150 Ponsonby Road,
Ponsonby,
Ponsonby
Auckland,


(09) 360 1710

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4 out of 5

I'm going to start off with a big compliment to you. It's fair to say that View Auckland readers are a clever bunch always on the money with reviews and thoughts on the many restaurants and bars in this fine city. I'm going to go out on a limb though and say that in the case of SPQR perhaps just this once the reviews aren't quite on the mark.

SPQR has had a rough time with readers of late, but seems as busy as ever. Is it possible that the reviews online aren't a true representation of what SPQR has to offer? Well, the answer isn't exactly black and white. It seems the main complaint is the service. I would completely believe there are going to be people for whom the unique service style is going to grate a little. Cool and slick to one person could be seen as detached and disinterested to another. On this one count though, on our visit the service was fast and friendly.

To be fair, we didn't go at night so maybe the lunch service is a little more relaxed. This was more of a Saturday lunch kind of thing, more pizzas than full mains. We had the Cajun chicken, caramelised onion and feta pizza which was recommended by a mate for whom this is a regular... nay only choice. And on the surface I could see why - the base is beautifully thin and crispy, and the onion and feta go brilliantly together. The chicken was dry though - dare I suggest that it was not as freshly made as suggested? Still, it's heads and shoulders above many pizzas I've had around town. We fared better with the penne pasta with roasted vegetables. Simple but always tasty.

The variety of their menu is also impressive - choosing a meal is always difficult as there is so much on offer. It's almost inconceivable that you wouldn't be able to find something that tickles your fancy. I wish we'd had bigger stomachs and even bigger wallets so we could have had a bit of a tasting run, but hey...

Maybe it's time to try SPQR again. If you get the same service that we did, I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed and maybe they'll just win you back over again. Definitely let me know if you do.

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