Review Porch Bar & Eatery - St Heliers

Highly recommend. We ordered the Bang Bang Chicken, Lamb dumplings and pork belly. Everything was absolutely delicious! One of the best Asian fusion meals I’ve had in 2023. The lamb dumplings in coconut were insane! A must try, you will not be disappointed! I will be back 👍🤤

Came here with my coworkers. They have a nice mood, a great location to see beautiful beach. But food was salty in general and served very slowly. Considerated services, though. Anyway, dessert was magnificent! Display was incredible.

Great location. We had our lunch and the view from our seat seeing the beach was amazing. Our dishes were tasty, Asian fusion food. I recommend to try their pork belly, sashimi - king fish dishes. Their dessert for a small group was awesome - mix ice cream, pavlova, panna cotta, pudding and chocolate. Their coffee was also good. Highly recommend this place. Definitely will come back and try other dishes.

Very interesting sashimi not the usual japanese, but a spicy burst of flavour. Fusion asian food done well in a pleasant atmosphere. Lots of choices

A great venue, location and staff however solidly average food - all food was good but nothing great. We came for lunch on sunny Saturday and were lucky enough to grab a table outside facing the water. The high top tables are great as it provides a bit of distance from people walking past plus you get the great view. Staff were brilliant, very attentive and friendly. We order the wagyu beef and rice brunch bowl, the lamb dumplings and the chicken larb lettuce cups. The beef rice bowl was good value for money but the other two were definitely on the more expensive side. We enjoyed our lunch but weren’t blown away by the food. However location and staff definitely made up for it. Would I come back again? Ehhh potentially for brunch but probably not for lunch or dinner.

4.5 stars, rounding down. You can’t beat the view on a beautiful sunny day. And the food was excellent. Fish tacos were generous and delicious, didn’t drip and ooze while still managing to be moist. Lamb and mushroom dumplings in a tom kai soup style broth were also very tasty. The dumplings, however, is what is keeping this from a 5-star rating. There are three choices of dumplings on the menu. We would have preferred the prawn and chicken but the menu indicated that they come in a broth. We didn’t want broth, just dumplings, so went with the lamb and mushroom. And we had assumed they would come out first or, at the least, together with the tacos. Regardless, we were not asked our preference. Not only did the tacos come first but we were on our last bites of our third taco, and on the verge of cancelling the dumplings, when to our great surprise the dumplings showed up, sitting in a full bowl of creamy white soup. The menu gives no indication that these would also be in a broth. Had we known, we would have ordered something else. In any case, if I’m having soup and tacos, it should be soup first. Or we should be asked. The soup and dumplings tasted very fresh as if made to order. Maybe this is why they took longer. But we should have been advised of this when ordering. We did really enjoy our meal and will be back. But we’ll be sure to ask more questions and specify preferences next time.

I love this place. Amazing food, service.. and atmosphere.

Excellent cocktails. The service was warm, efficient and friendly. The food were absolutely delicious. And the dessert plank was fantastic, big, and we couldn't get enough of it.

Great brunch spot right across from the beach! Would definitely come back for dinner too. Food was great: Soft shell crab benedict was epic with two whole crabs. Fish tacos were also fantastic. Cool vibe and sea views and outdoor seating available, behind a clear plastic sheet if it’s windy/rainy. Staff were friendly and attentive and held on to my sunglasses that I accidentally left behind (very glad they were honest!)

Where to start?? Inviting and awesome atmosphere. The staff are absolutely amazing. We didn’t have a reservation either, which was surprising we got a table as it was pretty packed! The food is great! Great portions and great price! Highly recommend. I’ll be back for more than the salted caramel expression martini.

Food was as cold as the service. Unfriendly staff, long wait time (35 minutes) and well below average food. Will not be back.

Nice decor, yummy coffees and the soft shell crab Benedict was cooked perfectly. Soft eggs dripping with tasty spicy hollondaise on a crunchy crab and fried hash cake. They also do a great mimosa🥂

Loved the Asian inspired menu, wine list, friendly staff & super views opposite beach. Recommend the rice paper rolls but most dishes looked very tasty

I definitely recommend you get the unusual or the poached eggs on toast. As for drinks you should get the apple juice. It was beautiful and will be back.

