I agree with some of the other commenters here, Ponsonby Road Bistro has quite a simple menu. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the steak I ordered. It was cooked possibly a little more than I would have expected from medium-rare but was delicious nonetheless. The accompanying chunky fries were nice and crispy, although I wish they provided more of that superb aoli dipping sauce!

The service was quick and painless and we were checked on at every stage of the night to see if anything could be done for us. The place is perhaps a little small for the noise, I could barely hear my friend speak at some points of the night but overall it was an enjoyable experience. Will definitely be back.

We have been customers of these people across their various food enterprises and but will NOT be back. A short while ago we (my wife and I) had lunch at PRB - a return after a previous bad experience but their past allowed them another chance. Lunch - great Waiheke oysters well presented. My wife had a terrine starter that was more like baked ricotta with no terrine like weight or structure and no haloumi flavour or texture. I had a cauliflower based soup that had little flavour and was on the cold side of luke warm. We then preceded to two very disappointing mains. My wife had 6 prawns that came in a metal gravy boat (yes, the table next to us had sauce in the same type of 'boat') fully in their shells and very hot - no part peeling done in the kitchen here. I had polpette and pappardelle - the tomato based sauce was flavourless, the polpette had no outer caramelisation and were almost cold in the middle. The lunch was so bad we left about a third of a good bottle of bubbles and did not wait for dessert.

I have previously (with clients) had a very very disappointing wagyu steak lunch here - when I spoke to one of the owners some days later he said that he had is 'b team' on that day as his chef was away. He told another review site they have never sold wagyu - I have 3 people and the date if they want to be reminded.

I have subsequently reviewed the above very disappointing lunch elsewhere only to have one of the owners bale me up in the street and call me rather unpleasant things as a result.

Dine here if you want average to bad food at prices that do not match what you get. There is better to be had at many other places.

My rating is a reflection of 2 in a row very bad dinning experiences along with the subsequent attitude of one of the owners - especially as I have previously raised food issues in a nice manner. They might charge 'a team' prices but beware the 'b team' experience - and 'c team' attitude. Shame on you PRB.

Heard good things from friends about Ponsonby Road Bistro so the girlfriend and I tried the restaurant out last night.
Pretty small menu - can't say I was overwhelmed by the selection...at least it had a good wine and beer list (had the Emmersons Pale Ale - my new favourite).
Had the steak which was a bit overcooked and served with far too much in the way of salad.
Good, buzzy atmosphere though - very popular on this particular Friday night. Will give Ponsonby Road Bistro another go though.

We went to Ponsonby Road Bistro for dinner on Sat night. It had been recommended by quite a few people so I was looking forward to the experience. The restaurant was packed at 7.30pm and we were seated between two other couples. Unfortunately they knew each other so the women talked behind our backs which was pretty annoying. The menu was a bit disappointing, usually I have a hard time choosing something, but this time it was only the steak with chunky fries and the fish that appealed. The entrees were also disappointing with the platter winning. This consisted of gherkins, capers, meat and bread and was plain, if not boring. The steak was deliciously cooked, but then again nothing special. The dessert was another non event. Apple crumble cake, was like a muffin warmed with ice cream. The service was great and ambiance good too. The wine list was also good, but overall I think they don't try hard enough.

I tried Magnum twice. First time we waited nearly 2 hours while people after us seemed to get tables! the food was disappointing considering the price. Second time the waiters were arrogant and seemed to forget about my table so I had to ask for service 3 times! I wasn't asked once about the dessert menu and our glasses never got filled. The food was dissapointing again! my burger was not cooked (red cold mushy mince), I was told by the waiter it was fine and I wouldn't die. I'll never set foot in that place again, money is not an issue for me but when I get that kind of food and service I resent parting with it!

The description says that the food is simple - I wouldn't agree with that. Probably simply great is a better definition.
I love everything about Magnum - ambience, food, wine, service, music... If I really want a nice evening, I go there, because I am guaranteed to enjoy every little thing.