A wonderful place to enjoy beautiful Mission Bay beach area. Grateful that many restaurants and shops in this area are open on Christmas Day. We walked here from Sea Life Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium. Staff was friendly, and the Waitemata seafood & mixed summer platter was a popular splurging option for many tables during Christmas Day lunch. The platter was good but wish it had more variety of seafood (there were too many mussels...). It is a nice platter to share for families with children because it had fried chicken, calamari, battered fish and bratwurst. After lunch, you can stop at Movenpick downstairs for some ice cream. read more

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They have a lot of promotional signs but just be warned that it does require you to buy a drink. If you end up purchasing an alcoholic drink, then what you save ends up being similar to the price you save (in a sense you get a free drink). If you planned to drink then it's perfect! The food is reasonably priced and the food is tasty. I'm not sure why the reviews are on the lower half, but I had reasonably priced food, friendly staff, and a good tasting meal. The different types of mussels on the mixed platter were tasty. On a promotional mussels day, the 1kg steamed mussels were a great price though I preferred the mixed platter more. The chicken brie burger was also tasty but nothing amazing. The eating area is on the second floor and if you get a window seat you can a view of the beach. On the inside it has a bar-like feel. The staff were friendly and were relatively attentive. Enjoyed the food and enjoyed the friendly staff. Enjoyed it! read more

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Sat on the upper terrace for lunch on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It was about noon and the restaurant wasn't very busy (warning sign?). After being seated we sat for 20 minutes and no one offered any service whatsoever. So we walked out and had a great meal at Mission Thai. Don't let De Fontein's lovely terrace pull you in. Service was non-existent for us. read more

The food here is alright, most of it is too salty and the flavors are not there, I feel like I can make better garlic breads myself. Also the mussels were unusually large and did not taste that fresh. The service here is okay, food comes out pretty fast but nothing special. The environment is alright too, we sat outside which had nice views. read more

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I used to love still coming here for their Monday half price mussels specials. But recently I've discovered that De fontein has had a really noticeable decline in quality of food. I really really really wanted to like the mussels since they were half off with a purchase of a drink but what they served was somewhat tasteless and a beer cost $18. Perhaps it was a special beer but it didn't taste that spectacular. The host at the entrance was annoyed, he immediately sent us upstairsm the waitresses were nice but they were also understaffed and those that were working seemed confused the entire time we were there. Within 30 seconds of sitting down, the waitress that took us to the table served cocktails that we didn't order. After that, it was difficult to find someone to take our order. They also serves us the wrong food and took away the fries we were already eating and later gave us new fries. I watched them take some food to another table so I wonder whether our half eaten fries got taken to another table. So basically everything that happened had something wrong with it. The view is really awesome and the atmosphere is okay. If you've been here a few years ago do not expect the same. read more

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View and atmosphere as good as remembered. Live music and no wait on a Friday at sunset. Mussels, the main draw, were plentiful, large but sauce seemed like an afterthought. Rather than steam in both to permeate, it was added on top. read more

Ordered Juliper beer and mussel tasting pot. With the crystal clear waters to your side, it's a paradise waiting to happen. The fact that they have authentic Belgium platters and beers makes it an adventure when dining here. The best Sunday brunch would be to go for a swim next door and then to come here for a nice brew and food. Enjoy read more

We're from the US and came here to try a meat pie and an ice cold beer. Food was great and our server/ bartender Dina was fantastic. read more

De Fontein - Meat Pie - Belgian Near Me - Mission Bay, AUK

We got to De Fontein when the place was busy. We had to wait to be seated even tho we had made a reservation before hand so we had to sit at the bar tables first before I had to approach the main waiter and tellem there was an empty table for five as the bar tables only had 4 seats and there were five of us. We were seated then told that because of the volume of orders being cooked our waiting time will be approx 1 hour. So we made our orders and waited. They managed to get our meals to us in under an hour.. 55mins 28seconds to be precise. I ordered the Butchers block: scotch fillet, pork rib, lamb steaks and chicken wings with fries and fresh salad. I also ordered a large stella artois to wash it down. This meal ultimately saved De Fontein from a miserable one star as it was melt in your mouth perfection. Everything on the plate was cooked beautifully. The service was along the lines of 1. 1/2 star as it felt like they really didnt know anything about our reservation and being seated inadequately. Although the waiter that took our order was really knowledgable regarding the menu, the meals and which beverages might go well with them. The beer selection on the menu was great with alot of variety as well as having vegan options to choose from. Overall 3.2 out of 5 stars. read more

