242 Ponsonby Road,
Ponsonby
Auckland,


(09) 376 5670

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4 out of 5 stars

It’s Friday night after an average day at work when I meet up with my partner. He too has had an ordinary end to the week and we want to head somewhere quiet enough to moan to each other, but hip enough to perk us up a bit.

Ponsonby Rd it is, and eventually we come across the white walls of Bonita. It looks busy inside and the small outside table under the gas heater is taken. Regardless of this we open the door and welcome the noise of laughter and chatter mixed with salsa music and clinking wine glasses.

A quick check of the small enclosed back deck reveals it’s jammed there too, so we pull up two bar stool in prime position at the bar that has just been vacated. Happy hour is still going, so he orders a beer ($6) and I ask for sangria ($6.50). We’re feeling better already.

A scan around the long narrow bar that promises wine and tapas and we see young professionals sipping cab sav and middle aged couples sharing bottles of wine. But the longer we stay the younger the crowd gets. A group of giggling girls in designer vintage skirts fill the bar just and pop open the bubbles, it’s almost our cue to leave.

The simple interior design with rustic walls and bits and bobs scattered behind the bar make it almost homely. The two behind the bar are on hand to answer any questions and make their own suggestions when we enquire about ordering a few tapas dishes.

The kitchen is quiet so there’s not much of a wait. Our paella with prawns, spicy meatballs and mushrooms in herb sauce arrives in dishes on small wooden blocks with fresh grilled bread to mop up the remains.

The tapas go down a treat. The sizes are good and each option is equally as moorish making it difficult to decide which my favourite is. My mind changes each time I taste the different spices in the paella and the meatballs topped with tomato sauce and the fresh mushrooms. We’d ordered from the blackboard where prices range from $10 to $15, very affordable.

By this stage we’d both joined in the laughter and forgotten about the average working weeks. Things were looking up. Just like it says on the receipt after settling the bill, ‘gracias Bonita’, and hasta pronto!