinner, selecting the tasting menu. The vegetarian options were so flavourful, highly recommend. One of the highlights of the night was actually being served by Simon Gault himself.

Food was alright, but seemed overpriced. Unfortunately I also felt that service could have been better i.e. perhaps better problem solving or at least a little show of empathy from one of the staff when we made a request. It was solved eventually, but I feel like response in the first instance could have been better. The service from our primary waiter was good.

The work team decided to try this place for a work celebration lunch. Overall it was a good experience. The whitebait rolled up toast entree (forgot the proper name) were delicious. I got the steak for main. The steak itself was cooked well but the duck fat potato fries were soggy and unpleasant.

Environment is excellent. We had the fish for share. It tastes nice, but portion is not enough for a group of people. The staff sometimes is lost, but they are friendly. Overall, a nice restaurant at viaduct.

Came here on Valentine’s Day. Been at the table since 8pm, it’s 930 pm and no sign of food! A few dishes that we really wanted to taste, unfortunately were not available. A restaurant like this should be well prepared for busy nights! Agreed it was super busy however it shouldn’t take SO long to get at least get the “French Fries” out! Disappointed with the service today.

Had a wonderful meal here. Its the second time we've been. Had to bring brother and sister inlaw. The meals are outstanding and we had the pleasure of Simon Gault at our table. We recommend pork belly wafer and ravioli as a starter. Fantastic ambience.

Pretty high quality restaurant at viaduct harbour. Staffs are friendly and helpful. All the dishes are delicious！ especially their kids set menu ［4th photo］ that's pretty next level nice kids meal.

Really nice restaurant in the viaduct. The entrance is off to the side which makes it a bit hard to find but keep an eye out for a giraffe and you'll know you're at the right place.<br/><br/>Quite a large area inside with tables and booths available. The bar and kitchen is towards the back of the dining area.<br/><br/>The menu is interesting with individual plates or platters to share. With our group of four, we opted for two starter plates, the suckling pig to share as well as a side of truffle fries. We had the calamari schnitzel and the chicken ravioli to share. The calamari was very interesting as it almost had the texture of actual schnitzel but made from calamari. The sauce of the ravioli was really tasty. The suckling pig was tender and crispy. They show the tenderness by cutting it with a plate. The sauce that came with the pig was really nice too.<br/><br/>Dessert was the weak point of the meal. Interesting flavours and textures but it didn't give that sweet cap I normally look for. The souffle was nice but I found it too sour and the coconut on the side had an almost sour flavour. The brulee was also nice but the lemon curd was a bit on the sour side for my liking. The chocolate pudding was good, with chocolate oozing from the middle. The Liquorice and Lime marshmallow was very interesting and surprisingly tasty. It didn't have a strong anise flavour and the pineapple that was served with it was nice.<br/><br/>Really good and friendly service. They even changed my friends drink since she didn't like how it tasted. The only complaint about the service was that they cut the pig as soon as it got on the table so it was difficult getting a picture of it.<br/><br/>A really good restaurant option in the viaduct with really nice food and service.

Went to this place for our office Christmas lunch this year.<br/><br/>Service - excellent<br/><br/>Drinks selection - excellent<br/><br/>Entre - We had some oysters, mussels, fish pate and crunchy pancetta. Yum... They were all yum!<br/><br/>Main - We shared suckling pig, whole fish and spring lamb. Wow... Amazing!<br/><br/>Dessert - Unfortunately they are not good. Otherwise, I will give them 5 stars. I was disappointed with their desserts. We had some chocolate pudding and some kind of marshmallow / jelly thingy. Nope, they didn't work for me.<br/>

