Review Longroom - Auckland Central

Really enjoyed eating breakfast here, delicious food and coffee

Used to visit Long room in my 20s. Always you all provided awesome service. The crews were very kind and friendly. Enjoyed the beautiful cocktails till 9.30pm while there is peaceful(!). Definitely will visit this place again.

This place was a vibe! Staff were super friendly and attentive. Their beef burgers were tasty and yummy lol but the side of mushroom sauce with focaccia bread was soooooo yummy! Would recommend that little combo👌🏽 Me and my friends were hungover, this place definitely hits the spot for a good hangover lunch! Coffee was grea too. Recommend for sure!😊

Good food and friendly service. Nice setting. All in all a great place.

Great place to meet and work. Open well light atrium feel. Helpful friendly staff. Highly recommended. I had the special…whitebait. Not listed below. It was nice but didn’t need as much bread.

5-stars all round for excellent tasty menu & friendly professional staff. Special cheers for Xavier, who anticipated the needs of our group on the night and gave best advice like changing the bar tab. Excellent! Thank you LongRoom. Great night!

A perfect place for drinks and food. Staff were very attentive and quick. Highly recommended.

Ponsonby institution. We were remarking when we visited last week that it has been the same place and same name for so long now, and that a lot of other bars haven't been able to do that. Great service from friendly staff too.

Best steaks my husband and I have ever had in a very long time. Food was delicious and so were cocktails. Steaks perfectly cooked to medium rare and the jus on the side was Devine. Wait staff were lovely and really bubbly. Atmosphere was a really good vibe. 10/10 no faults.

Came here for lunch today, super impressive. Environment nice and clean with special outside dining area, bar decorates so well too. Staffs are all friendly and professional with lovely smile. Food quality 5/5. Service 5/5 environment 5/5

We have been regular lunchers at the Longroom for many years. Food is always great. I have become obsessed with their Poke bowl. Great service.

We came for brunch. Ordered 2 rounds of mimosas, crispy chicken baos and kaarage chicken followed by flat white coffees. Can't fault our experience here because it was all pretty flawless. The chicken baos especially were delicious and the highlight. We were served by Sheila and she was pleasant, welcoming and proactive with waiting on our table. They also have a good range and variety of food and drinks on their menus which I look forward to trying for future visits. Thanks Longroom, from another satisfied customer 👍

Lovely place, nice security, great bar staff. Awesome if you vape (outdoor seating area).

Delicious, fresh food. Very reasonable prices. They do a 2 for 1 deal on the starters/smaller plates on Tuesdays which is just awesome value! The staff are very bubbly, polite and attentive. Longroom can get very busy (because it's so amazing 😉) so I'd recommend to book in advance or call ahead. Definitely will return!

Overall a very pleasant experience from a Vegetarian perspective with a nice balance of variations. Mushroom pasta is especially well done and so was the Buddha Bowl. Definitely a worthy eatery to go back for.

Came here for lunch today, super impressive. Environment nice and clean with special outside dining area, bar decorates so well too. Staffs are all friendly and professional with lovely smile. Food quality 5/5. Service 5/5 environment 5/5

Coffee tooo good. Very nice place. Loved d way coffee was served. Mocha was great here.

Definitely a kickass place for a Friday night if the DJ is good. It was my birthday and Friday night. We booked a table the dinner was really delicious. The best part is that the dining area turns into dance area after 930. I was pleasantly surprised when manager offered us a guest table at the back because we were still to finish our dinner and the dj had arrived and the dance floor was getting busy. <br/><br/>That table pretty much ended up being our VIP kinda table for the entire night. <br/><br/>Very good crowd, good DJ that night. Worth it.

Fish was not fresh at all. Manager was good and took our complaint seriously and did not charge (I only had 1 piece out of 4 fish pieces). Had drinks afterwards and you can’t go wrong with this place post dinner

I usually come to Longroom on a night out or after I've had a few so but this is the first time I've gone for a sit down dinner. I hosted my co-workers leaving do and can honestly say I'm impressed. The hostess was attentive and friendly. The staff were happy and helpful, while there was a wait for the food it was great and we'll worth it.<br/>There is abundance of food options however they could work on the vegetarian and vegan options also the salad was Abit sad. Overall would definitely come here again for food and host another event, it was big enough and I had a good experience here.

Been here multiple times on a night out but never to eat and relax. Came here for breakfast and it was delicious. Though the photo doesn’t do any justice, the smashed avo was so yummy and perfect size for me. Coffee was great too, I had 3 😋 Love the setting at night and during the day too. Can’t wait to come back.

Good vibes. We are a group of five. We ordered five mains, two were steaks, medium and medium rare. However, both of the steaks tasted quite bitter, they must have burnt the surface. Told the waitress when she came by to ask how’s the meal, she smiled but didn’t do or say anything about my comment. When we pay, they messed up the bill, they put another friend’s dessert on my bill. 10 mins later the waitress came to me, tapped my arm, handed me a $10 note without a word. That was kind of them to not so my friend to pay for the dessert and refunded me, but I didn’t like the way they handled the refund, but it was my friend’s birthday so I didn’t want to make a scene. I guess she had a bad day.

Surpringly, long room has super delicious food! I really wasn’t expecting it the first time I came.... but the foods great. And i believe I’m a bit of a “rib” connoisseur- and their all you can eat ribs are yuuuuum! Probably best in Auckland. <br/>Courtyard is beautiful and sunny and there’s a fireplace for a cosy winter night.<br/>Recommend

Food 4/5<br/>Ambience 4/5<br/>Service 4/5<br/> <br/>Very friendly, smiley and attentive staff. Although, for some reason my booking was lost which I did a few days before.Luckily we were early and tables were available. Food was generally good. My recommendation would be the prawn and snapper wonton. It was crispy and had a tasty filling with a great accompaniment of soy sauce or sweet and salty dipping sauce. Zucchini and Halloumi fritters great as a vegetarian option. We also shared the <br/>Signature platter which included Smoked potato & gouda croquettes w’ tomato relish / Mushroom & mozzarella arancini w’ marscapone & tartufo cream / Roast pork belly w’ white miso sauce / Chili salted squid w’ sweet chili adjud. Pork belly melted in your mouth and had the perfect crunch skin on the ski . The sauce for the mushroom arancini was creamy and oozing with the mozzarella. The squid was nice and soft although lacked a bit of salt. Overall good sharing dish if you want to try a lot on the menu. <br/>Good tasty food altogether but In hindsight for next I would order a side of salad as I found that all the items are deep fried and the wonton I noted had too much excess oil on the serving paper after left for awhile.

Been here a couple of times, once for dinner before the evening crowd came, and also on a Saturday night. The food is delicious, cooked well and flavoursome. Staff are also very polite and friendly. Highly recommend.

