Sidart Restaurant

Review from our visit in June 2024 Sidart’s tasting menu presented a visually stunning range of dishes, with a few standouts and a couple of misses. The mushroom and beef snacks were particular highlights, offering rich, well-balanced flavours. By contrast, the fish and chips snack leaned too salty, and the meringue felt a bit too soft. Fortunately, the mains and dessert courses were executed more consistently, leaving a positive overall impression. The owner and executive chef, Lesley Chandra, was very warm and hospitable.

Absolutely delicious, creative tasting experience in a relaxed, unfussed atmosphere at very reasonable prices. We did the 5-course tasting menu with wine pairing, and everything was absolutely on point, from the friendly, welcoming service to the artful presentations to the wine pairings. The Wagyu beef was quite possibly the best I've ever had in my life. Definitely a highlight of our trip to NZ. Highly recommended.

Fantastic 7 course meal, each course brought new and exciting flavors we had never even seen before! Our best personal eat in Auckland yet!

Each dish is exceptionally crafted and full of flavours that you don't get often. To my surprise, the dessert is my favourite!

We enjoyed the dining experience very much. Room for improvement with the cleanliness of their cutlery 🍴 and plates.

Amazing experience, way exceeded expectations. Came here slightly worried about the menu as coming from Singapore we are not particularly used to the meats like Venison and Quail. But was absolutely in love with every dish from start to finish. The dish that really stood out to us was the fish that was topped with chicken emulsion and chicken skin crumble, such interesting flavours and pairing and we couldn’t get enough of it. Highly recommended for a visit, well worth the price tag :)

We were lucky to enjoy the special NYE tasting menu with them. What a great explosion for the taste buds, great attentive service and great advice regarding wine selection and pairings. All you would expect from an high-end upmarket restaurant in Auckland of course… but still … great place to go - nice view of CBD if you catch one of the few tables at the windows - and of course a nice suburb for drinks as well …

Overall, my girlfriend and I had a good time at Sidart, but I do think the reviews are a bit overrated. We had the seven course degustation. None of the dishes were particularly inspiring or memorable. In fact, the dessert was so sweet, I didn’t finish it. The service was nothing special either - we were rushed through the dishes. The waitress started pouring the wine for the second dish before we had even finished the first dish, almost as if rushing us to eat faster. I would probably have paid about $75 per person for this experience, but definitely at $175 per person, I expect better than this. One thing that I definitely would award 5/5 stars for is the wine pairing. We paid for the premium wine pairing. It was a beautiful selection. Each wine not only paired with each dish very well, but they actually elevated each other. I recommend paying for the premium wine pairing if you come here.

I had a wonderful experience at Sidart while in Auckland. Sidart came highly recommended from a friend, and we were not disappointed. I wasn't sure what to expect from the fine dining scene in NZ, but was pleasantly surprised with the selection of ingredients (meats and fish mostly) native to New Zealand. We had fried quail, veal, and a variety of fish caught locally. I really enjoyed how the menu was designed to introduce unique flavors and local palettes, just in an elevated way. Also, the staff were all very kind and answered all the questions we had, and were always checking in on us. Overall, we had a great night out and capped off our stay in Auckland on a high note.

For being one of the top restaurants in New Zealand, I had pretty high expectations. The first amuse-bouche was probably the best and the rest of the plates got repetitive. I normally enjoy a good sorbet, but being provided 4 separate dishes of sorbet got me a little tired of sorbet. One dish had cucumber sorbet, another passion fruit sorbet, Parmesan cheese sorbet and a feijoa sorbet. There was also a lot of plates with the same elements such as a touch of mousse and a fried leaf. One had cabbage, one had two Brussels sprout leaves, another had a dried seaweed sheet, another was fried kale. Again, very repetitive. Our 9 course meal took about 3 hours. The service was also something that could be severely improved. We kept waiting for the check to arrive, I even asked our waiter for the check, but it never came. In the end, we got up and paid at the register. I've never had to do such a thing at a fine dining restaurant! And I guess it's not uncommon because after we got up, another table got up and paid at the register right after us. Also, I had to ask for a copy of the menu on my way out. Isn't this something that would have been provided at the beginning of the meal or at least offered at the end? I'm amazed I had to ask if such a thing even existed. On the plus side, each plate was artfully plates, the restaurant was nicely decorated and had a great view of the Sky Tower. We were lucky to be seated at the window so our spot was more private. Otherwise, some of the tables are very close to each other. Lastly, the cost is much cheaper than some of the other fine dining around the world so I guess the missing details is reflective of the price. As beautiful as this restaurant is, I probably won't go back on my next trip to New Zealand. If I do, I'll go with a 6 course tasting next time so the plates don't feel as repetitive.