Came here on a Monday evening to celebrate my partner's birthday. <br/>Upon arriving, a waiter kindly offered to store my umbrella in their cupboard. <br/><br/>As the restaurant of Simon Gault, there is inevitably a sense of high expectations for their food. Many reviews indicated 'small portions' but we found their portions to be quite large actually. <br/>We ordered the Giraffe Crudo, Wangyu Hanger Steak, Te Mana Lamb, and Whole Fish to share. <br/><br/>The Crudo (10/10) - WOW! Exceeded our expectations with presentation at first site; and then with the explosive bang of flavours and textures. The pickled goji berry was an excellent touch and added to the tanginess of the dish. There was also a subtle grass flavour coming through as well, presumably from the dash of oil. The trevally was fresh and tender; well sliced and portioned. The few cured meat slices were also full of flavour. <br/><br/>Te Mana Lamb (8/10) was beautifully cooked and well-presented. The chargrilled sweet potato slices melts away in the mouth. My only con is that it was perhaps a bit bland especially after the Crudo. <br/><br/>Wagyu Hanger Steak (7/10) was also a little bit bland, but was cooked perfectly. I would recommend having a mouthful with the onion for that added texture and flavour! The onion was really nice. The tomato felt a little bit random and out of place though. <br/><br/>Whole Fish (9/10) is a massive plate and ideal for sharing between 2-3 people. It comes in a generous pool of tomato-based sauce, clams, mussels and bread. THAT SAUCE IS AMAZING! Rich but not sickening. I'm glad it came with the beautifully crunchy bread because we mopped the plate clean of the sauce! Fish itself was cooked well-done and was tender. Generous inclusion of clams as well but there was only one mussel which was a bit random... However, overall we felt that the fish wasn't the best meat to pair with the tomato-based sauce; it'd be more fitting with red meat like beef or lamb. <br/><br/>For Desserts we got Simon's Chocolate Pudding and a Chocolate-Fig Truffle to try. The Pudding (7/10) is like a lava cake, which itself was baked amazingly well and the chocolate sauce was bittersweet and not sickening - props to that. However the other elements on the plate like marshmallow bits, almond creme and raspberries didn't quite go that well together and tasted a bit weird. The Truffle (8/10) can easily be one of those fun snacks to chew on because this was a nice delicate ball of textures and flavours. It wasn't overly sweet and you can definitely taste and see the fig underneath the chocolate coating. <br/><br/>We were looked after very well by a lovely girl from start to finish. It started getting busy after 6:30pm and by the time we left at 8:15pm it was a full house, even on a Monday! <br/><br/>Simon Gault has met expectations with unique dishes for sure. <br/><br/>Food: 8/10 <br/>Price: 8/10<br/>Ambience: 9/10<br/>Service: 10/10

The place is pleasant, clean and child-friendly. The staff provided a good customer service. We have been looking forward to try their suckling pig therefore we accepted the fact that this would take half an hour to cook. Although the wait took at least 45 minutes, we have enjoyed the crispy and golden duck fat chips while waiting. I must say the meat of the sucking pig was so tender and delicate that when being serve, the host cut it with a plate instead of a knife. This is the closest to the lechon de leche that reminds me of home. Although, the dish would have been perfect if only the skin of the suckling pig was crunchy to the bite. The chips from the kids meal were great. Also, the lemon lime and bitters was good too.

One of the most incredible dining experiences I’ve had! An impromptu dinner date, we had the pleasure of watching Simon work his magic in the kitchen he certainly did not disappoint! Would high recommend the Calamari schnitzel which was served with a sort of creamy sauce and lemon curd! The risotto was full of flavour and not too rich, the perfect texture! Definitely would come back here 😍

Unpleasant experience at Giraffe today. <br/><br/>Came in a few minutes before 11am and was told that during 11-12pm we could only order from the limited menu with 3 items. A bit disappointed but ok it’s your transition to lunch period I get it. I proceeded to order the eggs benedict immediately as it did not take long to to decide between the 3 items. <br/><br/>We moved tables in the interim as our table turned out to be dirty and eggs were left uncleaned on the floor underneath. My partner’s glass was also dirty. <br/><br/>The food took half an hour to arrive and my bacon was cold and undercooked (photo was taken after I started eating as I was so hungry by the time it arrived). The eggs had a strong vinegar taste. Overall for such a simple dish, even most chain franchise cafes do a better job (or at least cook the bacon properly). For a limited menu of 3 items I really expected it to be done to a higher quality. <br/><br/>Will not return.<br/><br/>Edit* also forgot to mention that my partner found a hair in his meal.