Just arrived home after spending the afternoon here with my friend. Both not feeling well but wanted to get out for fresh air and grab something quick to eat. Because typical ‘Auckland Weather’ likes to turn, after only a few minutes drive, Porch was the most inviting of them all. Personally speaking for both, we thought the hanging spirits bottles behind the bar were very cool and brought a rustic look to the place - the outdoor plants, lights and different dining plates too. Though this would no doubtedly be a hit in the summer, it’s a very cosy and relaxed place to be even on days like today. <br/><br/>Spicy Pork Taco - 12/10 😍 <br/>Sticky Fried Chicken - 9/10 <br/>Service - 7/10<br/><br/>Can’t wait to visit again and try more on the menu. Maybe have a few cheeky beers too 😋

Great location, with really good food on offer as well! Had a late breakfast which was an eggs Benedict nesting in the sun over looking St Helliers bay = Happy man :)

Came into Porch Bar & eatery for a lunch with the family and we all enjoyed it. I ordered the chicken lettuce larb cups as nothing else on the menu sounded good but I loved how fresh and light they and that they didn't leave you stuffed. The only thing was that they are quite spicy so definitely have something to drink close by. My Mum ordered the cauliflower steak which she thought was quite tasty, my Dad got the pulled pork tacos which were supposed to be really spicy but they actually weren't but they were really good, a little small so possibly order something else as they are like finger food. My brother got the fettuccine carbonara of the kids menu, which they actually don't show but they were happy to offer it to him. I tasted it and it was really good. Awesome view and service as-well, definitely recommend if you're around the St. Heliers area!!

Love the small plates menu. Fresh clean flavours that are satisfying without leaving you feeling overindulged. Even enjoyed the duck, which I normally wouldn’t choose. Coming back!<br/>

Great food, drink and location and views. Plenty of seating with ocean views. <br/>Great for dining or just drinks by the sea. <br/>Will certainly visit again.

We decided to try porch out after a nice day pit on the beach earlier and was disappointed with the long wait and poor quality dish. <br/><br/>We ordered the king cut steak which serves 2 and some drinks but we were not told until we waited over 35 mins and it will take at least 45 mins to cook. After nearly an hour , the steak arrived uncooked and raw in some places once it’s cut and had to send it back as it’s not edible. When we got it back about ten mins later , it was over cooked ! <br/><br/>The manager apologised several times for the error and dissatisfaction and offered us drinks but I was driving so we politely refused but he offered our tiramisu dessert on the house for the stuff up above which was nice and it was a treat. <br/><br/>Anyway , we doubt we will be back anytime soon unless they offer us another chance on the house to redeem the bad experience we had as they have many other dishes to try out according to the manager. After leaving , we didn’t feel it was right paying full price for the uncooked and over cooked steak with the long wait despite the dessert token :-(

After a long walk we decided to pop into Porch for a small bite to eat. Five small plates, one side and two cocktails later we were happily smiling in blissful contentment. I’m surprised we managed to eat it all but it was hard to choose from so many delicious sounding options. A lovely spot with friendly staff and good food. What’s not to like.

Amazing food! Especially if you're a vegetarian! Loved the ambiance and the service was spectacular. Reasonable pricing for St Heliers also. Would definitely recommend and will be going there again soon :)

Came by for brunch to try it out. The seating outside was full but we managed to get a table on the porch, overlooking St Heliers Bay Road. There was also an interior dining area which was mostly empty. <br/><br/>The place has a nice atmosphere, particularly in the covered porch area and nice lighting. Service was friendly and fairly efficient. They were ready to take the orders when we were ready to order.<br/><br/>Had to try the soft shell crab Benedict since it was quite different. It took about 15 minutes to get our food. The food was nice and tasty but quite small. Crab and hash were nice and crispy and the spicy hollandaise gave it a nice warmth. Also had the pulled pork tacos which had a nice smoky flavour.<br/><br/>Nice food and service but think that the portions are a bit small.

