On the menu: A good range of options is available across the menu. The vegetarian eater is well catered for and so is the carnivore, with beef, lamb, pork, chicken and seafood options. Gluten-free is also available, as are lighter salad options. The prices are mid-range for Tauranga and the
portion sizes are certainly good.
The buzz: There is a quiet sophistication about the place, with a certain European flavour. With beautiful wood features throughout, and the doors wide open to Tauranga's waterfront, there's a real natural feel about the place. Subtle background music makes for a comfortable and enjoyable dining experience.
I'll have: I decide to go with a seafood starter and couldn't go past the Calamari with Garlic Aioli ($15). Calamari can be a bit hit or miss, depending on the tenderness of the food but I had no complaint with the piping-hot and juicy morsels on my plate.
Dipped in the sauce and I was on my way to heaven.
For my main I went with an old favourite - Scaloppini Gorgonzola (pan-fried escalopes of veal in a white wine and blue cheese reduction, $27.50). Any fears I had that the sauce might overpower the veal were totally unfounded. The sauce just lifted the veal and the tender vegetables to another level.
To finish off, I couldn't go past cheesecake. On offer was a New York-style baked cheesecake ($12.50) and, having grown up on such a delicacy, I can say this was every bit as good as the one my mum used to make me.
She'll have: The vegetarian option of Risotti ($22) - mushroom and spinach risotto with parmesan cheese, garlic and lemon. A truly beautiful and satisfying option that left you wanting to clean the plate.
For the adventurous: There's nothing too outrageous on offer but you might like to consider green-lipped mussels steamed with white wine and a sweet chilli tomato sauce ($27.50).
Value for money: You would be well advised to look at the set menu options if you are on a budget. For $38 you get a two-course meal (starter and main) and for another $10 you can add a dessert.
The options available on the set menus come off the a la carte menu so you certainly aren't being short-changed with inferior choices.
To drink: A fully stocked and classy-looking bar offers abundant options if you want to be adventurous.
The staff: All the staff were bright, bubbly and friendly.
You had a real sense they wanted you to enjoy your meal and your evening out.
The verdict: Any restaurant that can stand the test of time down on the The Strand is obviously doing many things right. There is plenty of competition for your eating dollar and Amphora has been attracting plenty of customers for many years. I'm sure they will continue to do so when they provide quality food and service like they did for my wife and I.
Amphora on the Strand
43 The Strand, Tauranga.
Ph: (07) 578 1616.
Hours: Open 7 days, 5.30pm until late.
Licensed & BYO.