Review Phil's Kitchen - Auckland Central

Dine there on our special occasion and had a great delicious food. And again at lunch with friend. Quite expensive but as you know thus is fine dining restaurant with highly experienced Chef and owner.

Very thought out and flavoursome food. Presentation top marks. Our starter was a bit in the cold side and the waitress was a little lackluster but we were enjoying ourselves so not too bothered by this. Dessert was amazing. Would definitely recommend this little restaurant. Just give the decor a bit of warmth as it was lacking in this plus atmosphere a bit dim if it wasn't for our roudy conversation.

Fantastic meal and service. Very creative. Lived my pork belly with locusts 😊 . Only drawback was the price, we don't usually spend $60 on maine

The food here was delicious. We had the pork belly and salmon cannelloni to start, and both were executed perfectly. We had lamb and hapuka as mains which tasted amazing.

Wowser, yet another fantastic meal at Phils. Beautifully presented as always, flavours were just incredible, and did I say the tenderest pork I have ever eaten. Love Wednesday nights at Phils. 3 courses, you never know what will be on the menu that day. But it is always a pleasure to find out. Entree was spectacular with Beef cheek ravioli (that was the best non pasta ravioli ever), pork fillet and delicious parfait dessert. If you haven’t been to Phils Kitchen book in!

Lunch was great value at $40 per person for the set menu. Portion sizes were quite generous for lunch and for such beautifully crafted and visually stunning food.

I finally got to dine at Phil’s Kitchen after much anticipation and was completely taken aback by the entire dining experience. The restaurant is classically styled and chic and the wait staff was highly attentive and knowledgeable, not to mention, very accommodating. Fortunately on the night I attended, there was a set 3 course menu, so it was very easy and relaxed to select from some stunningly presented dishes and dabble in the very exciting wine menu. I thoroughly enjoyed every course I had from a pork belly with sweet corn, pomegranate and parsnip purée entree, to the crispy skin snapper fillet in lemon beurre with broccolini tomato style tapenade and a white chocolate mousse with poached peach and honey drizzled thickened cream. The food was exquisite and my palate was taken on an intimate food journey starting with freshly baked spiced bread, which was simply delightful. To accompany my food, I was in heaven trying McLaren Valley Shiraz, followed by a divine Cotes du Rhône with a soy latte to close. The entire dining experience was exceptional and I eagerly look forward to dining here again to enjoy more of the modern European menu. Phil’s Kitchen has become a special restaurant I’ve been completely impressed by. A Wednesday night introduction to their set menu was the perfect way to experience this restaurant first hand. Highly recommended with the highest distinction!

My grandad hated Phil because he was envious of the success you had. My grandad has since gone to jail for level 3 tax evasion. He wanted to get that off of his chest. Good food, good people, good Phil.

Very nice and tasty meals. Great ideas and perfectly cooked. Recommending if you want to try something new and different.

Definitely order the lemon meringue. The complimentary bread we had was also incredible

Snapper ceviche cannelloni was amazingly presented and a very well put together dish. Also tried the eye fillet and beef cheek ravioli. The eye fillet was 10/10. Beef cheek a bit saturated with fat for my liking. Snapper and mussells were awesome too. Beer list almost non existent but an ok wine list. <br/><br/>Staff were adorable very friendly and accomodating. The venue it self from what i saw was very small but intimate and cosy. Worth bringing a jacket if you run cold. 100% a reservation place. Well worth it

Phil knows how to run a kitchen. I was delighted to get the opportunity to try this restaurant with my directors and colleagues a few weeks ago. One of my directors recommended this restaurant who had an acquaintance with Phil. The set menu on Wednesday's is fantastic. The bread to start off with had a perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness. I started my entree with the pork. Well plated, well seasoned and juicy. I had the chicken for the mains. The sauces worked extremely well with the chicken which was well cooked and also juicy. For the dessert I finished off with the white chocolate parfait that was not too sweet and put a pleasant note to finish off the meal. Service was fantastic with our drinks regularly filled. The only thing that hindered the experience was that it got quite hot as a fan nor air conditioning was present that night. Overall a fantastic experience and would definitely return. Highly recommended.