I'll be straight up and honest. If you are wanting dishes that are of good portion, this is not the place for you. However if you want dishes that are fresh and of fantastic quality, then you must visit this restaurant. As a group, we ordered various greens, about 18 oysters, the pie, 1/2 chicken, steak and lamb.<br/><br/>The Oysters were phenomenal! Very fresh and meaty with a hint of manadarin which gave it that perfect kick.<br/><br/>I ordered the eye fillet and I must say, I am normally more of a scotch fillet type than an eye fillet. Yes, the portion was extremely small for a dish that was over $40. Normally I would say that it was far too small for the money.However, I take into consideration the freshness, quality and location. That being said, it was one of the best cooked and quality steaks I had ever tried.<br/><br/>The lamb was a similar story where it was probably far to small in size but of fantastic texture and quality.<br/><br/>The sides I must say were fantastic. The duck fat fries, you can get similar quality for less than $15 elsewhere. However, the spinach was absolutely sensational. You must try this dish as well as the beans.<br/><br/>Make sure to get yourselves a nice bottle of red as well.<br/><br/>In terms of service, the waiter was very polite and made sure that we were well looked after. However, it was quite loud in the restaurant and could hardly hear what he was saying.<br/><br/>The ambience was quite relaxing with dim lights but quite lively with the restaurant being so full.<br/><br/>Overall, if you want dishes that are well priced with good portions, this restaurant is probably not right for you.<br/><br/>However, if you want fantastic food and have a few dollars saved up in the bank, then do not hesitate to try this place.<br/><br/>I will most certainly be back to this restaurant in the near future.

Had the most amazing experience here tonight! My partner and I love to try new restaurants around city and were more than impressed with Giraffe. We didn't have a booking and were seated at the bar that over looks the kitchen which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it added to the overall experience allowing us to witness a top kitchen at work. Would highly recommend!<br/><br/>PS every dish was awesome!

We went to this restaurant as a special dinner as a family when my sister, who lives in Melbourne, was staying over. We'd heard good things about the restaurant and had very high expectations.<br/>The service was terrible. We spent over two hours waiting for our food to come, which was a huge disappointment as most restaurants of this kind take no less than half an hour from order to service. This is the slowest service I've ever had. I've had slow service at places with many people, but there were four of us, so that's no excuse.<br/>The food, when it came, ranged from nothing special to disgusting. The food itself was in meagre portions, and none of us ate much.<br/>Worst of all, on the following day, my mother complained of food poisoning. She ate nothing all day, then was up all night, half unconscious and vomiting. She was so sick that she was too ill to go to work the next day. When we called up the restaurant about it, they denied it, claiming it couldn't be their fault and refusing to pay retribution.<br/>Avoid this restaurant at all costs. They do not care about their customer's wellbeing. I have seen other reviewers mention problems that the restaurant has also denied, such as allergies and preferences that they weren't told about. It is an overpriced restaurant, and I would never go back to a place with such terrible service and food poisoning.

Disappointing to say the least. The best way to explain my dinning experience at Giraffe would be like the Argentinian team’s performance at the recent 2018 FIFA World Cup. Entering the tournament Argentina was considered by many to be title favourites. Likewise I’ve heard rave reviews about Giraffe and the flair of their cooking. Everything looked fantastic as well. The restaurant was immaculate and clean. The service was attentive and helpful<br/><br/>However when it came to the actual food thats kinda where everything started to unravel. Two of my colleagues ordered the Ravioli, and the portion size was ridiculously tiny. From memory you got six raviolis and sauce for 29$. Now the price wouldn’t be too much of an issue if the ravioli was one of the best ravilioi out there on the market, but with both of my colleagues they commented that the ravioli was nice but nothing spectacular. For myself I had the Rotisserie chicken and my best analogy for that would be like Argentinas forward line. Messi, Agureo and Higuian, on paper thats probably the most dangerous attacking line in the world. My meal was irresistible in its appearance. The chicken looked like it was gonna be jam packed with flavour considering the amount of herbs on the chicken, the slaw contrasted the Chicken well and my order looked like a real winnner, until I bit into it. My meal looked astounding but the chicken itself was terribly bland, it was cooked perfectly but there was just no distinct flavour. Again I’m usually quite tolerant but I’m dining at a Simon Gault inspired restaurant, I expect flair and flavour! So like Argentinas pitiful midfield my meal was lacking on the flavour side.<br/><br/>In football quite often you can have the best attack in the world but if you don’t have the necessary midfielders to supply the attackers no matter how great your attackers are they simple wont be able to score. So like Argentinas ineffective midfield of Macherano and Perez, the overall experience disappointed. <br/><br/>In regards to the steak sandwich my colleague loved his steak sandwich and the risotto was actually filling although nothing spectacular. Don’t bother with spicy garlic prawns, they were rather stale. The chips cooked in duck fat was amazing and I would recommend everyone dining at Giraffe to order it. <br/><br/>The desserts did kind of redeem itself. Like Argentina scrapping out of the group, I loved the flare for the desserts. Visually amazing and the desserts itself were pretty tasty because of the contrast of flavours of the purees and Chocolate pudding/ pavlova. <br/><br/>Showstopper: If you’re after a place thats immaculate and fantastic service, then Giraffe is awesome for that. If you’re after food that will take your brain to new heights, I would perhaps give this place a miss. Not that they do bad food, the food is just barely above average. <br/><br/>Overall Grade: B+

