one tree grill

i’ve passed one tree grill many many times on the way from and to the airport. as solid as a meredith or french café, it’s been standing for years but never with the hype of the other two. needless to say, i was excited when zomato invited me out for a meetup.

upon arrival, i loved the variation of the seating options in the restaurant. yes it is a low-lit white tablecloth restaurant, but well thought out concepts break up the suffocating formality that normally lingers around these restaurants. for one, a large fish tank brightens the friendly booth areas suitable for groups of 4-6. also, below your feet lies an impressivewinecellar that glows through glass ceiling.

while waiting for others to turn up, we were invited to sit on the soft couches next to the fireplace - lifesaver given the recent cold snap in auckland. after the crew all turned up, we were lucky to be seated at the private room around the back with beautiful warm wooden hues. although we were there for a degustation menu, we were given these ipads to play with. one tree grill is the first restaurant that i’ve been to with ipad menus. perfect for visual people like me who glaze over at words. 

first course: we kicked off with a smoked duck and sweetcorn soup – great for the recent cold snap in auckland. the texture was smooth and velvety with a beautiful fragrance from the duck. i don’t normally like ordering soup for fear it’ll fill me up but not soon after the soup was served, you could hear the scrapping of spoons from everyone trying to get the last drop of deliciousness from the bowl!

second course: the tea dusted seared tuna was done perfectly the way i like it with the outside lightly seared so the middle is nice and pink. my favourite was the beautiful pops of wasabi roe giving it a light and fresh touch. paired with the sweet riesling, it contrasted with the subtle flavours of the tea. 
  
third course: venison carpaccio with pecorino, capers, truffle oil. it was a real flavour hit with the pecorino cheese being quite strong. our conversation turned to the topic of edible flowers and whether you would eat it as part of a dish. would you? personally i don’t mind smaller ones but i only had a nibble of the fuchsia before i wrinkled my nose and forked it aside. there was no real taste, but it was just too big for my liking!  

fourth course: black angus eye fillet with grilled sweet corn and black garlic. my favourite. simply satisfying with the black garlic being the most intriguing part of the dish - caramelised and tangy. the portion was so generous it could have served as a main itself instead of being part of a degustation.

fifth course: strawberry bavarois with meringue, mint gel, strawberry balsamic and pepper sorbet. hello dessert. and hello dessert wine! i loved the pepper in the sorbet – not enough to make you breathe fire but it left a playful tingle on the tongue. 

a special mention goes to the thoughtfulwinematches. i should have known how serious they take their wines with the dedicated undergroundwinecellar but i was so taken back by how the pairings actually made so much sense. i’ve never hadwinematched so well that it elevated the food and brought out the contrast in the flavours.

service was never obtrusive and our conversations gelled with the waitress every time she discreetly came in to serve us. 

i would recommend one tree grill if you want to show off fine taste to business clients or for special occasions. it isn’t too pompous and formal, and the service would never make you feel that way.

it was a real treat to meet up with other bloggers. thanks zomato and one tree grill for hosting us!

amazing ambiance. service was attentive and we were suggested wines to suite our taste buds.
the entrees of scallops and lamb belly were presented beautifully and was full of flavours.
mains of lamb rump and market fish were good
lamb was moist and accompanied with excellant flavours. side of beetroot salad and beans were a hit.
desserts chcolate and rhubarb custurd were an excellant finish to the lovely meal.
worth a visit if you love fine dine with excellantwinematches!

my husband chose one tree grill to surprise me for date night and i have to say that i think it is one of auckland's better kept secrets. situated unassumingly at one of pah road's many intersections, parking was free and easily located in the side streets. we entered the restaurant and we were immediately struck by the cosy ambiance, ideal on a cold autumn night! we did notice the use of bifold windows however, meaning in summer the entire front of the restaurant could be opened to let in the breeze. the most striking architectural feature has to be the glass floor panel showing the extensivewinecellar below.

we sat and were quickly given our menus, surprisingly given through an ipad app. the menu therefore had accompanying pictures and i wondered whether each dish would have similar presentation. we ordered bread for our starter, and found these rolls ever so slightly on the too-crusty side but still definitely edible. better luck was had with the mains, with the pork belly tender and delightful while the salmon was cooked perfectly with a delicious crispy skin. we ordered accompanying sides; the roasted beetroot and the green beans, both were delicious. at this point we were surprisingly full and split a plate of petit fours between us; the truffle being by far the most delicious of the four. to accompany our meals we both selected from their craft beer menu which endeavors, without being extensive, to cover a wide range of beer.

