The French Cafe

We had the eight course Gaggenau test menu. The highlight for us was the aged duck, cooked to perfection. I have never thought corn will compliment duck so we'll but it did. The fig leaf ice cream was interesting too. It opened my mind to what you can do with the leaf of a fruiting tree without actually using the fruit. The tea-like drink with a cinnamon stick in the photo is a Chai style spiced mock tail, I suggest giving it a pass and choose something else. I give atmosphere a three star because I must say after going to various different trendy restaurants around Auckland, this is is starting to show its age and feeling a bit dull. It's true that the menu and finesse of cooking skill should be the most important thing but when you are competing in a world of fine dining, ambience becomes important too.

No words about the 6course tasting menu we have in April 2025. Every small details well thought out. This place has been on my list places to dine for about 4-5years and I’m glad I got to experience it.

We ( me and my my wife) plan for one fine-dining experience in every trip and this was our choice for our New Zealand trip in November 2024 (as they were accommodating to our dietary preferences - I’m vegetarian and my wife is vegan). The restaurant has an elegant casual vibe and looked to have limited seating for providing premium experience. The service was impeccable right from the welcome helping us with storing our coats, guiding us to our table, confirming our dietary preferences and helping us with more details on every dish. We opted for a six course tasting menu. Since it was a degustation experience, we were served dishes one after the other each with their own plates and cutlery. The first one was a palate cleanser drink that was very refreshing. The cold salad in the first course was just amazing. Each dish was presented perfectly and tasted great. The overall experience took about 3 hours and since it was our first day of the trip, we were little jet-lagged and could not completely enjoy the experience due to the fatigue. We probably would have enjoyed 4 course option for our appetite, 6 felt a bit over stuffed at the end. The food had more influence on Indian flavors (kofta, naan, gravies) compared to French than I had expected and hence reduced 1 star.

We loved everything we ordered and the service was warm and attentive We had the following dishes: Potato and truffle doughnut (truffle flavour was devine) Black pepper prawns, mushrooms, pear, nori Pork belly, grilled cabbage, fenugreek, apple, turmeric Dry aged duck, spiced leg, grilled leek, pomegranate, date Pommes Anna, koji mayo, parmesan Chocolate cremeux, mandarin, honeycomb, lychee Fig leaf ice cream, feijoa, gin, caramelised white chocolate Favourites were the donut, Pork belly and dry aged duck. Perfect balance of flavours

Fantastic. It is a while since we ate at the French cafe (It was Anise when we last went. ) but we shall be returning as soon as we can. What an absolutely amazing night we had. Two delicious snacks paved the way and the rest of the meal was faultless. We had the 6 course tasting menu. The kingfish with an apple sorbet , asian sauce and draped with a clear soy flavored gel is not to be missed. Duck and lamb were not only visually exciting but delicious to eat. The service is, and always has been, faultless. The staff really contributed to a great night. Great to see the restaurant was full on a Wednesday night- deservedly so

We recently dined here for the 8 course test kitchen menu, the food was beautiful, service was attentive and warm. A few elements detracted from what could have been a perfect evening. The interiors felt a little dated and didn’t quite match the finesse of the food. We also noticed a number of fruit flies — one landed in a glass of wine, which the wait staff very promptly replaced after it was brought to their attention. Lastly, we had noted a birthday in the booking, but this was overlooked — a small touch, but it makes a difference when celebrating something special. A lovely evening overall, with great food and service, but the attention to detail and the ambience could use some refinements

We had the most AMAZING dining experience last night at The French Cafe. Matthew and team took exceptional care of us. Their customer service, the innovative food, beautiful presentation, and knowledgeable detailed description of each dish, paired wine and flavors, was fantastic. If you are looking for a special night out in a class all of its own, this is it! You will not be disappointed.

