269 Parnell Road,
Parnell
Auckland,
(09) 358 4804
The ViewAuckland Review
5 out of 5 stars
On the back of Iguacu’s NZ Best Restaurant award, visiting foodie Wellingtonian friends had heard the praise and were most keen to see if the Hospitality Association was on the money with this one on a recent visit.
Gleefully, our friends were quick to point out that the Wellington restaurant scene was undergoing somewhat of a purple patch with top notch eateries cropping up all the time – and warned that they would not easily be pleased.
An 8.00 booking seemed hours away after a full day taking in the sights of Auckland and remnants of a slow moving hangover from a well-oiled catchup the previous night. At this stage of the night, both the dining area and the adjoining bar area were starting to heat up and, although busy, the four of us were quickly seated by a refreshingly chirpy staff member.
Iguacu’s décor is not the freshest on the Parnell strip however the outdoor seating to the front is definitely a big drawcard with many Parnell revelers.
It is unlikely that even the fussiest visitor will be disappointed with the extensive wine list and to start, we quite wisely opted for a Chard Farm Pinot Gris, reasonable at $59 a bottle.
I opened with the Balsamic Glazed Pork Belly however this choice was as hard to make as the wine selection. Served with moorish mushroom dumplings, this entrée was well worth the $21 price tag.
By this stage, I was pretty confident Iguacu was winning over our companions. According to Sue, the Duck Livers were ‘sheer delight’. By this stage we were well into our second wind and a second bottle of wine was ordered, this time a Pegasus Bay Merlot.
I happily took to the Hawkes Bay Lamb Rump. The ginger mint jus combined so well with the citrus and fennel flavourings that my partner was afforded a small sample – albeit very reluctantly.
Sue and Mark were similarly pleased, with their choices (Vanilla Braised Venison and Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken) both receiving the seal of approval.
We all left more than satisfied, if a little light in the wallet (a $320 odd grand total), happy in the thought that us Aucklanders really do have something to crow about.
Iguacu Restaurant & Bar has been reviewed by 18 users