Giraffe on the viaduct offers a variety of dishes and a contemporary take on classic flavours. Our waiter provided exceptional service and knowledge to the menu, items like the pigs tail and kings crab were superb and uniquely different. However the wait time between the dishes were rather long, which stretched the overall dinner duration, the chef and owner thanked us for the visit in the end which was nice.<br/><br/>Food- 9/10<br/>Service- 10/10<br/>Aesthetics- 8.5/10

The food was good...not excellent and not innovative.  The restaurant was almost empty..our threesome and one group of six very noisy people.  Their noise was so offensive we asked if we could move to a quieter table but in that very big room there was no such quiet space... other than the far corner of the bar where there was bar furniture but no tables. Is this a restaurant past its prime??

Nice interior and friendly staff. The food wasn’t the simon Gault standard I was expecting but it was still pleasant! The best dish we tried was the rotisserie chicken ( the coleslaw was yummy). The pinched ravioli were cooked well but the dish lacked flavour and seasoning. The sweet and sour dish was also cooked well but yet again under seasoned. This was their lunch menu so I’m hoping that the dinner menu had all the good dishes.

I came here with my partner. We mention a couple of times that my partner has a seafood allergy. My partner ordered ravioli. When my partner eating his ravioli, unfortunately there's an anchovies in his meal. We call our waiter to inform, no sorry at all. He just said that, it is not my fault at all, i mention to our chef that he has seafood allergy, and also no meal replacement. He says that, just let me know if you are not feeling well so i can call my manager

Lovely food and wine! I had a fillet of salmon which was perfectly cooked-crispy skin and pink in the middle,accompanied by a light salad and some divine puree...unfortunately I never got to the bottom of what it was as I asked a waiter and he was deep in thought for about a minute and then came up with celeriac...it didn’t taste like celeriac and I thought the waiter didn’t know what it was and just lied)))) duck fat chips are worth trying too. The service was attentive BUT we were brought our bill before we asked for it, this just leaves the feeling that they are trying to get rid of you...<br/>Overall I thought the food and atmosphere won over the small service flaws. Will be definitely back.

Everything tasted great but very overpriced and very small. I left hungry. When I order flounder I expect a flounder not a tiny fillet of flounder! Crab dish was delicious but had it in Euro in its hay day so hardly novel! Crudo was not advertised as coming covered in meat and I don’t eat meat. When I pointed this out I was told I was not the first person to bring this up! Then why was it not rectified and why was I still charged? Gave it a go as it was in First Table but not a place I will be returning to!

Fxxxxxg Amazing!<br/><br/>This was the answer I gave my sister when she asked me how my dinner tonight was. <br/><br/>I’ve been eating so much food recently. Like luxury delicious food. I eat so much I’ve lost interest in eating. I don’t even feel like eating crayfish recently, and I love crayfish. <br/><br/>When I came into giraffe I was expecting another standard European restaurant with a sarcastic “Woopie”.<br/><br/>My daughters kids meal came along and it was like a full kids degustation with duck fat chips and perfectly cooked pasta. The ribs was ok. The dessert was too good for kids to understand and enjoy. <br/><br/>Then came our entree smoked Kahawai sandwich. Our eyes lit up and I was like “dayum son!” Wow, finally something different and creative. <br/><br/>Then came pork nose to tail. Cheeks and tail. The green sauce was delicious. Better than any lettuce wrap I’ve had. A must try as well. <br/><br/>Cured eye fillet was good. Like better than most restaurants. But I was still in shock with the previous dishes. <br/><br/>The king crab was out of this world. I literally had to close my eyes to taste the mixture of flavours. A must order or you might as well not come to this restaurant. <br/><br/>Portuguese duck was kinda like soy chicken and gravy. Sounds bad but imagine luxury soy chicken and gravy. I personally love seared duck breast more, I make the best duck breast with my sous vide and cast iron. But this was still extremely good. More Asian than Portuguese.<br/><br/>Fillet of fish was amazing. Was told the fish was tarakihi! Which is usually tough as it’s easy to overcook so I was a little reluctant to order. I’m not sure how this was done, at first I thought maybe sousvide, but then there was a wrap around the fish so probably steamed. Cooked perfectly. Very very VERY impressed. The vege salad on top was not necessary. My daughter ate half the fish. And she doesn’t usually eat fish unless its sous vide groper. This was a lot better I have to say. <br/><br/>We only had a chance to eat 1/3-1/4 if the menu today. Let me rest for a bit and I will be back to try the social feasts menu which looks amazing too. <br/><br/>The waiter was amazing. A gentle gentleman with a stylish full beard. Unsure at time, but polite and genuine. One of the best waiters I’ve met in a while. I feel guilty not tipping. <br/><br/>Also every dish came with new cutlery. Awesome ambience and was just perfect. Be in for a treat. Bring anyone along and get ready to be blown away. <br/><br/>Service: 5/5<br/>Food Quality: 5/5<br/>Food Quantity: 5/5<br/>Presentation: 5/5<br/>Environment: 5/5<br/>Price per person: $80-$110<br/><br/><br/><br/>

