I hardly give out 5 stars, but this place definitely deserves it. I’ll say it, and I’ll keep saying it. I had the best food here ever. Came here for my partner’s birthday in the weekend. Had a 4 course meal with a mix of different meals for the courses for the both of us. It was just not the four courses you get but you also get little tasting “snacks” I should say between meals and they’re amazing! The service was really really good. They’d explain what you’re having with great detail from where your meat/ingredients are coming from. We ordered the following: scampi, king fish, duck, beef with truffles, miso and chocolate hazelnut. Highlight for me was the duck. It was so amazing I’d definitely need to come back for more. The cheese platter was also really good. Very yummy cheese selection We also ordered some champagne which was really good. Definitely worth the price and would love to come back again.
Great fine dine experience 👍
I have wanted to goto the French Cafe for a number of years and tonight my number was up.
Absolutely divine tasting menu. Enjoyed every single thing.
Very populated wine list. Beer and wine less so.
Great staff fantastic venue
I took advantage of the new delivery options and I'm happy I did because it was divine. Every part of it was delicious and even better than expected. The photos don't do it justice (my plating skills are not great). I had the mushroom and truffle lasagne, so good!
The guy who delivered it was really nice and right on time too, will definitely be ordering again soon
This would have to be one of the best restaurants in New Zealand. Yes it’s pricey but worth every cent. The food is exquisite from start to end. Service is also top
Notch. Love it!
Dora The Food Explorer
+5
I’m so thankful to be able to experience and taste Chef Sid’s carefully crafted menu.Each dish that came out seemed to cleverly caress our senses in their own unique way through its colours, textures, smells and presentation. @sidatthefrenchcafe is another showcase of Chef Sid’s talent and ingenuity in New Zealand’s fine dining scene.
This was our first trip back since the change of ownership. The dining room is still relaxed yet sophisticated, the service was excellent as you would expect. I enjoyed the a la carte dining instead of the degustation for a change. The standard of the food was excellent in my opinion, highlights for me were the venison tartare with walnuts (amazing combination) and the wagyu beef. Sid at the French Cafe is forging on with a slightly different style but maintains the high standards of the original
It’s already very rare to have French cuisine in NZ but fortunately we found French Cafe as for celebrating my mother and father’s 20 anniversary. I picked the place for them and was nervous if the food and service can amaze my parents or not. Turns out all the lovely ladies and gentleman who work there supplied us a fabulous service and the gentleman with decent glasses very helpful with the food ordering. And when we about to leave they surprisingly gave my parents a cute cheese cake with cute candles on it to cheer their anniversary. We were amazed by the food and their service and even though it’s expensive for us but we still want to go there again and again. Wish Sid at French Cafe be the NZ N0.1 fine dining restaurant forever!
We had a very friend staff member Natalie, she was very accommodating with our diet requirement, and she showed us around the back section and outdoor areas of the restaurant. Very impressive service overall. Food was delicious, had 5 courses tasting menu, but we were given 7 extra tasting sample snacks, soup and bread in between the main courses. Great fine dining experience.
We picked the degustation menu and the experience did not disappoint. Fantastic food and service. Fresh ingredients cooked to perfection; not bad for value either!
The best dinning experience in Auckland.
A group of us, thirteen people were seated at their lovely private dining room.
Staff are professional, knowing exactly what they are doing.
A side dish slided out and dropped to the ground accidentally while serving, but i think none of guest noticed except me - the lady was still serving, the other waitress replaced the side dish and cleaned the spot within probably one minute without interrupting anything. People do make mistake but how to handle it makes the difference.
Stunning food, very interesting combination.
Canapes are to die for.
Definitely worth to go if within budget.
Hungry Teddy (20% Zomato Gold, Use : HUNG2716)
+4
Delicious. We tried the tasting menu at 160$ per person. The lamb and pork were amazing. Appetizer and dessert were also nice. It’s a bit hard to book, so try to book early. Service was great.
We are fans of the old French Cafe so we thought we should check out the new place. The reviews were mixed so we went with an open mind.
It is still awesome! In fact we thought the presentation was better than before. So great to see familiar faces with the Wait staff. We will definitely be back. Expensive but you could never do this at home yourself. Sid is very talented!
Incredible spot to celebrate a special occasion. My partner and I did the full tasting menu with paired wines. We chose to not see any menus before doing it which made it a great experience having the staff bring out each dish as a surprise and talk us through it.
It was also my partners birthday so they brought him a little extra chocolate dessert with a candle on it!