Food: tried both regular set menu and Tuesday tasting menu, was actually more impressed by the Tuesday set menu. Service: there was a very lovely and helpful waitress, but also a waiter who would ignore us when wave at him Atmosphere: we sat in two different rooms the two time we went, both beautiful spaces. However, on Tuesday the room was playing music that didn’t really match with the vibe of the restaurant. We communicated with our waitress and she asked the manager, but the manager didn’t let her change playlist. The other time in the other room there was actually a well curated playlist playing. We think the playlist that has more instrumental songs and less pop music definitely suits the vibe of the restaurant more Overall great food and space for improvement in terms of service and atmosphere

What else is there to say others have not already said? How about this? We were seated at the table right next to the pass and we were able to watch Chef Sid our whole meal. Great service and delicious food, a very pleasant experience all around. Great thing is that we happened upon this restaurant sort of by accident since it's hard to find on Yelp and did not come up in our search initially. Even better was that it was literally two blocks from our Airbnb. We ordered a la carte and were very pleased to be given four different amuse bouches to start. The service was impecable, food delicious and ambiance romantic. Great way to start a special anniversary trip!

Do NOT pass this place up. A Beautiful experience of food design that brought every culture in every bite. You will not be disappointed. The service was incredible and perfectly orchestrated that certainly plays into your dining experience. You are welcome!

Absolutely the best meal I've ever had. As an American that lives in LA who has experienced a wealth of fine dining shared plate spots, this one's attention to detail is what sets it apart. The rice crispy desert was a shocking surprise as a taste of home from the southeast US. Please go here if you get the chance.

A gastronomic experience. Turns out Auckland is a a great place for foodies. Lots of choices. After some deliberation with the Concierge we picked the delightful French Cafe. 4 of us headed to the restaurant on a rather cold, ( considering it's the middle of summer in this hemisphere) rainy evening. What we found was a unstuffy, morning inviting place. Clean lines, comfortable surroundings not littered with old style French formality. We decided to have our cocktails in the small, cozy bar area rather than at the table. They had two "mixologists" making spirits creations and while our requests were seemingly more ordinary they were all excellent. FYI-- if you find yourself in Auckland don't expect American size cocktails--they and others explained ( and this made no sense to me) New Zealand is trying to curb drunk driving-- a good thing---by limiting the amount of alcohol they put into a single drink. So if your order a Manhattan in an up glass it's only half filled. And yes it's fully priced. So to get a full drink you have to pay for a double -- when actually it's a single drink. Crazy huh? The restaurant is broken into smaller individual sections. As you move back into the restaurant you'll find the first section a cozy more traditional area, no real view but cozy. Moving back and to the right a lovely area that overlooks a large patio area with a fireplace at one end. No tables or chairs more Zen feeling probably given it was raining and with the gas fireplace blazing it was very cool. The next area was actually next to the second area - separate and more an enclosed room. This was not a plastic add on-- done very well. Tablecloths and all. On the other side was large room. Stay away from this room. Felt like an annex -- overflow room. Didn't feel like being in the restaurant. If you're going to pay these prices you'll want to experience the food ( why you're there) they way it was intended. They have an all encompassing Tasting Menu with a lot of courses or you can go a la carte 3 or 4 courses for $110 NZ dollars ( about 30% less if you're US since our dollar is worth more). We chose 3 courses. They brought an amuse-bouche to begin. Light and airy pastry filled. Next came the courses. You can lean toward seafood or meat in all three or you can mix them up. I went with a Venison tartar, medallion of quail and then lamb which was two center filets done perfectly med rare sous vide. Other dishes were Black Abalone, Scampi. The previous positive reviews on the food are accurately described by fellow Yelpers. No point in repeating. From a tip standpoint if you chose 3 course one of the courses Does Not have to be a dessert. We were too full to even think about it. They will bring you a sweet to finish. Super wine list. Enjoy

Wonderful place for high end gastronomy! Each and every dish had so many different elements to try out. Even the amuse-bouches had a ton of thought and effort put into them. I think even on the dessert I counted 7 different textures and flavors. It was really fun and rewarding to experiment out different combinations, every bite was an adventure. We had the 6 course tasting menu and were super full at the end - the small plates are not so small. It's not one of those high end places that leave you feeling hungry after the meal. The service was excellent, staff were friendly, knowledgeable and happy to accommodate our requests for a different dessert and off the menu cocktails. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because, well honestly even with all the different creams and foams and sauces I felt like the flavors were a little muted. It could be just the French style that I'm not able to get the subtlety of, but I felt like the richness of each dish overwhelmed the other flavors. Two examples would be the scampi and smoked fish courses, both of which came with creamy sauces. Perhaps it's just a matter of personal preference. Still, an amazing experience! I am really proud to have such an amazing high end restaurant in Auckland.

