1st Floor,
67 Shortland Street,
Auckland Central
Auckland,


(09) 379 5070

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5 out of 5

By mid-January, only half of Central Auckland's workforce has returned, but already the Friday night after-work crowd is flocking to the Wine Loft.

With ceiling fans, rustic leather couches on wooden floors, and urban high-rises peeking through a window open to sea breezes, first impressions feel effortlessly European. Maybe Barcelona, or perhaps Buenos Aires; South America's most European capital.

Outside, a couple of nikau palms on the slopes of Shortland Street are being circled lazily by two seagulls. It's a quintessentially Pacific scene and highlights the effortless balance of European sophistication and Kiwi informality which Auckland's best wine bar does so well.

Most of the city's bars are relatively empty this early in the year, but the Wine Loft is busy, and we squeeze ourselves onto one of the last tables available as cool jazz bubbles away in the background.

If you're an indecisive type, you may have a hard time dealing with the diverse wine list. Almost 60 wines are available by the glass, either as a standard 150ml pour or in a 50ml tasting glass. By the bottle, the number of wines on offer totals more than 150.

Fussy beer drinkers that can't make their mind up can choose from a concise, but well-considered range of beers that includes the mighty Coopers Sparkling Ale, and the crisp Bohemian Pilsner from Limburg's Hawke’s Bay Brewery.

Cutting quickly and thirstily to the chase, we choose a Nautilus Pinot Gris from Marlborough and an Alana Estate Sauvignon Blanc from Martinborough. The wine list proudly showcases New Zealand wines, and many smaller, boutique producers are included.

There's no hint of reverse cultural cringe though and the world's great wine areas are also represented with Pinot Gris from Alsace, Zinfandel from California, and German Rieslings. And if a certain wine really hits the spot, you can also buy bottles to take home.

After seeing food drift by to a nearby table, we make another snap decision and forgo plans to eat at another restaurant.

The Wine Loft offers a small selection of pizzas, but we plump for a platter designed to go with white wine. Smoked salmon, pan-fried lemon-pepper chicken, olives and feta fit the summer time mood perfectly.

With a long list of red wines to try, and more robust winter-friendly platters also on offer, don't be surprised to find us back at the cosy Wine Loft when the nights get longer.