I don't know about you but I associate the term "gee gee's" with stale-smelling, monotonous…read moresounding TAB venues with bad food. I was not prepared for Gee Gee's in Epsom, which came complete with it's own faux-crystal horse-and-harness-racer statuette. It has the entrance of a motel, complete with welcome mat and front desk. Already at 10.30 am the kitchens service windows framed busy chefs racing around. The setting inside was of a long, elegantly set dining area flanked with wait stations and sepia photos (presumably famous jockeys). It was immaculate. So naturally, I was expecting stiff-lipped, steel-spined service to ensue. But instead, I was given the most welcoming invitation to enjoy a beer in the sun, facing Cornwall park. I felt apprehensive and under-dressed in a strangely pleasant way and have high hopes for the well priced food there. Obviously this is a business that has kept it's head down doing the hard work, making sure the basics in service and presentation are done properly and I hope to see more of it in the future.

Gee Gee's CLOSED many years ago and the phone and location are now a Turkish Bar and restaurant. I…read morewent a long to try it out as I was staying very close. But the music was so loud that the staff had to shout at each other and I decided I couldn't eat a meal in such a LOUD place. It looked nice and smelt good but WAY TOO LOUD.

Absolutely amazing doesn't cut it. I've been to Michelin star restaurants all over the world. The…read morefood here is superior. The cocktails are sublime. I would, and will, fly back from America just to eat here again. By far the best lamb and duck we have ever eaten. Bloody well done.

We went here for our last "splurge" date night after a 2 week stay in New Zealand. Scallops and…read morefresh Bluff oysters were great starters. For our mains we got the Hawkes Bay lamb and 600g Bone-in steak. Sides were "fancy" potatoes and green beans. Food was excellent as they were all fresh, delicious and garnished with exotic ingredients. The only caveat for me was the service. There were times throughout the evening where I felt our servers forgot about us. Our main server didn't check up on us and even ask us how we were doing or if our steak was cooked correctly. The clincher was when they dropped the check- I immediately put my credit card in their check presenter indicating we were ready to go but the waiter again disappeared and it didn't get processed until another waitress came by to service the table next to us and noticed it that she picked it up nearly twenty-five minutes later! The food alone was good enough for me to recommend One Tree Grill to others who don't mind paying a little more for the great grub you'll get here. I just hope you get better service than we did.

Mozaik is a great cafe as it has such a wide variety of foods on its menu. Standard breakfast and…read morelunch foods, but also Middle eastern takes on the usual breakfast and lunch fare and some great Middle eastern dishes that are available all day. Came here with a good friend who had poached eggs on toast. Also came with hashbrowns and a grilled tomato - so big ups to Mozaik for the extras and charging what most places would just for basic eggs on toast. I wasn't in a breakfast mood and had a Turkish platter which was flat bread, hummus, falafel and lamb meatballs. Just what I felt like. The meatballs and hummus were great, falafel was a bit dry. But I'd definitely get it again. Service was hit and miss. Started off really good. But then two staff members just chatted amongst themselves while the other waitress tried to make coffees, take orders, deliver food to tables and clear tables. But once we asked for some service it was pretty good . The coffee was burnt - but in their defence I didn't take it back and get another one so can't say if that's the usual standard. I'll be back here. I love mezze plates, and anything middle Eastern.

Situated opposite Frasers in the middle of the Mt Eden Village, Mosaik is in a prime location…read more Both a cafe, bar and restaurant, Mosaik serves a variety of food and beverages and means regardless of your mood or appetite, there will be something on their menu that will appeal. I have been to Mosaik on three occasions and each has been very different, though all were enjoyable. The first time was for lunch midweek. A delicious homemade burger and salad with ice cold juice was exactly what I was after, and sitting in the sun devouring it was perfect. The second time was for a 21st birthday party. Mosaik has an upstairs function room that can be hired, complete with a second bar and room enough for a wee dance floor. It was a great, cosy venue and with no room hire fee, a fantastic place to keep in mind. My most recent Mosaik experience was for a Sunday night birthday dinner. Glasses of wine, bottles of bubbly, Mezze platter, and huge portions of pasta for our mains - we had waaaay to much food but felt we'd definitely got our money's worth. The staff are all incredibly attentive, and even bought our dog a bowl of water to drink upon our arrival. The only downside was the bathroom doesn't get quite as much attention as you'd hope - the bins are often overflowing with paper towels. But aside from this, Mosaik is a great place to dine, catch up with friends and family, people watch and celebrate!

