Auckland Restaurants

Guidebooks

Dine by Peter Gordon

Fodorite Reviews

Average Rating:  

Dine by Peter Gordon Review

New Zealand's most celebrated chef and fusion-cuisine pioneer, Peter Gordon, opened this signature restaurant in 2005 in the Sky City Grand Hotel. He oversees the restaurant from London and visits regularly. As you would expect from a chef of his standing, the refined food delights with surprises such as the crab ravioli with wasabi-tobiko (flying-fish roe), the twice-roasted pork belly, or the prawn with Panko-crusted hapuka. Also in the hotel is his tapas restaurant, Bellota, which is popular with a younger, working crowd. It has a good wine list and lovely little nibbley dishes.

    Restaurant Details

  • Credit cards accepted.

Fodorite Reviews

Average Rating:  
  • Food  
    Décor  
    Service  
    Value  

    Starved by Peter Gordon

    I have never been quite so underwhelmed by a restaurant as I was at Auckland’s ironically named Dine last night. After a 50 minute wait between ordering and receiving our mains, the amount of food on my plate (duck, allegedly) was so microscopically parsimonious I had to check my watch to make sure it wasn't still the 80s. The menu said the dish included Brussells Sprouts. By this it meant there would be some Brussells Sprout leaves on the plate. Probably enough to constitute one tiny little sprout.

    I do realise that the whole fusion thing is meant to be about flavour, but you do have to feed the person. Besides which, they went for a fairly minimalist approach in that department, too.

    My wife's meal, which she said tasted quite good, was room temperature. She would have sent it back, but by then it was 10 O'Clock, and we were not prepared to wait any longer to eat. The restaurant's only saving grace was our lovely (if somewhat embarrassed) waitress.

    How this place is a finalist in the current Cuisine awards while the always brilliant Engine Room is not, is entirely beyond me.

    by Paul_H, 7/17/09

Add your own review

Free Fodor's Newsletter

Subscribe today for weekly travel inspiration, tips, and special offers.

· Forums Trip Reports

View more trip reports

·,

View more travel discussions

· News & Features

View more blog stories