Review Ampersand Eatery - Auckland Central

Lovely service with great modern industrial ambience. The food was very good with familiar flavours that are well executed. We had the mushroom risotto, halloumi salad, roasted lamb, prawn spaghetti and truffles fries. My favourite was the prawn spaghetti, the pasta was fresh, the prawn was tasty and the dish wasn’t soaked in cream. I would have like more fresh parsley and add another dimension, but overall everything was delicious and the relaxing environment and friendly staff made it an excellent evening.

The location is beautiful, service is excellent as the staff are super friendly and approachable! They even kept our water glasses full without asking! And even the food was amazing! Would defs recommend this place to anyone! Even tempted to check out the ‘dinner menu’ ❤️

Great spot for brunch with a great bar, the portions especially the eggs Benedict and the smoothies are small for the price. I got the blueberry smoothie and it was below average, the menu is good with vegetarian and gluten free options. The service was friendly.

Great coffee. Good, sizeable brunch options. I loved the breakfast burrito. And the sausage in the big breakfast. Apparently they make the sausage mix themselves - no wonder it's so good. The cafe is quite busy, which is always a good sign. But it does mean that you can be forgotten.

It was my first time visiting. Beautiful atmosphere with great ambiance. Friendly accommodating staff, yummy food.

I was happily surprised when we were able to get a parking spot in the Orakei Bay Village area since it is usually really full. We went through the door in the parking lot to the espresso workshop counter to Ampersand. We waited at the counter and were led to a table near the bar. It looked like the back area was like a balcony that overlooked Orakei Bay. We went for lunch so the views were quite nice. After being seated we gave drink orders. Then we ordered the meals a short while after. The ice chocolate was nice. I had the breakfast ramen with pork belly and shared the devilled lamb's kidney. The breakfast ramen was nice. The main flavour was the kimchi which gave it a nice heat. The pork belly was also tender and almost on the dry side. I really liked the lamb's kidney though. Breaded and fried and then mixed in the savoury sauce with mushrooms and bacon. It almost had a sweet and sour feel to it. Service was friendly. Food was tasty. Not a bad place to stop by for a meal. Edit came by for the geat cheese ravioloi and it had a nice flavour but it was a bit stodgy.

Dined here on a Saturday evening. Made a reservation (was not busy though) and they had a table for us outside. Great views of the bay. Lovely set up and atmosphere. Dined with 2 kids aged 3 and 7. 3 year old really enjoyed watching the train stopping at the station across the way (not noisy though) . The kids had fish and chips (pretty average considering the price) . We ordered the pork croquettes, steak Dianne, oysters both natural and battered, lamb shank and for dessert an ice cream sandwich. Steak Dianne and the natural oysters were really delicious. The rest of the food was good and tasty but not memorable. Portions are good. Ice cream sandwich was a big portion. Flat white was delicious. The have high chairs available and a kids menu. No change table in the restroom. (I try and check out each place I review if they have one because I know if you have a little one how limited we are in terms of the places we go because of it)

Staffs are very friendly and kind. Love their truffle fries and salmon tuna tataki. So delicious !!! Beautiful cafe 🤩

We visited here for lunch on the day before Good Friday. The inside space is really bright and airy with high ceilings and nice views of the bay. We were greeted straight away by friendly staff and seated with sparkling water (free) We ordered the smoked fish crepe and the egg plant parmigiana. Both dishes were displayed beautifully and tasted really fresh. I will say that the dishes did feel very rich for lunch and very heavy. Definitely felt a little sleepy after it. I would like to try this place for dinner although with winter coming in I would be a little concerned that it might be a bit chilly 🥶. Coffee here is great.

Modern interior with lovely views out to the harbour. They have nice mock-tails as well as the most scrumptious food! Would be a great place to come with family and friends and then go see a movie at Silky Otter!

Good food and relaxed brunch atmosphere. Dog friendly, allowed inside and have water bowls available etc. If seated in the covered outdoor area there's a nice view of the water from up high.

Great place to come for breakfast and for a coffee. Good parking, great service and view on a clear day. The food was delicious and recommended coming here if your in the area. Update. We come here for a roast beef dinner with Yorkshire pudding and tasted amazing, the beef melted in your mouth. One of the best roast dinners i have had in Auckland and i highly recommend coming here. The service is still as good as it was when i was last here.

I had a wonderful night with my colleagues. The food was great; we had 3 courses: starter, main and dessert. My favourite one was lamb shoulder, which was so tender and juicy. However, it took more than 30 minutes for waiting for each course. It's really too long. But to be fair, it was our company party. There were more than 100 our staffs in this restaurant. If it wasn't a long waiting, I would give it five stars.

Big shout out to Mikey for the fabulous personalised chef experience he magicked up for us once again . Decadent deliciousness to dine for! 😋😋

Been to Ampersand many times & always satisfied. This place never fails you. Everything we ordered was good quality & flavoursome. Good wine selections too. 👍🏻

Very nice eatery. Cafe all day breakfast dishes range from standard expected to unique interesting. Take terrace seats to great view of the bay.

This was the first time I came to Amperseed for brunch/lunch with my sister, friends & an overseas visitor. Wow, what a blast from the minute we sat down, the lovely staff there with water and menu’s. The place looks great & was really humming. It took me some time to decide what to have as could have tried everything. My sister has always had the same eggs etc and it was no problem to do exactly what she wanted. Three of us had the smoked fish crepe, to die for, just so yummy, coffee great, staff lovely and friendly, we will be back, thankyou Amperseed

Just had my birthday dinner at &. Full disclosure I have worked with both Michael and Amanda but that has nothing to do with how feel about this establishment. The food the service and the ambience of this place are amazing, you are getting fine dining food and service for the price of bistro dining. The depths of flavours of the food shows how much time Michael puts into his craft and you should abuse this restaurant quickly before they put the prices up to what it’s worth.�����

I am on holiday in New Zealand and was taken to Ampersand as a treat for breakfast it was a lovely experience. The place is beautiful a very cool contemporary setting . We were greeted very warmly given a choice of where we would like to sit and water was promptly poured and replenished during the visit. We ordered from the menu Coffee croissant and muffins all warm and fresh, The coffee was lovely and what a great selection. I hope to return for lunch. Ampersand has a great future

My new favourite place in Auckland! Great spot for family brunch or dinner for date night. The pasta is out of this world delicious. So many good things to choose from the menu, plus it has such a great vibe with views over the water and an epic pink bar.

