5 City Road,
Auckland Central
Auckland,


(09) 309 9273

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4 out of 5 stars

It’s hard to top flowers delivered to work with a card saying he doesn’t need a special occasion to do something nice, but top it he did when he followed the flowers with a dinner reservation at Number 5.

Number 5 has been one of Auckland’s best restaurants for three decades. The current owners have been there for seven years building up a reputation of making everyone feel welcome in the fine dining restaurant.

I knew Number 5 was fancy and that’s probably why I’d never been there, but that was about to change as we approached the delightful brick building, flowers firmly in hand. My high heels made loud clunking noises on the wooden floor in the entrance and I was thankful when I finally hit the plush carpet.

“Ohh, how gorgeous, is it a special occasion?” the waitress asks as we’re shown to our table.

The owner, Martina Lutz, has owned and still owns other wine bars across Auckland. These are places which use eating as an excuse to enjoy good wine and Number 5 remains true this theory. ‘Life is too short to drink bad wine’ is the message the restaurant leaves you with on your receipt.

We are offered water, then walked through the extensive wine list. After some deliberation we, thankfully, take the recommendation and ordered a bottle of Clayridge Pinot Blanc ($48).

Once the wine list is gone I have a chance to look around. Immediately my sight is drawn outside to Auckland’s skyline. Unfortunately the recent invasion of inner-city apartments has somewhat spoilt the view from Number 5, but it’s still impressive and each table is offered a different view across the city valley.

There’s a cosy intimate feel enhanced by the rich colours on the walls. The reds and deep purples are only interrupted by grand mirrors framed with impressive golden designs. There’s other diners near us, but unlike other places it doesn’t feel like we’re sharing a table or conversation.

The cheerful and very knowledgeable waitress returned to tell us about tonight’s menu. “The roasted duck is a signature dish, and we do take the feathers off,’’ she smiles. I don’t really take in anything else, I’ve already decided on the duck ($39.50).

My partner has trouble deciding between the pork with polenta cake, baby carrots and spinach ($36.50) and the sweetcorn and herb risotto with baby spinach, roast capsicum, goats cheese and sundried tomato pesto ($28.50).

Eventually he goes for the risotto, and neither of us are disappointed. There’s not an ounce of fat on the duck, and it melts in my mouth. His risotto is filling and full of flavour. The sun has set and Auckland’s SkyTower lights flicker on when dessert arrives. This was an easier choice than the mains, vanilla bean brulee ($13.50) for me and sticky date pudding ($13.50) for him. Head chef Michael Greenbaum and his staff are flawless.

My heels click on the polished floor as we leave extremely content. Number 5 ticks all the boxes. My only tip, come with a flush wallet because you won’t want to skimp on anything for this fine dining experience.