Review Carmen Jones - Auckland Central

Morgan Marshall

Had a fantastic meal here. The food was delicious and just the right amount of food for two people. We shared 3 from the bites and 1 from the small plates, plus we had two lemonades. Which came to around $80. The atmosphere was great, buzzing with people and the staff were attentive and very nice. 👌🏼

Syd Eats

Iconic K-Rd establishment. Beautiful food, warm service, vibrant decor and great crowd. Relaxed but polished. I enjoyed bubbles then a pint with a simple Chorba which is a flavouful lentil soup served with Turkish breads. I had a brilliant time.

Voluspa Lee

Friendly service, excellent food and great atmosphere! It's definitely worth the visit! I will return to try other dishes on the menu

Olivia May

It was stormy and grey out when we ran in for dinner and Carmen Jones totally delivered with a roaring fire and happy hour red wines paired with hummus and meatballs. Excellent. So cosy, such a nice vibe.

BETH SUTTIE

Had a quick bite here tonight before going to a play. We told them we didn't have much time and they were great. The food arrived really quickly and was delicious and the service was friendly and efficient. We will be back for a longer visit :)

Elaine Ang

Nice flavours, staff and atmosphere. Would have been 5/5 if the pork and fries were crispy.

Vincy

We decided to give Carmen Jones a try after walking around while waiting for another place. A very good decision, because we very much enjoyed it. Food was served quick, all together, and simply delicious. Nice people too, friendly and smiling to all guests. The atmosphere has quite a nice vibe. Will definitely come back again :D

Julieta ML

This place is amazing! The staff showed the best attitude to its customers. The food was delicious. I love Mediterranean food. Photo ( Baklava )

Tim

Awesome vibe and a great place to catch up. Staff were superb and very attentive! Drinks and food were delicious! The cocktails were amazing and strong 💪🏾 Definitely recommend for a good night 🥂

jose fowler

Great place, great service... no exceptional service couldn’t be better. We ordered loads to taste everything, few tiny gripes. Bread was so full of rosemary it was inedible, beef cheeks still contained huge amounts of big pieces of fat so not rendered down enough, same with the pork belly. HOWEVER the flavours were all there so don’t write this place off, hopefully they take this comments on board and improve.

Aanahera

I had the vegetarian quesadilla which was surprisingly delicious. Simple ingredients eggplant, cheese, tomatoes. Served with salsa. It was great... the hot dog themed fries were a strange combination of sauces didn’t like them at all. We also have the chocolate lava cake decadent and rich like all lava cakes should be

Holly

Friendly and attentive service. Great atmosphere and decor. Delicious food and strong, tasty cocktails. I was in a group of 5 and we ordered 2 small, 3 medium and 2 large dishes to share, plus a dessert each (but we all had a big appetite - most parties probably wouldn’t need as much food). My personal favourites were the Bombas, Fried Chicken Chuleta and Jerusalem Quesadilla, but it was all excellent. We each had ~2 drinks as well and the total was only approx $50 per person, you definitely get good value for money here. We had a lovely night and will be sure to be back soon.

Michael Smith

My wife and I went here for dinner and what a amazing surprise. The food was absolutely delicious and the sangria was so tasty. Couldn't fault the staff on their menu advice either and they were very helpful. I will definitely return again to try more of the menu.

Charlotte

Had a few happy hour wines & the chorizo which was great, sligtly greasy but to be expected

Sonny Gough

Very tasty and well presented meals. Will definitely go again. Staff were friendly and helpful . I had the open burger and wifey the eggs benedict with spicy sausage.

Gracia

Pizzas were definitely the highlight, especially if sharing with a group. The tapas were very small considering the price and definitely not for sharing. The vibe of the restaurant was great and it's not very busy so you can easily get a table without booking. It's a good place for drinks and nibbles, however definitely not if you are feeling hungry.

Hanna Lye

We went to have dinner, not drink. We had tapas, mains, and deserts but the portions were small for the price. We didn't get full. If you like drink, maybe you you can enjoy I guess. If you want have mainly meals, then there are many restaurants in downtown & K'd area cheaper option.