De Fontein - Butchers block: scotch fillet, pork rib, lamb steaks and chicken wings with fries and fresh salad. - Belgian Near Me - Mission Bay, AUK

On my trip to visit friends, they took me to this restaurant along the beach. We were having a late Wednesday night dinner after arriving back in town. They have daily specials which were surprisingly of good quality. We sat upstairs craving for mussels. When I looked at the menu, Mondays had half price mussels which we ended up ordering anyways. The mussels were larger than the ones on the west coast of Canada. It must be the water and possibly keeping them alive longer to be more meaty. Two of us ordered the angus steak and frites special of the day. It was amazing and perfectly cooked to my request of rare. As usual, you must order a drink with the food special. They offered a wide selection of beer from all over the world on tap and in bottles. On the next day, we returned to the area and the building does standout with bright pink walls. The beach is nice as well so you can come earlier and take a stroll before grabbing a bite. Service was a bit slow but it was late but we were super hungry. Definitely will come back if I return to NZ. read more

Went on Saturday, surprisingly Great service (usually have to find staff to order) and had a man on the door welcoming customers which made me wonder if it was under new management. They also had a new menu but lacked vegetarian options so ordered the Vege pasta. It was terrible, lacked any kind of flavour and the pasta tasted like the cheapest pasta you buy from countdown, and the olives had no taste, they were rubbery and no salt flavour. The sauce was too runny with water. Love the location of this bar, feels it needs a refurbishment inside as the only reason we go here is for the upstairs outdoor setting. The indoor setting seems like an old stale bar and not very 'mission bay' read more

De Fontein - Vegetarian Pasta $25 - Belgian Near Me - Mission Bay, AUK

I came there because it's upper moon pick. A great place with a nice viewed balcony upstairs and the beer list is great. If u r fresh to NZ, it's fine, because the staffs will kindly explain these beers for ya. It's easy for u to pick up u favorite. I had special mussel and NZ beer. Staffs are very helpful. Find out that mussels are special on Monday by ordering cold drinks. That's really cool, I think I m gonna came here with my pals next time. Just cheers! read more

De Fontein - Belgian Near Me - Mission Bay, AUK

I've spent a lot of time in Belgium, De Fontein has better Mosselen and Frittes than Belgium. Service is outstanding and the atmosphere is as good. For the Dutch and Belgies is a must visit read more

Do come on a bright sunny day, then climb up to the first floor, go directly to the outdoor sitting area, facing Rangitoto. Yes, That's what I will do. Everyone must come here for the steam mussel. Then try the basic sauce with white wine- mostly Sauvignon Blanc, parsley and onion. Best quality seafood will stand out by itself, no need condiments to make it up. The second favorite should be the sweet and sour pork rib. Please share it with close friends. It is so much fun. Better not for your first date. Then the menu comes to your choice. Seafood platter is always right, with Hoegaarden is a beautiful plus. You wouldn't stop picking up those cutie bites. For dessert, try waffles with ice cream and chocolate sauce. If you don't expect too much, then it is easier satisfied. Well, I have to say, the waffles is not as good as the one I had in Seoul or even in the Hollys Coffee. But in such a beautiful day soaking in the sun, better just enjoy everything at hand. This is life. So just take it. read more

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Train wreck of an eatery. The food is bland and frequently overcooked. The service is unobtrusive - it is not unusual to o wait for 15-25 minutes to have your order taken, when the place is mostly empty. I guess the stories that the waiting staff was telling to each other while we were waiting to make an order, were far more important. Half of the drinks ordered went AWOL. A great place to explore one's masochistic streak, pathetic as a restaurant. Stay away! Caveat emptor. read more

My partner and I frequent Mission Bay year round, and De Fontein is definitely one our go-to places where we know we'll get a great meal. It's in a premium location and accommodates for drinkers and diners alike which at Their light meals are usually my go-to section of the menu, not for the price but because I'm a big fan of their vegetarian lasagne, steak and frites and the delicious chicken and mushroom crepe. Add their incredible seafood chowder and I find myself getting full very quickly! I'm not a huge beer fan but I've been lucky to have a boyfriend who is. There's certainly a selection and I can't say I'm yet to understand what the fuss is about, although Delirium Tremens was a definite yes for me one sunny Monday afternoon. The waiters are all very knowledgeable about the beer menu; ask nicely and they'll give you their favourite picks! The dessert menu is a great if you're not too full from the entrees and mains. Their chocolate mousse is always a hit and the waffles are of course a delight. De Fontein does get busy but we've been lucky enough to not wait more than 5 minutes in the bar area for a seat. Beware though, large groups may have to wait a bit longer, especially if there's a game on! read more