the service for the most part was spot-on, as you'd expect in an establishment of this quality. the maitre d' seemed a little flustered upon our arrival (something we assume was nothing to do with us) but our wait staff were attentive throughout the meal. my one little niggle would be that the waitstaff seemed to disappear after bringing us our dessert - i always like to be asked if i would like a further drink or indeed, the bill.

this restaurant would make a fantastic place to bring that date to make that special impression. while it is kid-friendly (with a children's menu and even high chairs) i'll be waiting a fair few years before i bring our ratbag along!

i love everything about this place from the sophisticated yet cozy home-y atmosphere to the go-the-extra-mile service and, of course, the food. each element of every dish was given attention as if it were its own dish, and combined, created something quite magical. the salmon was a tango of fresh, delicate, yet vibrant flavours; and the steak was a well-seasoned, true medium rare that was a match made in heaven with the recommendedwinepairing. even the temperature of each dish was perfect - the dessert was a little chilled but not too cold - and it’s attention to detail like that that really sets a place apart. i’m lost for words when it comes to the dessert - it is absolutely exquisite, you’ll just have to try it for yourself. so happy we came here for my mums birthday as it was totally fitting for a superstar like her.

quality food made with quality ingredients. good selection ofwineand great service.
serves better steaks than top steakhouse in nyc.

so god to have 5 star dining in the suburb. everything was amaizng, the service was great and cool ipad menus with beer andwinematches. the food was superb and great quality. very fresh and cooked to perfection. would go back in a heart beat and reccomend to everyone.

highly recommended. been here twice last year through first table deals. absolute loved their food,wineselection and services. one of top 10 restaurants in auckland.

sophisticated fine dining restaurant, resides on manukau road. the beautifully designed interior provides elegance and an intimacy and conversational dining experience.

their menu isn’t forged much like some of the hipster restaurants, but you are guaranteed with prime food and service. their seafood are fresh and beautiful dressed. their red meat are tender and juicy. although last night the eye fillet was made to medium instead of medium rare.

been to this restaurant many times, i no doubtfully recommend everything on their menu. for entree: the raw kingfish, seared scallop and venison carpaccio. for main: the eye fillet, market fish, duck breast and lamb are my top choices.

super friendly and attentive staff.

they also have the most amazingwinecellar and an excellentwinepairing.

highly recommended to everyone.

food: 8.5/10
food presentation: 9/10
service: 9/10
location: 9/10
ambience: 10/10
price $80 per person

a iconic restaurant. the food lives up to it's reputation too. the staff really knows theirwineand have great customer service skills which you would expect for a fine dining restaurant (even the subtle things like folding your napkin when you get up to the bathroom is nice).

the food is well presented and the wait staff knows their dishes as they can explain it well and tell a story of what we're eating.

best meal in ages. great mix of textures and flavours and a superbwinelist (with recs). will definitely be going back. great service. thank you.

went here on a whim on a thursday evening. staff were very accommodating and we were early so the place was empty. overall, this place is what you’d expect for a high end degustation restaurant. we had a very goodwinerecommendation from the waitress after explaining what i like which was helpful. however, it is very expensive for what you get compared to other similar places in town. if you’re going to charge those prices for meals, everything needs to be perfect. every meal was good but not perfect. the scallops were perfect. the snapper main was perfect. the eye fillet was not - over cooked and lacking in seasoning. presentation was really good. it was a special evening but just not quite worth the price. maybe i caught them on an off day, will definitely go back to see if it gets better.

i have been here twice now, once just picking from the menu and getting the matching wine.. the other doing a 6 course degustation using a voucher off grabone. both times have been amazing but the degustation was hands down the best meal i’ve had out ever. the service was amazing, being able to try fresh produce such as venison that i wouldn’t usually have was amazing. literally every dish my partner and i had was perfect and thewinepairings were amazingly matched. would go back here again and again!

we really enjoyed the steaks in this restaurant. it is reasonable for the quality of the food and the staff is knowledgeable about what they serve.

my son was impressed with the extensivewinecellar below the restaurant that is visible through a glass floor !

attentive service. knowledgable staff. friendly staff. simple food cooked well without a lot of wankery. greatwineselection. pricey but when food + service is this good its not an issue. nice.

amazing! i came here as a birthday treat using a voucher for the 5 course degustation. from the moment we arrived the service was attentive but not overbearing and made us feel extremely welcome and looked after. all five courses were delicious with my favorite being the pork belly main which melted in your mouth with crisp crackling. we shared a bottle of the man o war pinot gris which was a great accompaniment. delicious food, delectablewineand amazing service! can't wait to go back!