Recently came here for a staff dinner and was pleasantly surprised as my colleagues and I have mostly been here when it’s crazy packed. <br/>Our large group was catered for really well. We got several platters to share and they were all quite a treat. Shoutout to amazing arancini balls! The Turf platter would be my favourite as it has most of the things I enjoyed. The duck liver parfait was as addicting as the arancini balls. For dessert, we had the brownie in a jar with ice cream and caramelised popcorn. I’d say it’s a fun concept but it wasn’t as amazing like I thought it would be. It might’ve been the only letdown in that evening, luckily the drinks were flowing~

Enjoy the Friday night with Grant Marshall, 90 and Gabbie. Great food, drinks in service, however a bit noisy and difficult to hear people talking.

Music was lovely and the ambience is great. I personally love the whole musical and relaxed atmosphere. The winter menu is definitely worth of try, it comes with a plate and a choice of wine. I ordered the salmon, it is a salad like plate and super refreshing. Overall, I very much enjoyed my dinner here.

Had 2 sharing platters and a mixture of 5 dishes to share. Sharing platters were far too small for 4 people. The seafood platter was tasty but not enough to go around.  Customer service was very good

The service here is near perfect - attentive, unobtrusive, kind and bubbly. This set the standard and they lived up to it. Great place to have lunch and the prices are seriously reasonable.<br/><br/>The Chicken Parmesan was fantastic, though I was kind of expecting more than just the chicken, it's my fault for not reading properly.<br/><br/>But the star of the show was their humble hot chocolate. It was delicious!

So this isn't a 3 star overall. I'm comparing this to what is on offer nearby for the same price. Nothing was bad, this is a good venue, I just couldn't justify revisiting with Little Bird down the road. Patrons all look like regulars though - hear the coffee is excellent<br/><br/>I've been here twice. Once we had a platter of some sort with our drinks. The second time was for breakfast - egg, sausage etc. I'm struggling to remember what we ate exactly because it wasn't memorable. The iced chocolate was great though.<br/><br/>This is a good place for the vibe, instagram and everything else hip young people are into.

Came here with family for lunch. We particularly like Mushroom & mozzarella arancini, Buddha bowl, and Orecchiette. The food were pretty good and we enjoyed the atmosphere and good customer service. Good portion and generous ingredient e.g. decent amount of pine nuts in the Orecchiette. <br/><br/>Customer Service: 8/10<br/><br/>Food: 8/10 <br/><br/>Atmosphere: 8/10 <br/><br/>I want to give 4.5/5 but Zomato doesn't do 0.5 star anymore :S<br/><br/>Date: April 2019

We’ve come to Longroom every Monday for our company breakfast for the past 7 or so months. We’ve always had outstanding service and amazing food. The whole team was very accommodating to our needs and would often go beyond to make our experience the best we could possibly imagine. We’re sad to go after our relocation, we would highly recommend Paige and the team for any corporate gatherings!

Great place to hang out with friends. Food was good and the portion was generous. The staff all had a sense of humour which is delightful. Will be back:)

Good rich coffee, lovely atmosphere and vibe. Great indoor and outdoor flow. Fantastic service. This was on boxing day, they were very busy but our server still provided excellent care. Loved the fact our server very respectfuly and courteously advised us of the wait time for food as the kitchen was busy. My meal was good, but my only issue was my partners meal was the ribs, which were overcooked<br/>

Came here with workmates for drinks and some food. Friendly staff and food was great. Next time I will bring the wife as I know she will enjoy very much. A lively atmosphere.

Been here b4 during a meet up function ages ago and can't remember much, so last nite came again with a date this time and site is just a typical place for that after work shout or 4 special occasions really. Menu mainly base on finger food and/or share theme. We just had the fry won hons and drinks. My mate ordered a coffee and they forgot about this as not many order this late at nite. But hey kool friendly staff though with a DJ too.

A spontaneous plan with friends to go out, but no particular place in mind, so we asked the cab driver to take us to a place which will be lit at around midnight. and he took us to Longroom. Great music, great crowd. the whole vibe of the place just manages to lift up your spirits. It didn't disappoint us. Will definitely go back and try some food this time.

I didnt expect this place to do such delicious food but I was so pleased with the dishes I had here for dinner! Between 2 we shared 4 of their small plates: lambs ribs, tiger prawn and squid salad, pork bao and the salmon poké bowl. My favourite had to be the lamb. It was so juicy and fatty and the flavours were perfect. The ingredients in the 2 salad seafood dishes were lovely and fresh. Portion wise it was perfect sharing between 2.

Lovely place great vibe! Love the food and drinks! Great customer service! Always have a good time here on a saturday nite after a lovely dinner, we dance the nite away! Highly recommend this place!

Service was bad. The guy that was serving us had no customer service skills or what so ever. Food was good which was a bonus. Cold starter but overall, it was an alright night.Recommend this place to all the party peeps out there as it was pretty loud throughout the whole night.

Lovely place with such a beautiful ambiance, deco and friendly staff. Delicious cocktails, really tasty and beautifully presented. Food is tasty too. Loved this place ⭐️

The meals we ordered were well prepared and we received good service from waiters and the bar staff. The door man working last Saturday night lacked good manners. He was very rude to us and we could no longer enjoy the atmosphere. Felt very unwelcomed in a restaurant we paid over $100 to eat at. Never going here again.

Very friendly and welcoming. Canadian barman was chatty and pleasant. Heaters were turned on making it nice and warm despite the open air atmosphere. Will be back.

Very nice place if you want to have a drink and have a good time.<br/>Very friendly staff and the cocktails are quite good.<br/>So if you're in Ponsonby and you don't know where to go...go to the Longroom

Great place to be, wonderful service, waitress very friendly. Food wise worth every dollar. We ordered steak and pork belly for mains and 3 starters, loved them all. Will go back some day and try their other drinks.

That one wannabe Jon snow lookin waiter was pretty rude and servin some serious side eye. Wouldn’t go back cuz of him. The blonde one was pretty cool.

Will not be coming back here again. Came here for brunch and main food was good but was completely spoiled by terrible experience due to a member of staff being incredible rude, insulting and snarky. Our entire table was really looking forward to eating here because the menu looked amazing, but we all ended up feeling incredibly uncomfortable and disheartened by the service. Two members of our party had a small problem with food and it was not resolved professionally at all and they were left with cold food for over 10 minutes while they “resolved” it. Sadly experience was ruined and will not be coming back again.

Absolutely terrible. Such bad service. If you aren’t willing to spend much you’ll be kicked out. We had waiters absolutely hounding us to buy drinks. Awful

Dropped by here for a mid-morning coffee and energy boost with some of the nibbles in the cabinet. The service was outstanding, and both the cheese balls and the mini donuts were dangerously tasty, perfectly heated so the chocolate melts but didn't run everywhere. Look forward to returning to try the menu

Always have a blast coming here for weekends' night out, <br/>great food and atmosphere, friendly staff.  <br/>My girlfriend introduced me to this place first and loved it since. <br/>Looking forward to visit again soon

<br/>yYuppy setting, modern and stylish. The staff are friendly. Bathrooms are clean. There is a smoking area to sit. There was live music the day I went.<br/><br/>Quality food so you don't mind paying the borderline expensive price. This is one of the best pasta dishes I've had, with a fresh herb taste, rather than the usual rich creamy cheese. Longroom have a great mocktails menu too! I would highly recommend Longroom.