Really enjoyed our time here. tried half a dozen dishes, however the portions are definitely on the small side compared to other restaurants around Auckland. Would suggest the beef cheeks and potato skins, however the rest felt overpriced and not filling for the quantity.

Average food, incredibly slow service. Shame as such a great location! Had to go up to counter to order food and still got the order wrong. Very disappointed.

Our favourite spot in St Heliers. Great food and a beautiful setting. particularly like the prawn cocktail. It's normally pretty hard to get a table outside and is a bit dark inside in the summer (but great in the winter).

Amazing view from the porch of the sea and Rangitoto Island. Ample parking spaces in the morning. Food and coffee was fantastic in particular the soft shell crab Benedict! Not the cheapest place around but for the quality totally worth it. Would recommend!

I am a photographer visiting from San Francisco and my group had lunch here last Friday and was very impressed with the food and service. Absolutely LOVE this place ❤️

It was ok. Has a nice view. Service was slapdash and erratic to the extreme. The place was half full but we couldn't get them to correctly serve our drinks (everyone was drinking the same so I could see how that might be confusing). <br/><br/>At one point we asked for a wine glass because for some inexplicable reason they had taken someone's wine glass away while she was still drinking. They brought us glass tumblers for the whole table. This could have been because an hour earlier we had asked for (and not gotten) water. We still didn't get water. I watched the waitperson go to the bar, inspect the dirty wine glasses and finally ask the bartender for a clean one. <br/><br/>Had perfectly serviceable food but nothing that made me want to order more or get food envy from what any other table was being served. After my food arrived the waitperson asked if I would like cutlery to eat with and a plate to eat from. I thought that was a nice novel touch in a restaurant. And I thought it was expensive. Nice black plates though. <br/><br/>Toilets were small, dark and dirty. I preferred to use the public ones on the beach. <br/><br/>I have no idea how accurate the bill was. I left my friends there, went home drank some tap water out of a clean glass I got from my cupboard, made myself a sandwich and felt very contented. <br/><br/><br/><br/>

We had the most awful experience at this place. We ordered 3 coffee and a dessert to be told by a waitress that sorry they didn’t do coffee. I found it strange as the coffee machine was right there and some other guests were having coffee at nearby tables. I went up to ask the Manager/Owner if they would serve coffee with desserts and he rudely said no coffee. You need to order food to get a table. I understand that you need to buy food and drinks otherwise it would be unfair on the venue. However, it was after lunch 3pm and the place was not full. We were prepared to pay for food but we were dismissed very quickly by that rude staff. It was the most unpleasant experience and very un-kiwi. But i’m glad it happened as we went next door and a great time at the st heliers bay bistro.

Liked the atmosphere and the dark timber and copper lights. A little loud because of the acoustics but I guess adds to the buzzy vibe. Really great food, lots to choose from and outstanding espresso martini. The beautiful views to Rangitoto and service is just a bonus to add to the amazing experience.

Went here for dinner tonight, it was delicious. Very busy with a great ambiance. Came as a group of 5 which was perfect for their shared style menu as we are able to get a variety. The food was beautifully presented with loads of flavour. The cauliflower was a hit!! The beef cheeks and dumplings were equally awesome. Overall an awesome night

It was a cockpup from the moment we arrived, we booked a table for 5 on the porch, we were told to sit at a table inside 10 mins passed and we were asked to move to another inside table 1 drinks menu was put on the table 3 cocktails 1 beer and a cider were ordered the beer, cider and 1 cocktail arrived 10 to 15 mins later the other 2 cocktails arrived.<br/>We ordered food and 4 of the entrees (shared plates) arrived after 20 mins and 2 complaints to the waitress the last arrived. <br/>4mains ordered 2 arrived moments after the last entree and the 5 mins later the 2 steaks came.<br/>All in all as the evening wore on I became more and more frustrated ( pissed off).<br/>We never had a chance to order more drinks or wine, which in hindsight was a good thing.<br/>I enjoy eating out and good food and service are all part of the experience, I will never ever return to this restaurant.<br/>I rated it 1.5