Was here last night for our anniversary. Everything was delicious. Service was great. Really nothing to fault. Will come back here again. A well-deserved 5*!

Went here for my mums birthday. Just so happened to fall on a Wednesday which meant we had the set menu for $50. We had the option a pork belly or gazpacho for entree chicken or fish for main and lemon meringue or white chocolate parfait for desert. <br/>We had the gazpacho which was pleasant surprise. There was a sorbet in the middle of the soup. Also had the pork belly which was tasty as f**k!!! Didn’t have the fish cause I don’t eat seafood so we had the chicken. The truffle purée was amazing! And you will notice a creme caramel on the plate..... yes that was on the plate which I thought was weird but it was a nice addition to the meal and it was made with corn flour apparently. The lemon meringue was nice and the white chocolate parfait with the kiwi fruit was super refreshing. Would 100% go back when lamb and steak are on the set menu! Definitely worth the money

Wednesday night dinner menu in a group of 4.<br/>The ambience is formal but low key with soft lighting. Great place for an intimate dinner and not loud with music and diners like some other places.<br/><br/>The starter of parmesan veloute with soft poached egg and caramelised onion was such an interesting dish, perfect for cheese lovers because who can go wrong with a cheese soup? I love the idea of this dish and how unique and experimental it is. The egg was perfectly cooked but I really wish it was hot and not just slightly warmed up from the soup.<br/><br/>For my main I chose the lamb which came with root veges and a tiny smoked fish on baby cos. Personally the amount of meat was too much, I struggled to finish it and I think one piece of lamb would have been perfect. It looked pink and perfectly cooked but was slightly on the chewy side. The piece of fish was smoked really well but the combination of flavours was a bit random.<br/><br/>Favourite was definitely the dessert - pear and wild honey clafoutis. Such a good flavour combo I could cry. Not to mention the softness in contrast with the crunchy almond slivers and the chewy edges.<br/><br/>Only one staff taking all orders and serving dishes but seemed to work as small restaurant, only 5-6 other couples there. Our water was topped up often and we never had to wait very long for service when needed.

Social night with colleagues on a Wed night. Very good atmosphere, private. Plates are very well presented. I had the pork belly to start, the lamb rump and the lemon merengue. Delicious lamb! The price is a bit high for what you get. Service was not great. Little variety on wines. I will definitely return.

We enjoyed a lovely meal.  We were a group of 6 and everything was timed really well.  Food presentation was excellent and I particularly loved to Potato Velote entree.  The dining room is small and it seemed strange to have such a huge counter which if designed differently might have allowed more tables.  I had to ask someone to take my coat and they didn't seem set up for this service and I though theta the waitress could do with some training on how to serve plates onto the table.  Her hands were all over the plates and it felt a bit 'icky".  However...a fabulous meal and I have to finally mention the very good coffee.

A bit of a special occasion so we gave this place a try, service and ambience are of an excellent standard. The place is cosy and I like the black. We came on set menu night so we got one of each dish with a couple of glasses of sav. Everything was well timed, delicious and a good size. Would come back again to try their other dishes.

Definitely one of my favourite places for a romantic quiet dinner. Nice staff and are really attentive. We had the set menu starting off with the Parmesan Veloute. I would go back in a heartbeat to have this. I can still remember the crispy buckwheat and the softest poached egg. Followed by the scallops and smoked duck breast. Both dishes have unique flavours and you can tell that Phil has put lots of thought into each plate. Then we waited quite a bit for the dessert and they apologised for the wait by giving us Raspberry sorbet then the lemon meringue. Marvellous meal and comfy as seats. Our neighbour wanted to take the chair with them.  Definitely on my list to go back.