A friend of ours decided to celebrate her big thirty here.She reserved the outside space opposite the bar on a Saturday night. It was my first visit and this place was huge, the large open air courtyard was my favorite part. I was made to wonder how it would look in day light. We were going to have a big night, so we ended up having shared platters and multiple sides. The chicken wings and prawn crackers were so good. Despite the huge space, not long after the entire place was buzzing with people and honestly packed up around the dance floor and bar area. It's commendable how the bar tenders were able to serve efficiently without much of a delay. Definitely a great place for a Friday/Saturday night. Will try it again for a formal dinner.

Took the family here on Sunday ...for a late lunch absolutely first class service,,especially by the lady manager of the day ....and the rest of staff ....food was on time and really good ..now this is what I'm looking for impeccable service and nice clean and modern surroundings and 5 star food and cocktails 🍹...

I used to love coming here for a good night out. Amazing music and good location. However, I was there a couple months ago with a big group of friends. The boys didn't get let into town because they were too casual (fair enough) but the bouncer were extremely rude to us girls as well. Even pushed one of my girl friend. So not ok!

Came here on a night when a function was going on, no idea how large or small it was. <br/><br/>Upon ordering our food staff informed us of the function and said there would be a delay, only about 25 minutes for mains, but there should be no delay for the nibbles. Which were tasty but took 20 minutes. <br/><br/>After 40 minutes since ordering we followed up on the rest of our meal. A different waitress said the first girl should have told us the wait would be half an hour. Not sure what good telling us this now would do, especially as we had already waited beyond that. Mains finally came more than 5 minutes after this. My friend's steak was not done to her request and to the waitress's credit she accepted it and told her straight away her meal would be complimentary. <br/><br/>My chicken parma was nice, good portion size. Food when correctly done was better than service but as I work in hospitality, I do feel it is important that service balances with food quality. If the kitchen was that bogged down by a function it's not the servers' fault, but there's a way to manage it from a front of house perspective. Nobody actually said sorry about the miscommunicated wait time. Only stopped ourselves walking out because we didn't want to go somewhere else and wait some more when *surely* our food here couldn't be taking that much longer. <br/><br/>To conclude, best I can say is it's a nice enough menu, but we were put off by service.

Went few weeks ago with bunch of friends awesome bloody Mary's (except for bacon hehe I'm vegan) smashed avo on gf toast ommiting the feta was yum everyone's food looked great will try the baked beans no meat next time

Parking is a bit of a hassle but its worth it!!<br/><br/>Great food, great ambiance, excellent service! Definitely worth spending your Friday night!!!!!

Disappointing, I don't know what all the fuss is about.<br/>Was there Saturday night to watch the rugby. We only had bar snacks and the chicken wings were terrible, didn't like the bisto gravy on the fries - the Olympic saving grace was the bread and dips, and the service from the waiter who was from Columbia (said his name was Nicholas). Won't bother trying the restaurant meals 😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝🤤😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝

Parked the car right outside so we came here for breakfast .... haven't been here for years... friendly service good menu. We ordered smashed avocado with bacon and ham cheese waffles with cured salmon on the side. YUM... waffles were nice and the capers with the salmon were delicious -fried I think... salmon delicious and the toast yummy and crunchy. Will be back.... my only pet hate is people who bring their dogs out for breakfast...and think it's ok for them to then have them on their laps and paws on the table... please.

This is one of my absolute favorite spots in ponsonby to spend time with my friend's and family great atmosphere wine and food is always great

I visited here 2weeks ago with friends plus a baby for dinner. Customer service was great and enjoyed great cocktails and food. Great atmosphere. food and drinks options for everyone!!

I absolutely love the dining space. It has such a delicate courtyard feel to it.<br/><br/>The food is pretty good but what I really enjoyed is the decor and ambience. It feels private but with an open space.<br/><br/>The roast pork belly was rely tender and had a crispy skin. The calamari was deep fried to crispy goodness and the sauces were a match made in heaven.<br/><br/>Staff were friendly and service was relatively quick.

An easy choice for dinner any night of the week. <br/><br/>My friend and I were after a quiet place to relax, have some good food and catch up on our day. We've experienced Longroom on a Saturday night and have loved it so thought we'd see what a quiet Tuesday night would be like. <br/><br/>The food is excellent. Being an individual with a picky palette, I ordered the lamb pita and have absolutely no regrets. The meal size is fitting for a full stomach, the wait staff were observant, and the general ambience was impressive. <br/><br/>I'd recommend this place for a great experience and most certainly has my seal of approval 👍🏽 <br/>

We're all regulars here are really enjoy the food and atmosphere. The guy serving us yesterday was such a gen. Super friendly and funny, really made dining there another great experience . We ordered two of the platters and they swapped out the pork for chicken without any questions which was really nice. They even gave us a blue cheese sauce on request. The chefs are great and so are the wait staff. You can tell that management is doing a great job as everyone seems genuinely happy to work there.

Love coming here! Good service, good food. Prices are good, not too expensive. Good to come here to hang out with my friends. Will recommend to anyone!! Sometimes it will be busy, but worth it

Stopped here for dinner and was quite surprised that the food menu here wasn't too bad, most items around or under the $25 mark. The "big plates" were mostly over $30.<br/><br/>The sizes of the mains weren't too bad but the big plates for 2 were a bit small. I had ordered the lamb rack and it was enough to feed one (maybe two if you add multiple sides).<br/><br/>The service was fair, mostly because most of the staff were busy in the courtyard so the ones inside were a bit neglected. it you do end up sitting on the inside be wary that the music is on the loud side and they do turn into a club after 8-9ish so those seated inside are asked to vacate their tables.

Visited Longroom on a Sunday to have lunch with a friend up from Wellington. The service from the moment we arrived to the moment we left was impeccable. My sparkling water was kept constantly fill. My colleague selected the risotto with mushrooms and I chose the panko covered fish. Both meals were excellent and full of flavour. The meals well and truly exceeded both of our expectations. It was my first visit but certainly won't be my last.

Was here awhile ago for some drinks. The ambience is really nice. However, the guy who served us was a bit arrogant and interrupts when we were talking and doesn't even excuse himself or something polite to interrupt us. Nonetheless, the overall experience was good and would be coming back and try their food.