Delicious food but pretty solid terrible service. Had to wave multiple times to get the waitresses attention to order at around 7:40am this morning when it wasn't that busy. There were no smiles or greetings and I didn't feel welcomed at all! Coffees came quickly and was nice. However my friend and I both ordered the bagels but mine came 10minutes before hers...had to chase up twice but by the time hers came mine was already cold. Food and coffee was nice overall but nothing spectacular. Most of their breakfast menu items are $20+ including simple poached eggs on toast.... There were no water refills throughout the time we were there and the waitress was also very impatient at the counter when I was paying. Really expected better from Giraffe :( won't be returning

"Pretty bloody nice."<br/>my partner, 2018<br/><br/>We absolutely loved our time here. The wine selection was fantastic and complimented the food perfectly. We loved the food (the whole snapper was a winner) along with great service and some unexpected special touches for the birthday dessert. Thanks Simon Gault!!!

Every dish popped with flavor. Highly recommend selecting several dishes and sharing. Best way to try lots of dishes and surprisingly filling.

Very friendly staff. The food is alright. The beef is a bit too dry but I quite like the fish. The clams are yummy. The atmosphere is nice with lovely designed glasses.

Been there couple of times, location - bang on Viaduct, had whole fish in salsa sauce, this is one the best prepared I have had, good quantity as it was super for 3 people. Loved the creamed spinach and charred broccoli. In desserts we ordered Frangelico Brûlée, something amazing to wrap up. Not to forget they have super collection of wines and spirits. Hats off to their service and hospitality and of course to Simon Gault for coming up this great gem in Auckland

Wow. My dining experience at Giraffe was superb. Our server was really personable and we felt very welcome and comfortable. Our meal was 10/10 - so good I felt my face tingle. We had the pork tail, mussels, scotch fillet, lamb, creamed spinach, broccoli, and chocolate pud for dessert. I recommend everything and can't wait to return.

Overall very disappointing for a Simon Gault restaurant. Plates were very small and over priced, atmosphere was average, service was very good, HOWEVER finding 5 cockroach's running over my feet did not impress me!!! especially when I advised the staff (after my husband had paid) and we were very quickly shuffled out of the restaurant. The COCKROACH'S need to be eradicated!!

A lovely restaurant. Staff are very friendly and service was really good.Food very flavoursome.Caprese salad was fresh, the kawai butter ,bread and veges were good and tasted so amazing with the kawai butter.<br/>Lamb was the star dish, absolutely loved the combination of flavours. The king crab and prawns was a creamy, rich dish.Desserts of chocolate lava cake was delicious with the baked white chocolate not too far behind .Food is done exceptionally well here.Worth a try!

Quick stop in for a morning coffee... coffee was excellent, great service, we will be back.<br/><br/>Looked at the food going to other dinners and it looked amazing, pity we had eaten already.

Couldn't be more disappointed with my last meal at Giraffe 10 days ago. This is the second time I've been there as my first meal was very good, although the service that first time was just adequate. We're spending $350-$400 each time for two, so really we expect food and service should both be good in that price bracket.<br/>The problem this last time was I ordered Oysters priced at $5 each but unfortunately was served Oysters that were so small they wouldn't have filled a teaspoon. Now I was fully aware that it was off season being January, so when the waiter returned to ask how the entrees were I said 'if the Oysters were that small, management should warn customers first or drop the price' Of course I was already ticked off when I made the complaint but what really got me off was the unsympathetic way the waiter reminded me that 'of course they are out of season and there's little they can do about that' That was a very poor and unprofessional way to handle a couple of guests that were spending $400 for the second time at their restaurant.<br/>Add to that when I paid the bill at the end of the evening, I relayed my complaint and said 'I don't want a discount but suggest the manager follow me up with a phone call the next day so we can discuss what went wrong' I was given the strongest of assurances that they would phone me.<br/>It's now 10 days on and I've heard nothing. I/we won't be back again.