Great place to spend a few hours enjoying food, wine and conversation!
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After a recommendation from a foodie friend, we finally tried out Sid at The French Cafe to celebrate our anniversary and it was by far the best fine dining experience we have ever had!
We were greeted politely on arrival and the wait staff remained attentive the entire evening. They were also extremely accommodating of my being "dairy-free" & assured me that the chefs would be able to modify most menu items for me.
We intended to have the 4-course a la carte menu but didn't realize we would receive 4 extra canapés + bread, even before our appetizers were served! We ordered the cured trevally & crab cannelloni for appetizers, the quail & the free range pork for entrees and the duck breast & Wagyu for mains. Our favorites for the evening were the cured trevally (for its really well-balanced tasty flavor profile), the quail (buffalo curd replaced with a truffle coconut cream which was an incredibly delicious accompaniment) and the wagyu beef (for its taste, tenderness & the accompanying purée). The husband also enjoyed the complimentary amuse bouche of a buffalo yoghurt & vanilla cream served after the mains - it tasted like a tiny cheesecake.
Being so full from all those courses & canapés, we opted for just one dessert between us. We chose the Green apple, blackcurrant, fennel pollen which came in the form of a sorbet, dill(?) oil infused apple pieces, fresh blackberries, a soft fluffy white "snow" (delicious but not sure what it was exactly!), blackcurrant shards and a fennel pollen custard (kindly served in a separate bowl on the side for us due to its dairy content). It was the perfect light & refreshing end to an amazing dinner experience, but the surprises didn't stop there! We also received a complimentary frozen coconut espuma with a mandarin(?) gel, freeze-dried mandarins & raspberry dust, just to acknowledge our anniversary!!
We left feeling we had been treated like royalty all night - they even helped me into my jacket & opened the door for us as we left! We will definitely return & highly recommend this restaurant to all who want to have a truly exquisite dining experience.
My girlfriend and I went to Sid at the French Cafe for our anniversary and also Valentine's.
When we first arrived, the staff were very welcoming and treated us warmly, and this is true for the entirety of the night. They gave us privacy but always there when needed. All the staff were friendly and accomodating.
We got the four course a la carte, and all the food were fantastic. We loved the four amuse bouche that came before the first course. The highlight was the pork terrine which was crumbed, fried, wrapped in proscuitto and topped with black garlic.
Overall it was a terrific and very memorable experience for both of us who doesn't get to go fine dining often. Great food and great service. 10/10.
The most faultless dining experience I’ve had (with of course a tad of constructive ness)
I was apprehensive that the food wouldn’t be as good as it previously was with the change of ownership but boy was I wrong.
The kingfish starter was phenomenal and had some Thai influences. Delicious
The scampi again flawless. Lamb flawless. And the apple sorbet with cardamom creme again flawless.
Ambiance 10/10 service and food!
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Date night with wife. French Cafe is one of the best restaurants in New Zealand, they stand out for their amazing creatively and thats what Sid does best. Amazing food and very modern interior. Service is outstanding all the menus ordered are explained in so much detail that you may get confused understanding.
Although the portions are small, its worth every money spent. They also give you little fill in dishes while waiting for your course at no extra cost. Feels like you having a tasting menu. Wine selection is almost like reading a book. We ordered one of our favorite wine 2015 Pegasus Bay Bel Canto - Riesling.
To our surprise Sid was the head chef during our dining experience. Did not get a chance to meet him in person. But we did past our compliments to him for doing an amazing job. We ordered a 3 and a 4 course A La Carte menu loved every bit of it.
First
Trevally, brown butter, blood orange, pauaPomme souffle, chorizo, macadamia cream
Second
Scampi, lovage emulsion, spruce, daikon
Free range pork, celeriac, horseradish
Third
Cambridge duck, parsnip, masterstock
Market fish, charred onions, sorrel, dill
Fourth
Chocolate, elderflower, caramelised cream
Highly recommend this place a total food entertainer. Everything comes with a price, our final bill was $330 for two.
