New Zealand Herald

Reviews for Szimpla Gastro Bar

by Richard D.
24th December 2012

This business is a MenuMania SponsorOne of the Business' Favourite Reviews

We came here last night due to a flight cancellation & had booked to stay in the Ibis. What an extremely cool place – wickedly good service, good range of drinks – dangerously large glasses of wine & great food plus eclectic furniture like being at your Nanas front room surrounded by great plants. So damn good we are back here whilst waiting for the flight today. Oh & I am a huge NZ music fan & they play heaps of that – my pick for bar of the year.

by Dawn E.
13th May 2013

Really cool quirky place! Had initial issues finding the place though. The service was fast, and the food was awesome! Love the deco and the presentation of it all! The vibe was good – considering I was with a large group, our waiter was patient and very kind! Will definitely go back again!

by Moana
16th April 2013

Great atmosphere, quirky setup. Awesome food! I asked to change certain things with my meal and they were more than happy with that (as most places I go, chef’s are quiet resistant about these sorts of things).

Awesome service. The only thing I didn’t like was the name.. I still don’t know how to pronounce it!

by Abhinay N.
25th March 2013

Great atmosphere, excellent service and lovely food. This place has it all!!! Called in 20 minutes before closing and they kept the kitchen open just for us. Even though we were the last folks there they were never rushed or asked us to move along.

Had the vege burger as recommended. Never tasted one so nice !. Best part is they tell you that they do doggy bags and boy do you need ‘em!!!

Couldn’t recommend them enough.

by Vanessa G.
30th November 2012

My absolute favourite place for Friday after work drinks! I could happily lounge on their couches, eating the divine calamari and brushetta, accompanied by delicious wine. Fabulous atmosphere and happy, friendly staff. Love it!!

by Hannah D.
26th November 2012

My partner and I came for dinner as it’s close to home. We have defiantly found a favourite!!! The staff were very inviting and we were seated quickly. I chose the cajun squid while my partner had the fish’n'chips. My squid was incredible, just the right amount of heat. Yum! My partner had problems with his, as it comes out in paper, looks cool but hard to eat, but they were very helpful in giving him a plate to eat on. We then had the passion fruit cheesecake for desert. Take about amazing! Best cheesecake I have had in a while! Thank you so much for giving us a great place to eat!

by Cindy L.
17th November 2012

Simply the best bistro I have been to for a long time. The staff are friendly… always….. the food is just lovely and very tasty… the atmosphere is very welcoming. I love the outdoor garden area… a great place to meet up after work.
I have now made this my local and have been maybe a dozen times. Thanks guys.. you rock!!!!!

by Rebecca K.
9th November 2012

A great place for an after work Friday drink. I love the decor and the service has thus far been friendly. So cozy I could happily stay for hours.

by Nicola
8th November 2012

We had a girls weekend in Auckland and found this place while googling restaurants in the area. Went for dinner, and despite it being a ‘pubby place’, and ‘pubby prices’ the food certainly wasn’t. All of our meals were delicious – obviously the chef knew exactly what they were doing. The service was good (not great) but no complaints there. We only had 2 nights in Auckland and it was unanimous to return for the following night also!

by Dean H.
30th September 2012

Had a few hours to kill while on a stop over and was looking for a few beers and a TV screen to watch the football. Expected a sterile, unfriendly airport bar. What I got was the best group of bar staff that, combined with a great layout and decor, created the best atmosphere I have experienced in any bar in a long time. Congrats to the owner for getting everything just right. The food was also great value. See you again on my next trip.

by Gineke
15th August 2012

Great food, staff are all friendly and accomodating and I love the feel of the place – especially the little library corner!

Definitely recommend it for anyone – work lunch, social drinks or just a nice dinner – I’ve done them all and they’ve been awesome every time

by Akiko F.
4th March 2012

We took guests here for dinner based on the 5 star reviews, and we were disappointed. Ambience is nice, spacious and kind of unique. NZ draft beers were tasty. But the food was bland as. The bruschetta starter with blue cheese, cress, walnuts and honey had the tiniest dabs of blue cheese and cress. Gnocchi tasted like it was prepackaged and overcooked, served in a tasteless tomato sauce with very little cheese. Thai beef salad was drenched on soy sauce. Desserts tasted generic and also seemed to be pre-packaged. As convenient as this restaurant is to the airport, we won’t be going back.

by Alice C.
28th February 2012

I arrived in at 8pm Friday night from a domestic flight and wanted to have dinner with my husband, who had kindly picked me up.

I don’t know the area very well so searched a few places and found this place come up with great reviews on Menu Mania. Seemed like a great choice!