Was walking past so had to call in on a stinking hot day -Thursday 26 Jan 2017 - a nice cold Spanish Estrella from the tap ($10) is on order and along came a sparkling water to my table 👍👍 look like more of a bar but they serve food here too. <br/>Service 5/5<br/>Decor 5/5<br/>Cleaneness 5/5

Food is reasonably priced and very tasty. Recommend the long-jito for a refreshing drink. The chicken wings and lamb koftas were also highlights for us. The staff are lovely but not very attentive - been here a few times and I get given food menus then sit there for ages with no staff in sight. They're nice when they do get there though.

I enjoy coming here for a few wines before heading off to dinner with friends. The food menu doesn't excite me enough to want to eat here, but good drink selection and the vibe is nice. Love their outdoor décor area, especially when the lights go on in the evening. On Friday nights, this is quite a popular place to come for drinks and dancing. If your looking for somewhere to go maybe after you've had a meal on Friday night and not ready to head home just yet.

My dinner date and I enjoyed the grazing platter. The waiter said we can swap out any of the listed items with others side options. We stuck with the original menu. Everything on the platter was delicious, with the pork belly being the highlight. Service was ok, we weren't asked if we wanted another drink and the food took a while to come out.

Went here recently for my birthday lunch. It was brilliant! We ordered 8 of the entree, tapa style dishes between four of us and we're absolutely stuffed! Love that most of the food is gluten free friendly. Highlight was the calamari, dipping sauce was brilliant. The prawn skewers were equally as delicious and the side salads were brilliant too. Felt that it was good value for money. They also let us bring in some cake at no charge which was great.

Popped in there for the Friday after work snack and drink. Happy hour offers 20% off which is a good deal. <br/>We grabbed a seat inside and even though it was only about 5pm and It wasn't too full inside - we were barely able to hear each other because people laughing at one table could be heard at the end of the place. I guess it is just how the inside is designed and materials used, but we had to shout to each other just to have a conversation. Not a great place if you come for a chat, but definitely worth coming for a drink and snack with friends and big company.

We found this place serves small portion average quality and over priced food. Waiting staffs were pretty cold and unwelcoming when we visited, was quite an uncomfortable experience.<br/><br/>Good place for drinks and night life though. Wouldn't recommend dining here.

Definitely a pleasant surprise - my favourite bar serves some bomb AF food! 💣. I love knowing that a place the masses love to drink in, actually has some good grub. Not good, great in fact! Classic bar food turned fancy is what I would call it, but it's actually done correctly and very delicious-ly 😍. For the poutine lovers out there like myself you'll be in for a treat here as the fries are already good on their own but whatever they use in that gravy is bloody magical ✨. Definitely check this place out if you're tired out from all that Ponsonby shopping 😜

Usually go here for dancing, but a while ago had a meal there too and they are really nice, busy yet efficient and accommodating.<br/><br/>I appreciate how it has reasonable prices, fresh food and reasonable drinks range.

Had a great weekend lunch with friend there. We ordered one Longroom Platter, one Mixed salad and two coffee. Every item of the platter was tasty, fresh and good texture. Coffee was mellow. Paid with one $ 20 for $ 40 Group*n voucher, so just $32.00 for all. What a lovely deal! Like this place, friendly staff, pretty real flowers on tables and lots of warm heaters.

It was nice to have lunch with friends on Friday. The service is good, the food and drink is awesome, and the sunshine Matches well. We had four ppl so we ordered four small burgers (normally three). The meat is cooked well with flavor, juicy and yummy. The bread is crispy. The shared plate is appealing and pleasing to share. The beef burger is moist and flavorful. Hand cut chips is nice too.

It had been years since I'd eaten at Longroom, but it was the perfect location to catch up with friends.<br/>They have good indoor & outdoor areas - & even on a colder night the outdoor heaters worked a treat. <br/>The drinks list is great - lots of options to suit everyone. Peroni beers were popular for the boys, and a mix of Sav & the Squealing Pig Pinot Noir for the girls. Have had their cocktails before & they're great. Tap water was available but not refilled which was a shame. Table service in general was quite slow - I know it's not their primary focus, but it is a great thing to do particularly earlier in the night. I'm sure their sales would benefit by taking orders so that people can keep chatting & don't need to move to the bar.<br/>We started off with hot chips which are coated in a delicious salt & come with tomato sauce & aioli. Also the breads with olive oil & chunks of sea salt. Also very nice but could have done with a little more flavour - maybe a touch of garlic in the oil.<br/>We moved onto the grazing platter which was yum. A bit of everything - pork belly, lamb ribs, squid (so tender), and croquettes which had lots of flavour. Had no room for anything more, but great to see that their food has gone from strength to strength - will be back.

Dined here for the first time and had the skewered prawns for starter. This dish was light and fresh!! We then ordered baked chicken and lamb rump. Both were beautifully cooked and divine. To top it off, the service was impeccable and each and every staff member we came across were attentive and happy to be there to serve and ensure everyone was taken care of. I would go here again and recommend it to people. There's more to Longroom than awesome nights out of drinks and dancing on Friday and Saturday!

We went for a subtle Sunday brunch at the busy Ponsonby suburb.<br/><br/>We were seated in a beautiful outdoor seating, the decor complimented the area well.<br/><br/>The best thing we found that the seats were reserved with the names on it.<br/><br/>Great choices in breakfast and lunch... Lots to choose from and good variety.<br/><br/>I really fancied they served freshly squeezed juices. The one we took was awesome.<br/><br/>Service is good too however service can be a bit more polished.

Love this place. Good was sensational. Market fish and chorizo was no ordinary starter. It rocked your palette and appetite for more. So good. wagyu beef burger was juicy and tasty. the saluted mushroom risotto was packed with favors. On top on that. Ambience was inviting with excellent service and live DJ music.

Had a late lunch here with a few friends and it was just amazing! Fantastic atmosphere with both inside and outdoor seating. The food was good and reasonably priced. Will come back soon!

Went to Long room for lunch today, pretty quiet, but was nice to have outside deck area. Food came out but my steak was cold and the chips were a bit stale. Service was alright, could have been better.

Longroom hooked it up with a $50<br/>Voucher for my birthday - join their loyalty club!! I took a couple of the squad there to celebrate and we all indulged in cocktails. I lost my cosmopolitan virginity and felt like Carrie Bradshaw and it was amazing. HOWEVER, I was not expecting a marvellous poutine, which could rival the fed deli's!! LR has proven themselves as more than a Saturday night hotspot. Oh also, 3 cocktails and the poutine was all under the $50 voucher so free meal! Woot woot

Great sharing platters and what is surprisingly a fantastic wine list - be sure to try the Kumeu River and Milton offerings, great quality at reasonable prices. The outdoor covered terrace is a winner, replete with fireplaces and blankets when it gets cold, and the new outdoor area out the back is awesome for gatherings.. I don't normally partake in the middle area/dancefloor as that can get a bit cheesy/meat market like. A different vibe once it hits about 10:30 and the try a bit hard/too cool tribe come in. Best recommended for long lunches and early evening drinks. For those, it is a superb spot of which there are only a few in Auckland. Service is always lovely.