I came here for lunch by myself Easter Friday while out doing chores.  I had an entree, main and dessert and all three courses were delicious though the chilled carrot veloute was (unexpectedly) my favourite.  I would say that this restaurant is casual fine dining without the stuffiness or crazy prices of some other places.  If you read my other reviews you will get a sense for what I like and rate highly and Phils in a new one on my list that I will be back to, often I suspect.  Kingsland and indeed Auckland is lucky to have Phil and his partner who are clearly very committed to great food and dining experiences.

One of good restaurants in Kingsland. Phil’s kitchen is tiny restaurant but they food amazing taste and beautiful. I would recommend this place to friends.

Some really beautifully presented and tasty food. Menu may change so perhaps not worth discussing specific dishes (all were good). We shared a desert between four of us which worked for us. Might be a bit much for one person after other nice courses. <br/><br/>Cost wise - not for the faint of heart. A treat vs a local Wednesday night eatery was our read.

Went to Phil's kitchen last night with some friends. We all thought that the food was delicious. My husband had the scallops, they were beautifully cooked and we had the lamb which was very tasty cooked to perfection.<br/>They were quite busy but Staff were very friendly and delivered good service. <br/>Would definitely go back..<br/>Jane<br/>

The food at Phil's Kitchen has never been anything short of amazing. Friendly staff, cozy atmosphere and a top team in the kitchen make for a great dining experience.

We went on Wednesday night (3 courses for $50) to try it out. Absolutely blown away, the food is amazing with fantastic portions. Started with the cauliflower velouté, followed by lamb with gnocchi, buckwheat, parsnip purée and more. Finished off with the valrhona chocolate fondant. All courses were amazing. Chatted to Phil in the way out he's such a nice guy and happy to talk about his food. Can't wait to go back.

A small group of us booked in for the Wednesday night $50 tasting menu. The entree and main was delicious, balanced and executed with finesse. However, it took 1.5 hours for the entrees to arrive. Then another 45 minutes before the main. When we asked if we can have the dessert prep started when mains arrived (we've gotten to know the drill now), our request was met by the proprietor's hardline comment from the kitchen, which so happens to be directly next to our table: "tell them it's made to order". Yes we understand this made to order concept, and expect no less from the 2016 metro best newcomer restauranteur, but why can't we have it made to order slightly earlier? <br/><br/>At 7pm, we started that night as excited hopefuls. By 9pm we were hungry and still waiting for our mains to arrive. The thought of getting up and walking to one of Kingsland's many other food establishments crossed my mind many a times. <br/><br/>Did I mention our table was placed right next to the bathroom entrance as well as the back balcony dining area? The door kept slamming shut (install soft close doors please) and the bathroom could do with an intermittent refresh clean. And to the service staff, when you stand right next to our tables where our empty dishes lie unattended to, and we see you not paying any attention to your patrons but avidly engaging with the kitchen and watching the preparation of food, we get FOMO and wonder "que ?". <br/><br/>To Phil's kitchen, I want to congratulate you on making outstanding food. But a word of advice from a food lover to another, you have the potential to be such a star attraction if you would improve your customer experience. Fine dining takes time, yes, but if you're claiming to be fine dining, why can't your service match?

So came here and expected a lot from the location, setting and price tag, the meat was very well done however the salad was quiet disappointing as it wasn't treated or anything. The atmosphere is nice, service was great, modern setting.