We came here for desert after having lunch elsewhere. Amazing location, fantastic service, coffee was perfect and a lovely menu. Prices are value for money. The deserts were awesome and can’t wait to go back.

Awesome place wasn’t to busy so good for our older guests who can’t hear properly. Our waiter was very helpful and professional we had the $245 lamb it was amazing and fed 6 of us with a few entrees definitely recommend

Has an interesting way of portioning their dishes. It’s set up like a tapas restaurant, where you can order a few small dishes. I tried the rabbit ravioli and the pork wellington, both were fantastic. Also, they have a tiger prawn appetizer that I highly recommend ... don’t forget to try the head meat!

The decor is great and if you are in a group who likes to order a selection of dishes to share, you're in the right place. I was there with friends for lunch and I personally found the menu was complicated and the rather fulsome explanation from our waiter of how the menu "worked" reinforced that for me.<br/>I found all the tapas dishes to be expensive. The Kahawai Butter and Deviled Dates were tasty but the Duck Liver Bites were bland. The Beef Tendon Crackers tasted like cooking oil.<br/>If you don't order a Social Feast sharing plate, you are limited to the Cool and Hot sections but it is difficult to assess which are supposed to be entrees or mains; all seem to be priced as though they are a main but vary greatly in size.<br/>The Trevelly Crudo was tasty, as was the Fillet of Fish. Two of my group had the Steak Tartare but they said it wasn't fresh. Despite being reassured that the Suckling Pig only took 35 minutes, there was 2 1/2 a hour delay between serving our entree and main.<br/>The wine list prices average $70 for whites and $80 for reds and you don't always get the vintage that's displayed on the menu.<br/>I think the menu is over-complicated and the restaurant is overpriced.

We ordered the sirloin steak and truffle potato, latte and a cup of tea and spend over 100 dollars, then left still bit hungry and very disappointed. The meat was too dry, potato just ok. Refilled our sparking water without asked if we need, we barely drink the second bottle and was charged 13 dollars for two bottles. I didn't even know that this house sparkling water will be charged.

Not good! Typical NZ cooking with poor understanding of flavour combinations. Tiny fish portion served in an overly sweet sauce with no real sour tones, other than a few miserly pickles. Simply too sweet and otherwise flavour-free, all at a steep price. Left hungry.

Giraffe has a fun and vibrant feel, and totally unique- nothing like I've experienced in a restaurant before. Its light, quirky, interesting. <br/>The service was ultra friendly which can be a good thing or it can just get annoying.... luckily it didn't quite reach the annoying point!!<br/>The food sounded amazing on the menu... flavours very different and unique.. slightly overpriced for what you get and some dishes could be better... But, altogether a good experience that is recommended!!!

We had lunch here today and booking made at 12.30. We had to wait 10 mins for someone to come and take our drinks order. Then another 10 mins for the drinks to arrive and that is when we ordered our food. It seems that all the waiters are too busy standing and talking. One of the tall waitress offered to take the coat off two male diners, she looked at my coat which was left next to me and didn't even offered to take it off me. For entree, I ordered scallops and main I ordered the Waikanae crab tiger prawn which taste quite nice but no wow factor. My partner ordered the Spanish ham and Pinched ravioli milk-braised rabbit, which he really enjoyed. My scallop was ok, nothing to raved about. We also ordered the rocket pear salad.

Overall: Excellent venue, fantastic food and some decent friendly service. <br/><br/>Venue: It's a new restaurant so it's clean and well furnished. Personally I love the decor, that aside it's very nice. <br/><br/>Food: With Simon Gault as the owner, you'd expect excellent food and that was the case. We had as a table of 4, beef tendons, duck liver bite and the kahawai butter as starters, all very nice. Mains were Spanish ham, cured salmon and shoulder of lamb with Giraffe cauliflower and brassica salad. All of these I would recommend. Could not fault any dish. This amount of food was almost too much for 2 couples. <br/><br/>Service: Some of the best service I've had. Friendly and knowledgeable but really relatable and a good sense of humour. There's more to waiting than remembering the specials and what's in each dish. Service was also attentive and we never went without anything.

great place for a special occasion. Food quality is excellent, and all the dishes are well prepared. I really liked the pork Wellington, meat was fatty and the pastry was flaky. The sirlon steak was also excellent. The portion sizes are a bit small, like most fancy places. Service was good, and wait times weren't too long for lunch.

