Vinnies Restaurant

Vinnies is one of Aucklands iconic restaurants that I was looking forward to visiting. First impressions were great. We were seated in the front in our own room with sexy black voil curtains, and as there was 16 of us we had a U shaped table. We were surprised and happy to receive complimentary crayfish, coconut & kaffir lime bisque with a warm wholemeal roll. In the group almost everyone got something different so the menu was covered. Presentation and colour were absolutely beautiful.I chose for my Entree Suckling goat timbale & rillete – with pinenuts, raspberry salad & onion foam which was light and delightful and oh so pretty. Then my friend next to me ordered Ora King Salmon & Prawns with salad & wasabi dressing which she said was gorgeous.For mains I ordered Callum Hughes Fiordland Venison with kumara hangi, mandarin, bok choy & mulled wine. I have never had Venison that melted in your mouth, I was glad it was not so gamey and not over cooked. The hangi kumara was soft, sweet and yummy and the foam a perfect accompaniment to smear on the venison. The best main I had had in a long time. My friend got the Duck breast & confit duck leg with Potato truffle croquette, savoy cabbage vietnamese rolls & Cognac Jus which I tried and OMG it was lovely.Then to finish I had Quince & Croissant bread-n-butter pudding with Chai Tea Syrup & Spearmint icecream. It was ok but not as impressive as others desserts which looked sensational such as Bombe Alaska with coconut ice cream pineapple sorbet & lime syrup. I also tired another friends FUN Russian Fudge crème brulee with orange jelly, blood orange sorbet & candy floss. Lots of cute components on one plate.The new German waitress tried hard and was very sweet. The Matra'd was awesome, very on to it and I have never been to a restaurant where it was so simple for 16 people to pay individually. No mistakes or hassle. Thanks to Chef Scott for a great meal!

We had the degustation menu with wine matches at Vinnies and everything was incredible, trying to find another menu as good has been impossible! The standout meals for us were the scallops and hare, both cooked perfectly and such an enjoyment to eat. Would go back in a heartbeat!

Our first experience of Vinnies was at a fundraising evening for the Honey Bees back in June. This was an incredibly educational evening, with speakers that included the President of the Bee Association and the Beekeeper for the hive at the Town Hall. The food was inspired by honey and was exquisite. Our second experience was for a night out with five friends. This was another superb night at Vinnies. The oysters are AMAZING, service impeccable and beautiful wine to wash it all down. I would highly recommend a night out at Vinnies.

Another fantastic experience at Vinnies Restaurant. Rowen makes you feel incredibly welcome and knows the menu and every important detail you need to know about it, to ensure you experience every taste the chef meant for you to taste. My hapuka was perfectly cooked and much better than i could have cooked myself :-) My husbands eye fillet was cooked exactly as he ordered it. The cheese selection was a taste sensation and the burnt tea creme brulee had a unique, but delicious taste. I can highly recommend Vinnies and look forward to the next time we visit. I will definitely have the degustation next time, which looked AMAZING!10 out of 10 guys! Thanks once again.

I went to Vinnies Restaurant ages ago, it was my birthday and I wasn't disappointed at all. Wonderful food, friendly staff, cozy atmosphere... It was perfect, really

We tried Vinnies degustation menu last night - the slow cooked duck was to die for!

I always hear from friends that Vinnies is great. I would agree, wasn't sure at first of the wine suggested but I came around.

Vinnies is consistently terrific. There is nothing lazy about this place and you feel they make an effort within each food group. Perhaps unusually for a fine dining restaurant you genuinely look forward to coming back. The wine is excellent. Thank god their not shy in showing off Aussie & SA wine. Sorry guys but their wine is better. The waiting staff are enthusiastic and understand their food very well. I've given up on asking advice on wine in other places. In Vinnies you're silly not to.