Wapatino

Best thing we tried was the smokey eggplant dip. The calamari was flavorful too. Would not recommend the friend chorizo nor the crunchy potato balls. My friend tried the sangria and it was overly sweet and unauthentic.

PK

The restaurant has a cosy setting . Lovely service and the food was amazing. The Vegetarian platter was full of flavor and the hummus was full of delicious flavors with a zing. The scrambled eggs with potatoes was nice and the Syria Hummus was different . Amazing cocktails and coffees. A must try!

Medium_Rare

If tapas and exotic fiery cocktails are your thing then Carmen Jones would be the restaurant for you! A lively and bustling atmosphere with great services, we came to Carmen Jones having heard about the La Rosita cocktail which had chili flakes and the People’s Pizza which was a pizza with potatoes on top. For a group of 6 we ordered the Peoples Pizza, Carmens Lamb Cordero, Cauli Fritters, Ceviche, A pasta and the Garlic bread with Hummus. So essentially 3 small dishes and 3 main sized dishes. We were a little worried that we could have under ordered but as the food came it was perfect. In terms of highlights from the meal, Ill have to point out that the cocktails here are amazing. The LA Rosita was astonishingly refreshing and the Stolen Rum started being drunk like water. Our favorite dishes were the Carmens Lamb Cordero, cooked to perfection the lamb was moist and flavorsome. The sauce with the lamb combined superbly. The Peoples Pizza lived up to the hype the potatoes adding a creamy texture to the pizza. A evening filled with delicious food and drink, Carmen Jones was fantastic for our group. Showstopper: Lamb Cordero and La Rosita Overall Grade: A

Victoria Spurrell

A lovely place to dine whilst watching the K Rd world go by. Wine is a little pricey for the labels on offer, however the sangria is delicious and well priced. We had pork belly and spaghetti meatballs for our mains and both were delicious. Will will be back 😊

Holly Potton

Great vibe, friendly staff. Amazing food!! Highly recommend the people’s pizza, calamari & any of the dips!! I am not much of a dessert person but the crumble is divine! Definite favourite at the moment.

Whitepanda89

For me, the way to go is to order a few Mezze platters instead of mains. I have been here before and ordered the Lahmajun (good, a bit dry) and the Cordero Lamb (the haricot beans and sauce became too overpowering in the end). Both were good but nothing to rave about. This time it was different. (From left to right) Bombas: it was crunchy on the outside, fluffy and full of flavour on the inside. There was a hint of spice to it which tied in the potato and pork filling together. Cauli Fritters: I've never had these before and it surprised me how much I enjoyed them. The salsa on the side made sense with it (best salsa I've had) and the cauli had just enough bite to them to know that they were cooked and weren't raw. Hummus for Syria: the hummus is to die for. Pretty sure they make it themselves and it's one of the best hummus I've had, but I wished there was more hummus. Pulled lamb is generally done well in most places and this was no exception. Dessert - berry crumble: the crumble itself was a toasted crumble on top (tasted like it was a honey glaze) with a tart berry filling. The icecream paired well with it as that was quite sweet with chocolate chip and small chunks of honey. The custard was nice, a bit thick but that's wasn't a big issue.

Jewel

Service is the best here. Food very good they have a lot selection for vegetarian and vegan people to choose. We ordered fish menu and we put pepper too much by accidents. We shaking too much the pepper lid opened so a lot of pepper on the fish. The waitress very kindly she asked chef to cook new fish for us. I feel very appreciated they kindness. We definitely will back again!

Annie Ren

Last Saturday night, we were fortunate enough to be invited to Carmen Jones on K Road to try out their new winter menu. Upon entering, we were immediately mesmerized by the funky vibe, created by a mixture of antique furniture, candle light, and beautiful Mediterranean style decorations. ❤. However, Carmen Jones has proved itself to be so much more than an enchanted place. It also serves kickass cocktails and delicious tapas.