We enjoyed the ambience and the amazing hand-built ceramic crockery. They are a stand out plus the service from great staff. We went in for a snack and the portion was only for snacking.

Probably the worst food that Simon Gault has ever delivered - and I used to really like his stuff.  Sloppy terrible chips that we sent back (and they were soooo small as a serve for the price), a main that didn't arrive ever depite repeat asks, a whole fish dish with spicy broth that had seen zero spice or indeed any other flavours, the tiniest and most tasteless steak tartare on the planet.  If  a zero was possible - that said the cocktails were good.  We wish Simon all the best but anyone who likes food should avoid until...  Well I wont be the reviewer to try again - at least for quite some time!

Went to Giraffe for lunch last Wednesday. Was so impressed! I was very nervous going in as I had my 6month old daughter with me, but the staff were extremely accommodating and helpful. <br/><br/>The waiters we had (2 due to shift changes) were attentive, but not too over the top. They recommended food and had a great knowledge of the food and beverage list when we asked for advice/information. <br/><br/>We started off with the Spanish Ham and the Kahawai Butter, which was recommended to us, it is not something I would normally order but very glad I did. Very tasty! <br/>For mains we had the Pork Ravioli and the Crab. The pork was amazing - I really enjoyed it. The crab looked a bit small, but after starters and with desserts it was plenty. <br/>For desserts we had the Soufflé and Chocolate Pudding- oh my... both amazing! So good- definitely recommend both of these!! <br/><br/>A great experience overall, a must visit when you're down in the Viaduct. Will definitely be back for those desserts.

Went to giraffe and had the restaurant month special, it was absolutely outstanding and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience from the food, wine and exceptional customer service.

See the ads on Facebook, and always wanna try there. Been there on Friday night, Excellent food and excellent service, just love it. Thanks for everything

We were a group of 6 ladies & we had a good night after a rocky start - we booked 4 weeks ago via their booking site & included we wanted to utilise Giraffe's restaurant month deal.  We also emailed this through again also. <br/><br/>Finally, we also did the polite thing by ringing mid-afternoon to say that one of our party was sick so we were down to 6.<br/><br/>Restaurant had no record of this & Tari (our waiter) was incredibly rude & forceful about this (to the point we almost walked out). He demanded to know who we talked to when we booked (like it's 1980 - that's what online booking systems are for!) & kept saying we were "lucky" that the restaurant wasnt' busy or we couldn't do it. His attitude did improve during the night & he did give great suggestions for our food options.<br/><br/>In total we had 18 tasting plates from the unplugged menu & tried everything except the seafood options due to allergies. Food was mixed - smoked kahawai butter with crudites was delicious; fried chicken had too much coating & was badly overcooked (1.5 tasting plates worth uneaten...which was a shame since this was recommended as their best dish); truffles were good; fondue was fun & black ciabatta was a great talking point.<br/><br/>The truffle fries & smoked kahawai butter were the two clear highlights.<br/><br/>The restaurant month deal was good with 3 plates each & a glass of very nice Pencarrow Sav as their house wine.<br/><br/>Would definitely go back but would be very careful around the booking system in future & avoid the overcooked chicken.

My better half had tried to book a week or so before we visited but failed; giraffe books half of the dining room and takes walk ins for the rest of the space. Luckily we got a table just in time and sat with pride of place in a booth overlooking the rest of the restaurant. The service was excellent, friendly and attentive. The menu is designed for sharing so we ordered a series of small plates and mains. The carpaccio and duck liver bites were tasty, the tuna crudo was pleasant enough, I found the crab dish was tasty and creamy but it didn't really showcase the crab. We enjoyed the roasted lamb shoulder and the triple cooked roast potatoes. Giraffe does a good job of serving comfort food in a relaxed setting

unfortunately was disappointed after waiting so long to come here! poor service, we had a booking but waited 25 minutes to be served- it wasn't even busy! had a movie to see afterwards so because of that skipped dessert. the food was excellent - i had the pork ravioli (pictured). the only odd thing was it says served with tempura chips - there was only one 'chip' lol no need to pluralize.