Following up from the amazing night from Cassia, dining at Sidart immediately comes to mind. Sidart has long-standing been one of Auckland's best restaurants. Like the name suggests, every dish is no less than art on a plate with no toleration for low standards. It's a strange location for a high end restaurant and passing through the slightly dinghy arcade to go up the stairs, it is a completely different atmosphere walking through Sidart's doors. It was much smaller than I expected and everything was elegantly set up in black and golden tones. The tone was set by the view of the city lights which was actually quite breath-taking as the lights glowed through the window. We went for their Tuesday Test Kitchen which is $80 for an eight-course culinary experiment - the only restaurant in Auckland that offers this concept. At first I didn't know whether it would be too experimental for my liking with all the delicate foams and bisques that are often looked down upon these days for being pretentious and unnecessary. I personally liked it as part of the sensory experience. The foodie highlight was the pork belly which was ohhh so tender and melted in my mouth. Each of the little elements on the plate served its purpose and added either a different texture or played the sweet and savoury tug of war. The two desserts were so fulfilling and while it was so intricate, every mouthful was delicious. The waiter was very humble and thoughtful, explaining each of the dishes without sounding like they were reciting off a book. Even when we asked to halt and take a break from the 8 courses, they graciously let the kitchen know so we could take a breather. The cheeky part of the Tuesday Test Kitchen is that the menu is given to you in an envelope. Whether or not you would like to know the contents is entirely up to you. If you were dining with other foodies, you can have a little competition to see who can guess the most ingredients on the plate! A low point was actually the setting with the tables being very close together and a bit claustrophobic and warm. The toilets were also a short walk away from the restaurant which is good to take a breather and shot of cool air but can detract from the mood. The 8 course degustation took over 3 hours - quite long for a mid week night out and made me leave patting my stomach and saying "no more"! I'd love to go back for a special occasion or event. The food was immaculate and it was an experience to be remembered!

I was really excited to finally try Sidart's Tasting Menu. The waitress was great. My partner and I had the 5 course and they gave us different dishes so we could try a bit of everything. The service was impeccable and the food almost as good as the waitress. Can't wait to go there again once their menus have changed.

I need to give 6 stars seriously. The food is so so good over my expectation. The 2 and half hour lunch ( well organised timing) I had fish, venison, beef and other 2 dishes for 5 course just cost me $65 dollars, unbelievable for the service and quality of the food! I go to good restaurants every year at my birthday for a good meal compared to those Michelin restaurants the cost of a great meal in Auckland is just 1/4. Last time went to Grove was great too a bit more fency but I like Sidart now , it's fantastic. Recommend for a special occasion you won't be disappointed. Love it.

i had pretty low expectations for food in NZ especially when it came to fine dining but i still thought i'd give it a go while i was out there and my sweet traveling companion also wanted us to celebrate my birthday in style so we made rezzies far in advance and ate light throughout the day to save our appetites for what was supposed to be a gastronomical adventure according to a few NZ food blogs i read before our trip a very small space on the second floor of a random strip mall/plaza the interior was clean and modern - lots of greys/blacks/metals the presentation of the food was great i loved the different color palettes they experimented with especially our short rib course - it looked like winter on a plate they also incorporated a lot of special effects - lots of foam, smoke, freeze-drying however, i found the overall flavors to be repetitive - it was like "foam - creamy sauce accent - crumbly shrimp cracker" just in different shapes or quantities but pretty much on every main plate by the third course, my taste buds were snoring the seafood dishes were great but the meat dishes (pork belly and short rib) were overcooked and very tough for dessert, the parsley ice cream (?) was interesting and tasty (although i wasn't a fan of the tomato) but the carrot cake was probably the worst carrot cake i've ever had i'm glad we got to try a fine dining spot in NZ but if i ever go back, i'm definitely going to stick to the smaller, local shoppes

Avoid this restaurant. They are rude, obnoxious, and unpleasant. They place is badly situated and is quite stuffy.

I've been to Sidart a couple of times now, and it's always been on corporate outings where a set menu is put in front of you with a variety of different dishes. I've been there with a small group where we had five courses with wine. That was pretty decent - it was the first time I'd had perfectly cooked tuna before and I really loved it. In fact, the fish dishes were the best out of the lot here - I also had Hapuka for the first time in years and loved it. The second time I went was a much larger affair with about 15 people there. We had a set menu of entree, main and dessert, and I once again decided to have the fish, which was melt in your mouth perfect.