Located on the corner of Valley Road and Dominion Road, The Dominion is the perfect place to meet…read morefriends for an after work drink, watch the rugby or share a meal with the family. The meals are fantastic, and the portions are huge. I'm a fan of their pizza range and must say last time I had their hamburger I fell in love. It was delicious, though definitely too big for me! Even my Dad had trouble finishing it, but it's good to know you get your money's worth! Heineken is on tap at The Dominion, though the bar has a large selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available, so there is definitely something for everyone. While there is plenty of indoor seating, my favourite spot at The Dominion is outside. There are about eight outside tables, two of which are really big and perfect for meals with a group of friends or the family. During summer it's great to sit outside in the heat, but even in winter it's not too bad as there are outdoor heaters above the tables too Tip: There is a room upstairs with a separate bar and outdoor area that can be hired for private functions. Having attended many 21st parties there, I can say with all honesty it is the perfect venue. Not to mention there is a curtain of fairy lights, so that's a definite bonus!

I believe this is now The Bridgman. It was great! Great…read moreatmosphere, lovely beer selection, and though we didn't eat much the food at other tables looked really good. If I were staying another night in Auckland I would go back for their burgers.

Sweet tunes, cold drinks, great food and service with a smile, IronBar Cafe ticks all my boxes!…read moreThis great spot in K'Rd has had a few incarnations since it was built as part of the Iron Bank complex (Which I must say I wasn't a fan of but now that it's here I can appreciate the good usage of space it provides) The outdoor space here is a huge plus, both at the side and the fantastic area in the rear which has far more use during the summer months. The bar staff are always ready to hand without being over bearing, but will take time for some banter if you should wish. I have tried a varity of menu items and chef specials here and have always left satisfied, good portions for the price too. Keep up with them on facebook for food specials/events.

Looks like your average coffee shop from the outside, but we ducked in here for lunch on a rainy…read moreafternoon. We had no idea what a treasure we had stumbled upon. Try the ham hocks and eggs from the breakfast menu (served all day.) Never had anything like it. Sinfully delicious. Going back for the world famous -or soon to be- lamb tonight. Probably many fine restaurants around here but there's no point going anywhere else. Reasonable prices, excellent service. Oh yes, and the coffee's good too.

Awesome experience. The staff were super awesome and so was the food. The portion sizes were…read moredeceptively good. The service exceptional.

I was fortunate to be taken to lunch the other day at Cibo. I hadn't been for some time so I was…read moreinterested to see if they have maintained their consistently good service and food The service was definitely up to expectation - and the food sublime. The oysters - bluff luckily - were great au natural although my host had the tempura ones which looked just as good. For mains, I had the fish special which was perfectly cooked but I also liked the look of the sashimi stack As usual Cibo delivered high quality and I look forward to my next visit

What a wonderful dinner experience! Visiting from the US and wanted to splurge on one nice night…read moreout to celebrate Valentine's/Anniversary/Boyfriend's birthday in one swing, and this was perfect. As strangers to fine dining, we found the servers to be welcoming and kind and more than happy to explain the menu and ingredients of the dishes. We each got the Chef's Tasting Menu and were treated to 7 small courses that left us more than stuffed and extremely satisfied. The service and food was perfection and with only 11 tables it was incredibly cozy and intimate. Money well spent!