This place was really good. I will for sure be returning. The food was delicious and the wine was beautiful. Staff are so on to it and very friendly. I loved the atmosphere and the seats are soon comfortable! <br/>The pricing isn't to bad either, paid $18.00 for a glass of wine and a starter. <br/>I will definitely be going back.

Came here for lunch on my birthday. We had duck spring rolls, zucchini fritters, calamari and meatballs. The only disappointing dish was the meatballs as they fell apart a bit. Used the 50 dollar birthday voucher with the loyalty program definitely worth joining.

This is a great place. Many thanks for the respectable dinner. I enjoyed the chicken of the day with soup and assorted breads. Sorry we gave the fries a miss, but hey. What can I say?

The place had a long queue, but as we were ladies, they let us in immediately. It's a big busy bar. The drinks are amazing. I loved my cosmopolitan. But it's also full of drunk ppl. I wasn't worried about them though. Security guys are everywhere. They closed at 1.30. I will definitely go there again. They have a very well selected music. It's a good place to dance.

Good Food // Nice Decor // Welcoming Environment // Friendly Staff <br/><br/>The food was good, I personally think it needed a little bit more flavour but everyone is different. The chilli salted squid with sweet chilli adjud was really nice! Been told to come back and have the duck spring rolls, definitely will come back.

We'd heard some good stuff about this place so decided try it for the first time tonight and absolutely loved it! I got the chilli squid and the sweet chilli sauce is amazing! It justs melts in your mouth, pretty happy with their fries too. Great location centered in Ponsonby and the atmosphere was busy and bustling! Good music, friend service and their interior is also really unique and creative! Definitely recommended for a girls night out. Only think is that their portion sizes are quite small but other than that, a good experience!

This was just awesome for a Sunday brunch. Gluten free bread was thick and yum! Iced coffees looked great and tasted good too. Hashbrowns were exactly how I like them.

Service was extremely good! The food was good we got the platter and it was nice to try a variety of their food. Good place to buy smaller plates and share your food with friends for a good price

Every single time I go to the Longroom I order the Platter. The stand outs being the pork belly and squid dishes. The best pork belly I have had to date has been from the Longroom kitchen. Highly recommended.<br/>Also tried dessert which wasn't a stand out. The popcorn ruined what was otherwise a delicious chocolate fudge cake. <br/>Decor is amazing and they offer courtyard seating which I will always take. <br/>It's never too busy and the staff are friendly. <br/>Recommended for the platter and drinks over summer<br/>

The long room is one of our locals. We come here knowing every time we are guaranteed delicious food and a great time. Their menu caters to all types of people and is reasonably priced. Their poutine is amazing! Also love the 'long points' concept they have.

You wouldnt guess that longroom did food now did you!? well yes they do, I have been here on more than one occassion for lunch and for breakfast/brunch and both times I have been blown out the water on how well they managed to execute their dishes. The brunch was particularly good as I thought their special of $18 dollars for pretty much everything on a breakfast menu was fantastic!!! #g1

Went here for drinks with workmates a couple of weeks back. It's a really chill place, great interior. There's also an open courtyard in front as well as at the back of the bar. Really friendly staff, great drinks. Wasn't terribly busy either considering it was on a Saturday. Overall, I would recommend this place

Me llevó un Kiwi por la noche en un sábado. Me sentí como en una fiesta de Miami Vice nocturna. Fila enorme en la puerta (que mi amigo ayudó a saltarnos), gente intentando sobresalir en la masa (vestidos escotados, puros, sombreros, gafas?), claramente un lugar donde todos quieren estar. No mi tipo de lugar. <br/><br/>Buen ambiente, buenos tragos y buena comida. Precios razonables. Así que igual pasa.

I was here last week for dinner the place was fully packed! We didn't think this place would be soo busy so we didnt book a table but we were given a high table which was nice..<br/>I ordered a fish dish and my partner orderd steak both dishes tasted amazingggg<br/>Their small meals menu looked good too..<br/>Will go again

I've had many great nights here with good friends, good champagne and good music, and on the odd occasion, indulged in the best Pork Belly you'll taste doused in sweet Miso Carmel (from the Longroom Platter).<br/><br/>Before a supplier invited me to lunch here, I had no idea the fish of the day would be as good as it was, presented beautifully in a courtyard as open and inviting by day as it is at night. After the meal, I left wondering why I never considered The Longroom as a lunch option, but now it's amongst the top of my list for catch ups between friends and family, colleagues and clients.

I've always been quite hesitant to dine at a restaurant that is a bar/club by night - and so I was really pleasantly surprised after my visit here one night with a group of friends. We came without prior booking in a very large group but they took care of us very promptly.<br/>The waiter that took care of us was very polite and attentive-perhaps even one of the best services I've had in a very long while! <br/>The food was flavoursome and rich! The meat cooked just the way I liked it<br/>We ordered a big variety of dishes and enjoyed every single one<br/>

The food is not bad and reasonable price. Spectacular choices of cocktails and you can even ask they don't have it on the menu. They have an outdoor area which is Cigars friendly and a good spirits selection. Also good beers on tap.

I ordered a very nice mulled wine which I always thoroughly enjoy on a cold winters night. I was also very happy to see that they had one of my favourite Pinot Gris' on the wine list and it was perfect to accompany my meal. There were quite a few very enfulgent looking items on the menu. Hard to choose actually but I stepped out of my comfort zone a little and went with things I'd not normally choose. <br/>The zucchini feta and dill fritters with beetroot tzatziki. Beautifully presented but I found them to be quite average flavour wise. <br/>For my main I ordered the market fish potato purée, prawn tortellini and crayfish cream. THIS WAS TO DIE FOR!!!. The smell as it arrived had my mouth salivating and then the flavours had it celebrating! Just scrumptious! Everyone else I was with seemed to have lovely meals although there was also a mix up and one of my meal companions was not given what he ordered so that was a little disappointing but accidents happen.

Tried Longroom once at lunchtime. Food is presented really well and creatively, however it lacks a bit on the quality and taste department. Nicely interiors, though.

I've been coming to this place for years. Their menu has always looked good but has been a bit hit and miss. I found the calamari to be a bit chewy, the pork to be far too sweet, the fish of the day to be always beautiful, as were the steaks. Recently they have changed their menu and added a soup of the day - it was pea and ham when I went and it was absolutely amazing. Perfect for a cold winter evening. Came with plenty of bread and the serving was generous. Might have been a little salty for me but still delicious. <br/><br/>Other than the food, the bar is pretty great with plenty of outdoor seating with heating and is under cover. The drinks are typically Ponsonby priced and the cocktails are decent but nothing to get super excited about. I'll definitely keep coming - more for the atmosphere and to try more things from their new menu.