Giraffe is Simon Gaults new venture & occupies what used to be Mecca in the Viaduct.<br/>It's ethos is around home grown food heroing local produce.<br/>Our visit to Giraffe was due to Auckland Restaurant month so the menu was specially prepared. Everything was fresh, well thought out & beautifully presented. <br/>Service was friendly & efficient particularly from our waitress (dark hair, bob cut).<br/>Looking forward to visiting again soon - great to have a fresh new option in the Viaduct.

This place is serious overpriced and incredibly average. We had the mince on toast with an egg and Moroccan Eggs. The mince was dry and hadn't been minced properly. The egg was over cooked. The bread was not toasted and soggy. The dish served in a breakfast bowl. Costing $28 for the dish is beyond belief. 1/10. The Moroccan eggs were under cooked came with a small side of hummus and guacamole and a tiny piece of toast. Costing $21 it looked like it was worth $3. The coffee was weak and poorly made. I can't believe Simon Gault has his well regarded name on this joint. We were both left feeling hugely disappointed.

Had to try this place!.... turned up just before 12 but out the front isn't the entrance that's down the side...wasn't really obvious despite the awning window being up abit and pot plants across we did ask the waitress what time they opened she told us 12... but maybe should have mentioned the entrance is down the side as we could have come in for drinks, while waiting outside we noticed others come up and leave... like I said entrance not obvious. Still newish as our waitress didn't know the cocktail ingredients but got the barman over and our drinks were nice.<br/>We ordered all the Chef snacks:<br/>Beef tendon crackers-tasty <br/>Natural oysters-delicious <br/>Duck liver bite-yum<br/>Smoked Kahawai butter-yum<br/>Eight mussels-delicious <br/>Pork shoulder lettuce cups-I would just eat the meat on its own<br/>Also;<br/>Waikane Crab-rich<br/>And Triple cooked potatoes-delicious <br/><br/>Really nice restaurant/decor, great seating. Awesome open kitchen area.

Wow what a great restaurant, but not surprising given the person behind it (i.e. Simon Gault). <br/><br/>First off the service is great - friendly and attentive.<br/><br/>The beef tendon crackers were interesting but for me were a take it or leave it item.<br/><br/>The Spanish ham and the cured Salmon were great but the highlight was the suckling pig, which was/is modelled on the confit duck process. So simple yet so devine.<br/><br/>We washed it down with the 2014 Amsfield Pinot Noir (not the 2012 as noted in the wine list) be that is may, it was a great wine.<br/><br/>So impressed we shouted the kitchen team and floor staff beers..........<br/><br/>Main criticism is noise / it needs more sound deadening.<br/><br/>We will be back - but with children in tow!

Food - Good quality ingredients cooked in a way that respects the produce and enhances the flavours simply. Nice ambience and friendly service.

Was excited to try this place after seeing it being promoted all over Facebook, and had high expectations. Service was great but the food was very underwhelming. We had the Waikanae crab and tiger prawns (similar to a dish I've had at the Crab Shack, but not as good as it was really sour and sickening), eye fillet with egg and a side of trufled potato puree with wild mushrooms and taleggio - which was the only nice thing. Overpriced and the serving sizes were way too small, we needed to have another meal afterwards. I think it's safe to say we won't be going back anytime soon.

I wasn't sure what to expect as there are no reviews yet and was happy to give Giraffe a shot regardless.<br/><br/>Not knowing what would be on the menu it was nice to be surprised for a change as I usually check out the menu beforehand and think about what I want to order.<br/>A few things instantly stood out to me - the beef tendon crackers and the pig tails.<br/>Unfortunately they ran out of pig tails so I still need to try those. The beef tendon crackers should be renamed 'crack' it is addictive. I have tendon reasonably frequently and cook it too but have never had it as a crackling. It was amazing. <br/>The duck liver bites were good too, we had 1 each, it's nice to have that option as sometimes it's nice to just have a little taste.<br/>We decided to go for the suckling pig - you need a group for this dish as it is a minimum of 4 people. It was served with roast veg and roast apples as well as a jus. It was absolutely incredible, the meat was flavoursome, juicy and soft. We also ordered the potato gratin and tripple cooked potatoes. The sides were on the smaller side, smaller than I expected so keep that in mind when ordering.<br/>I had the calvados creme brulee which was tasty and was a nice way to end off the meal.<br/>Service is great, ambience and decor is lovely too.<br/>I definitely would like to try the pasta and soup if I stop by again