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Service is poor. Slow. Over an hour wait for food. Seafood chowder came out cold. Ice in water was dirty with yellow stains. Bacon and kumara soup was cold. All meats were warm. Beer was warm. Fries were oily and half raw. Most of the staff are new. Got the manager here, who explained that it was under new ownership. Offered discount but really, that's not good enough. We came here for lunch and now we're leaving hungry. This used to be a landmark location and was one of the best places in Auckland for food. Now it's rubbish. read more

De Fontein - Belgian Near Me - Mission Bay, AUK

De Fontein! De Fonshame! This Belgian beer chain used to be so good and once one of the best places to have a beer and frites and their famous mussels. Now, it's just a poorly run tourist trap that sets an awful expectation of casual dining standards in Auckland. We had met here with an overseas visitor and unfortunately the view was not enough to distract him or come close to an apology for such an atrocious experience. Drink orders took at least 15 minutes to arrive and even then it took several requests from the aloof staff. The bar tenders seemed to challenge the notion that there could be an art to pouring beer and seemed determined to ruin any part of the overall tasting experience. The glass was certainly half-empty - of beer... And half-full - of head. A few rounds of drinks were certainly among the poorest poured Stella Artois since 1366. To think that a former barman of De Fontein was once the winner of the New Zealand Stella Artois Draught Master's competition seems bogus. I've had more attentive table service at self-service food court. It took over an hour to have one of several heaters turned on and in the space of ordering some chips and them not arriving another hour later we had decided to just give up. Despite this, the same orders orders (maybe also our chips?) sat still and unattended in the dumbwaiter between the time of two bathroom visits. This kind of cruddy service can only be the result of incapable management and systemic operational issues. I felt sorry for the floundering staff who could distinctly sense the unanimous customer dissatisfaction. read more

Since this place is in my neighborhood I had made a mental note to go there on a nice night not in the peak of summer. So when a GrabOne popped up, I just couldn't pass. We went there this past Friday for a relaxed date nights. The place is at a great location, and the decor is very nice just what I would expect from a beer house. We ordered a pitcher of beer and then the lemon and pepper calamari for starters, an open chicken sandwich and the Belgian sausages with gravy. A nice mixture of things, but all pretty simple dishes. To start with the calamari: it was soggy, with a horrible over salted batter. I removed the batter just to make it somewhat palatable. Next came my open chicken sandwich and as described on the menu, it was suppose to have an aioli and avocado sauce on a ciabatta bread. So out comes this monster of a hard fried shell, covered in some type of a white sauce, laying on top of by now soggy greens. No avocado in sight. The very nice waitress tried to convince me that the avocado was in the bleach white sauce which by the way tasted appalling. She was also very apologetic but sadly she could not save the sinking ship that was our meal. The supposed Belgian sausages were just boiled hot dogs on top of a gravy that came out of a can. All in all, a horrible place to come and have food other than a beer and maybe the frites. I know that this place is a tourist trap, and pulls a lot of the beach crowed, but even then I would have expected at lease a 3 star meal. read more

De Fontein - Belgian sausages with gravy. More like boiled hot dogs. - Belgian Near Me - Mission Bay, AUK

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Came here for lunch with friends during the summer. Was a lovely day- we were able to move from an inside table to an outdoor, on their deck and got some rays. Particularly cool for our friend who came over from England! Ordered the half kilo steamed mussels with spiced ginger and lime sauce with golden frites and homemade mayo. The mussels were well cooked and the sauce was delicious. The frites were also a lovely side and mayo- a bit different since they make it there. A definite good lunch choice. Neat place- with nice interiors and interesting food I need to sample later! Being a Belgian beer cafe, will definitely need to go back to also try their beer! read more

Aughhh I should of referred to the reviews below before booking De Fontein for a girls lunch. I completely agree this is not the DeFontein I remember from a few years ago. I ordered a 1/2 pot of mussels and while the sauce was delish the mussels themselves needed a bit of work. This is the dish the bar is known for and it was disappointing to be served mussels that had not been cleaned properly. The service: OK but after some confusion the waitress had to go and ask a few simple questions of the Chef (you would think you would already know) being an overcaste/drizzly day the outside seating was a bit of a miss and being seated inside the atmos seams really dark with heavy wood everywhere. If its not a super sunny day, give this place a miss. read more