I love eating at the Long Room. The service is always great and the food is delicious. We sat outside and weren't left to 'fend for ourselves' like some places make you when you're outside. The heater kept us warm and the cozy blankets were a nice touch. I had the soup of the day which is one of the best soups I've had and a delicious lamb feta salad. I cant wait to go back!

One of Ponsonby's go-to nightlife places. Definitely in my top ten for a night out. The dance floor usually ends up sticky by the end of the night but I suppose that's to be expected. The bar staff are always attentive and quick to serve.

I ordered chicken burger and my bf ordered pie. Both was delicious! <br/>I know it was bar but they seated us quieter seat so we could enjoy time there :)<br/>Service was great and reasonable price.<br/>We will be back !

Absolutley love this place. Used to be my friday evening spot before life became a little too busy. I love the food and their serving style. The setup of the place is really nice. Not the average. The staffs are very friendly and they nicely present themselves

Good food. Great drinks. Shared some pizza with my work mates. Felt a little ignored by the waitresses when wanting extra drinks but got there in the end.

A fabulous<br/>place to hang out with friends, group of us went there at the weekend, and I<br/>just keen at the music. Cocktails are amazing here and pretty good as we<br/>thought.

Went in with birthday voucher of $50 - treated really great, didn't feel like a voucher customer. Lamb and beef were amazing. Loved the covered outdoor setting

Great work lunch experience in summer with clients and work staff.<br/><br/>I had the Chicken Caesar salad (no I'm not gay!) with fries plus a ice cold beer on tap!

Amazing platters and wine list which is perfect for a Friday night after work. Outdoor area is nice by the fire when it's cold or on the back deck in the sunshine

Second time here and the service is still ridiculously slow! We ordered rib eye but we got something else instead: cheap cut, uncooked, chewy, bloody and no flavor!

Great food, atmosphere and service. Have eaten here many times before and they never fail to disappoint. The squid is to die for. Order that and don't look back!

Went here a while back. Loved it! The outdoor plant wall is stunning

I love Longroom. Great having a covered courtyard. I go here regularly for after-work drinks, going out at night (great nightlife), dinners and lunches.<br/><br/>Overall food is a bit pricey but is of good quality. Staffare super friendly and the owner is often out and about.

Before trying this place out we checked online reviews and everyone was saying the pork belly entree was worth trying. Sure enough it was amazing, the sauce it was in was delicious. Salmon pizza was also pretty good. But very disappointed by the "wagyu" beef burger, it was absolutely not wagyu. It was a very dry meat patty not even as tasty as Mcdonald's. However, after taking the meat out and eating it first, the rest of the burger was nice. All in all not a bad experience.

Wonderful venue for a group. When I booked they provided a set menu which they personalised for the occasion eg. farewell. Meal was fantastic - especially the shared platters. We sat at the area at the back so had drinks first in the lounge area before seated for dinner. Was a great night out and awesome staff to work with.

Really great atmosphere! The steak was good. This venue is perfect for my girlfriend and I to hangout during the day. The outdoor seating is quite amazing. The glitzy nature of their night life is pretty entertaining to be a part of. I would highly recommend the ciders they have on special. Amazing!

Best place to have a Looong lunch...! the outdoor area is great in summer or winter... with the fire places and all fully covered. The new 'deck; out the back is super sunny and fits heaps of people. We are regulars at Longroom, and the majority of our visits are during the work day. The service is great, welcoming and friendly, and the food is delicious! Go the Pork Belly with Miso sauce... sooooo yum! <br/><br/>The staff are attentive, and always make us feel welcome. <br/>The loyalty membership is worth getting too, we have had a few vouchers redeemed in the last year! <br/><br/>Keep up the good work! :)<br/>Pauline - Modica

Yummy cheap lunches! Especially the pork roast in sweet miso!

Longroom is an awesome place to go with your mates. Except!!!! The bouncers at the front door! We all have been going here for years, however, the same bouncer continues to be rude and unwelcoming. Other then that we all love the staff and drinks. <br/>To the bouncer... Customer service starts at the front door. Smile and greet people instead of your bad attitude ! <br/>Just saying... " treat people the way you want to be treated ". A little professionalism and kindness goes a long way!

Stopped in for a quick bite and a beer. I had seen their platter on the website menu and it looked nice so we ordered it. I can honestly say that I was very impressed when it arrived as it looked exactly like the website pic and was fantastic. The salt and pepper squid was awesome and it was all I could do to resist licking the miso pork plate. <br/><br/>It was busy(5:30) when we were there but the service was great and the food came out quite quickly.<br/><br/>Easy to recommend.

We went there this week with a deal voucher.<br/>It was a quiet night, not many occupied tables. We had quite a few small plates. They were much larger than expected. <br/>We had the pulled pork sliders, fish taco's, arancini with pea puree, smoked mozzarella &amp; potato bombs and the chili squid.<br/>My favourite was the arancicn balls and the fish taco's. Very tasty.<br/>My least favourite was the smoked mozzarella &amp; potato bombs. It wasn't what I expected, and not as full of flavour as the rest of the dishes we ordered.

The service is not good at all. We reserved the table, but when we reached, there was no reservation for us! After we sat down, we were ignored for at least 15 minutes even without water. When we were ready to order the food, we can't find the waitress. After been told "just moment" for order, again we were ignored for almost 15 minutes, but there were not many guest, just 3 tables. Food came, portion is so small, it was not worth for that value. I ordered a cocktail, it was not presentation at all. It was really disappointed.

So disappointing. All our meals were substandard, the steak tough and the fish and chips oily and the fish tasted old. Over priced for the quality of food that was presented. When we complained we were told that the chef would be informed but then we had no follow up and no apology. Won't be back.

Very disappointed with the service especially for a restaurant on Ponsonby.<br/>We were ignored as we walked through the entrance even though the restaurant was quiet and waiters standing around not doing anything, had to get our own table. Were asked if we wanted drinks 10mins later, menus were given another 15 mins later.we were ready to order but waiters were no where to be seen for 20 mins. Ended up walking out of the restaurant - something I haven't done in a long time which also made me write this review. <br/>Unacceptable service.

Came in for a light supper on a Monday night. First great experience was with the guy behind the bar- sorry didn't catch your name!- very patient and friendly with 2 slightly indecisive customers! Ordered drinks and food at the bar, then sat down. First table had a heater nearby that wasn't working so a waiter (Mark i think) ushered us to a lovely table that was warmer (even tho it was a table for 6, he was cool with us having it). When the food arrived (we just had few tapas plates), i discovered possibly the best pork-belly i had ever had! When there was a slight problem with a salad (no biggie, just wanted a bit more parmesan) The girl looking after us sorted it out straight away, and even offered a free drink for the inconvienience (We declined cos' it wasn't a big deal and everything else was so great). I work in the industry and sometimes find on an 'off' night like a Monday service standards drop and there can be a lack of 'care factor'. This was not the case here, the staff were awesome, the food beautiful, and i can't wait to go back and try more of the menu, thanks guys!