Armed with a very generous gift voucher we arrived at 'Sid at the French Cafe' to be greeted by a group of welcoming staff . Our table was in the gazebo area of the restaurant facing an internal garden court yard warmed by a fire and gas heaters. The waiting staff were amazing their polished appearance matched their attentive polished performance. We chose the four course meal after discussing portion sizes as the aim was to enjoy the food but not to excess. Each course contained the elements of taste , texture , colour freshness and in true Sid-Art style huge visual appeal. Good use was made of the on-site vegetable/ herb garden to enhance the plate. The whole experience was amazing and we could see the care , time and thought that went into every dish. Fine dining at its best. Wine selection was huge and international however we chose NZ, appropriate at this time. A place to go for a very special occasion.

Glad I decided to dine here on a recent stop in Auckland! I had the tasting menu so was able to try a good number of dishes. The one that stands out most to me was the egg confit! The flavors and texture of it were so perfect! The seared duck breast and the buttermilk dessert with berries were delicious and favorites as well! I've been to several other fine dining restaurants of this caliber around the world and I felt like it deserves its place in the rankings. Service was a tad slow for me personally. The table next to me must have felt the same way as they stood up to leave before dessert was served, thinking the palate cleanser was dessert for them. Everyone had a good laugh about the oops moment, but the meal felt a little too spaced out even for this type of experience. It was about 3.5 hours for 6 courses. A nice touch they have is providing you with a copy of the tasting menu to take home. It sits on the table so you can also follow along with the contents of each course as it is served. They also have a vegetarian version and are flexible if you have allergies and need to make any substitutions. This isn't always the case, so it was nice to know they would accommodate. Overall, great experience and food if you're looking for a nice night out in the area!

I ordered their tasting menu. The snacks are all good and I like the lettuce the most. The sauce for kingfish ceviche and butter poached crayfish is a little salty. The lamb was perfectly cool, right enough pink, juicy, yummy yummy~~

This restaurant goes right to the top 10 on my list!!! Last night meal for sitting 6pm was beyond the bar line in service, cocktails and ambience. We sat in the garden ....Spectacular !!!! My a la carte menu options was super yummy. The only place that I can think that reminds of this total experience was Il Bulli in Spain and that's closed. French Cafe like a Ferrari ...what else?? Sorry for short review at Auckland airport , back to NYC... Love you NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!!! Ciao for now

After a bit of travelling we fancied dressing up for the evening and going all out with a degustation meal with paired wine. Once settled in the hotel, I did a bit of yelping to find some good places nearby and the French cafe seemed to tick all the boxes. The location is very central and upon entering we were met by lovely staff who took our coats and seated us at the table we had only booked an hour earlier. Considering it was a Tuesday it was very busy! The decor is simple yet modern, with well spaced tables. We had a browse of the degustation menu and decided to go for that with the paired wine. I think for both wine and about 6 courses of food it came to approximately €150 each which wasn't bad at all. Especially with the quality of the food. I started with a elderflower julep gin based cocktail which was lovely, and we were brought our first couple of amuse bouches and fresh bread. As the tasting menu courses came out of the kitchen, wine was poured just after the plates were set down on the table. A waiter explained the course, followed by an explanation if the wine and why it had been chosen. The food was brilliant, lots of fish, lots of meat. Excellent presentation. By the end we were struggling to finish off the last bites we were so full! Overall, a brilliant evening. A great restaurant with lovely staff and brilliant food. If I am back in Auckland I will definitely be paying another visit.

Such a high standard of cuisine comes with a hefty price tag, which is why it is not the sort of place you would visit on a regular basis (unless of course, money is no object), but instead as a very special treat. It is such a popular place that it is fully booked well in advance and if you want to dine on a Friday or Saturday night you need to book months ahead. Our booking was for Thursday the 3rd of August and we chose to go for the tasting menu with paired wines. They do also have an a la carte menu but with so many delicious things to choose from we couldn't make up our mind so we decided to let the restaurant choose for us. As for doing the matching wines, we absolutely believe that properly paired food and wine greatly improves your dining experience. We spent most of the time enjoying the experience! We've written a blog review of Our experience. search for Salt-lifestyle to read it.