This classy, sleek restaurant has been turning heads since its arrival in Kingsland last year. Words like Michelin, London and exquisite pop up in rave reviews all over the place, so what better time to splurge than at our annual Christmas lunch?<br/>Our seats next to the sunny glass windows were super-comfortable and, peering down the corridor, we spotted a large white chandelier on a polished black porch we suspected would be ideal for events and corporate lunches. Not a fan of the splattered Pollock-esque paintings that spanned the walls, although Innie surprised all of us by saying she loved them (her interiors aesthetic is usually all shades of white and some greys). Anyhoo, we digress. ‘My favourite things’ gifts were exchanged in-between food courses, happy tears and sips of sparkling rosé. The limited and simple set menu presented us with two delightful choices for each course:<br/>Starters: Potato velouté, soft poached egg, crispy buckwheat & truffle oil or the Asparagus, wild mushrooms & truffle jus; Mains: NZ lamb rump, garden peas, onion & anchovies purée or Corn-fed chicken breast, homemade gnocchi, mushrooms & truffle jus; Dessert: Soft lemon meringue, shortbread & crispy textures or Dark valrhoa chocolate, strawberries & honeycomb. <br/>Each dish was elegantly plated and their maitre d’ was wonderfully helpful with our wine choices. We were particularly impressed by the potato velouté, carefully poured to preserve the crispy buckwheat textures, and we are probably not exaggerating when we say “you have never had a poached egg like this before”. Enough gushing from us. Just go.<br/>Check out our individual food reviews here: husk.co.nz/lunches/phils-kitchen-december-2016

A good classic restaurant for a 3 course meal (if you can fit it in your belly, we couldn't!) the portions were generous, so good value for money. <br/><br/>We got the pork belly to start and for mains we got the chicken with gnocchi, which was delicious! The flavours on the plate complemented each other wonderfully. My friend got the salmon which I thought was average (still good) and that was a big piece of fish! <br/><br/>My favorite was the complementary brioche bun, freshly baked. Soooo good! <br/><br/>Staff was professional but I wish they were more friendly. Also there was a fly constantly buzzing around us which was slightly unfortunate. <br/><br/>

While the food took a while to get to us, it was exquisite. The staff were incredibly helpful and on top of making sure we were looked after, and when we asked about dairy free options, they made an off the cuff dessert that was incredibly good. The wine list could be worked on, but the food and service are top notch.

The food here is absolutely disgusting, not worth the money at all. We came here as a group, they served us undercooked chickens, lamb and overcook beef. Customer service was poor may I say the least. Seriously you're better off saving your money at MCDonald's fast food taste better than Phil's Kitchen!!!

The first time we came here it was wonderful and the second time didn't disappoint. Lovely atmosphere, understated and polite service and delicious food. Definitely recommend

Fantastic service and food. Great curated wine list with excellent food matches. Top local restaurant! Will be back for sure- particularly to try their set menu evenings. Thanks to Phil and his team!

Have been here twice and OMG love the relaxed atmosphere, food and wine were amazing and well priced. Our meals came out quick despite it being packed and the dessert especially is to die for.

Huuuuge portions, simple, great tasting meals. The price is reflected in the quality of each dish and I would definitely return to try the desserts

This place ruined our night. Food was average, overpriced(50$ setup menus with only 2 chooses); waiting more then an hour for each dish; very small space; horrible services; rude owner.

Such a special location, so fun, so delicious and the staff are so passionate. Started with the scallops and the Beetroot with goats cheese and honeycomb! That honeycomb!!!! Then had the lamb and the beef. Loved the smoky flavour of the beef! Shared the lemon meringue for dessert, wish we had one each!!

We booked a table for 6 of us for a Friday night and thankfully we did because the place packed out fast. Despite a full house the staff seemed relaxed and in control. The service was just the right amount of attentive yet not overbearing. The wine matches good too. We only had mains I'm sad to say. I didn't want to be the only pig eating dessert but wow! Did those desserts and entrée dishes look good! Our mains were pure perfection. There were delicate undertones and strong flavours fused perfectly in a relaxed and non fussy style of presentation. My lamb was succulent and melt in the mouth. The smoked Aubergine purée a perfect accompaniment to the fresh peas. I tried a friends beef which was rare and infused with smoky flavours. The salmon also got a 5 star rating by those that hoovered it in. I'll definitely be back and so will the people I was with. Easy to see how they were nominated for Metro Restaurant of the year. The food tasted of passion and the staff were professional but warm.