Chose the 4 course option as I don’t do seafood which featured a few times in the tasting menu. Had the chorizo with macadamia cream, venison, beef fillet and the chocolate desert. During our course we actually got about 5 small canapés which were on the house and super delightful and unexpected. Not a lot I can say other than the food was excellent but I expect nothing less from Sid. The staff were very knowledgeable with each dish they brought out which was great
I enjoyed going to the French Cafe with friends & on special occasions. Sid At The French Cafe is now on the same path as Sidart, whose chef manages both, and provides the same style of nice degustation menus. There were "WOWs" throughout the course of our dinner, but there was something lacking. It's an "à la carte menu" of signature dishes of fine French cuisine. I won't mind going to Antoine's, L'assiette, or any other French restaurants on consecutive days, but I do mind if I have to go to Siadart and then Sid At The French Cafe, because they are simply too similar. (So from a customer's point of view, they are sharing the same customers, instead of welcoming new ones.) But anyway, I did enjoy wholeheartedly my recent visit.
(Food - 5/5; Service - 5/5; Ambience - 5/5)
Visited on 17 November 2018
One word: Amazing!
I didn’t have a chance to try the French Cafe before it changed hands but Sid has done an amazing job (to be expected). The food is not pretentious and highlights the natural flavours of the fresh ingredients. He doesn’t over complicate and all the components worked together and by themselves. Highly impressed. The staff were really friendly too.
A bit expensive but definitely worth a try If it is within your budget.
And don’t worry, you will definitely be full.
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9/10
The French Café. One of Auckland's hottest technically-not-really-a-café in town. Is the $100+ meal really worth it? 💵
We ordered:
The Three Course meal ($110 pp). Went with mum and we shared each meal so we basically had 6 courses! 💓 Would highly recommend sharing your meals because each meal seems like it is designed to be split👯♀️ . Might not look too classy, but WHO CARES💁🏽♀️?! You get double the goodness😍!
APPETISER: Little savoury goat's cheese cups, Salmon roe with crème fraiche. Both very aesthetically pleasing, however nothing too special. ✨
FIRST COURSE:
Scampi, vegetable ash, lovage, spruce. Was fresh🍋, but portion sizes were quite small and wish there were more flavours and textures to it. Wouldn't order again😕.
Venison tartare, carrots 🥕 , brown butter, fennel. Was mum's favourite meal 💕! Venison was wrapped in thinly sliced carrots. What a concept✨! Paired divinely with the brown butter powder. Nom nom nom. 😚
IN BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND COURSE:
Organic rye bread with the softest and greenest parsley 🌿butter of my life. The butter glided over the bread 🥖, which was soft in the inside but crunchy on the outside. Absolutely adored the little wooden butter knife.
SECOND
Free range pork, celeriac, horseradish. My favourite dish of the whole 3 course menu ❤️. Crispy outer and soft inner. Seasoned to perfection🤗. If you love pork belly I would definitely recommend! Best pork belly I've had in my life 😍!
Beef fillet, parsnip, cavolo nero, charcoal. I did not realise a steak could be this soft ☁️! They didn't ask how we liked our steak but seemed to get it right! If you like your steak anything other than medium rare, should specify when ordering.💫
IN BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD COURSE:
The staff were considerate enough to help cleanse our palate, and offered us some parmesan cheese 🧀 ice cream 🍦! They said that the savoury of the cheese and sweetness of the ice cream makes a great transition into dessert 🍮. Super extra but loved it 😝! Cheese and ice cream are my favourite things in the world, so makes sense that I loved this!🤩
THIRD
Chocolate 🍫, coffee ☕️, hazelnut financier. The waitress poured molten chocolate on the dessert at the table which felt super fancy 🙌🏽. Really rich but not too sweet 🌹. Writing about it makes my mouth water🤤. So many different textures in this dish; crunchy hazelnut, soft pudding, the warm liquid chocolate, and delicate chocolate coating. It really was an experience💝. My sweet tooth was definitely satisfied with the large portion size too 👅!
Sourdough ice-cream, raspberry, mandarin. Seems like savoury ice cream 🍨 is a running theme in this meal. The ice cream was apparently made with actual sourdough 🍞 baked on site. And it actually tasted like sourdough🤯! Was definitely a weird experience trying a savoury ice cream and would 10/10 try it again🤪. Surprisingly paired well with the raspberry. Definitely enjoyed switching between the rich chocolate dessert and this one which was more light and fresh.
Average price: $130 including drinks 🍷
Vibes: Celebrations💍! Or fancy business meetings 🗣.
Parking: Paid parking along or off Symonds Street, or there is a carpark next to the French Café. 🚖
Negative: Pretty pricy! Was conned into buying still antipodes water for around $9😰. Ummmm surely that's not ethical😠. When they asked if I wanted sparkling or still I gullibly thought that water was free. They should have asked if I wanted sparkling, still or TAP🚰! Oh well, what's an extra $9 on a $110 meal. Need to book in advance👉🏼 if you want to eat here, especially during the weekends!