I have had the pleasure of dinning here on two different evenings and I was blown away by the service and the true flavor exploration of true fine dinning ,I highly recommend this place if you want to go out for a special night

The French Café is my favourite restaurant in Auckland. And I've done Meredith's and Clooney and all the other ones in that whole 'expensive, fancy' category. I don't know what it is but it's just an institution. The food is always incredible, the service impeccable. And to be expected - it is pretty expensive. The degustation is great but takes a long time, so you've got to be prepared for that. The dining room is so clean and has a good sound level (which sounds odd, but is important for me). One thing that might be kind of depressing is that when you dine there, you're usually in a room full of people on their anniversary or birthday dinners. I mean, it's a special occasion type restaurant. You don't see many people coming in just for a meal. I recently dined in The French Kitchen, which has just opened up out the back - it's a private dining room which has interiors done by Katie Lockhart so it looks amazing in there. There's an outdoor courtyard with this very attractive vegetable garden. I was there for lunch and the food was being prepared just metres away from our table where we could see. I pretty much loved everything I ate. God damn it was good.

I appreciate the attempts to make this "restaurant" of the year-- but the flavors were just not THAT amazing. Good food; great presentation, and yes- quite a few delays between courses, plan 4 hours , easily ! Some of the wait staff better than others... Very loud environment; need baffles on ceiling...

One of the best meals of my life - the service was impeccable - my partner does not eat seafood but I was keen to do the degustation menu - that was no problem at all to alter the seafood courses and matched wines for him and he didn't miss out at all - every course was perfect - it's not a cheap night out at $500 for both of us with matched wines but it was well worth it - we were still full the next day and the whole meal was 3.5 hours so a total night of entertainment - must do at least once a year!

Amazing first meal in New Zealand. Supposedly ranked the top 3 in all of New Zealand and it definitely doesn't disappoint. If this restaurant was in SF it would probably cost 600$ per person because it's in SF. 280& US for two people including wine is well worth it. The service however was not up to par with the food. Staff was friendly but forgetful. We ordered the 4 course a la cart but after the third course he came back to ask if we wanted a fourth course for dessert. After giving him our dessert choices he came back two minutes later to ask again lol. He also forgot my coffee after dessert came. Overall great restaurant but they need to brush up on their fatty service skillZ.

You've got to try their cocktails! My husband and I have spent the entire night there just on cocktails, this is the only fine dining restaurant in AKL that has a 5 star drink menu!

Recently I lucked out and got an invitation to lunch at The French Café with a design guru and a CEO, their shout! I hadn't been there since they had built their new courtyard, garden and private dining area, The Kitchen, but it looks fantastic and I can't wait for an opportunity to experience an event there! Back to lunch, it was exactly what you expect from the French Café. Great food and superb service. The wine list was extensive and not over the top in price. Between us we had the snapper, the beef and the duckling (small concern that the duckling was a baby but I think it was old enough!). Each plate was full of interesting flavours and tastes. As it was lunch we thought it was a bit excessive to have dessert so we settled on two desserts between the three of us. I know, big concession, right? It was tough to choose which one was our favourite - the lemon meringue or the rhubarb and toffee apple. Both looked exquisite on the plate and tasted heavenly! I am not sure where two and half hours went but it was very pleasurable and I am looking forward to the next visit.

It was my wife's 35th birthday celebration, and what better place to celebrate than the French Café. Nothing was to much for this faultless service team. I requested 4 Roederers in arrival and with the knowing nod from the Maitre'd on arrival we were welcomed into their warm blanket of service perfection. Our waiter, a young French chap, took complete control w amuse bouche selections, amazing wine suggestions, and huge options wrt menu design. FOOD: on all counts as close to perfection as you could hope for. Some serious skill shown here but you never felt it was done to wow visually but to confuse the taste buds, not here, stunning presentation w every component pulling the dishes together (yes, I pretty much tried them all) w exquisite completion. I could write forever, but won't, so all I'll say is go, and appreciate an experience that delivers far more than you could hope for.