Excellent place for any occasion: friendly staff, lovely view and absolutely glorious food. I came in for breakfast and now can not wait to check out lunch and dinner options.

Lovely brunch, lovely atmosphere! Thanks Ampersand team. Auckland friends: recommend checking this place out. Would be great for a refuel after walking round the Orakei basin.

Great space, but overpriced for distinctly average food. I must say that even though we had to wait for our table at 9:30am, the service was fantastic. However everything was let down by the pricing and food. Ampersand charges an extra $1.50 for almond milk in an already expensive coffee, and an additional side of 'slab bacon', charged at $7, turned out to be one thin sliver. Everyone at our table of four was disappointed with the food - perhaps our expectations were too high... There are plenty of other establishments that charge more reasonable prices for the same if not better quality.

Amazing food amazing service and a view to die for. Totally enjoyed ourselves and will definitely come back for a big dinner meal :-))

A friend and I had lunch here today and I cannot recommend it more highly. We both chose the chicken dish with shitake mushrooms and a green salad on the side ..great flavours thank you chef. Jed, our main waiter, was professional, friendly, helpful and could not have done more to make our time there more enjoyable! Will return..thank you.

Amazing food and the service is excellent. Highly recommend to anyone from breakfast to dinner

Love love love this place! Friendly staff, great quality food, awesome atmosphere and the manager sophie is AMAZING!! Highly recommend (:

One of the best places I have been to for brunch and highly recommend.

The food was overpriced for the amount that was given and the taste wasn't that great either. The waiter that was assigned to us was so snobby and not hospitable. However I have to say that the venue was very nice and the view was so pretty.

Great to know this place around the neighborhood. Awesome service and the place is spacious. A great view to overlook the Tamakei Dr. Reasonable price too.

Amazing flavours in every dish that we had (& I think our table tried everything on the menu) One word sums up this new Hospo gem "YUM" �

Great brunch location with a great view of the Orakei bay. Beautiful during sunrise and great friendly service. Ask for an explanation on the food, they’re great.

Finally managed to get to Ampersand Eatery for a birthday lunch. It was just after 12 on a Wednesday and it was really busy! We hadn’t booked but we were promptly seated. The interior was beautiful! The waiters were really attentive and were super helpful with helping us decide on portions. We ordered a small portion of the cauliflower, steamed beans, truffle fries, and a small portion of goats cheese tortellini. The flavours of both the cauliflower dish and the tortellini were quite different but still worked really well. The portions were really good and left us feeling content afterwards. It’s a tad on the pricey end but great atmosphere and excellent service.

Located in Orakei Bay Village, the cafe has a spacious interior with beautiful plant decorations. There is also a bay view at the balcony seatings.<br/><br/>The Roasted Cauliflower was creamy and flavorful with a bit of crispy on the flowers. The Ginger Latte was good, but the granule could have been more fine. <br/><br/>Quite pricey. And quite a limited range on the menu (maybe due to Covid)<br/><br/>Great presentation on both the food and drinks.<br/><br/>Food: 8/10<br/>Food presentation: 8/10<br/>Service: 8/10<br/>Ambience: 9.5/10<br/>Value for money: 6/10<br/>Price $35 per person

Awesome place with a great view if you manage to get terrace seating. Food was fresh and beautifully presented.We had the Lobster and Hapuka Raviolo served on a bed of sliced tomatoes, it was incredibly good and they were generous with the lobster! The risotto with pecorino was fluffy and buttery, great textures. Now, the side of Grilled courgettes deserves a mention here, I didn’t think that something so simple could turn into something amazing. Laced with siracha imulsion and candied peanuts, if this doesn’t make you want to eat your vegetables, I’m not sure what will. Great food with a great view, couldn’t ask for more.

Food was very terrible. Had a cheese platter for a wedding banquet and almost vomit. You would envision a cheese platter to contain some unique cheeses such as brie, blue..good cheddar. We were given a small slice from a volumetric cheddar block... the salsa that went with it was off putting. The grapes were ripen... everything about it was disgusting.

We were seated very quickly for brunch on a Sunday. I wanted to sit outside on the deck with the view of the water but it appears you have to make a booking for that, as there were some empty tables with reserved signs. Still, we sat in the middle area and it’s nice and airy, nice decor. Was a bit disappointed by the food, it was ok but expensive for what it was (eggs). My partner’s ‘breakfast’ meal had mushrooms in the description but then had only one mushroom on it. If the food was a bit more in line with the price or vice versa, then I would definitely want to go back as it’s such a beautiful setting. I was still hungry when I got home.

Enjoy the lovely scenery as well as the interior design of the cafe. The smashed avo is tasty, ingredients are fresh, and there is light spicy taste that matches well with the smashed avocado.

It is a very busy cafe. If we visit at Saturday, we have to wait at queue. Nice environment, good sightseeing. The french toast is tasty. Why I rated 3, because the portion is too small. It is a cafe not fine dining restaurant. The price is not low with tinny portion. I feel ripped off. It is impossible for us to spend a lot of money for lunch, then we have to buy some KFC to fill up.

I came here for brunch on a Sunday morning with my friends. I ordered a ginger latte, which had strong ginger flavours and i would order it again. However, the miso ramen with pork belly was a let-down. The soup was not authentic at all and it was very oily. I understand that they are trying to do asian fusion but I would've preferred them not to mix the cuisines. The space, however, was very lovely. It was well lit and spacious. The view of the harbour was amazing. I might come here for a drink next time only. The staff mixed up our order many times and could not figure out what drinks we actually ordered. :(

Wow what a view! This is a great location with other shops & a nice relaxed feel. Pays to book so that you can get a seat on the terrace overlooking the bay.<br/>Service was friendly & welcoming.<br/>We tried a range of dishes with the popular choices being the stuffed courgette flowers, truffle fries, cauliflower, goats cheese tortellini, and oysters. Also the spring vege risotto was delicious.<br/>The lamb was a bit hit & miss - mine was very fatty & grisly but others at the table had a better experience.<br/>Desserts were delicious- the chocolate tart is super rich <br/>Cocktails were good- particularly the one with thyme

Ordered brûlée french toast and Benedict, small for the price, ordered a side of avocado which was a half an avo and rotten, they tried to hide it By flipping it over, Hopefully we wouldn’t notice, attention to service, food left on the plate obviously means a problem ? <br/><br/>Left hungry and disappointed at the quality especially from the reputation it has received

Food taste good. Atmosphere is nice with waterview if you sit outside. Waited a bit longer than expected before someone took order. Portion is tiny for the price of $19. All I got was thin slice of toast, two eggs and a single sausage.

