Unit 1 / 476 Mt Eden Road,
Mt Eden
Auckland,
(09) 630 5251
The ViewAuckland Review
4 out of 5 stars
A year after it first opened as a bar I’ve finally taken the plunge and eaten at the Eden Cloak Room. That’s not to say that I haven’t frequented Mt Eden Village’s most personable little bar on more than a few occasions over the last 12 months. But on previous visits the attractions have been solely liquid. It’s only now that I’ve discovered that potentially Auckland’s best burger lurks just up the road.
At $20 a pop, Eden Cloak Room’s Deluxe Lamb Burger probably isn’t for everyone, but the premium is definitely worth it. It’s just one highlight from the small menu of casual dining options that helped the Eden Cloak Room be judged New Zealand’s “New Pub of the Year” a few weeks back. Thursday through Saturday is busiest, but Eden Cloak Room’s formula for the perfect local bar sees the intimate heritage space buzzing most nights of the week. Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions are fast becoming an essential laid-back detour.
After a busy skipped –lunch Wednesday we’re actually ordering Auckland’s best burgers thirty minutes early. The kitchen’s open for snacks like crispy squid with aioli ($10), Spanish meatballs ($9) and Crispy Pork Belly ($10) throughout the day, but the dinner menu usually kicks off at 6pm. Despite ordering early, the kitchen’s nicely flexible and our meals arrive in good time.
Our burgers emerge in deconstructed fashion on a wooden platter, with medium-rare lamb patties topped with melted aged cheddar on a sour dough bun. Eden Cloak Room’s version of fries is a side of robust hand-cut chips. It’s probably not what you’d see on the menu at the annual Heart Foundation dinner, but with a pint of Erdinger Wheat Beer, it’s an end-of-a-busy-day combo that’s hard to beat.
The Eden Cloak Room’s always been the ideal, unpretentious place to catch up with friends over a drink. The occasional look-at-me affectations of certain Ponsonby bars are nowhere to be seen, and the absence of a big screen TV means conversation’s never distracted by live sporting action.
Now that I’ve finally dived into the food menu, the Eden Cloak Room’s about to be become even more of a regular local haunt.
Apparently the Churros ($9, cinnamon dusted doughnuts) are really good for dessert.
As if I needed a reason to return…
Eden Cloak Room has been reviewed by 10 users