New Zealand Herald

Reviews for O’Connell Street Bistro

by ar_tonga
27th April 2013

My sister and I have been looking forward to visiting this restaurant for a while now, and we weren’t disappointed.
The service was attentive and friendly but not overbearing. The staff made suggestions when appropriate, which we were happy to follow (and were glad we had.) The food was delicious. Of particular note, the eye fillet was cooked beautifully and the chips (yes we did order chips!) were hot, crisp and a joy to eat. Our overall impression was of a great dining experience without unnecessary formality. We will definitely be back!

by Viv
7th August 2012

My partner and I dined at O’Connell St Bistro last night, my partner has been several times but this was my first. The excellent reviews and awards this establishment receives, year on year are certainly true to form.
For a Monday evening there was a good buzz, so we were glad we booked. My partner enjoyed his Gnocchi & the recommended house speciality – Rabbit. The Chicken Liver Parfait was so divine it melted in my mouth and the Lamb for my main was cooked to perfection. The drinks selection is outstanding with many excellent wines available by the glass.

The mood was relaxed and we never felt rushed.
Our lasting impression was how impeccable the service was. Bart, our waiter is clearly passionate about food and has an incredible knowledge of every ingredient on the menu – right down to the Rock salt. He was just delightful and leaves every other waiter in New Zealand for dust.

Thanks for a fantastic evening!

by ParkingSleeping S.
24th March 2012

Yes as good as it gets in New Zealand and possibly the world . I always feel welcome , always feel as if I am receiving the best of service and style . Style is very important to me .The staff are very good .
I just order what ever the chef recommends and am never dissapointed .
It may seem strange to others but I enjoy the Bistro on nights when it is raining .Thr reflected light the patter of the rain and the rush of people out side ,I often feel that I am some where else in the world . I always catch a taxi back to the hotel after a nice glass of red wine .
The retuarant is not cheap and really it is for the after sevens or may be the later diner . Who has the time to enjoy the ambiance . A small bar area is great for before and after chit chat , meeting new people or doing million dollar plus deals .Thanks Chris and his wonderful partener .{my next booking is in place and I took time out just to savour the up and coming dinning event}.

by Greg
26th August 2011

By far our favorite restaurant in Auckland.

Food is amazing, staff are the best, wine selection has everything you could want.

Steak Tartare!
Beef Carpaccio!

Two favorites and done so well.

Always consistent and welcoming.

by Jennifer B.
26th August 2011

Had a pre-theatre meal here last night and was left feeling VERY disappointed…..

First, as soon as we arrived we were told in no uncertain terms that we had to be out at 7.30pm and shouldn’t order any of the slower cooking dishes (lamb etc). Wasn’t too perturbed at this as we had an event to get to anyway. What was seriously irritating was the fact that they then took well over an hour to bring our mains!! It’s not like the food was the hardest to prepare either- scallops and gnocchi, hardly a slow cook!

When we raised our concerns, the young American waitress was very grumpy and unfriendly, and full of excuses. Apparently, the kitchen is small and only has two chefs and we ‘had to understand that.’ Ok- but an hour plus???? Give me a break. If you can’t deliver food in a reasonable time, you either need less tables or more chefs. An apology would have been nice, not a defensive, snarly rebuttal. The maitre d’ was just as rude.

We won’t be going back. There are too many good restaurants in Auckland to be putting up with places that have such a massive chip on their shoulder…….

The food was ok but a bit boring- definitely not a mind-blowing experience

Comment from Chris U. of O’Connell Street Bistro 27/08/2011    Hide »

Hi Jennifer Thank you for your feedback. I’m sorry that your…    More »

Hi Jennifer
Thank you for your feedback.
I’m sorry that your group didn’t enjoy their evening at the Bistro on Thursday night.
I have checked our records & the timings on your table were:-
6pm – 3 of your group arrived at waited for the remaining guest to arrive.
At 6.21pm the order for your table was taken & the remaining guest arrived shortly after that.
At 6.35pm your four starters were served.
At 6.58pm your four main courses were served.At 7.22pm the bill was paid.
In our opinion, to serve 4 starters & 4 main courses from our a la carte menu in under an hour is not unreasonable.

by Mark R.
15th April 2011

I have been dining at O’Connell St Bistro since the day it opened and have only had extremely good experiences. When ever I am in Auckland I dine at the bistro and my last visit was as good as the first. Fresh Bluff oysters, Serrano ham and figs, a crispy fillet of snapper on a perfectly cooked risotto finished off with an interesting selection of cheese. Great food accompanied by a wine list with breadth, depth and interest. Great service – I look forward to visiting when ever I am in Auckland.

by Love f.
13th April 2011

We have eaten twice over the past year at O’Connell St. Its location in the centre of town makes it an easy choice, especially with business guests.

On our last visit the filet steak was perfectly cooked medium rare, with bearnaise sauce was beautifully made alas it came with only a very small portion which is healthy but one of Frances greatest sauces requires us to enjoy a little indulgence, pont neuf chips were also served.

A lovely meal, with attentive service and a wine list that has rightly made O’Connell st famous.

by Briar P.
17th May 2010

Very attentive service, four waiters continually came to our table – almost too much. Nice intimate atmosphere. Although I like salt, the duck was way too salty for me. The brussell sprout side dish was very good and so was the coffee. Sweetbread entree was very disappointing as there were hardly any in there.

by Ramona D.
5th May 2010

Well, waited long for this visit. Yet, left feeling ok, yet not whow! Agree with service,excellent, yet the proof is in the pudding as they say. In this case the rabbit dish,way too salty, for a delicate meat to be served in this way. I was advised that this had been on the menu for 9 years, time to refresh the run for the rabbit! Pasta too firm, disappointed. O’Connell’s obviously thrives on its reputation on serving professionals who are indeed in need of old fashioned comfort food and would be best to go home early and prepare something.So, I will gladly let my yearning rest comfortably knowing I have not missed out on anything wondrous offered at O’Connell’s.

by Al
18th April 2010

The best restaurant I’ve been to in Auckland.

Before anything, the service at O’Connell is flawless. The staff makes you feel like a king. They service you with the best attitude, while making you feel at ease.

The four of us ordered all the famous mains: The duck, the lamb, the beef and the rabbit.

The maitre d recommended a few wines to go with our meals and we decided on a French Pino Noir. It was rich enough to match the taste of red meat, and yet smooth with a clean after taste.

We finished off with another wine and their famous creme brulee which were delicious.

The restaurant itself is quite small, but it provides quite a homely aura, and doesn’t get noisy.
The waiting staff were always attentive whenever we wanted their service.
And they also had wide knowledge about other bars nearby, and gave us much information about the place.
The pricing IS quite dear, but this is a high quality bistro with high expectations.

We were happy with everything for once.

by leslie
7th December 2009

This is my favourite restaurent in Auckland, its cosy, inviting and you only have a handful of choices (I hate overdone menus). I have had most of the dishes and they are all melt in your mouth delicious. Service is impecible and the best part of all….the creme burlee for desert!

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