Ian MacDonald

Great decor and atmosphere. Three for dinner, two of us vegetarian, so nice to have a vegitarian menu available. The "dawg fries" were fun. They came dressed in ketchup, mustard and aioli. I had the pork belly. Half a peeled and baked apple on top of a generous portion of pork belly with a cider jus m, really, really good. The other two shared the Escalivada platter and the vegitarian Hummius for Syria. They loved it! The hummus dish pledges that profits for this dish go to the Syria Emergency Appeal via UNICEF. This hummus is smooth as goose liver pate and is probably the best hummus that I have ever had. Not my first visit and will not be my last.

Jeffie

We were in the area and after seeing the rating on here & reviews, we wanted to give it a try. Service is nice and friendly. Ambience cosy and charming. We had an El Ché, Pedro Almodóvar Cosmo, smoky eggplant dip, calamares, mussel fritters, market fish (which was snapper with a prawn mash that day), apple, berry & rhubarb crumble and a baklava ice cream sandwich. The cocktails were ok, I think they would have been better with ice, personally. The dishes and cutlery were a bit dated but they didn't detract from the food which was pretty good on the whole and came out very quickly. The eggplant was nice but the smoke was the only thing I could taste in it. The calamares and mussel fritters were tasty while the market fish was slightly over done for my liking unless that's how it's supposed to be served but still good. The prawns in the mash though were hard and rubbery. The desserts were too sweet for the mrs and they were pretty standard for me, although the fruit was nice and a decent amount in the dish, the crumble wasn't that nice though. Not a bad place but didn't quite meet my expectations of it food wise but would like to come back and try other dishes.

Tristen Won

Food was a standard mediterranean fare, but the service was nothing short of exceptional! The host was gracious, very friendly and accommodating! Overall I would recommend it for Sunday brunch and drinks, as it is great place to just sit back and take in the post- saturday madness that K Road has to offer.

Brandon Brown

We had read recent reviews of this place and were quite excited to eat here as it was our last night in Auckland. Service was attentive. We ordered a couple of drinks and several tapas to share - calamari, haloumi, bombas, and hummus. The dishes were ok but not particularly exciting. The calamari was tough and there was a general lack of flavor in all the dishes. We were still hungry afterwards and ordered the chorizo and fried bread but waited for almost 30 minutes before the waitress apologized and told us the docket never went to the kitchen. The restaurant has a great ambiance but it’s a shame the food was such a let down and also quite pricey considering.

Deb Ross

Went there on a wet and miserable day, left warm, full and cheered. The calamaris are excellent, smokey and tender. I found the coconut a bit over powering on the ceviche, but my partner loved it. The platter was a hit - we had it with the meatballs which were very flavoursome. The fava bean and the eggplant dips obviously made in house and delicious. I enjoyed the way nothing was out of a jar - the dressing on the salad was good olive oil and salt and pepper- so good.

Foodslut

I have been to this restaurant 3 times and each time it just gets better! The service is great as the servers are all very lovely and attentive. I brought my boyfriend here for Valentine’s Day as I knew they used lamb in a few dishes, which my man loves. We got the hummus for Syria which I highly rate !! It is lightly deep fried, crispy golden pillows of delight carrying the fresh salsa, hummus (from the gods) and shredded lamb. The cauliflowers were also very tasty and delightful but eat them while they are hot! The bruschetta is wonderfull and I’m not a fan of haloumi but I was won over that night ! Now the lamb dish with cannelloni beans .... the lamb was cooked to perfection and with one touch of a fit and knife ( maybe three touches ) the meat fell apart ... my boyfriends eyes lit up haha ... thank you for a wonderful valentines meal !!

LC Tavioni

Gorgeous interior when you walk in. I was mesmerized by the wall decor especially. Greeted immediately from our Host, a very lovely lady. Then introduced to our Waitress for the day. We ordered Moroccan Mint & Turkish Apple Tea. Divine on a crisp Saturday morning. Followed that was their Smashed Avo, Bikini sandwiches & Choc churros. All dishes were full of flavour & exciting on the tongue. Service was very friendly & attentive.