Staff were nice. Overheard a mixup with someone's order. Some of my bacon was over cooked, some undercooked. The plate was decorated too much. I came for breakfast not art. read more

Seriously bad service..... I was starring at the menu for more than 25 minutes and no one even asked if I have been helped yet! it was a really the worst experience. read more

They've reduced their beer ranges and the Belgium beers and food is way overpriced. Steak was chewy and poorly flavoured. Fancy paying $2.50 extra to have a sauce on an already $32 steak and FRIES?! I constantly had to ask staff to approach us. Such reduced limited menu too. Service: 3/10 Food: 4/10 Cost: 4/10 Range: 4/10 read more

I'm quite like here,mussels desert atmosphere .thats good . Absolutely there cherry beer and peach bear! read more

De Fontein - Belgian Near Me - Mission Bay, AUK

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I gave one star because No stars wasn't an option on Yelp. Why does it take 15 minutes for someone to take your drinks order when it is not at all busy? I wanted a simple steak and fries but I guess the most simple meals really are the test of a 'restaurant', if you can't get that right then something really is wrong. If you'd like an evening of bad food and even worse service then make sure to come here. read more

Good steak, good cocktail. Went to de fontein 2 days ago and ordered a rare steak (with fries) which was the right temperature cooked, and also cooked to perfection. The cocktail (which had passion fruit liqueur) was really good, sweet and refreshing. Recommend. read more

After having lunch somewhere else thought we'd find somewhere down Mission Bay to have a drink or dessert. We chose here, a place more well known for its mussels than anything else. Anyway we went up top hoping to find a table outside on what was turning out to be a nice day weather wise. The staff weren't too onto it so it seemed, not even acknowledging our presence until we spoke to them. We did find a table and eventually a menu was brought to us. We ended up ordering for myself an Apple crumble with vanilla ice cream & custard and an Belgian Espresso coffee blended with Benedictine & Creme de Menthe. My other half ordered the Belgian waffle with Apple & cinnamon with vanilla ice cream....and for a drink the Tropiçano non alcoholism ñy. And well, what can I say......the coffee I had " hit the spot " so to speak as much as a coffee can, though the alcoholic quantity was a bit more than I excepted. The Apple crumble....lucky I like custard and vanilla ice cream because the Apple crumble was a pitiful attempt at the dish......looked like some crumble thrown in and mixed up a bit with some bits of Apple etc. Very disappointed. My mum could do hundred times better. As for the waffle ....well kind of ok. Again the best part being the vanilla ice cream. The fruit was supposed to be fresh.....but the taste and look said different. It could have been some Apple taken from mine and chucked with the waffle. Not impressive at all!!! As for the price I reckon a bit too much for what we got. So, overall ...service not the best, speed of order coming out not so great, food quality was crap, Best thing was the coffee I had. Apart from the mussels won't be rushing back here again!!!. read more

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My partner and I thought we'd go out and have dinner somewhere nice, and she recommended De Fontein, as she's been there before. We sat down at our table and the staff handed us our menus straight away. I thought this was great. After 20 mins, my partner had to get up and signal someone to come and take our order. Had to wait about half an hour for them to bring out our order not to mention during that time a staff member brought out our cutlery only to have another staff come out and swap it (our knives forks and spoons) ten minutes later! Were they confused? Food was quite nice I must say but the service really let this place down. Would I go back? Probably not. read more

De Fontein - Great views - Belgian Near Me - Mission Bay, AUK

View is great. Service is so average. Waited 15 minutes after ordering drinks just for the waitress to come back and ask what my order was. Waited for food for nearly 40 minutes and only ordered fries. Could be so much better considering the view. Staff are very unorganised, management need to implement a better system.. read more

