27 Wellesley Street West,
Auckland Central
Auckland,


(09) 373 4196

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My meal at Original Tony’s came with a written warning ‘Big ones, go on get your hands dirty!’ and I know it’s not very lady like to eat with your hands, smearing sticky sauce all over one’s lips and cheeks, but I just couldn’t resist.

Now, I know how this sounds and what you are all thinking but it’s not like that at all, trust me - this steak house is a family restaurant.

It’s just that I don’t cook pork spare ribs at home and rarely have the chance to jump shamelessly in up to my elbows in the luxury without judgement from fellow diners. So, for once, I was glad to have taken the advice of my partner to politely reject the option of a window seat, instead taking up residence in a cosy corner booth at the back of the restaurant away from judging eyes and a chorus of disapproving tuts.

Tony’s, in the heart of Auckland’s central business district on Wellesley St, has been around since 1963. It’s one of the oldest surviving restaurants in the city and boasts it has been serving “hearty portions of good kiwi tucker” since opening the dark wooden door way back then.

The decor you can see through the window stretches through to the back and is reminiscent of an old English pub. The old beer steins and trinkets scattered around the place give the restaurant a unique charm and my partner and I had delight in spotting a German Haufbrau House stein balancing on a ledge which immediately ignited memories of travelling and days spent at Munich’s famous Oktoberfest.

We mulled over these memories in between slices of garlic bread ($4.50) and were pleasantly entertained by the Asian tourists next to us while waiting, or should I say anticipating, our mains. Perhaps it was because I was so looking forward to my spare ribs, or perhaps it was because the steak house was reasonably busy, but the wait was agonising and it felt like every other table except ours was full of plates of food.

Then suddenly, there it was. A magnificent stack of spare ribs, dripping with sticky barbecue sauce, and a plate brim full of veges ($30) right in front of me. I hardly knew where to start, but it didn’t take me long. A few mouthfuls of baby spuds and pesto and I rolled up my sleeves and dug in.

Some time later the travel stories had subsided while I sat content, reflecting on the ribs remaining on my plate and thinking how wonderful they will be to take home.

The fact Tony’s is a steak house wasn’t lost on us. My partner took up the challenge to test the self proclaimed best steaks in the world by ordering a pacific steak – stuffed with crabmeat and topped with shrimps and smothered in butter and tarragon sauce ($35). Despite the fact crabmeat was substituted with surimi, he says it was a good, very good, steak and chips – close to the best he’s had.

So if it is hearty kiwi tucker you are looking for, decent service and a relaxing atmosphere to dine in you will definitely find it at Tony’s. It is, after all, the original Auckland steak house.