Some perspective, have been coming to O'Connell Street Bistro for many a year now. This was a…read morereturn visit after a number of years living overseas. The food is a real delight, rich complex flavors and beautifully prepared. To be honest I think what brings them down is that they rest a little too much on their past successes and awards. The service is stiff and stand'offish. We tried a number of times to start a conversation and just got stared at blankly. It got to the point it was uncomfortable. I have seen managements responses on another review site to this sort of feedback and they are not accepting of it in any way. A very sad return for us. It has lost something along the many years of success and should look carefully at how it can bring that real warmth of personality back into play.

Had an amazing big breakfast here! $16.90 for a big breakfast and was one of the better ones I've…read morehad. Huge plate with heaps of food. Will definitely be back!

Service could use some improvement. Was charged $69.00 for two one-scoop ice creams because the…read morecheck out operator was rushing us and typed in the numbers wrong. There were no customers behind us hence I didn't understand why she rushed us. The ice cream scoops were pathetically small. Such a disappointment. However at other times that I've dined here it hasn't been as bad but this time did it for me.

I had the opportunity to eat dinner here twice while staying at the Hilton, and both were…read morephenomenal experiences. First of all, the ambiance is spectacular, with gorgeous views of the harbor. My first night, dozens of sailboats were out, singly and in groups. The staff was welcoming - a sense of formality, but not pretentiously so. The first night, I had the Signature West Coast Whitebait Fritter, Kūmara Fries, and Mango and Mānuka Honey Cheesecake. The second night, I had the Signature Mediterranean Crab Cakes and the Herb Crusted Mt Cook Alpine Salmon. All were wonderful. The small plates were the Whitebait Fritter and the Crab Cakes. New Zealand Whitebait is a real delicacy, and they were perfectly cooked in what would better be described as a thin omelette rather than a fritter, topped with a deliciously rich buerre blanc and fried capers. Stunning! The Crab Cakes were served with a crayfish lemon mayonnaise and balsamic vinegar. Quite tasty with a nice crunch - use the lemon, it really helps bring out the flavor. Of the two, I would recommend the Whitebait Fritter hands down. It's something I will remember. I got the Kūmara Fries (New Zealand's sweet potato) as a side, and they are delicious. Coated with some parmesan cheese and served with black garlic mayo! So good. And it's a large serving - from looking around, all of their sides are designed for more than one person. That said, I did a pretty good job with the fries by myself. The Herb Crusted Mt Cook Alpine Salmon is another New Zealand-centric dish. The dish is exquisite and overwhelming. The salmon itself was perfection - perfectly cooked and rich in flavor. Then add the delicious pickled fennel, the red capsicum marmalade, the horseradish cream, herb oil, and the saltiness of fish roe? Explosions in your mouth. The Mango and Manuka Honey Cheesecake was rich and delicious with a nice crust. They also had a nice selection of New Zealand beers, wines, and liquors.

Oh my. Not the best first impression of Auckland. We checked into the Hilton and, tired from a…read morelong journey, decided just to have dinner at Fish, right in the hotel. If it was the only place we had eaten, during our visit, we would have thought that dining in New Zealand was awful. The room is very nice, with wonderful views of the Bay and cruise ship port, although a little less formal than I would expect for the price range. The problem began with the staff who, while trying very hard and being very polite, did not seem to understand a word we said. They were very good with the phrase "Thank you, sir," though, and I realize language barriers must be accommodated while traveling. This IS an English speaking country, though. Anyway, everything seemed to go wrong. Ordering wine was an ordeal, and it arrived halfway through our meal. The food presentation was mediocre, and everything needed some spice or seasoning. It felt like a meal served at a retirement village where everyone has diet restrictions. The kicker, though, was the steak. We ordered medium rare. It arrived burned to a crisp. For the first time in years, we actually sent something back. The next attempt came back nearly raw. It was inedible and almost felt like chef was being a jerk. We just left it pretty much untouched and later, noticed the staff huddled in the corner pointing over at our table. To the restaurant's credit, our steaks were removed from the bill, without our even asking, but that is a bit beyond the point. There are many fine dining options within walking distance of Fish. We wish we had known.