I booked the private function room for my 30th birthday party during August. I found the staff to be very professional throughout the whole process, and our bartender Dan was very warm and welcoming ensuring everyone had a good time. We had platters of food and I must say everything was delicious and quite a few people commented on how great the food and venue was. The private room was a good size for us and it had its own balcony for the smokers plus a TV for the Allblacks who were playing that night so kept the boys happy and it didn't interrupt our dancing music!<br/>I would recommend the Longroom to everyone!

We recently celebrated my birthday and hubby's new job with a group of mates on a Friday night at the Longroom. Turned out to be a great night with delicious food and excellent service. <br/><br/>The woman who took our booking was extremely pleasant and welcoming. However, it transpired via email that the Longroom policy for tables of over 8 had to order from the set menu - we were a group of 12. This was initially a little frustrating but their policy obviously works. We had a great night with a very attentive waitress who made us feel that nothing was too much trouble. There was no fuss sorting the bill - they had it all under control and it was a really busy night too. Everyone commented on how tasty the meals were. <br/><br/>Thanks Longroom - we had a great night!

I went to Longroom on Friday night as i felt like a steak and a beer and didn't want to pay high end steak house prices.<br/>We were greeted by a very friendly lady, hostess I think, and were told it was no problem that we hadn't booked. This was great news as their restaurant section and back deck were very full.<br/>We we told that we could order some starters straight away but would need to wait for a little as the kitchen was serving all the meals for a large group at the time.<br/>My partner ordered some crispy squid which she thoroughly enjoyed and followed our waitresses suggestion and had some Mexican quesadillas. I was surprised to see Mexican food on their menu but it was delicious.<br/>It didn't seem like long before we were told we could order our mains. I went for the big boy 350gm scotch fillet while the lady ordered the fish of the day.<br/>the meals were perfect.just what i had promised my stomach it was going to get. my steak was perfectly cooked and a French sauce I had never heard of was great. the fish, kingfish I think, was done just right and slightly pink in the middle. i wish more places would serve fish this way. my glass of recommended wine was a penfolds shiraz that I didn't know and was the perfect match for my steak. the lady was very happy with her 'wine of the month' sauv blanc.<br/>the bar was really starting to hum at this stage but that didnt affect us at all.<br/>while we were both very tempted to get amongst it and have a few more drinks we both had early starts in the morning.<br/>The staff call us a taxi and the same lady who greeted us showed us out to the taxi when it arrived.<br/>It was a perfect 'date night' for us and by the looks of the place when we left it is no surprise to see it so busy. They look like they are doing a great job. We will definitely be back.

Went there last week and ordered steak. I think they must have bought it from Pak n Save because the steak was thin and tough. My "wilted greens" were a sliver of spinach. Never again!

Arrived to extremely friendly and warm wait staff. expecting them to have the Ponsonby attitude but they were lovely! service was prompt and the girls were very informative about the wines and cocktails. Had trouble trying to decide, the dish they recommended was amazing. My dining companion and I work in hospo and are very particular about service, these waitresses were the perfect mix of friendly, funny, and cheeky. We even had personal jokes going with them by the end of the night! we sat out in the courtyard on a beautiful night, they had a DJ playing chilled out groovy house music, and it wasn't too loud which is usually where there is a problem. We are definitely going back and would recommend this place to people looking for a lovely night out :)

Came to Longroom about a week ago and did not enjoy the food much at all. We were walk ins, 5 of us and it was no problem to seat us. The waitress we had could not answer questions we had with the menu, instead just started repeating the specials. In a position like this she should have excused herself and asked the chef because we were still left wondering what a couple of things were. The meal I had was the duck salad. Really it was just a bag of rocket occasionally finding a piece of duck or something else. 2 of the others ordered the terrine which they found completely bland with the leek uncooked and half the courgette flower in edible. Great place to drink, definietly not for a sit down meal.

Arrived late on tuesday night for dinner. No problems finding a table and service was great from start. Steak mains and a dessert were good and excellent value for money. An Elmo cocktail was a reasonable $13. Only issue was the cold wind coming through doors but was solved with a move to comfortable lounge chairs by the gas fire.<br/><br/>Overall a great experience at the Longroom

Delightful!Me and my friends headed over for a late lunch on Sunday (overwhelmed with the friendly staff), to our surprise we went on the day they had the 50/50 special..they paid HALF of our food bill! Amazing food, great atmosphere (especially the spacious courtyard with log fires) and the friendly service. We had such a great afternoon. We went back on a Thursday evening and the night life there was even more impressive. Great bar service and MY best part was the $10 cocktail special. I would def suggest this place to anyone that appreciates a great meal, service and also enjoys great dj's and a fun night out!

We were a group of four and headed to the Longroom on Sunday night. The welcome from the staff was friendly and we were seated quickly out the back by the fire.<br/><br/>Our table service was quick and engaging with our drinks arriving within minutes.<br/><br/>As a table we ordered two long plates which was enough for us all as a lite meal. The food was outstanding with the standouts being the pork and tuna tar tare. <br/><br/>We will be heading back.

We seemed to have a similar issue to the other reviewer - our service was appalling. We had six of us and all agreed it was hands down the worst service we ever had. Our meals took over an hour to arrive, were incorrect and the level of frustration and bad language from the waiter was unbelievable. We wondered if we were on candid camera. We were overcharged, but by this stage we didn't even want to complain and risk another tirade from the staff. The food and coffee were excellent, but my goodness it was an experience we never want to repeat!