We came here for dinner... Arrived as soon as they opened so we did get a table....outside... Which was still nice as it's all covered in really... Although would be very hot during the day. We chose the scallops and pork belly as starters then the smoked beef and fish as mains. The scallops were nice and cooked well but the pork was my favourite ... Great flavours and crispy skin... Yum. Both mains were very nice... Presentation is great ... Smoked loin beef was my favourite. We finished off with the homemade donuts and lemon meringue... Great desserts yummy ending.

This place never seems to disappoint. Having dined twice both of which were very special occasions. The service is wonderful and very relaxed, the decor is a strong addition to the overall ambience. The food speaks for itself! Great creativity exhibited with seasonal produce.<br/><br/>Tip: If the window seat is available see if you can grab it.

Two of us booked and dined at Phil's Kitchen on a Friday evening. Had one of the best meals I've had in Auckland for years.<br/>The food was outstanding from starter to main, great flavour combinations, and an absolute symphony in the mouth. The service was prompt and friendly.<br/>We eat out a bunch and are rarely wowed like this. Highly recommend the establishment, we will defiantly be back.

After the recent rave reviews, a friend and I decided to check this new bistro out, it is next door to Canton Cafe (which was heaving with punters when we arrived) - as we were the only diners at that time, we were graciously allowed to select a table. As the evening progressed the restaurant filled up (Sat night) and the ambience was comfortable.<br/>To the food, a nicely formed tight menu, i couldn't resist starting with the pork belly and my mate had the cockles; for mains, I had the special that evening of gurnard (with a mushroom risotto) and my mate the duck dish.<br/>The plating and presentation looked fantastic - flavours were good, without being knockout.<br/>Service was friendly, though a little nervy from one of the (new?) service staff i.e clearing a mains plate whilst the other is still eating; however when it is well meaning that can be forgiven.<br/>My friend polished his desert off without complaint and the long blacks hit the spot.<br/>Well worth a visit if you haven't tried Phils Kitchen.

Menu limited. Went on Friday night dinner, Arrived at 7.30. Ordered the dearest bottle of champagne and it was a warm bottle. Entrées : Ordered Scallops (it was 7.50) - NONE SCALLOPS ! Main : SNAPPER, and we end up with HOKI ! Asked twice to talk to the chef,  he would not come. Before I pay my bill at the counter I finally had contact with the chef, as I know my fish and I have dine a lot around the world and NZ especially. The chef said to me : Are you a fisherman ? And I reply : Yes, I am. The fillet was 100mm thick and I said to him it must be a 50pounds Snapper, and he replied : yes, it was. I told him : you should not serve an old snapper in your restaurant. I paid my bill as you would. End of the story. ZERO out of TEN. We used to dine there when it was Le Garde Manger, we love food and we have done many restaurants : Sails, Di Mare, The Grill, Number 5, 255 Dominion Rd, Tony's Restaurant, Euro, ect....

Three of us are here for the first time other night, and the food was resounding praise. It's been ages since we had such good, honest food! Can't wait to go back and sample more of the deliciousness. <br/><br/>Great to see people getting back to this kind of cooking and eating. Loved it.

What a neat restsurant...great atmosphere...and the food is amazing...the chef was lovely...met him at the end of the night....lovely to see the person behind such great food....<br/><br/>This is a must try restaurant every course was unfaultable....just amazing food....will definately be back ...

Friends and I enjoyed a 3 course lunch on a rainy Sat. Scored a park right outside and were welcomed by the Chef and Manager. Some chose pork belly complete with crunch, main we all enjoyed Angus short rib and the prettiest plates of desert you've ever seen. Sophisticated dining amongst casual cafes, a great addition to Central Ak dining. Extremely reasonable, great prompt and professional service, a must try!

A great new addition to the Kingsland scene. A more intimate restaurant with limited menu but food is seasonal and all prepped and cooked with tremendous care. The scallops (pic attached) were beautifully cooked and matched with other flavours. Think they may still be finding their stride with service but still ok.

If you are looking for a stunning entree with taste and texture you need to try the buckwheat, onion and poached egg. The menu selection is limited but don't let this put you off as the focus is on quality. Great wine selection. Well worth hunting this place out.