bedford soda & liquor

the skinny dark haired with a pony tail waitress that served us for lunch has attitude problem and is disgusting. she was very rude and impatient while we decided what to order. later on she started hooking up with her boyfriend around the bar area having a good snog. the soda was very nice but the amount was small for $5. the beef meatballs with spicy tomato sauce and risotto had good flavour but was very very salty. i was very thirsty through out the whole day after that meal. the pork ball slider with gravy was very small and also very salty. very disappointed with this place as it has potential with the style of food and drinks. i guess it says it all when there is only 2 tables occupied in the whole place during the peak hours of lunch.

not the most amazing meatballs i've ever had. i tried the beef and the vegetarian options with spaghetti and polenta, respectively (both had spicy tomato sauce).

ordered two sides - a salad which was quite small and some fries. the sides were yummy.

drinks sounded impressive but not as amazing as the menu made them sound. they definitely looked pretty, though.

altogether, it was very expensive for what it is and i probably won't go back...

loved the atmosphere the decor and the friendly staff who offered great service. a relaxing venue in a great position in ponsonby. a wonderful array of innovative and mouth watering drinks and very tasty organic food sourced locally. my absolute favourite the vegie balls with pesto but also very tasty the chicken and shrimp balls. the bedford bloody mary was an amazing drink - almost a meal with the interesting inclusion of basil and capsicum to add colour and flavour. also found the gin pink daisy most refreshing. a great selection of non alcoholic sodas as well.

i have been so overwhelmed and in love with britomart and federal dining district, i had totally neglected the development of ponsonby central, another excellent dining complex in auckland. with a fresh produce market, a variety of eateries including toru and blue breeze inn and several retail stores, ponsonby central is rapidly becoming the most popular place to be on ponsonby strip.

bedford soda and liquor, a newly established eatery, has two main selling points, their meatballs, served either on its own, over pasta, or in a slider/sub and their handmade sodas. on a beautiful saturday afternoon, the place was lively with people enjoying the precious sun with jars of sodas and plates of meatballs. we were quickly shown to a table and the friendly waiter kindly explained how the ‘build your own’ menu worked and the specials for the day. the menu itself is adorable and the novelty of marking and ordering with a red felt marker is amusing.

we toned down our usual amount for lunch and decided to share a few plates. the beef meatballs served with a spicy tomato sauce over pasta is overpriced at $19. the pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce was sensational, i particularly liked the balance of heat and the tangy tomato. the meatballs itself was under-seasoned and desperately needed the help of the sauce for flavouring. compared to the luscious meatballs at baduzzi, the ones at bedford was disappointing as it lacked moisture and was dry for our liking.

the salad special, which was a beetroot salad with roasted kumara, feta and cherry tomato was refreshing and the flavouring was well executed. it’s a nice way to highlight seasonal produce as the natural taste of the vegetables were given room to shine. the combination of the cheese and cherry tomatoes was wonderful.

our sliders ($5 each) was just a simple meatball covered with a sauce of your choice on small toasted buns. the meatballs had the same problem as the pasta, lack of moisture and adequate seasoning. but the sesame buns were nicely toasted which gave it a crispy crunch. it was rather messy to eat, as you can tell from the photos.

their drinks (not pictured) is something to rave about, they have a better selection of beverages compared to their food! they offer alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and the endless option meant that you might need to have more than one! i had the blueberry pomegranate black tea as well as the peanut butter and chocolate shake and they were refreshing and packed with flavour.

bedford soda and liquor has great potential and i’m hoping that they were just having an ‘off’ day in terms of the food. it’s at a great location, the service is friendly and attentive and the place is hip and modern. price-wise, it is leaning towards the expensive end for lunch but you kind of expect that price tag at ponsonby.

please check out my blog for more reviews and photos :) - http://mydiningjourney.wordpress.com

stumbled across bedford last night. has been open about 4.5 weeks. at first we sat outside ands the waitress was ok explaining the menu but not the specials. then before ordering we moved inside and got a different waitress who was an absolute delight. we never asked her name which is a shame as she was excellent. she explained the concept behind the restaurant being an american style restaurant that just serves meatball dishes and subs, sandwiches.

at first this doesn't seem appealing but you get a menu and you chose the type of meat ball, the sauce and what it is going to be served on. i had beef, gravy and mashed potatoes. not very adventurous but was in a comfort food mood. my wife had chicken and prawn meat ball with béarnaise sauce on risotto. we also chose a couple of side, one being green beans and asparagus. you choose your options by using a felt tip pen and ticking the menu. quite a of fun when you can't make up your mind.

the food was simple but fantastic. full of flavour and the with two sides was more than enough to feel satisfied.

will be back for another round soon.