Great atmosphere to sit and do some work. Professional service and great coffee thanks to Espresso Workshop. Have never had any food as it is on the pricey side but their fries are to die for!

Ampersand is tucked away into the surprisingly beautiful orakei bay village. It offers fantastic views over the orakei basin in a light filled room with a busy atmosphere.<br/><br/>The space is large and light, the decor is modern and simple. The combination of this offers for a very relaxed and conversational space that offers great views. The lightness of the space makes a morning stop here very relaxing and leisurely. The tables are arranged in a manner that offers for good conversation with friends and family. Overall it's a very current space that keeps things simple and tasteful. One thing I don't get is the weird jars full of what I can gather as leaves and random things. Not sure if that does much for me. But the space overall is beautiful.<br/><br/>The service was efficient and the staff were very friendly. The food and coffee came out in good time, not too slow and not too fast. The staff were very accommodating and friendly. We felt very well looked after. This was a big positive for this place leaving me with a good impression.<br/><br/>The food here was possibly where is looses a star. By no means was it bad, it just wasn't brilliant. It.was above average but nothing startling. I got the avocado on toast which I think would be better during the summer months but I thought I would give a try nevertheless. The portion was maybe a but small. This dish did have a twist which was good, it came with kimchee which was a real winner. Unfortunately the avocado was stone cold and felt like it had just come from a packet in the fridge. My friend got the big breakfast and had nothing to complain about. The coffee here was amazing, there are definitely no complaints on that front. If you are looking for a decent coffee in auckland then here is a good option.<br/><br/>Overall this is a really good place to come for brunch (possibly dinner, but I haven't tried yet). The menu is good and caters for a wide range of people. The space makes the experience really good with the light filled roomy space and a busy atmosphere. The food is good but nothing special. But the coffee is definitely a winner.

Great service and kid friendly... this place has views to die for and warm environment. We had the coffee shakes and truffle Parmesan fries which were good! Will brunch here next time!

I was happily surprised when we were able to get a parking spot in the Orakei Bay Village area since it is usually really full. We went through the door in the parking lot to the espresso workshop counter to Ampersand. We waited at the counter and were led to a table near the bar. It looked like the back area was like a balcony that overlooked Orakei Bay. We went for lunch so the views were quite nice.<br/><br/>After being seated we gave drink orders. Then we ordered the meals a short while after. The ice chocolate was nice. I had the breakfast ramen with pork belly and shared the devilled lamb's kidney. The breakfast ramen was nice. The main flavour was the kimchi which gave it a nice heat. The pork belly was also tender and almost on the dry side. I really liked the lamb's kidney though. Breaded and fried and then mixed in the savoury sauce with mushrooms and bacon. It almost had a sweet and sour feel to it. <br/><br/>Service was friendly. Food was tasty. Not a bad place to stop by for a meal.

Popped in for a coffee with a friend one morning and took a while for us to get seated. The view is really pretty however the coffees were not for me. We didn't get our orders taken for ages until finally someone served us. We both got iced mochas and they looked good but were so so bitter and didn't taste like mochas at all. We ended up putting so much sugar in them and still couldn't finish it. I wanna come back and try the food as it all sounds and looks good so think I'll give them another go soon however the coffee just wasn't for me.

I'd consider OBV as a local eatery place for me as I only live 15 mins walk away.  Ampersand has an industrial-style decor and gives the feeling of space, especially with its high ceiling.  It offers amazing food and excellent service and a sea-view to die for but quite expensive.  Please make sure you choose to sit in the decking area outdoor to enjoy the views out to the sea.  We totally enjoyed ourselves with our meals and will definitely come back to try out other food options next time :-)

Ampersand Eatery is a damn green light from me! Been here twice and the first experience wasn't that great :( came here with my friend for the first time for an iced mocha and we waited ages for someone to take our order the staff just kept ignoring us and walking past us so that was our first red flag. Then when they finally took our order our iced mocha's took way too long to arrive I don't even know how long we waited but man w were mad and thirsty. When they finally, FINALLY came they were bitter as shit and we basically tipped the whole pot of sugar on our table into it and it was still barely drinkable. We ended up not finishing which was annoying because the cafe is super dope with an amazing view and just good vibes. I went back with my family for lunch and we got seated straight away and got our orders taken straight away yippi! I got the smashed avocado and that was so tasty and yummy I was very impressed and no we didn't wait ages for our food this time thank the bro jesus himself. My family all enjoyed there meals and our waitress was super funny and friendly. I'm super glad I gave this place a second chance because damn they really pulled through. x

Lovely view and possibly a great place to sit and view Auckland harbour while having a coffee. Food wasn’t of great value - bit pricey for what you get in amount and taste; and service could have been less intrusive (waitress reaching over to grab pepper without a word while passing by).

Nice location and food is ok. The porridge was very clumpy and heavy even with added milk but the avo smash was nice. Coffee was great. Service is very slow, wait staff not attentive at all, sruggled to get Waiter attention for water or even more coffee so left in the end and decided to get coffee elsewhere.

It was a really nice vibe and atmosphere. Also great coffee and food. My big breakfast was good but waffles were a bit too healthy and dry for me!

Great place to have breakfast. Nice location and beautiful sea view made my day. Food and coffee both quite delicious. Service a bit slow but friendly.

Came here with my Mum on 13 February for lunch. Couldn't find a table outside as it was too busy but were shown to a table inside. Nice atmosphere, quick and fast service. We both had the same lunch - the crepes, with smoked fish, spinach, potato, and parmesan. Very nicely presented, tasty and delicious flavours. Could taste the freshness. Good menu options so will be back at some point to try another dish (but might end up getting the crepes again - recommend you try) - and hope for a table outside.<br/>

Great views and food.<br/><br/>We ordered the Mushroom Arancini, shoestring potatoes and yoghurt fried chicken - The Arancini had a great crunch on the outside and fluffy inside, it paired well with the truffle mayo. The truffle elevated the flavours of the Aranchini. The shoestring potatoes were crisp and flavorsome; the truffle and parmesan added extra depth of flavour. Lastly the fried chicken, no explanation needed, was satisfying.<br/><br/>The service was great and the team were very attentive. The host (who might be the manager too) was really onto it and made our time in Ampersand eatery pleasurable.<br/><br/>Will definitely be back.