Food:<br/>Food was very tasty. Had the aromatic mushrooms and wife had the hashed bennedict both were presented elegantly and absolutely delicious. Kudos to the kitchen crew. <br/><br/>Coffee:<br/>Had the trim FW and it was not bad, however I was disappointed that they make their mochas/hot choc with cheap chocolate powder.  You could taste the graini-ness and it doesn't do the coffee & heated milk any justice.<br/><br/>Service:<br/>Unfortunately the service was inconsistent and poor. The manager on duty really looked like he would rather be somewhere else, there were only 3 floor staff with a packed cafe and zero leadership/coordination from the manager. Small things are often missed like forgetting orders, water top ups, clearing tables quickly and checking on customer meals.  If you read what all other people say about the service it is pretty much spot on.  There's a real lack of customer service at this cafe and it's a big shame considering the location and other really good restaurants around as well. <br/><br/>Price performance:<br/>Food-wise for the breakfast - it was a little pricier but the taste was good, I think the aromatic mushrooms was a good bang for buck.  <br/>Coffees - I think I could have gotten more coffee if I asked for it in a takeaway cup instead of a coffee cup & saucer. <br/>Service performance - as mentioned above, lack of customer centricity will be the absolute downfall of the cafe.  I am not likely to return to this place in the near future as there are better cafes/restaurants around.

We asked today for coffee and rudely sent away with the words "If you don't order food you can't have coffee." Restaurant was quite empty in the morning. We ate at this place many times before, taking our family and friends and even business partners. So, we will not recommend this place to anyone or come back again.

Had lunch here today! What an absolutely epic view while seated out on the verandah with a beautiful glass of wine. The service was exceptional. Accommodating and friendly. We both had the market fish - beautiful presentation and the flavours were tasty and varied. Great spot for a lunch with a bit of fancy on the side. <br/>Thanks for a lovely experience. We will be back!

Twice we have had bad experiences with staff at Porch. Last year the owner argued with us about what we had ordered when we were brought the wrong dish and recently we were told off in a very unpleasent way for walking into the restaurant when there was no one at the door to seat us. The menu is also very linited in the evenings with a small number of Tapas only and no mains. We and all of our friends are boycotting Porch - this has never happened to us before and we have lived in the area and eaten out in St Heliers for 25 years.

We popped in here for a late bite... great location friendly staff... we ordered:<br/>Chicken prawn dumplings<br/>Prawn cocktail<br/>Snapper sliders <br/>Three little piggies-tacos<br/>Potato skins<br/>Dumplings were ok broth was nice<br/>Prawn cocktail not that nice way too much sauce over it<br/>Sliders were ok<br/>Tacos didn’t appeal & liquid poured out of it when you took a bite<br/>Skins.. had better<br/>Didn’t leave thinking we’ll be back@<br/>

Love this spot! Apart from the great views, which are a given, the food is amazing. We love shared plates and everything we have tried on the menu (both breakfast and dinner) has been fantastic. Sometimes the service can be slow, but I also don't mind most of the time as I am enjoying a lazy breakfast or a wine and date night with the hubs. So the extra time is not a big deal in my books. Totally recommend.

Bad experience here.<br/>First time today.<br/>We did order 3 meals.<br/>Dumplings were not good my wife felt there was something not ok with the taste. We did return the meal they told us sorry your problem.<br/>Nothing wrong with our dumplings.<br/><br/>I got snapper it was great. Tasty and well prepared.<br/>We order side vegetables.<br/>No taste and no sign of feta cheese only some funny looking and tasting cheese spread.<br/>Again they said nothing wrong with plate, your problem you did not like it<br/><br/><br/>We had to pay for everything they were not prepared to do anything about it especially for the dumplings. <br/><br/>Not coming back. No point of having 2 out of 3 plates disappointing. <br/>It's a pity because the location is top.<br/><br/>

The chicken prawn dumplings are off. When I told the waitress that the food is off, she just shrugged it off claiming that it is not , it's just the way it tastes. And I asked how come I didn't find any prawns in it, she said Ah we just ground it into mince, so many excuses, will never go there again :(

Busy on a Sunday morning but the wait wasn't long. Customer service was superb and the meals came out pretty quick and looking awesome. The Shakshuka, bowlarama, brioche French toast were all really good. My only niggle would be that the coffee came out at the same time as the the food but in saying that when it did arrive it was well executed.