Charlotte Lucas

This place is really cosy on a rainy winters day. I popped in to grab dinner and was pleasantly suprised that the fire was lit and there was ample seating. I was seated and served promptly. I ordered the lamb shank and was not disappointed. It was definitely a good sized meal, no sides required. Would happily return again. Based on my observations this would be a great place to meet with friends and have a few cocktails in a comfortable laid back spot.

Angus Wayman

Decor wasn't for me, but I'll tell you what...the food was amazing!! We will definitely be going back and recommend this place to anyone looking for great food and excellent service.

Imperius Malekith

The stuffed peppers are excellent, especially with fries & aoli from the calamari dish. The calamari was a bit chewy, however all the food is of excellent quality. Service is also good, with reasonable wait times. Portion sizes are a bit small.

D G

Checked this place out last night after finding out they have a vegan menu. We loved the vibe and decor of the place. It has a really cosy feel, but there's plenty of space so you don't feel like you're intruding on other people (or vice versa)... We ordered the escalivada platter, cauli florets, and hot dawg chips to share. The food was beautifully presented, and we liked the flavours on the platter, but the cauli was so-so. The chips were good, but nothing special. My boyfriend also ordered the la rosita cocktail, which was delicious. Would return to try more menu items, maybe with a group. Also kudos to Carmen Jones for putting together a substantial vegan menu! :)

Miura Elikana

This place has an authentic European vibe, feels cultured. I ordered the beef Alexander which was filling with a heavy tomato base. I wouldn't recommend getting any sides. I ordered the fries thinking I might not get full but that wasn't the case

Helen I.

What a great place! I booked a table of 21 originally and we pre-ordered our meals in consideration of the time to prep that many meals. Cymone, the Manager was really accommodating, excellent at communicating with us about when we wanted the food etc. The food itself was fantastic (between our group we probably ordered everything on the menu lol), and i had really good feedback. My pork belly was good and i would def. come back to try more items on the menu. Great atmosphere, great staff and great for groups!

Rohit Victor

Quick service, great ambience and very friendly staff. This combined with great valued meals (pics provided) served as a great Friday night for myself with friends. We ordered the Dawg Chips and the Calamares, both were delicious quick bites. In fact, even though they were quick bites, we ended up spending almost 2.5 hours eating it and chatting! Definitely worth coming here again!

Hostess With The Mostess..

Shared a delicious brunch of the Carmen tapas lunch plate & Ceviche salad with a glass of Gypsy Rose. Who says it's not spring.... Friendly and kind staff.

Yorgen

Very nice place, intimate and relaxing. Food was incredible and the service was fantastic! There is a number of options for wines and cocktails and also a great variety of reasons to go back again.

Drnick.marsh

A group of 6 of us went for Brunch on a Saturday morning. There was something on the menu for everyone. The staff were friendly and very helpful. I chose 'the Spaniard' with chorizo sausage - your my food and great value for money. Highly recommend!!!

Brad Vidovich

Firstly the overall experience was great with nice decor. The service was ok and the tapas where amazing. I had the burger as I'm a burger nut but on this instance I did not like the burger as it was deconstructed and that was ok but I like my burgers done right and the flavourings and seasons where slightly off. But it was a great night out.

Unnzie

My hubs and I really enjoyed Carmen Jones. We had the cauliflower, the halloumi bruschetta, the eggplant with garlic bread, the lamb and the pork belly. All of these dishes where cooked really well and the service was top notch. Good work Carmen Jones!

Debin Sabu

A restaurant that was one a club. Went with a friend ordered pizza and beef alaxander. The pizza was huge was expecting a small plate of pizza. It was a veg pizza with cheese would have gone great with wine. The beef alaxander was alright just felt the beef was well done, I like my beef medium rare. There is candles at the tables and the place is a bit dark perfect for a bar atmosphere. The staff are super friendly. Good work team 😁

Sarah

It was ok. The drinks were nice. I ordered the chicken schnitzel. Guess I was expecting something about more exciting for $30 than buttery pasta and fried chicken.