While the food was interesting and very tasty, the portions are far too small! The various dishes are not hugely expensive individually, however since they are so small, you need to order a fair bit to not leave hungry! Service was attentive and the food itself was tasty but I feel like the portion size is letting the menu down.

Cool place just found by accident.<br/><br/>Just had a coffee, a triple shot cappuccino which was good.<br/><br/>Good service, good atmosphere, good coffee.<br/><br/>Will come back for a feed one day.

Service was good and the food was pretty damned good but the portion sizes were tiny. We ordered the sashimi, the stuffed courgette and the heirloom tomato tart (I.e. three courses listed as mains) plus the brownie and ended up ducking into Farro as we were still hungry.<br/><br/>The staff mentioned there were small portions as the ingredients were expensive but that's not a reason ~ if you need to bump the price but don't serve starter sized food as a main.<br/><br/>Unless you are looking to lose weight or you enjoy waiting for very small portions avoid this place, there are better at better prices within a five minute drive.<br/><br/>

Love everything here!!!! Food, service, vibes everything! A nice place for weekend brunch sessions with family. I love the view from the window as well.

We descended upon Ampersand on a whim today having noticed that it was almost empty yesterday at 1.45 pm.....not so today - almost full.  Luckily we got a table on the terrace and the service was not as slow as might have been predicted given that an 80 year old was having a birthday lunch nearby.  We chose the gnocchi and to be fair were warned that it was small - and it certainly was!  For $21 it was remarkably small by local standards and we could not help remarking to each other that the same disch at Non Solo Pizza would have been rather bigger and rather cheaper.   However, this gnocchi was very, very delicious and, with a glass of wine, all you really needed for lunch.   Only complaint, apart from the portion being small was that the table had not been cleaned.  However, you can't have everything I suppose.

Had lunch here a couple of weekends ago and was very enjoyable - the food and drink options were very good.  We enjoyed our smoked fish - although very rich, and our daughter had the cheese burger.  Service was slightly sporadic, but the maître d noticed and sped things up and apologised.  Great local addition - will be back.

Last weekend was the monthly NZbloggers brunchclub and it was held at Ampersand Eatery. I thought I was going to miss out on this but I’m so glad I was able to make it. If you haven’t been here before or you’re after another brunch place in Auckland, check out my post below. Ampersand Eatery is located in Orakei Village. I’ve never been before but I’ve heard good things about this place because Lena of Lena Talks lives close by and we walked to the village to have a wander.

Excellent food, with creative recipes and real tasty ingredients. Beautiful view over the Orakei Gulf, fast service and plenty of parking. Highly recommend!

Came on Sunday afternoon for lunch with my family. The food and drinks were great, apart from one meal being late with no explanation. The part that made us uncomfortable was when one of the waiters (who served us and was great) was having a conversation with what appeared to be a manager next to us.<br/><br/>The waiter told this man that he couldn’t find out where the drinks were going, as the table on the docket was empty. The manager? asked which table is was, the waiter responded and the manager loudly said “UGH” to the waiter and stormed off. <br/><br/>I do not come to an establishment to see staff being treated badly, especially in front of customers. If you have an issue with your staff or feel frustrated, maybe you aren’t in the right profession and should find better ways of dealing with issues that arise. <br/><br/>For which ended up being an expensive bill, I won’t be back considering the interaction that happened in front of my family. <br/>

Sadly this was a disappointment. We basically paid $4 for half a piece of bread. I then ordered the pasta. It was bland and had large chunks of lemon zest.

Love Ampersand! been to this place a few times now and I absolutely love the food and coffee! Definitely worth going for a good Sunday brunch!  excellent service and excellent food!

Been wanting to try this place for a while, however the times I’ve come previously there was always a half an hour late. Arriving around 12 pm I <br/>was skeptical about getting in, considering it was the usual Auckland Sunday Brunch run. <br/><br/> So, it was to my complete and utter surprise that I only had to wait 10 minutes. I must have done something right this week to receive the blessings of the food gods.<br/><br/>You can’t do much better than the Ampersand layout, the high roof, wooden cubicle seating’s, near-open kitchen and a rather bare balcony. It's like a giant hipster tree house café, with ample amount of sun. #Tanning. <br/><br/>As a group, we ordered the eggs benny, Ampersand big breakfast, and the devilled lamb kidneys. To kick us off we had the cold nitrogen brew, refreshing and absolutely packs a bunch. In all honesty, I felt it was more like a beer than a coffee. As amazing as the interior of Ampersand was, as a group we were conflicted with the food. The eggs benny was scrumptious, but we felt like it was a bit pricey for above average bennys, something on the side to compliment it would have been perfect. In regards to the lamb kidneys, if you’re a gamey flavor person you cannot go wrong with this dish. Unfortunately, I was not, I had ordered this wanting to expand my palate a bit and it was just too gamey for me personally. There are positives though and rather strong ones at that, the Ampersand big breakfast was fantastic. The highlight being the potato waffles and Kransky, if you’re coming here for brunch go with the Ampersand big breakkie you cannot go wrong with that choice.  <br/><br/>Our waitress was somehow always alert with our water levels, making sure our cups were constantly topped up.<br/><br/>Showstopper: Ampersand Big Breakfast<br/><br/>Overall Grade: A-

Best coffee I've had in a long time in auckland. They are also really dog friendly. Pastries are delicious, I'll be back to try the main menu

It was just OK, not great value for money and super bummer that I couldn’t get eggs on toast with a side of avo but apparently because avo isn’t in season it’s not worth it for them to put a side of avo.. to be honest service was great but food was nothing special, not great value for money.