Positive: The room we were in was bright and décor was simple and elegant💋. Staff were very friendly and non-judgemental, which was really nice because I felt out of place in my jeans and shirt 👚👖. I'd say this was fine dining at its finest. Felt like I was eating works of art 🔮. Great if you're into mindful eating! The menu was well crafted and you can tell that every flavour, texture, garnishment was intentional💗. Also appreciated the small dishes in between the courses💘.
Was happily stuffed by the end of the three course meal😌💕.
So was it really worth it? I believe so! If you wanted to be treated out and have a bit of cash to spend, why not? The French Café definitely opened my eyes to fine dining💎, and helped me appreciate the beauty of food❣️. Mum and I decided that we'd go every year to see what the next menu offers😝.
A wonderful experience from start to finish - we all greatly enjoyed our Saturday champagne lunch here. Warm and personable greeting at the door from FOH, followed by a brief tour of their impressive premises before being escorted to our table. Every course was creative and interesting, but most importantly delicious. Great wines too, and impeccable service. Difficult to fault and we look forward to returning!
I selected Sid at The French cafe as my wedding venue. Maria who helps us to organize the wedding event from the very beginning to the end. She did amazing customer service and also she is so thoughtful for our wedding. All my guest really enjoy the environment and also the food! Definitely go back in important event and have a decent dinner.
Dianna “Dee” Birchfield West
+5
Had a very average experience here many years ago, but decided to try it again. Very impressed. The menus was playful and fun. Very kiwi twist on things. Staff were knowledgeable and playful. Highly recommended.
Impeccable service. Very good cocktails.
We chose to go for three courses. Beef tartare was memorable with a twist. Our mains were slightly underwhelming but tasty.
Desserts were probably the highlight and saving grace of our meal. A wonderful end to dinner.
Stunning food and impeccable service. Great flavour combinations and the team catered to our different dietary requirements very well (diary-free, vegan, pregnant). Has a little bar at the entrance if you turn up early and a white-tablecloth fine-dining vibe inside. We could see the kitchen from our table which was fun!
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If you're looking for a dining experience that's both elegant and delicious, look no further than Sid at the French Cafe! I had the pleasure of attending a fundraising event at this fine establishment, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.
From the moment we arrived, we were treated to top-notch service and delectable cuisine. We started off with a welcome cocktail and a selection of canapes, all of which were delightful. But that was just the beginning.
As we were ushered inside to our tables, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we would be dining with other couples and groups. This added a fun, social element to the evening, and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know our fellow diners.
And then there was the food. Each course was a masterpiece, expertly crafted and bursting with flavor. The Farmed kingfish with miso emulsion, smoked scallop, smoked eel pearls, sweetcorn, lemon myrtle, and finger lime was a standout, as was the Hapuka with crayfish beignets, dry mangosteen, soy jelly, perilla leaf, and pickled onion. And the Wagyu short rib with truffle custard, grilled leek, and macadamia sorrel was nothing short of divine.
But let's not forget about dessert. The Chocolate, banana and cardamom parfait, whipped chocolate, blueberry, and elderflower was the perfect end to an incredible meal.
Overall, I can't recommend Sid at the French Cafe highly enough. The food is of the highest quality, both in ingredients and presentation, and the taste is simply out of this world. So if you're in the mood for something a little fancier than your usual dining experience, be sure to give Sid at the French Cafe a try. You won't be disappointed!
Oh and sorry about the lack of photos, I was caught up in the experience.
Wonderful 3, course dinner experience celebrating a vegetarians 40th Birthday. Beautiful table outside in the evening sun. Food, staff and service were outstanding with the hilight being the kingfish entree. We will be back.
We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch, we had the 7 course degustation menu, the food was exceptional with each of the 7 courses providing an exciting culinary experience. The service was faultless. Our table in the outside garden courtyard was peaceful and relaxed providing the perfect ambience for our anniversary lunch.
My friend had her wedding here in April 2021. The food was an intrepid journey from start to finish - couldn't fault a single dish. Every item was well thought-out and carefully designed.
This place is amazing. We had such great fine dining experience here for lunch. Service is outstanding. We choose a tasting menu and enjoy every round of the set. All menus are seasonal. Recommend to add wine matching which include the world selection of vintage wines. We were simply blown away by such inspirational dishes. Wow, must visit again.
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