Joseph Taleni

Came here once for brunch and on another week for dinner with a grabone voucher. I loved both the breakfast and dinner. For breakfast my mate had the scrambled eggs and i enjoyed that more (was a little jealous). For dinner i had the pork belly and my mates were jealous ;) Love the orleans feel to it and pretty relaxing on the quiet days/nights. Seen that this place is goid for drinks after work too. Was it worh it? Yeah sure

Nicky

Really enjoyed my brunch here today. We had hot dog fries, eggs bene and a toasted bikini sandwich. Coffee was good! Also some churros with chocolate dipping sauce. Good service and nice place to dine. I'd go back

Ivayla Tzvetkova

Really nice Turkish inspired menu with an artsy interior and great drinks (loved the Bloody Mary!) went with a GrabOne voucher, but really want to be back for dinner as the ambiance is also great at night.

Hungusmcfatty

Legit weekend brunch spot on K'road which by day has a laid back atmosphere - a nice change of pace from the nearby Ponsonby Road. Mediterranean cuisine influences the menu here. The Moorish eggs with meatballs are divine and so are the pipers, if are up for something different and can stomach fish early in the day.

Mike

Great eatery just on K Road made in style. We decided to check it out with one of the voucher deals they have been running on Grab One. Food had a big portions and was very tasty - we had a lamb leg and seafood pasta. Friendly staff kept with us the whole evening checking how the food was and if everything was great. Would recommend to go over there for after work drinks or dinner during the week.

Ghost Reviewer

We’ve been here on 4 different occasions with Grabone vouchers always with large groups of people. This place is situated down the end of Krd and I really love the location, it’s not too far but it is to be away from all the hustle and bustle of the busy city. As soon as you walk in it’s like your stepping into an old Spanish or Cuban museum. Any place that has pictures of the gorgeous Frida Kahlo is a favourite of mine; this place Is definitely authentic, rustic, upbeat and has its own style! The food is amazing - so far from the we have ordered the cauli fritters, tiger prawns, dawg chips, grille houlloumi, Smokey eggplant dip, calamares, pulled pastramis pizza and iamjahn pizza. Each one of these dishes has its own unique style where the flavors have been delicately chosen to accompany one another. I highly recommend the Smokey eggplant dip, its packed with flavor and has been grilled/smoked for the right amount of time so it’s not to over powering. The customer service is awesome the staff are all friendly and accommodating and will always make sure you have a great authentic experience. A legend in the making!

RunningForCake

The food here is delicious and hearty with generous portions. The calamares and cauli fritters were our favourites. The menu has good vegetarian options as well if you have vegetarian friends.Lovely attentive staff and the casual atmosphere makes this place a new fave.

Ana

Lovely little spot in K Road. Lots of Frida Kahlo memorabilia. The cocktails were divine, specially La Rosita. The food was mouth watering! Loved the fresh tuna. Highly recommended for a nice get together with friends.

Doc Murdoch

Best new restaurant in Auckland...As for its location having lived on King Rd for nearly 2 years it's as safe as any of the city Streets just filled with lots of colorful and interesting people..Carden Jones Rocks

Frank

There used to be a bar here that would send shivers up the most hardened of us amateur diners, one with blackened out windows and shifty looking leather clad types milling around outside, waiting for someone like us to unsuspectingly walk past... It was the sort of place where after dark it was probably better to cross the road than not, and certainly not a place where you would drop in for a Moroccan mint tea :-) However new life has been breathed into this special corner of K Rd, which opens up to views of the city. Plenty of room inside, great service and drinks menu, plus a character filled room for dining and also quite an impressive looking menu, will definitely mean that we will come past again!

