Daphnes

Had our date here and food was good until I saw a peice of hair on one of our entrees. I kindly told the waiter but instead he only took the fork with the hair instead of the whole dish.. Didn't really take much seriousness to it which kind of disappointed me. Unfortunately ruined the our experience and won't be coming back. Thank you for your reply. Our booking was under Minh on december 23rd for 7pm. Again, this was just our experience that I wished could've resulted differently. It took a lot of guts to inform the waiter kindly as my partner and I were already half way into the entree then I saw a short strand of hair which I picked up with my fork to show the waiter. After that, nothing was really taken into account throughout the whole dinner. It still bothered me after some time hence this review took a week for me to decide on doing. Otherwise I appreciate the proactive reply. I am more than happy to provide further details of our reservation that evening to assist with your investigation. Thank you

Daphnes definitely produces food that is visually captivating as the restaurant’s ambiance. Most of the dishes we had were quite good but the chicken for us was a slight miss (a bit dry). However the fish dish made up for it as it was delicious, fragrant and loaded with seafood. Service was good which is expected from such a reputable restaurant. Would also like to give a special mention on how fast they deliver their food , felt like there was barely any wait time even though the restaurant was busy, definitely impressive.

Dinner at Daphnes in Ponsonby exceeded my expectations for Mediterranean cuisine. Chef Stevan's refined approach was evident throughout the beautifully crafted meal. For starters, we enjoyed prawns saganaki with feta, tomato and Greek herbs. The dish was delicious with its unpredictable spice. The second course was trevally fish omos, served with mint vinaigrette and cucumber. It was very fresh and refreshing, ideal for a hot day. Lastly was the confit pork belly and tamarillo jam. The tender pork belly was complemented by the delicious sauce. For the main course, we had woodfired cure kingfish with buttermilk, pine nuts and fennel. This was the best cure fish I have ever had. The fennel and buttermilk were beautifully perfectly balanced. Finally, we had charcoal chicken, cauliflower and jus. The chicken was moist and tender, although the flavour was slightly light for my palate. My wife, however, enjoyed it. For dessert, we shared caramelised crème anglaise, filo & rose petal and also the crèmeux chocolat with crème fraiche. These were the two best desserts I have had in a while.

We decided to try Daphne’s on a whim as it’s new, and while the place looks really cool, fully instagrammable and mysterious vibes, the food and cocktails were a let down. They seemed a little off on texture and flavour most of the time. We ordered the special octopus that was a little chewy, but the sauce itself was delicious (sadly the waiter cleared the plate too quick), then the prawn saganaki, which was probably the best dish. Also had the confit pork belly, but that was a little dry and not too strong in flavour. We also had the market fish, which was salmon. This was ok. However, the biggest let down for me was that while we sat quite far away from the pretty and stylish new open kitchen, we couldn’t escape to be drenched of the smoke of it all. Even a day later my hair and the clothes I wore smell so strongly of kitchen that it put me off visiting the place to give it another chance. It felt like i left a Hot Pot + BBQ place instead of a new bistro / restaurant.

An absolutely delightful place with great seating options inside and out. I felt like I was back on a Greek Island - the food was delicious and the wait staff were super attentive and friendly. The menu is varied and very reasonably priced, with portion sizes perfect for sharing (I went with one other). Thanks Daphnes! - I'll be back.

Had a fantastic dining experience at Daphne. The highlight of the night was definitely the woodfired market fish dish — a beautiful combination of clams, mussels, prawns, and fresh fish that captured the essence of the sea. Every bite was a burst of oceanic flavour, delicately balanced with herbs and seasoning. It felt like a celebration of fresh seafood done right. Also really enjoyed the pork belly skewers — crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside, paired perfectly with the pickled rhubarb and fennel. A great contrast of textures and flavours.

Our dinner reservation last night was a special occasion and we wanted to say the meals were amazing, the service wonderful and great value for money. Recently we went to Oyster and Chop for my birthday on the 1st of January and it was sooo expensive and very disappointing. I thought it would be extremely good and I saved up for quite a while but I was ignored when I placed my oyster order for an hour (my family all got their orders promptly needless to say they were furious). My husband and I stayed after happy hour for dinner and the food was bland and very very overpriced. Also crap service yet again. So....thankyou Daphane's you have restored faith in a great dining experience.

An absolute selfish treat for me to dine at Daphne’s with two of my friends. The atmosphere was warm and inviting despite the terrible weather. The service delivered to us was impeccable - the constant refill of our water, the attentiveness of the staff when called upon made the dining experience so memorable, we were very lucky. The food was delicious, tasty and presented so beautifully. We ordered a series of small plates to share between us, an agreed favourite was the Goat Shoulder Croquetas with Red Pepper Jam. Other plates we did enjoy was the Signature Focaccia with Burnt Butter and the Confit Pork Belly with Seasonal Jam. Dessert was phenomenal, must try the Tiramisu - my friend ordered this and it looked absolutely divine! big portion too! The highlight for us was the respect and patience we felt at the end of the evening by the staff. We were the last to leave, yet instead of hinting to us to leave, the staff allowed us to finish our conversation and enjoy our time with one another. No rush, no pressure felt. Cannot recommend this place enough, especially dining here with your friends!