It was! We absolutely loved Szimpla and can’t wait to find an excuse to be back out that way again to eat there. The staff were awesome, friendly and efficient. The vibe was great and the food – amazing!

We were trying to be semi good, so only ordered the calamari (truly tasty), the buffalo wings (so crispy) and a side salad (which had a really yummy dressing). We also indulged in a couple of drinks.

We had a really nice evening and can’t wait to go back there and try all the other naughty stuff on there. The dessert menu looked divine!

by Gina
9th February 2012

Food here is good & the out door area is lovely

I had the burger. Where do they get their burger buns, because they’re so good! That with the hand made pattie shows they’re not churning out any pub style food. I’ll be back!

by Sussan
5th February 2012

This place is great! We had a full meal here last night (with older parents), but it would be good for a relaxed drink and nibbles too. NZ Bach style, with different sizes and styles of tables to choose from, inside and out. Mains and deserts were excellent, service great, prices surprisingly good. Highly recommended on all accounts. Check it out as still seems to be undiscovered. (Turn into where the airport’s Warehouse & Countdown are)

by Laura
3rd February 2012

I was invited to a dinner at Szimpla by a sister in law and after eating the delicious food and being served by some wonderful staff I took some friends along a week later and they also loved it. The atmosphere is cosy and the set up is great! Living only 15min away is a bonus because for our friends, family and ourselves Szimpla is now our local.

by Ben P.
1st February 2012

Used my MenuMania iPhone app to find this place before dropping off a passenger to the airport. What a choice place! Across the road from Countdown/Warehouse it looks a bit hidden, but inside is awesome. The garden bar like atmosphere and great seating makes it a nice place to chill out. Add some friendly staff and local brewed beer and it’s pretty much heaven! Highly recommended for those waiting to pick up or drop off at the airport. Something to look forward to next time!

by Leah
29th January 2012

Came here to see some friends off and were greeted by the friendly, super chill staff. We ordered the chicken breast, a few burgers, garlic bread and a few drinks – all delicious, no faults, the chicken was tender and the burgers were generous portions, beautifully arranged. We had a few picky eaters at our table and their demands were met with a smile.

Despite the place being full of other big groups, the wait time for our orders was next to nothing.

The surroundings are relaxing and you almost forget that you’re at the airport.

Really great place, hope to dine there again soon.

by Annette P.
22nd January 2012

Really nice place, food ok, staff were friendly lacked atmostphere but overall was somewhere different

by Lynda D.
13th January 2012

Fabulous find top quality food at low prices.
Food superior and all dishes were amazingly and creatively presented. Probably best all round restaurant at low prices I’ve been to and I travel widely NZ and overseas.
Staff very accommodating. Eating solo no problem and very welcome. Met friends and family while en route and stayed next door. Locals had Christmas functions. Will go there again. Lynda Davis

by Kylee H.
19th December 2011

One of the best dining experiences ive ever had. The food was delicious, generous and really reasonably priced. And came out so quickly even though we didn’t book and there were five of us!
The staff were lovely and friendly and very helpful.
Atmosphere was great! Awesome music. Love the decor and all the little touches were fantastic.
New favorite place to go in Auckland. Will definitly be coming back!

by Jenna
16th December 2011

Finally a decent bar in the airport area, this place is pretty hard to spot from the main road, but definitely worth looking for. Great atmosphere, music, staff an amazing outdoor area and the best Salt and Pepper squid EVER!!!

by Kim K.
16th December 2011

Had a fantastic lunch the other day with work colleagues it was so good we are going back today. The service was exceptional, the food was fantastic and the venue atmosphere was really stunning. I would highly recommend this place for any event. It’s so nice to have something so great close to the Airport especially for people like me who work next door. Well done!!

Kind regards Kim

by Melissa W.
13th December 2011

Awesome bar!
Great atmosphere and environment. I found myself spending a lot of time looking at the fantastic design and quirky touches in the bar (the library is a fave).

The meals are delicious and they definitely don’t hold back on the portion sizes..and the dessert is delish, the sticky toffee pudding is my fave!

Fun, friendly staff who pour a great pint… thanks guys!

by Hayley
13th December 2011

Wow! What a cool bar, awesome staff and service. International host Tash will cater to your every need. The food is divine and the beer delicious, with little else to choose from in the area you would be a fool not to come and try this place out. Good job Szimpla.

by Mike
19th November 2011

What a great place, fantastic food, great beer, lovely staff & a very relaxing venue. A great change and option so close to the Airport. Thanks for a great night team. I would widely recommend this for anyone!!!

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