424 Mt Eden Road,
Mt Eden
Auckland,
1024
(09) 638 7263
The ViewAuckland Review
4 out of 5 stars
It’s been a long time coming, but Mt Eden Village is finally
developing as a hub for good bars. The Eden Cloak Room’s relaxed
ambience has secured a loyal crowd, and now Liquid Molten has opened
as a more sophisticated wine bar. Liquid Molten is an offshoot of
Molten restaurant, and the original plans for the space were as an
extension of the existing eatery. Negotiating the labyrinth of
resource consent was apparently more complex than expected, so the
emphasis was shifted to opening as a stand-alone bar. Finally
something positive has come out of the council’s willingness to wrap
private enterprise in red tape, and rather than Mt Eden’s best
restaurant merely getting bigger, the suburb’s lucky residents now
have another great bar. And Liquid Molten is a bar that’s very
different from De Post Belgian’s style or the Eden Cloak Room.
Right beside Molten, (the restaurant), Liquid Molten, (the bar),
functions both as a great spot for pre- or post-dinner drinks, or as
a standalone destination in itself. And given its ancestry in one of
Auckland’s best restaurants, the emphasis is appropriately on an
excellent array of wines. Apparently the focus will evolve to include
classic cocktails, but right now the best reason to immerse yourself
in the discreetly lit and sophisticated interior is a killer wine
list.
On the bar manager’s recommendation, a glass of Seresin Chardonnay
and Fromm’s flinty and fruity German-style Marlborough Riesling were
ideal on a recent night when winter seemed just days away. The beer
list is currently a little pedestrian with Kronenbourg on tap and a
few predictable local and international brews by the bottle, but
hopefully Liquid Molten’s evolution over coming weeks will see a few
more interesting NZ microbrews added to the mix.
Right now the interest comes from the interesting smaller plates on
offer. The focus is on “Modern Global”, so smaller entrée sized
plates to partner with the excellent wine list. Seating is either in
spacious banquettes or at the bar with the chatty bar staff. An
outside courtyard will be the place to be come summer.
As a restaurant Molten’s personality is relaxed and sophisticated,
and the new Liquid Molten offshoot promises more of the same with a
passionate and knowledgeable team that are further raising the bar
for eating and drinking in Mt Eden.
Molten Wine Bar (formerly Liquid Molten) has been reviewed by 2 users