Went here for a birthday. The service is pretty exceptional here. The staff are knowledgeable and know their menu well. The food are to die for here. Everything on the menu was awesome. Love the staff coming round scrapping off bread crumbs with their little flash scrapper, love to get one of those at home. Although is pricey, but I think for one of the best fine dining experience in the country. Is worth every penny.

I had such a high hopes for this restaurant. But alas, it was a let down. There were some very newb mistakes made here...temperature of the food, the pacing, flavors. All were a bit off. Some of our dishes could have definitely been served hotter and the flavors some times were too sweet for savory dishes. We also had long waits between courses. Unfortunately, nothing stood out. Our server lacked that special finesse that is usually seen at restaurants of this caliber, rather the caliber that this restaurant hopes to achieve. I can't say I would recommend this restaurant, I wish I would have tried another place like The Grove or Meredith's. Ah well.

It's hard to give this place any less than five stars considering it offers some of the loveliest food and definitely the best service of any dining establishment in Auckland. Clearly French nouveau in terms of cuisine, the French Cafe is slightly less experimental than Clooney or Sidart, and definitely less pretentious than Antoine's. Its perfectly executed meat and vegetarian dishes (especially the signature duck and wintery venison) are complemented by an expertly selected antipodean and french wine list. Four courses can be partially or fully enjoyed or substituted by a degustation for the entire party. Amuse bouches seem to make it to the table with surprising regularity. Never napkin is our of place. The clean lines and white walls adorned with Max Gimblett paintings offer a soothing backdrop for many a special and memorable evening. The crew in the partially visible kitchen is. the human equivalent of a well oiled machine. Well done Simon, Creaghan and team. Keep up the great work and look forward to dining with you again.

It was our five year anniversary and we wanted to celebrate it at a special place so we booked in at 7.30 for the 8 course degustion menu at The French Cafe. The food was absolutely wonderful, flavours we have never tasted before, textures we have never experienced before. The staff were very professional and helpful. But what I would like to recommend is to book in for the degustion menu by 6.30 as it took us about 3 hours. That aside it was a wonderful evening, and we enjoyed it so much we went back the next week too.

Well la de la, this is dining at it's finest. Since it opened, The French Café has been synonymous with the best in Auckland and the fact that it has been on most top 50 Restaurant lists is testament to that. Whenever I go here, which isn't often due to the price, I am excited for the week leading up to it. From the moment you walk in, you know you're in for a good night. The place is cosy and simple, and your fellow diners are usually there for a special occasion which definitely adds to the air of excitement. The food is fantastic - these chefs certainly take their jobs seriously. The knowledge that they have for flavours and food combinations is impeccable. The service is second to none, these guys know they are working for an institution and their skill adds to the overall impressiveness of the place. Like I said, the only thing keeping me from coming back every week is the price - but for the whole experience and the amazing food, it; worth it.

I went to The French Café for a birthday degustation meal with my partner and his family. The whole damn bunch of us doesn't eat meat and The French Café offers a vegetarian version of their degustation, so we dug into it with gusto. I've said it before and I'll say it again - going to a restaurant that properly caters to vegetarians is a god send and shows a real duty of care to the meatily-challenged out there... especially when you hear that a lot of chefs think vegetarians don't deserve to eat in restaurants! The vegetarian degustation starts with an amuse bouche before leading on to a smattering of good tasting things. Ravioli, risotto, cheeses and perfectly crafted vegetable dishes, as well as a very tasty dessert. The menu changes with regularity at The French Café so I'm quite keen to go back and do this same set menu again!

I had the joy of visiting this restaurant and I was blown away with the detail in the presentation of the food and the knowledge of the serving staff. They knew with the greatest detail the menu and were happy to share there knowledge with you. This place is a must