Bridget Ashby

Amazing staff, so thoughtful!! Had an amazing evening with brilliant food!! The tuna was amazing and the dawg chips are awesome. Great place for dinner, drinks or a party. Jessie was brilliant

Emma Nightingale

Had a recommendation from a friend to try Carmen Jones for a late, last minute dinner. The atmosphere, food and staff were fantastic! between three of us we had 3 smaller dishes and one large one which was perfect. Beautiful fresh and tasty food. Will definitely be going back to Carmen Jones again! Very impressed indeed!

Lennie L

We went with a Grabone voucher for two Che Burgers and some Crackle Dawg Fries. These were both good looking, tasty dishes that put a twist on the classics. The chorizo in the burger had a kick to it, and the fresh salad inside made it quite light to eat. The fries were moreish and the pork crackle was on point. Would have preferred the sauce on the side though and maybe a gravy instead of ketchup! We spent almost three hours here and had drinks and dessert too! Definitely recommend the baklava icecream sandwich which is something special. The chocolate cake was rich and most- everything you would expect. Funky place with a great personality- loved the decor, tables, music. Perfect for both a fun night with friends or a cosy date. The service was really casual, friendly but attentive. Will definitely be going back!

Alex Jones

We stopped in here on our first night in Auckland quite late at night after getting off the plane. The place itself is very cool, lots of interesting artwork and a cool aesthetic. Service from all of the servers was fantastic. We tried the tiger prawns and hot dawg chips - both were good but the prawns themselves were a little bland. Drinks were excellent. The mojito tasted great and looked the part in a very interesting glass. Try the velvet stout.We would definitely go back.

Stella T

Tried out CJ with a grab one voucher due to good reviews. The reviewers were right. Cool restaurant. Nice staff. Excellent happy hour deals (500ml sangria $9) and the food! The deal was for two chorizo haloumi burgers and crackle dawg fries. I gave 5/5 because everything was perfectly done, delicious and looked lovely too. I hope more people give this place a go. Will be back to try more of the menu.

Javier Yebenes

Hidden gem in the genuine and extravagant K Road. The food is fantastic and the hippie relaxed atmosphere makes you feel like you are on a little holiday. I've been there a couple of times, once with my partner and once with friends and staff could not have been more lovely. Both times I felt really looked after. The food is a mix of Spanish and other Mediterranean foods and it works just great. It's not the place if you are looking for a real Spanish meal but it will certainly will be great for a different kind of dinner with a glass of wine (or two).

Dave Son

Checked this spot out last month been following them on fbook and there pics looked awesome and three decor looked mint. Went late and the staff were real hospitable and took care of us. One of the nicest places I've been for a while with the combo of being treated food quality and also atmosphere. Hope things keep running well for them I will be back

Jamez Hill III

Had dinner here due to the grabone voucher. The restaurant is spacious and comfortable. It has excellent service. The cocktails are delicious and drinks come with lines. I ordered the meatballs and the fries. The food is fresh overall. The meatballs were tasty and went well with the oil and bean salsa combination. The yoghurt was a nice addition to the meat. The fries did have too much mustard for my liking, however tasty none the less. I've also tried their entrees before, with the tuna being a highlight along with their chorizo burger. It's fresh food made simple and a great place to dine on k road.

Eden OBrien Ford

YAY!! Finally a chill place I can go to chill with my book over a snack, have a girls night, go on a date (great for first dates in my opinion), and have drinks at after work and wear whatever the hell I want and you still fit in. This place is great! The atmosphere is comfy and classy, the staff are helpful and friendly, the drinks are cute and delicious and the food is great! We ordered up a storm, getting the halloumi and bruschetta, the seared tuna, the chicken schnitzel, the meat balls and chips. The vegetarian options here were amazing! The grilled halloumi was my favourite, followed by the seared tuna. All the ingredients are fresh and taste like they just came out of someone's garden. They have a lot of vegetarian options, and a lot of their menu items are organic. The food is clean, simple and for lack of a better word, wholesome. Overall, a great place to hang out, grab a light meal, or have a decent dinner. The people are great, the food is great and the charm of the place is effortless. I would definitely recommend you check this place out! 👌🏼👌🏼🌹