I had a worse experience today at porch .The best world breakfast was disgusting actually .It was chunk of tomato with tonnes of onion in a watery stew . I actually didnt expect to have a bowl of "SOUP" for breakfast. When I asked the owner that he needs to be more specific about his menu description he just replied me '$30 for your breakfast '. He was very unfriendly and rude. Very disappointing . I make sure to tell every one about his u friendly customer service.

It doesn't take much to ruin a dining experience. I came in as the lunch rush was thinning out and ordered a salad and eggs on toast for a hungry toddler. Was politely asked if I wanted sparkling or still. Having to been to several restaurants lately doing both I decided on sparkling. When I had my hands full of toddler I hear a "tsssst" of mineral water being opened. <br/><br/>The food was delicious. I'd service had been better I'd have raved about the food but I won't. When I went to pay the first thing I said is that it should have been clear that the sparkling water was bottled mineral water. The I find it's $9 for a bottle???? There were people around paying less for alcohol with all its taxes. At this point I'd say I was disappointed. Then the manager or owner came along and told me that it was that price because the free water other restaurants have is just carbonated tap water. <br/><br/>Well this is New Zealand, we have fantastic tap and water, there's no excuse for price gouging that much for fizzy water or the condescending righteousness attitude of the owner. <br/><br/>The two worst service experiences I have had have been in st helliers!!!<br/><br/>Great food, slightly over priced with a greedy manager. Hope this makes people think twice so you can't line your pockets more

Food was delicious... stands outs were the pork tacos and the beef cheek curry... service was friendly and timing of food coming out was perfect. We will be back!

Hands down the best place to eat in St Heliers. Stellar service, delicious food and all around good vibes! Everything presented nicely, a definite destination.

Far too much salt, I had the clam linguine and there wasn't enough garlic, chilli, herb flavours, the only flavour that stand out was the saltiness. According to my family who had the other dishes, the burger was Ok but still the flavours were a bit overwhelming.<br/><br/>Oysters - not fresh, not recommended...<br/><br/>Nice ambience and was the only place in St Heliers we could find a table for Fathers Day. <br/><br/>Staff was polite.

An attractive spot with a sheltered view of surrounding businesses and beach. More popular perhaps on windy days when the design allows guests to still enjoy the outlook. Very clean. Good staff. Handy location.

Breakfast Shakshuka with baked eggs, tomatoes, whipped feta & bread, has been described as "World's Best Breakfast." Sorry, it must be a misunderstood quote. OK, but definitely far from being the "world best." Three Little Piggies - spiced pork tacos, coleslaw & chipotle mayo - were soggy & bland.  (Food - 3/5; Service - 3/5; Ambience - 2.5/5)

The food not only looks lovely but tastes amazing! I would go back again just to get the market fish dish! It was absolutely delicious!! The service was very nice as well. Everyone was friendly and polite. A great experience overall :)

Who would have thought that Saint Heliers to be the next gastronomic hotspot of Auckland?<br/><br/>Placing its predecessor (Kahve) in the back of our minds is Saint Helier's polished yet approachable eatery The Porch. <br/><br/>The newly renovated slick bistro is impressive and may rival Saint Heliers Bay Bistro with time to come. Opening for a late night dinner option could possibly be it's winning tactic. <br/><br/>It's prime corner spot location is as good as it gets around the bays and that'll be what will draw people off the streets especially through the summer months. <br/><br/>The menu boasts sharing platters of spiced pork tacos, chicken lettuce cups and fresh salmon. The bar's beer tap is a cooper masterpiece of design which is suspended from the ceiling. <br/><br/>So whether you're after a seaside brunch spot, or a sophisticated evening drinks, The Porch is the place to go.