Great atmosphere and excellent service. <br/>I had the crepe which was filling and very hearty, very cheesy! <br/>My friend had the greens on cornbread which she also enjoyed.<br/>I will definitely be back

My mum and her 3 friends went there for a nice lunch turned into an ugly racial discrimination instead. They were waiting for 45 min to place an order and even then the waiter was practically dropping the utensils on the table with an attitude. It wasn’t their first time there but it would definitely be the last time. They were seated next to the Caucasian guy who was dining alone and when they got up angry this guy gave them a subtle nod; hinting I see what’s happening here.<br/>As an Asian who’s lived in NZ for over 20 years I think I am not too naive thinking the racism is not here at all though very rarely and usually more disguised but this blatant display disgusts me.

Had avocado on toast - the addition of kimchi was delicious! And the gluten free bread was very tasty! Slow service, but lovely staff and it was Saturday lunchtime of a long weekend, so not a big deal.

Nice place. Particularly nice if you’re on the deck on a nice day. <br/><br/>Had the fish and chips which wasn’t anything special. How not special you ask? The mushy peas were the best part. <br/><br/>Service was polite if slow and the delivery of the drinks and food was out of order and the milkshake was disappointing. <br/><br/>Would I go back? Hell yeah they have a nice deck, they’re nice people and it’s a nice place. I’ll just stick to beer next time.

Great location and great views.<br/><br/>Lots of sun throughout the day, great breakfast selections. Not huge servings but enough to get full. Can go shopping afterwards too.<br/><br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Food Quantity: 4/5<br/>Food Quality: 4/5<br/>Presentation: 4/5<br/>Environment: 4/5<br/>Price per person: $20-$25

I came hoping to try the agnolotti del plin, but was told that the menu had changed. So I settled for an ampersand breakfast instead. So yeah - don't reply 100% on the menus you find here. <br/><br/>Apart from that, the coffee was ok. The atmosphere, vibrant. It was a bit of a wait on a Sunday morning so good thing there were some shops to lounge about while waiting to be called your turn. Service was outstanding so really, food arrived really quickly, so can't complain.

Great venue, shame about the food and the service. <br/><br/>Have tried the place twice and it has been decidedly average each time (I always try a 2nd time, everyone has bad days). First time it was a solo experience, 2nd time with a friend who really wanted to go there. I didn't tell my friend my view of the place. He said it was alright but wouldn't try it again. <br/><br/>Overcharged each time and both times they forgot to bring drinks and food. The first time I didn't get cutlery. The 2nd time they cleared the condiments off the table while we were still eating.<br/><br/>The food was bland, uninteresting and the service was lacklustre.<br/><br/>The person on the till asked if we enjoyed our meal. My friend, who is usually very polite said, "not really" . The guy didn't even follow up on that statement, he just looked away. <br/><br/>One of those places where I leave and immediately want to go eat something tasty. Like my fridge at home. <br/><br/>

Very nice place to dine!<br/><br/>The interior design of the place was pleasant and comfortable. Staff were friendly and helpful.<br/><br/>The food did take a while to come out but everything was pleasant. The fries were actually the highlight, it was perfectly made. Serving sizes were slightly small for lunch.<br/><br/>Great place to catch up with friends. I'm happy to come back and try out some other things on the menu!

Last minute choice, due to being unable to get a table at Amano (5 out of 5) the word cafe describes this establishment, lovely views, industrial design quite smart, for a friday night it certainly was not pumping. Reasonable selection of the usual suspects on the menu, nothing that really stood out, we ordered mains of the so called crayfish ravioli which for $34! comprised of 7 minute parcels about the size of a thumb nail, so small that what ever was in side was minuscule and barely recognizable, hate to see what you got for $19, i ordered the pork belly and received 3 good size pieces of nicely cooked pork accompanied by an interesting selection of fruit and some pickled cabbage, perfectly edible , but nothing to write home about, like most cafe food just food on a plate (no love), these were followed be a extremely small affogato (half a scoop of ice cream), the meal was accompanied by a very pleasant french rose.<br/>The staff were very friendly, if not slightly ott for what is basically a cafe, overall not an unpleasant experience for $110, which at places like Amano would have bought you a superb meal, this would probably explain why it was not as busy as it should have been on a friday night.

Now been here several times. Cool vibe and excellent food. Gets very busy so worth booking. A cool development clever wine and food and excellent coffee too.

The most amazing meal I have had in a long long time! And such great, attentive service.<br/><br/>We came here for a work dinner and had the set menu where we had a choice of entree and dessert and were served 3 sharing platter mains (plus sides) and bread and butter for the table. Everything we had was delicious and portions were very very generous. I loved the sharing plates for the mains as it meant we could try a bit of everything. All dishes- lamb, beef and fish were faultless. We can't stop raving about this place in the office and have all been telling everyone we can. Great value for money too with the set menu. Keep up the good work ampersand.

Me and 3 went here late at night (good to see a cafe open late ) Lovely spacious area, scrumptious looking cream and jam doughnuts were on display, so we ordered 2 to share and 3 different kinds of tea.This is an excellent place to visit, and highly recommended. When we went to pay, Amanda said that she remembered us from our previous visit.All of the staff were very friendly. . I marked them down because my pet peeve is staff cleaning tables, as they use same cleaning cloth from table to table then the chairs, and not rinsing the cloth,tonight I saw the floor got wiped! !Urghh

Coffee is amazing?! First two expirences were slightly disappointed as they ran out of tables and a had to wait or the machine broke so having to wait 15 minutes for ordering. But once we finally able to try the food, the quality is definitely above average and enjoyable. We ordered pappadelle and French toast.

The staff were very attentive, warm smiles and real evidence of staff in a job that they enjoy.<br/><br/>Food recommendations, the duck pie especially, were spot on with some of the most amazing food I have eaten being served up tonight!! The whole table raved and unfortunately the food looked so good I couldn't get my phone out quick enough to get a photo before we all jumped in to eat! <br/><br/>Complimentary wifi kept the kids entertained and really let us sit back, relax and enjoy a well deserved night out with friends. <br/><br/>Couldn't recommend this any higher! Go there as soon as you can

My friend and i came in yesterday and were blown away with everything. The Manager was lovely and she made time to come over for a chat and all staff were efficient and professional. I had fish and chips and the batter was the best i have had in a very long time. My friend had the salmon Salad and she loved it as it was fresh and tasty. I will defiantly be back with my Husband for the Dinner Menu! Go Ampersand! So good to have a new Local.

