Augustus Bistro

Great seafood and service. Must try truffle fries. It was really good. Staff was friendly

Came here on a Friday night. Busy but not overcrowded. Staff was accommodating but service was a little inattentive where they would appear and be real nice and then disappear for long times. Food wise it was good. Cannot fault it. The beef tartare was tasty, had the market fish which was tasty and the cheesecake was great with the persimmons in the side.

A beautiful French restaurant located in the heart of Ponsonby. The historical building plus the European interior creates an excellent ambience and adds a sense of class to your dining experience.

Went there a few days ago. We ordered a beef tartare and lamb ribs for the entree and market fish for the main. The beef tartare was fresh and well flavored. The lamb ribs were crispy and tender with a nice hummus on top. The market fish however was slightly over cooked, the meat was very dry.

Love their wine selection.

If you want are looking for a place for a fancy brunch or intimate dining. This restaurant is highly recommended.

Food: 8/10
Food presentation: 8.5/10
Service: 8/10
Location: 8/10
Ambience: 10/10
Price $50 per person excl alcohol

Beautiful place to go for a fancy lunch or dinner. It’s not casual but if you need a glass of wine/ bubbles then you are in the right place.
The prices are reasonable. Food it’s art and taste is good. For me as a petite woman that doesn’t need a full plate is a 5 star. For my fiancé though it’s 3.7
And I could understand his logic.
The menu was designed to attract women but not men. Especially kiwis who are spoiled when it comes to quantity and quality.
After we finished my fiancé asked me if I wouldn’t mind if we stopped by a bakery.
He was still very hungry because what he got in his plate at this restaurant as a main dish was not satisfying at all. He hates when he goes to restaurants and leaves hungry from there... and normally he never orders smth else but goes somewhere else.

The service was good and food was fast.
Place was not crowded and the veranda was lovely.

Came here on a 45 lunch break between meetings. The food came out in less than 15 mins which was amazing as I did tell the waitress I was on a time constraint. The steak was cooked well but the star on the dish was that beautiful creamy chunky horseradish sauce. It is definitely an acquired taste but I just wanted more of it!!!

Amazing food..!! the restaurant has good collection of drinks too. The rib eye fillet is one of the best i have eaten so far. The buttermilk Panna cotta was simply perfect so light and smooth it just melts on your tongue with best flavours on the palette. Service was just right with both food and drink arriving at perfect times.

Love to go for meals and my wife and I recently had our wedding reception there. The food and service is fantastic. Excellent way to treat yourself for a meal and even better for having events at.

At the end of a two-month visit to New Zealand, my daughter, Rachel, who just had her second son, decided to treat me to an extra-amazing lunch for my last day. She choose the Augustus Bistro after reading the reviews, and we were not disappointed. First, the ambiance was superb. Rachel lived nearly a year in Vienna, and really misses Europe sometimes, so this felt like home to her in far away New Zealand, where she may be spending the next several years. The old world deco and high ceilings, together with amazing live orchids (how do they ever keep them so beautiful?) glass detail, wonderful light and windows made us feel almost giddy. We decided to go for the full menu, with appetizers, drinks, main meal and dessert-thank you, Rachel. C'est magnifique! As neither of us imbibe, sometimes drinks are boring, with a bland selection of commercial soda pop. Not so at Augustus Bistro. I enjoyed a hot strawberry-kiwifruit tisane and Rachel an iced kombucha with rosemary and lavender sprigs that smelled heavenly from her first sip. To start, we shared a black rice puff with Augustus-made cashew ricotta and pickled green walnut, which neither of us have ever heard of, and savored immensely. It was divine. We then shared a charred and slow-roasted eggplant with sweet and sour sultanas (golden raisins, for the yanks reading this review) more of the amazing ricotta, and an herb salad so fresh I'm sure they picked it out back. Toasted almonds on top, too. Does it get any better? Wait. It does, indeed. Rachel chose the Spiced Ceciata, which was not at all what she expected, but a delight to us both! Brocollini, tomato, coconut, lime, chili and ginger in a crepe-like batter made of chickpea flour, olive oil and fresh herbs and spices (so, like a dumpling, but low carbs!), cooked in a hot pan, crispy in some spots with a deep nutty flavor. Topped with roast tomatoes, grilled broccolini, capsicum sauce, coriander and coconut yogurt. It was topped with fresh baked Parmesan chips. Perfect, with no additives or adulterations. She discovered a small, dark red pepper too spicy for her taste (plus, nursing a baby, you never know what he may not want to sample) but it was easy to spot and set aside. She could also have asked for it to be skipped, I'm sure, but we didn't think about it in advance, being so enamored with our splendid surroundings. My pick was unusual for me, as I prefer fresh fish over most anything, and NZ is full of the best. I was sorely tempted by the long-line caught poisson in gooseberry sauce and seaweed, but realized, however, that I was leaving the country in just three hours having never tasted New Zealand beef! I ordered the rib eye. To say it was good would be ridiculous. This beef was hand picked, 55 day aged steak, with parsley, mushroom, peppercorn gremolata and caramelized onion. Fresh herbs...and did I mention some of the mushrooms were chanterelles? The menu just said mushrooms. What a delight! Eating this meal was like biting into an especially flavorful cloud. if you notice a celestial theme throughout this review, it's because eating here was what I expect the people who were especially good on earth might expect in the next life. Bon Appétit Mother Teresa, Zhdanov, Dr. King, Gandahi, Jesus Christ, Dr. D.A. Henderson...wait! I nearly forgot dessert! Rachel choose the gianduja, valrhona ivoire chocolate and hazelnut mousse, with roast mandarins, and hazelnut ice cream. I had the dark chocolate Tenerina, valrhona manjari chocolate, with macerated plums and caramel sauce. We shared these, too. Pretty sure God wants everyone to eat like this some day, after putting up with so much down here on earth for so long. Check the photos to see if I'm wrong. Sorry we dived in and did some sharing before I took the pics. We were hungry! Also, our waiter was wonderful. He plays violin! Perhaps they should have him perform. Sorry I didn't catch his name. We were there February 13, 2020 at around 2:00 PM. Remember: this is NOT a fast-food restaurant. Plan two hours, minimum.

We loved it. The atmosphere was great. So romantic with real candles and the light was perfect. The staff were amazing. So respectful and they were so confident about the food and complimentary wines. We had risotto for an entree, the fish of the day. And profiteroles as desert. Lovely subtle tastes but tasty. Highly recommend this great restaurant in a historic beautiful building.

This is such a special spot that we have made this our Monday night routine, because we are foodies and the combination of amazing cuisine, ambience and service has blown us away. Always welcoming and real the team here are second to none on the hospitality stakes, they totally get what constitutes amazing service as they engage seamlessly. Had to share a photo of our regular Monday night waitress who we adore. The cuisine always fresh and on point, do try the market fish it’s beyond expectations.