My mother, sister and I went to Longroom for breakfast after a night out as we had heard it was a popular bar and bistro. Sadly, this was not so in our experience. We first asked for water, the glasses were slammed down on the table in a rush but the water didn't arrive and ended up getting it ourselves after 3 requests or so and being told not to go and get it ourselves because a jug for the table was "on the way". Our orders were then taken- which was done in a manner that was rushed and we felt like we hadn't been listened to, which is exactly what the waiter didn't do! We were very patient as i am in the hospo industry and I felt empathy towards the staff, however Our coffees and drinks which didnt arrive until after our meals and after we had already querried about them 2 times one of which times the waiter swore about one of his mistakes regarding another tables food then walked off not addressing the coffees at all. they arrived and were incorrect and there was no sign of the juice. For our meals My mother ordered the croque madam which arrived as a croque monsier (another item on the menu) and when she asked about the missing egg, she was told it was on the way. After trying her luck with another waitress (3 times) it arrived 20 minutes later and was not edible as it was raw on top- a health risk and careless of the chef and the waiter. To make matters worse my sister specifically asked for runny eggs with her meal and said "she would be distraught if they weren't." Of course, to her horror the eggs that were served with her already cold mushrooms and bacon, out of the two one was hard. My guess is that the meal had already been waiting for minutes as our waiter stuffed around. When she asked for another egg, runny of course, the meal that returned was even colder than before and wasn't true to the menu. Instead of getting portobello mushies in thyme she got button mushrooms that were bland and cold. - a real disappointment. My meal was my own pick and mix of toast, bacon, avocado and hash browns all from the sides menu. I asked what was in the hash brown and the waiter told me it was only "potatoes, red onion and a little bit of olive oil"- when this supposed hash brown arrived it was baby potatoes boiled then fried with no onion, no seasoning and bland as hell. The toast was cool, and bacon was stone cold- however the baked tomato which i didn't order was nicely warmed and baked. After eating our disappointing meals our incorrect coffees arrived which just topped us off. No apologies were made by the waiter and by this point we were over complaining. We discussed this and simply crossed our knives and forks and waited for the waiter to address the clear issue. When he came to clear our plates he said nothing until my mother said once my egg arrived it wasnt cooked and is inedible, i dont want another one. I said there was something wrong with every item we ordered. Instead of simply apologising he said " its not like we did it on purpose, we've had a shit of a morning". I said i know what that feels like as i was a waitress and now a chef but we all have those mornings and just get it done. he continued to make excuses about various things and told me he didn't want a lecture- i mentioned it seems that there is no system put in place, he blamed all the issues we had mentioned- including the lack of service and incorrect orders on the till machines having problems due to the surcharge which applied on a public holiday. Not once did we get a Sorry, we are having problems today, what can we do to make up for it? He then went and got our bill which for 3 meals, 2 coffees and a m.i.a juice came to $84. He said because of the muck abouts he would take 50% of the bill, but still no apology. As money was not the issue we still were dissatisfied for the lack of responsibly taken. he then Said don't worry about the bill and screwed up the tab and walked away telling us he hoped we would still come back. We walked our with a free meal however we all felt disappointed in the whole experience and a simple apology from either of the waiters would have far surpassed our free meal and we may have actually considered going back there for a drink.

Pretty decent bar in Ponsonby but as always a little on the pretentious side especially on a Friday or Saturday night. However the place is always well packed and everyone is always well behaved. Lots of people mincing about. Cocktails are amazing here and really well thought out. Good layout that is spacious and a good indoor/outdoor flow. Seating is plentiful and some nice big fires to keep you warm as you lay into a few beverages! Worth a visit if you're in the area.

I visited Longroom tonight with two friends and we decided to share small plates. We ordered the snapper sliders, tomato bruschetta, meatballs and pork belly. <br/><br/>The sliders were fairly tasteless, I feel like the tartare sauce could have had more flavour. The pork belly was good and the bruschetta was pretty tasty. The meatballs were definitely the highlight of the meal as they had plenty of flavour and quite generous is portion sizes.<br/><br/>The service was pleasant. Our waiter was very polite and attentive and was very eager to please.

You know, Ponsonby is just too trendy for it's own good. I'm no Westie, but when the sun is out, I'll slap on some shorts and a t-shirt with a pair of jandals and usually I'll feel quite at home. If I head to the Long room, you can guarantee that the posers are there in droves, with specially cut t-shirts, designer chinos and a set of ray bans, holding their chests in and looking cool. It's enough to make anyone on a salary less than $200k feel out of place. Yet it's not fine dining. It's good dining, sure.<br/><br/>The menu is as pretty as the boys and girls around. The food, served on tiles and paddles is elegantly presented and really tastes pretty darn good. I can be a grumpy old git about the way the place makes me feel, bar staff included, I can't say the same for the food. I found little to fault. The appetiser size selections were an especially good little treat for a saturday lunchtime.<br/><br/>All in all, I can't stand the atmosphere at Longroom, but if I find myself in the middle of Ponsonby Road with a hunger to feed at a not wholly unreasonable price for the quality of food.

It’s spring time, so sure as the lambs will bounce, the buds will bloom and the daffodils will, err, flower, the cool kids will be hanging out in Ponsonby’s Long Room. A kitsch arrangement of lounge bar and outdoor dining, The Long room brings the snobby to Ponsnobby for sure.<br/><br/>If you can forego the slick, greasy hairstyles, or the hoi polloi sheep in the corners that all laugh on cue with their wise ewe, the occasional wafts of curious cigarette brands that the wind pushes through the bar, you’ll notice that The Long Room is trying too hard to be hip, that is for sure. But brush this aside and immerse yourself in the thick of Ponsonby’s unique atmosphere a while, or at least watch the game on the widescreen TV’s that adorn the place during large sporting events and take in the food that goes with it. You might find the experience one worth sticking around for.<br/><br/>We headed down to Ponsonby Road of an early Spring Sunday afternoon for a spot of lunch. Knowing that The Long Room do a 50/50 deal on a Sunday lunch time made the choice of venue an easy one. A marketing gimmick sure, but none the less it’s about as cost effective as you will get on a lazy Ponsonby Sunday. The premise being that you pay half of the price on their 50/50 menu which is essentially comprised of their entree menu provided in a sharing style.<br/><br/>The options on the menu certainly sounded accomplished and as they rolled out of the kitchen were visibly appealing, the sharing entree selections could almost be described as cute.<br/><br/>Usually I’m a bit of a stickler for a clean, short menu, but on occasion I’m known to make an exception when clearly almost everything on said menu happens to sound delectable! In the end, given that they were appetizer size, we plonked for five items from the menu. These were:<br/><br/>longroom fishcakes w/ tomato relish $6.50.<br/><br/>crispy roasted pork belly in sweet miso sauce, $6.25.<br/><br/>pizzette – ham, mozzarella, tomato, $6.<br/><br/>soft shell tacos with slow roasted pulled pork & pineapple salsa $6.<br/><br/>quesadillas de pollo – flour tortillas w/ mole style chicken, refried spicy beans, guacamole & coriander sour cream $6.75.<br/><br/>The prize out of them all is hard to pick, the quesadillas were made of perfectly soft tortillas with a moreish combination of ingredients, the pulled pork on the home made tacos were a taste paradise. The miso sauce with the pork belly could have been too sweet, the pork too dry, or the crackling not crunchy enough, but none of these were evident in this pretty little presentation. The Longroom’s signature fish cakes were just what I was hoping for, a light non-greasy, crunchy crumb exterior and a correctly textured, delightfully flavoursome mash on the inside. The pizzette perhaps lacked a little love – it was under seasoned, and whilst it looked okay, the same imagination that had gone into the previous four dishes could not have been said for this little pizza. Overall though, this little assiette was a real delight for a relaxed Sunday afternoon in Ponsonby. Now if only I could get that sun to shine a little longer!<br/><br/>To read more, check out: http://kiwifoodwonders.com/2012/09/10/the-longroom-ponsonby-road-auckland/