For our fourth anniversary, AW and I indulged in the French Cafe. We had a voucher that friends had given us as an engagement present that was singing out to be used, and we thought we deserved a treat. It's Christmas after all, right? It was AMAZING. When AW and I went almost four years ago together, we were seated in the main restaurant part (so not the bit that looks out over the courtyard), with a reservation for 7pm. With the French Cafe, I say do it later - especially in summer. Our reservation was at 8.45pm, and we arrived a little early with the intention of having a drink in the bar. We were seated in the beautiful courtyard at that amazing time of night where the sun is setting but it's still light where we indulged in champagne in front of the fire they have. Service was perfect, not too many interruptions but always there to top up a glass. Onto the food. It was.. the best meal I've had, I think. I am pretty sure I can safely say that. We decided to go with the a la carte menu, given the time. Perhaps if it had been a Friday, we would've gone for the degustation and enjoyed the wines as much as the slurring ladies next to us (this didn't detract from the evening, they were hilarious... they did get a little loud the more they had to drink, but it's not like I haven't been that person before!). I started with the scallops. Holy moly. Cooked to perfection, they came out beautifully - so tender with a sauce so amazing I would've slurped it up from the shell if I could have. I highly recommend. For my second course I had the beetroot and goat's cheese tart. Now, I know that say, Little & Friday does a wonderful beetroot tart, but you have not tasted the sweet, earthy, moreish-ness of the beetroot teamed with the tang of the goat's cheese and the light, crisp buttery tart until you have tasted one from the French Cafe. It is a MUST. I then followed this up with the main dish of the night - the lamb. It was perfection. It was pink and juicy, and my knife slid right through it. I cannot rate it highly enough. You know, I never used to like lamb? That was because my mother didn't really cook it while I was growing up (probably because she knew I wouldn't eat it, I was basically a vegetarian until 18) and because whenever I'd had it elsewhere it was dry and disgusting and had that smell.. ugh. But lamb from the French Cafe is out of this world. We decided not to do dessert as I was far too full, and wanted to end the night on a savoury note. I am sure it would have been beautiful but I just wanted to savour all that savoury goodness I'd just consumed. I cannot rate this place highly enough. It is certainly a special occasion restaurant, but given we eat out so often, isn't it nice to have a place that you only head to on special occasions? Yes, it will cost you the earth, but it is worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY. And that's a big call.

French Cafe is often named No.1 in Auckland and my three visits over two years to this restaurant have had moments of brilliance mixed with disappointment. The Tasting menu hasn't changed by much since eighteen months, but a rustic-chic courtyard and a private hall where the chief chefs will specially cook for your party, are the new attractions. Service remains smooth and high-quality but for better vigilance, more staff (and higher bills) will have to enter the fray. Egg Yolk confit with potato and mushroom scored with its looks and concept rather than taste, while the lobster, mussels and scallops here have limited depth. Simon Wright prefers to serve de-boned beautifully sculpted and plated meat but the lamb, though tender and having zero gaminess, lacked flavour. A game changer here is risotto comprised by brunoised celeriac with myriad savoury and creamy persuasions - a triumph of technique and taste.Desserts have never disappointed: lusciously ripe vanilla panacotta was perfectly contrasted with an almond crisp, while lavender icecream nuzzled a rich brioche crowned with sauce-drenched plums and cherries. The best from a 2012 meal of 9 courses had featured superb seared duck and an exquisite ballotine of quail.Tariffs in NZ$ - $30 for appetizers, $46 for main course, and $20 for desserts. F.C is an asset for Auckland but will need to step it up for reaching world-class brilliance. 3/5 =Good. Photos http://www.upnworld.com/restaurant/view/id/47/title/French+Cafe+II+

No hesitation, this place deserves 5 stars. A fine dining institution in Auckland and my personal favourite. I returned recently, it's been a couple of years. I wasn't sure if it would be as good as I remembered, after all I've been eating all over town for the last year. I booked a table, requesting one in the back room (I like to watch the kitchen working - just a steady flow of action, everyone knows what they're doing). There's also a lovely view of the courtyard and the new private dining space you can book (complete with your own chef for the night). Service was impeccable, meals were ordered and drinks arrived on queue. We ordered four courses, but also enjoyed three complimentary ones throughout the evening. The starter of scallops with cauliflower cheese was amazing in flavour as was the crispy pork belly with langoustine. I stuck with the signature duck dish for a main, but had venison envy when the meals arrived! Desserts were really good too and full of surprises flavour wise. I had the chocolate, but tasted the lemon one too. Brilliant dining, I can't fault it. Overall, an effortless evening with friends. French Cafe, you remain my number one. Sorry, no photos, I just didn't care, the food was too good!