Cool venue with friendly staff. Food was tasty we had the quail pie, risotto and pork filet with side of potato and gravy. Dessert was ok, overall an enjoyable experience. <br/>

The only reason I'm giving a rating above 1 is because the wait staff were really lovely. Other than that the menu really needs some working on. I got the braised greens which basically were doughy potato balls deep fried (and you may think that sounds yum but it literally felt like I had consumed glue- not that I've ever done that before). We also got the burger- the meat in the burger was beautiful but it was a shame that it was put in between real average buns. The chips that came with the burger were also extremely deep fried. Despite this, I really want to come back and try the other things on the menu because the location is so convenient and the overall vibe is amazing. This is a new establishment and I have hopes that it will progress to its full potential... goodluck Ampersand.

Went there on a nice sunny winter Sunday, sat on the balcony, it was quite nice.<br/>It was around midday, we ordered omelette & spaghetti. Waited half and hour and no sign of food, our waiter didn't seemed to noticed/cared. At 30mins after ordering, we asked the waiter about our order, he came back moments later & said it was coming. At 40mins after ordering, another staff (looked like one of the managers) came and asked if everything was ok, so we told him how long we had waited and no sign of food. He went to check and said it's coming, he offered us complimentary coffees. Food finally arrived 45mins after ordering!! <br/>Omelette was a bit dried but taste was ok. BUT, as we were leaving, we saw the plate of omelette on one of the other table and felt it looked different, I read the menu afterwards and realised why it looked different... they served us omelette without the salsa verde......... ok, so no, we won't be going back again thx... I can find better place than that...

We were definitely lucky with the weather for our Saturday brunch. Sat outside and soaked up the sunshine along with inhaling the AKL's crisp air was a bonus.<br/><br/>Among the 3 of us we ordered a trim latte, Glazed slab bacon, hot choc, eggs benny and smoothie. <br/><br/>I was happily caffeinated by a coffee made to perfection. I had the glazed slab bacon dish, which sounded amazing and looked pleasing to eat. However, was a little dissapointed. Flavours were all there but personally, it was a little bit dry and thought it needed some sort of sauce to complement it. <br/><br/>However, location and view of the cafe looking out to the harbour was spectacular. A nice place to catch up with friends and family. Customer service was excellent with the lad making sure we were all comfortable + cracking jokes in between (5/5) :) <br/>

Came in yesterday afternoon for some afternoon snacks! We were seated on a lovely table out on the balcony. The staff were great, allowed us to order a kids meal even when they were just on a bar snack menu. We decided to stay on for dinner and the staff set up a table for the 6 of us (one of those being a baby in a high chair) and had it ready within minutes. The manager, who I must say was warm, friendly, professional and knowledgable, recommended that I have 'his favourite dish'. I trusted him and oh my lord, if you ever go to Ampersand for dinner you must Have the Pheasant and Quail Filo Pie!! This was honestly such an amazing experience I can't wait to come back!!

Great location and views, but the staff all looked like they didnt want to be there. I ordered a cheese burger and made sure they understood i could not have mustard on it (severe allergy), when we finally got our meal it had a ridiculous amount of mustard on it so i sent my half back (we had split it) while my partner ate the other half as i wasnt going to make them wait another half hour for food. The iced chocolate was warm and very powdery. I asked for a doggy bag, the waitress brought me a container and i was made to pick up my burger with my hands and box it up myself. When paying the manager tried to do me a "favor" by not charging me $22 for the extra burger that we had only had half of since my half was sent back. The staff lied and told him we hadnt asked for no mustard even though the table next to us heard the whole conversation as did another server. All in all a dissapointing experience and i will never go back! Will also be telling friends about our bad experience.

My business partner and I saw some parking free for once at Orakei Village this morning and decided to give it a go. We were attracted to Ampersand because of its beautiful fitout, and were seated promptly and offered still or sparkling water. Oh, that means Hip Group. I've never been lucky with Hip Group places and this unfortunately was no exception.For 9.30 in the morning and not that many customers it was a surprisingly long wait (more than half an hour) for the food. And when it did arrive, we were disappointed. I had the breakfast ramen: the stock was actually pretty good but was marred by a bitter note as if something in it had been burned, and the ramen was undercooked and tough. It came with a poached egg (which was fine) and a tiny sprinkling of spring onion and shredded beetroot. At $19 even if this had been perfect it would have been overpriced, but it was far from perfect. My business partner had the smoked trevally and potato omelette and fared no better. The smoked trevally was nice (because it's smoked trevally), but the potatoes were undercooked and the eggs were overcooked. It came with a slice of sourdough presented without any butter or oil and burned along one edge. Some serious, serious attention to detail needed here. Service at least was pleasant and flawless.

I came here for a Saturday lunch around 1pm and despite the restaurant being busy, but not completely full we were told it would be a 25 minute wait for food. It didn't end up being too long of a wait for food which was a positive. <br/>Nice ambience, quite an industrial feel however we sat outside and despite there being a few heaters we found the wind channeled through as it wasn't completely covered so would recommend sitting inside on a cold day. <br/>Food was good. Probably a 3/5. I had the eggs bene. Someone else at the table said the fish omelette was quite nice. The coffee was pretty good but just typical Auckland cafe standard, nothing to rant and rave about. <br/>The service was the one thing the group of adults I was with commented about. There seemed to be a lot of staff but we were delivered the wrong meal and drink on more than one occasion. We also received our meals but had not been delivered the cutlery so had to go find someone to get cutlery before we could start our meals. <br/>Other than what I can assume are a few teething issues for a new place, this was a nice spot to have a Saturday lunch with family. I will likely be back in a few months time to try again!<br/>Thanks Ampersand

got the eggs benedict which was topped with a paprika sauce. a nice twist on an everyday meal that just made it that much more delicious. i got a side of bacon but when i come back i will definitely get the salmon as recommended. originally the wrong order had been taken down and brought out which i didn't really mind as they corrected it and brought out the new meal asap. when we went up to pay the dude was so nice and didn't charge us. Would've been happy to and i'm still coming back for more! Big portion size as well which was good to see as i feel like most people have disregarded portion size recently to accomodate for presentation. But Ampersand did both!

