Unit 103/150 Karangahape Road,
Newton
Auckland,
1010
(09) 377 2870
The ViewAuckland Review
Vibe
K Rd hipster cool combining the retro styling of a US diner and a homage to 1970s and 1980s popular culture. Gotta love the old school Space Invaders, vintage Playboy pics, and Darth Vader action and Obama figures.
Service
Hard Luck Café is effortlessly cool from the wisecracking Irish guy behind the counter and the tattooed team in the kitchen, even for non-inked punters like us.
Drinks List
Coopers Pale Ale and beers from the Stoke Brewery on tap, a well-chosen and well-priced wine list, and confident Kiwi spins on classic cocktails like mojitos, martinis and mules.
Highlights
Local takes on classic street food including soft shell crab tacos ($14) and the Mr Potato Head pizza ($16, bacon, potato, caramelised onion and rosemary). All well-priced and tasty, but a little more chilli heat with the tacos would have been nice.
Most Surprising Dish
The extreme comfort food that is the Hard Luck’s dessert menu – anyone for cookies and milk, or jelly, ice cream and fairy floss?
The Bottom Line
Versatility plus in K Rd, with cool casual dining, interesting bar options, and a hip, but unpretentious, attitude.
A Reason To Return
To grab a spot in the giant bean bags out the back, or resurrect long-neglected spacies skills on the Hard Luck Café’s free arcade games.
Hard Luck Cafe has been reviewed by 6 users