Very enjoyable evening at Porch, the waiter was charming, the ambiance was buzzy and everything we ate was delicious. Love this type of dining where you can share different dishes. Highlights at our table were the chicken larb, soft pork tacos and the hapuka! Definitely recommend- we will be back.

Wow! Excellent food, amazing service and will definitely be coming back. Best place in st heliers in terms of atmosphere and vibes especially in the night. All the staff are also very friendly

So excited that St Heliers finally has a decent dinner restaurant! Went here for Sunday night dinner for a big family catch up so we were 10 in total. The platters were perfect for a large group and all of the food was absolutely delicious. The service was also excellent. Couldn't recommend this place enough.

Great location , good service and polite happy waitress . However the Caprese salad was the poorest I ever had in my life. Small tomatos regular ones balsamic vinager not black olives pate and basil $24,00 very expensive for few basic tomatos. Disapointing. The Salmon salad very small we have to dig to find a microscopic few pieces of salmon. Just a plate with some green beans notting cooked for $25,00 Again e glass with very little wine snd very expensive for a basic lunch Total of $71.00 Never Again.

The food was really tasty, we were all pleased with our meals. Just a really nice vibe as we sat out on the sunny deck. The service was good and easy.

Dined here on Friday night and it was buzzing when we arrived, were given the last table on the porch. The fit out has been done well, love the atmosphere. We ordered three small plates to share- caprese, calamari and three little piggies (the tacos a standout!) followed by one larger plate the clam linguini and potato skins- the skins very moorish! We ended the night with chocolate cheesecake, all the plates beautifully presented. Praises for the food we polished the lot! Attentive service all throughout, definitely worth a visit.

This place is full on in a good way! Its loud and upbeat! Full to the brim this Sunday brunch with queues at the door. My smashed avocado and bacon yummy, the other half’s the usual just as good and creamy hot coffee to wash it all down with. Cant wait to come back

Such a shame about the service 🙁 the food is actually quite yummy but you feel so unwelcome with the really unfriendly staff & service. It also doesn't help that they always open much later than the timings on their website (which is already pretty late openings). So torn as to if we will come back for the food and attempt to bear the service...

Interesting menu in a good way. Small and large share plates which allow one to try different foods if you are epicurean in your tastes like me. <br/><br/>Service was prompt. We had 4 of the smaller share plates and all were very well made and presented. Subtle flavours and excellent mouth feel. <br/>If I had to find fault, the presentation of the prawn cocktail was not conducive to easy sharing. <br/>Three little piggies was a menu item I could eat a lot more of. Explosion of flavours. <br/>A good addition to St Heliers.

We had a fabulous dinner here last night. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious from the oyster shooters to the pork tacos "Three Little Piggies" and the Asian beef salad platter....but the standout was the beetroot salad - divine!!! Some great wines too and all in all a fantastic night. We will be back for sure.

St Heliers has many eatery choices so you would expect service to be of prime importance. Unfortunately it is not the case at the newly opened Porch. The service is mediocre to say the least - wine glasses very clumsily put on the table (almost thrown) and we could not hear ourselves talk due to the volume of the loud music (at 12 noon on a Sunday!). We were asked if the volume could be lowered and were told it was on the lowest volume - there appeared to be no way that it was going to be turned off - we almost went round the other 2 tables to see if they minded!! That being said the food was fine, and well priced, however it is amazing that service is not front of mind.. We will not be going back until we hear better things.

Don't bother going here. I gave this place a second chance but I can confirm I won't be going back for a third. I am a local and sad to say this won't survive it's great location and refit! <br/>The food is uninspiring and desperate. I dined here with friends and we were all equally disappointed. Firstly, to my horror our meals were served on rectangular raw brushed aluminum plates which we then cut into with steak knives......who serves on aluminum in this day and age with so much discussion about the link between aluminum and Alzheimer's?? That aside we had all chosen the steak which turned out to be tough as old boots and served with an awful sauce topping and a burned sauce underneath I have no idea what it was meant to be, it was accompanied with string fries and a shredded carrot slaw....seriously?? The vegetable side we ordered separately wasn't good either and the side salad again ordered separately was uninteresting.<br/>My advise, save your money & experience and go elsewhere.