Soz De Fontein - but I really think you've got the potential for better! We walked in and went right upstairs - great beer hall atmosphere up there. We were seated by a window (it was autumn so we didn't sit outside), and immediately attended to. Like, way too fast. We don't know what we want yet - we literally just sat down and your beer menu is the size of a textbook. After multiple waitstaff coming over within the first 3 minutes, we were finally ready to order. I asked the fifth waitress to talk to us what beers she'd recommend, and she had literally no clue. She started reading the descriptions off the menu to me, and only recommended fruity beers (listen, I'm a lady, but I like beer that tastes like beer, ma'am). I think this chaotic wait staff situation must reflect on management, so please, get a plan for how you'll manage tables efficiently! We were put out of sorts by how many people came over in literally the first 3 minutes. Your hearts are in the right place, I get it. When we placed our order, we both had just opted for the steak & frites special because we were too frazzled to make more decisions after the beer -menu-and-ordering debacle. The very sweet waiter was also very confusing, and kept asking which type of steak. It's steak special night, 9 out of 10 people want the steak that's on special. Kudos for clarification rather than assumption, but all he did was confuse us further and we were left unsure if we had actually ordered the special or something fancier (read: pricier). The portion of steak & frites was HUGE. Comically large steaks you guys. For the hungry among us, this is great news. And on steak special night (Wednesday), it's only $17.5 for the lot. I wish I would have ordered a different dish, but that's my own fault. The beers were delicious. My bf was upset because his came in this incredibly ostentatious siphon beaker thing, and he's a pretty no-frills guy. I had a Duvel, it was fantastic. Belgians know beer of course, so you likely won't go wrong here. The long & short - go for the beach view and the beer. I may try De Fontein again for their mussels special (Mondays) and another beer or two from their vast beer list. read more

Wow! De Fontein is so authentic that they actually fly to Belgium in order to get your food. Yup, felt like a 24 hour wait for our wedges. What a joke. read more

Great selection of beers and the muscles are great. Rest of the meals weren't great, salads served with the meals were bland. I had Belgium sausages and chips with onion gravy this time....not a good choice....looked like something you would get in an American road house. The chips weren't great and the sauce tasted and looked like it came out of a powder packet and had no texture and no onion pieces in it. Frankly not up to the standard of the price. once we were seated we had to wait 15 minutes before we could get the attention of a waiter to take our drink and meal order. Didn't seem particularly busy, quite a few empty tables. Staff seemed very indifferent to customers. Had a great experience the last couple of times We went there but poor service has put me off going back there. read more

While they have a great range of beers, the food is below average. I did have excellent mussles here a few times, but most times we left disappointed because of the food. Worth coming if you are really i to Belgian beers read more

Went for a lunch and it turns into a long long wait. food was awesome however it's busy and I don't think staff can keep up with a good service. Even a glass of beer arrived when we finished our meal. Overall I would give 4 out of 10 read more

On the last night of two friends staying with me from LA, they cried out for seafood and the sea. De Fontein would be perfect, I thought. We made the hike from Western Springs to Tamaki Drive, and after finding a carpark, headed inside. There were outside tables, but because of the weather, we were put on a wait list to come inside and eat there. When the weather started to pack in, our dawdling waitress flapped about on the deck with her hands in the air, telling us (the people who were being rained on) that her manager decided it wasn't raining. She then sent us down to the bar, telling us to finish our drinks first. This drinks-finishing debacle nearly happened again at the downstairs bar. We were told our table was ready upstairs and inside, but after much protesting from my group (including one of the group threatening to "go crazy American on all of this BS"), we were allowed to do the unthinkable - walk between the downstairs and upstairs areas with our drinks. The food came, and it was much less fresh Kiwi-Belgian fare, and more deep-fried American-style food. I wish now we'd gone to sister-bar De Post and bought some buckets of fresh mussels instead. read more

The place is first stunning. If you seat outside you have the view on the sea and with sunshine it's just paradise. Food is a bit slow due to the number of people in the restaurant but the mussels are really tasty and we'll presented. Desserts as well delicious and the Belgium waffles a must eat. Just wished that the beers were cheaper. Under they are imported but still 35 dollars for certains beers arggg. Otherwise good time read more

Never too impressed with the food here. I like it as a pub and from now on will do just that. Mussels were tasteless and we were in a group (about 6 of us). Was pretty terrible across the board. Service is very slow. If you were to come though they have a great selection of Belgium beer; Kriek ect. They don't serve it in the traditional glasses but you get to try it nonetheless! read more

As a regular customer, I'll say this is the best Belgium cafe in Auckland, nice view with perfect food! Great service. Massive Steak and the Kriek the cherry beer was fantastic. See you again guys. Vijay and Aaron both are awesome managers and their staff is very friendly too. Heartiest THANKS! read more

Famous for their mussels, but it really is all about the incredible selection of Belgian beers that makes this such a great place to visit. Located directly in the heart of Mission Bay they have an upstairs balcony with amazing views of the water. Always a popular location on the weekends, De Fontein can get busy. However, they have an upstairs and downstairs and have some tables on the sidewalk as well. On Sunday's they often have live music. The food menu ranges from Mussells to standard pub fare, but there is usually a decent salad and nod to vegetarians so there can be something for everyone with a visit to De Fontein. I have been coming here for many years and it is always consistent and if you love Belgian beers there is no better location in Auckland that I have found! read more