The food's decent here, especially considering the price. At around $140 NZD per person for a tasting menu, it's not too bad. (Maybe I'm just used to NYC prices...) Chef Sahrawat does one thing really well--he's creative with flavor combinations and uses ingredients in ways that will surprise even those diners who are used to fine dining and have seen quite a bit. However, there are two major flaws with the food. First, the proteins aren't really good. This isn't really the chef's fault, though; I don't quite think NZ has relatively cheap access to great beef/pork/etc. They'd have to raise prices quite a bit to get high-quality protein. Second, sometimes the dishes can be TOO complex. The chef uses a LOT of different ingredients, and what gets lost in the process is simplicity and purity of each ingredient. Some ingredients can become somewhat redundant in the process. Also, the restroom is outside in the mall area, but that's not really a big deal. The service is pretty great and about what you'd expect from a high-end fine dining place.

Phenomenal experience and food. Our server, Katie, was both very knowledgeable and professional. She also went out of her way to ensure our experience was as good as possible. The fixed menu is rotating so there's not much use in going into details on the food -- suffice to say everything was excellent. Would definitely recommend doing at least one wine pairing for the table as it really completes the experience.

So just wanted to say I had an epic meal at Sidart. It was by far the best restaurant in Auckland, if not the whole of NZ. I would even say it's now on my list of top 5 restaurants of all time. That list includes: Nobu Las Vegas, The French Laundry in Yountville California, Le Cirque at Bellagio Las Vegas, and Delmonico Steakhouse. So the talent there is in good company. Sid is working on becoming the Joel Robuchon of New Zealand. Excellent job (5 stars) and I'll be keen to go back. Then again the company was pretty epic too!

We were recommended the tasting menu at Sidart and were not disappointed. It's a great way to spend a lunchtime. The decor, service and food all combine to provide a refined relaxed luxurious experience. The courses were served at a finely measured pace and the servers were attentive to our every need. The menu comprised 6 tasting dishes, each was excellent. Highlights were the prawn sheet on tuna and the venison with smoked yoghurt, however every dish was indeed a work of art. If you are in the mood for a memorable experience rather than just a meal this is the place for you. Sidart has inspired me. It is wonderful to see these levels of passion when it comes to food creation and service.

Chef Siddarth Sahrawath's restaurant is the most happening one in NZ since at least 2 years now - it sports bursts of inspiration with continuous creativity and while it looks up to Noma & the New Nordic wave of cuisine my chief cavil after 3 visits is that the knock-out flavours here are not as frequent as they should be. I recall a dazzlingly beautiful slab of pristine chicken outfitted with haute-couture touches of sauce swipes and foams. An exquisitely smooth medallion of beef with jerusalem artichoke puree and leeks impressed in every way, while there are effective shows of technique like a cylinder of polenta (adjoined by wildly odd-ball cameos like tiny bits of sesame laddoo) You may also get a cool sexy salad of sorbets and freeze dried elements that is post-modern Escoffier. But the foams often have phantom taste, the plating frills veer into gratuitous domains, and the seafood which is often minimally cooked- I've tasted Kingfish, tuna, snapper and prawn here- creates no lasting memories. Service needs to be more vigilant, but the best of the staff is young and charming Amanda.The ambience on the rare occasions when this compact space is not full, may be called intimate, but when it is packed to the gills the din can ratchet up to unsettling levels that compromize fine-dining- apparently that doesn't prevent the place from being booked out a week in advance. . Yes I'm being strict with Sidart but you can't always baby potentially top players. 2.75/5 Photos, http://upnworld.com/restaurant/view/id/42/title/Sidart+II+%26+III

Unfortunately, one of our least favorite meals during our trip to new zealand. The staff were all nice, the chef seemed like a nice guy, but overall we didnt really enjoy what we ate. We had the 7 course tasting. There wasnt anything i ate that i would die to have ever again. My wife even said to me at one point that she felt like she was being held hostage in the restaurant because the dinner seemed unnessarily drawn out by delays between courses.

Definitely one of the best tasting menus in Auckland! Desserts are my favorite, superb! Test Kitchen on Tuesdays are great surprises and excellent in value, Creative Cuisine is indeed creative and amazing, this is a must recommend!

Just indulged in the seven course degustation menu to celebrate seven years of favourite dishes at Sidart. This is our second time dining here, Sidart never fails to surprise and delight. Tonight was amazing, an experience not to be missed. Flavours, textures,colours shapes combined on the plate to delight the senses. This restaurant is an experience not to be missed! Superb !