Beautiful, artistic n well heeled and so is the venue. Early breakfast on a Sunday morning. Venue is sharp, a real cool place for eats. Staff n service I thought was very good. Had the Breakfast Ramen included a poached egg with the bacon option. Nice Miso broth, noodles were good, just needed to be a bigger serving to pay homage to a traditional Japanese staple. I will be back to sample the more traditional western dishes I saw pass by my table (opposite the pick up station). The side order of homemade sourdough accompanied the ramen well. Finished my meal with a nice pot of green tea.

Dinner on Saturday <br/>Nice looking venue but food is bad. 4 meals arrived cold, meat was over salted, fish was under cooked. Raised the issue with management, they ignored it.

We had lunch at Ampersand.  The waiter was really good and my son enjoyed his hotcake.  That was where the good times ended.  I had the market fish and husband the cheese burger.  <br/><br/>The chips were enjoyable but varied in temperature.  Burger was lukewarm.  The tartare sauce was very unusual with mashed egg through it - the texture was not enjoyable and it was bland.  The fish was not nice at all.  The batter was not crispy at all (per the manager the beer batter was supposed to be like this).  <br/><br/>We spoke to the waiter who took the feedback and said she would advise the manger.  He turned up with the aioli sauce (I requested to replace the tartare) and asked if we wanted more coffee.  The management don't seem to care about customers perceptions.

Had a lovely brunch here on the deck overlooking the bay. The french toast was the perfect size and delicious, and my coffee was perfect.<br/><br/>Would have been 5 stars, except it was a quiet day and the waitress who seated me never came back to take my food order, so I had to flag someone else down. Lots of staff around, probably too many given how quiet it was, but again had to find someone so I could pay at the end as well.<br/><br/>I'm looking forward to going back again to try more of the menu!

After reading Viva's recent review we were keen to try this new local Orakei restaurant. Sadly a disappointing dining experience. The Tartare was rather bland & the Rump Steak was the first inedible steak we have ever experienced, cooked rare as requested but extremely tough, however, the Moroccan Duck Pie was tasty. Service/waitress was good. We did express our disappointment and hope this has been passed on to the kitchen.

Reliable and #1 go to... either for a morning coffee by espresso workshop after a lovely walk around the Orakei Basin or for a Hallertau #1 on the balcony at sundown. Food is great all hours of opening... Staff are friendly, down to earth and look like they enjoy themselves at work. The manager Matt brings the entrance to life as he welcomes everyone as a friend upon arrival, his team clearly respects and enjoys his company as the vibe the employees have going on oozes through the joint. Must try the Oysters, the Cheeseburger and the White Cut Chicken! 10/10 AMPERSAND.

Located in the new orakei basin shops Ampersand Eatery is a large spacious new eatery. There are tables inside and out. I went for my usual smashed avocado with bacon and it came with a surprise touch of crispy sea weed and kimchi.<br/>The staff are friendly, the coffee is good and food interesting - what more can you ask for

Absolutely loved this place tonight!! Such a cool vibe, food delivered quickly and the service was amazing!! Albeit quiet, the staff were very attentive and made our experience one of the best I have had in a long time (and a huge improvement from the first time I came, when they obviously had their training wheels on). Can't wait to get back here! Definitely my new local, especially with the Maple Room gone now! Get around them everyone!! P.s the Fondant is the best I have ever tried!!!

I'll keep it short as other reviews have detailed the problems. Too expensive & food not worth what you pay for it. Service hit & miss. <br/>They are busy, but I believe it's the location rather than what they have to offer. This area is crying out for a good cafe that doesn't overcharge & under deliver. Perhaps they can morph into one.

We'd enjoyed Mikey Newlands food at Bracu and so wanted to try his new restaurant.  We weren't disappointed.  The Smoked Beetroot and the  Herb Crusted Pork were superb and Ampersand's own Snickers Bar was worth my weekly sugar ration.  Friendly and helpful service with waiting staff who knew the menu and could advise - always helpful.  We popped in for brunch on Sunday before leaving the city.  Great food again and same helpful staff.  We'll be back next time we're in Auckland.

Beautiful spot to eat with amazing interiors, that's about where it stopped for my husband and I. <br/>We went for Sunday lunch at about 12pm which we knew would be a busy time. <br/>On arrival the waitress took our names and advised she would ring us in 5 minutes as they were clearing tables. We went and looked at the shops waiting to be called, about 1/2 an hr went by so we went back in and said we had been waiting a long time, the waitress with the list came over and we could clearly see she had crossed off about 5 people's names underneath ours and left our name blank?! We thought that was really strange and rude! <br/>So we got seated and orders were taken pretty quickly. We waited just over an hour before we even got our coffee then the food was another 15-20m.<br/>The waiters were not very efficient as they were wandering around with our food asking other tables if this was their meal, my husband had to flag them down which was not ideal, then to realised his meal was missing something from the menu. <br/>The waitress was not apologetic for the long wait or the missing food.. We left wishing we had not wasted our time or money!

“I need to go there one day”, I would always muse to myself as the Orakei basin walkway flashed past when I used to take the train to uni everyday. The opening of Ampersand Eatery was a glaring reminder that I still had never set an actual foot into the region and I figured it was high time I went.

Beautiful eatery with a great aethestic, helpful wait staff and prompt service but unfortunately thats where the good stuff ended for me.<br/><br/>Ordered the Columbian Corn Cake with poached egg, devilled mushrooms, and feta . The corn cake was dry and flavourless, the mushrooms were the same and seemingly well past their use by date, the poached egg was the smallest sorriest thing I'd seen in a long time and pretty much disintegrated when cut into, and to top it off it looked like it had be thrown onto the plate with little care or attention OR THE GARNISHES that my neighbouring table had received. So very disappointing. To round off my not so great brunching experience I was then over charged and on the receiving end a very frosty Maitre D when trying to settle my bill. Seriously ..... a smile and genuine common courtesy goes a long way in my books.

We visited for breakfast on Saturday and had a great experience.  We were greeted very promptly by the friendly Manager & we were seated out on the enclosed balcony which was lovely in the sun.  The menu is small but we were very happy with our choices.  Service was very quick and our water glasses were constantly refilled.  Based on this experience, we will definitely try for dinner.

