Augustus Bistro

Amazing food..!! the restaurant has good collection of drinks too. The rib eye fillet is one of the best i have eaten so far. The buttermilk Panna cotta was simply perfect so light and smooth it just melts on your tongue with best flavours on the palette. Service was just right with both food and drink arriving at perfect times.

At the end of a two-month visit to New Zealand, my daughter, Rachel, who just had her second son, decided to treat me to an extra-amazing lunch for my last day. She choose the Augustus Bistro after reading the reviews, and we were not disappointed. First, the ambiance was superb. Rachel lived nearly a year in Vienna, and really misses Europe sometimes, so this felt like home to her in far away New Zealand, where she may be spending the next several years. The old world deco and high ceilings, together with amazing live orchids (how do they ever keep them so beautiful?) glass detail, wonderful light and windows made us feel almost giddy. We decided to go for the full menu, with appetizers, drinks, main meal and dessert-thank you, Rachel. C'est magnifique! As neither of us imbibe, sometimes drinks are boring, with a bland selection of commercial soda pop. Not so at Augustus Bistro. I enjoyed a hot strawberry-kiwifruit tisane and Rachel an iced kombucha with rosemary and lavender sprigs that smelled heavenly from her first sip. To start, we shared a black rice puff with Augustus-made cashew ricotta and pickled green walnut, which neither of us have ever heard of, and savored immensely. It was divine. We then shared a charred and slow-roasted eggplant with sweet and sour sultanas (golden raisins, for the yanks reading this review) more of the amazing ricotta, and an herb salad so fresh I'm sure they picked it out back. Toasted almonds on top, too. Does it get any better? Wait. It does, indeed. Rachel chose the Spiced Ceciata, which was not at all what she expected, but a delight to us both! Brocollini, tomato, coconut, lime, chili and ginger in a crepe-like batter made of chickpea flour, olive oil and fresh herbs and spices (so, like a dumpling, but low carbs!), cooked in a hot pan, crispy in some spots with a deep nutty flavor. Topped with roast tomatoes, grilled broccolini, capsicum sauce, coriander and coconut yogurt. It was topped with fresh baked Parmesan chips. Perfect, with no additives or adulterations. She discovered a small, dark red pepper too spicy for her taste (plus, nursing a baby, you never know what he may not want to sample) but it was easy to spot and set aside. She could also have asked for it to be skipped, I'm sure, but we didn't think about it in advance, being so enamored with our splendid surroundings. My pick was unusual for me, as I prefer fresh fish over most anything, and NZ is full of the best. I was sorely tempted by the long-line caught poisson in gooseberry sauce and seaweed, but realized, however, that I was leaving the country in just three hours having never tasted New Zealand beef! I ordered the rib eye. To say it was good would be ridiculous. This beef was hand picked, 55 day aged steak, with parsley, mushroom, peppercorn gremolata and caramelized onion. Fresh herbs...and did I mention some of the mushrooms were chanterelles? The menu just said mushrooms. What a delight! Eating this meal was like biting into an especially flavorful cloud. if you notice a celestial theme throughout this review, it's because eating here was what I expect the people who were especially good on earth might expect in the next life. Bon Appétit Mother Teresa, Zhdanov, Dr. King, Gandahi, Jesus Christ, Dr. D.A. Henderson...wait! I nearly forgot dessert! Rachel choose the gianduja, valrhona ivoire chocolate and hazelnut mousse, with roast mandarins, and hazelnut ice cream. I had the dark chocolate Tenerina, valrhona manjari chocolate, with macerated plums and caramel sauce. We shared these, too. Pretty sure God wants everyone to eat like this some day, after putting up with so much down here on earth for so long. Check the photos to see if I'm wrong. Sorry we dived in and did some sharing before I took the pics. We were hungry! Also, our waiter was wonderful. He plays violin! Perhaps they should have him perform. Sorry I didn't catch his name. We were there February 13, 2020 at around 2:00 PM. Remember: this is NOT a fast-food restaurant. Plan two hours, minimum.

I came here for a lunch with my Mum for her birthday and it was everything we were hoping for. We sat outside in the courtyard which made us feel like we were in a beautiful Italian town, with the sun out and a light breeze. The cocktails were exceptional, service friendly and the food was divine. Pricing was what I would expect for a restaurant of that calibre in the heart of Ponsonby. Will definitely be returning!

My boyfriend and I went out for dinner on a Friday night at Augustus and had a fantastic time. The old post office building in Ponsonby is an amazing building on the outside and the setting inside did not disappoint. The bistro takes inspiration from years gone by but has fresh modern twists to the décor with plenty of plants and palm trees around making you feel like your somewhere more exotic. Our meal was the best we have had since arriving in Auckland. Each dish was extremely tasty and beautifully presented (see photos). I had the beef short rib which was generous in its portion and fell apart as soon as I stuck my fork into it. My boyfriend the pasta lover managed to tick one of his food bucket list by having the pasta finished in a Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese wheel. It was so impressive seeing the cheese wheel brought over to your table and the waiter stirring through the pasta before serving it to you hot and cheesy! We will definitely be returning to Augustus and bringing our friends this time! Looking forward to it already.

We celebrated our Mums 65th birthday dinner here - we were a large group and we were so well taken care of. We had the 2 course set menu which was amazing and everyone seemed to really enjoy their meals. We were able to bring in our own cake (for a small fee) and they cut this for us all (although I personally have had a dessert from here on another occasion and they are delicious!) We will definitely be back.

This is such a special spot that we have made this our Monday night routine, because we are foodies and the combination of amazing cuisine, ambience and service has blown us away. Always welcoming and real the team here are second to none on the hospitality stakes, they totally get what constitutes amazing service as they engage seamlessly. Had to share a photo of our regular Monday night waitress who we adore. The cuisine always fresh and on point, do try the market fish it’s beyond expectations.