We decided to try Ampersand for a midweek dinner having previously tried to have lunch on a Sunday to be told there'd be nearly an hour wait for a table. We decided midweek would be a quieter time to dine and we were right.<br/>However, despite having booked a table for dinner we arrived last night to some stumbling and confusion as to where to put us. This involved 3 waiting staff plus the Maitre D! Apparently the table they'd reserved for us was given to someone else. We really didn't mind at all, however the fuss that was made over this didn't make our arrival particularly easy and welcoming. <br/>This clumsiness continued. Waiting staff really need some training in getting the balance of good service right. We were constantly being disturbed with "sorry to interrupt" to fill up water glasses, re-set the table, deliver salt, top up wine etc. Quality restaurant service needs to be effortless and seamless...there is an art to this that Ampersand's staff haven't mastered - perhaps there's some over-compensating going on here following past reviews?<br/>We could have gotten past the strange service however, if the food had really made up for it. There were one or 2 highlights: the smokey flavoured beetroot was delicious, as was the Moroccan Pie. The Fish Tartare was bland and fairly uninspiring; ditto the Market Fish, which was also a very small portion for the $29.00 charge - it was in no way a balanced meal either, with very little to it! Not what you'd call value for money. <br/>After all of this - the clumsy, slightly disruptive waiting staff and the fairly average food - we really couldn't wait to leave. Fortunately we're not dessert eaters so could keep our first (and for the foreseeable future, probably last) visit to Ampersand reasonably short. <br/>The awkwardness continued however, with one of the waiters deciding to shake my husband's hand as we left - cringe - and some slightly forced and unnecessary chit chat at the till. <br/>It's so important for restaurants to provide efficient, welcoming (but not overbearing) service - Ampersand definitely haven't got this right yet.

Well what can i say......i came in on week two of opening and they had a few teething issues...BUT i came in over the weekend and was so impressed ....i couldn't fault it. I think everyone should give Ampersand a chance. the staff go out of there way and make you feel so welcome. From owners to managers to chefs to wait staff they have this on lock...the food is amazing and service is on fine form. im over the moon to have a local who has proven themselves.

I would like to say it was great, space was nice, nice feeling, started off well. But all our food was cold and small. Flavours had the ingredients to be outstanding. When we mentioned it poor communication and same meals back still not right. Granted they credited the veggies and salads.. But got the feeling just didn't seem to really care! I would have rather paid and get an opportunity to come back when they get it right.<br/><br/>I do hope they get it right... could be a great local.

We tried this place Saturday 6th May. Waited 25 minutes for a table which was fine as they were busy. Once seated the service was efficient. Coffee orders taken asap. Approx 10 minutes later our food order was taken. The latte's we ordered were very good. Perfect size, temperature & consistency.<br/>We had been waiting 30 minutes since our food order when our waitress asked us if we had ordered? We said she had already taken our food order, so she asked us again what it was.<br/>We became suspicious when a table of 8 that had come in approx 30 minutes after us, received their food. We called our waitress back over and asked her if our food had been started. It had not. 1 hour, 10 minutes had gone by since we arrived there and 1 hour since ordering.<br/>She offered to put a rush on our food but we declined. At the counter the manager came over and told us the kitchen printer had run out of paper so our order was missed. The only problem with that story, is that those printers don't keep printing if there is no paper, the orders are stored in the memory until paper is put back in so that is BS. Also, all of the other orders around the same time would have been missed yet we were the only ones affected. <br/>Getting to the bottom of it, it appears our waitress forgot to put our order into the system but didn't want to say so.<br/>They gave us the 3 coffees we had ordered for free and a 'sorry, but it wasn't our fault'. You wait just over 1 hour for food that is not even coming and your coffees are free. Great customer service.....not.<br/>Wont be bothering with a return trip and will most definitely be passing our opinions on to our food groups.

Came to ampersand last week for breakfast..<br/>We ordered <br/>Eggs on toast with a side of avocado and Eggs Benedict..<br/>We couldn't fault the food at all.. my partner said his sauce for the eggs Benedict was one of the best he had tasted in a long time.<br/>The coffee was really good too..<br/>Definitely worth a visit and then a nice walk around the area. :-)

Great space, but overpriced for very average food. Even though we had to wait for our table at 9:30am, the service was fantastic. However everything was let down by the pricing and food. Ampersand charges an extra $1.50 for almond milk in an already overpriced coffee - daylight robbery. An additional side of 'slab bacon', charged at $7, turned out to be one thin sliver - hardly worth it. Everyone at our table of four was disappointed with the food - perhaps our expectations were too high... There are plenty of other establishments that charge more reasonable prices for the same if not better quality.

We visited this place Saturday noon after reading a review on it. We were deeply disappointed in terms of food/service/ coffee and overall experience.  Waited 20 minutes+ to get our order taken, then they confused and forgot our order, brought in different plates? <br/>Our hash waffle had parts of a green cloth in the middle! We told the waiting staff about this and no one of them thought about telling the manager, so she wasn't impressed when we were paying and asked her for a detailed receipt.<br/>To be honest overall, the service was terrible as they didn't seem interested in asking if we were good/ needed water, salt and pepper?.. sort of things you would expect from a place like this.   <br/>I didn't enjoy my food one bit and we won't be coming back, that is a given.

Staff and service here were great before that something bad happened. After the staff( manager L.) brought me the cappuccino, he was taking those empty plates and cutlery away. And he dropped a knife!!!! The knife with sauce just hit on my phone. He picked up the knife WITHOUT saying a word sorry and left.😡😡😡😡😡 😤😤😤I was wiping up my phone with a napkin and found that the edge of my phone was scratched by the knife and screen protector was broken😱😱😫😫(I just got this new screen protector a month ago). I told another waiter what's happened and pointed out the man served us. Few minutes later, the man came with a business card and told me that he is the restaurant manager. He can do nothing at moment, but asked me to email to their manager mail box and told what's happened today. Then they will do the follow up!!!!WHAT'S THAT!!!!😫😤😡 is this how the restaurant deal with their guest?! Can't you just simply apologise and make the thing easier for me since that's all your fault! All I asked is just to replace a new screen protector! Why can't I just go and get a new one, then email to you the receipt? I really have no idea how hard it can be☹️ anyways, without this annoying problem, here is still a nice place to go. Now, I am going to write an email to their manager mailbox to see when can I get my screen protector changed🙁 (good job manager! wasting my time!😤)