French Cafe in a class of its own

The French Cafe, our restaurant of the year, is a class act that others should aspire to. Picture / Carolyn Elliott

There, we've gone and done it. After being ever so gastronomically correct for the past three years, and naming an A-list of five or 10 restaurants that we really rate around the city, we're going to take a deep breath, suck on a mojito and name the one restaurant that we think is the best in Auckland.

We doubt that you'll be surprised to hear it is: The French Cafe.

From front door to kitchen to waiter to food and wine to ordering your taxi, this is the class act. This is the restaurant that every other one of the 1600 licensed food service premises in Auckland should aspire to. 

The last time we reviewed the French Cafe was on Bastille Day, which was a bit of an in-joke, because the Grand Old Lady of Symonds St doesn't pretend to be in the least Francaise these days.

While the rooms were made over into something like Ponsonby Villa Zen earlier in the year, owner-chef Simon Wright has blossomed. His menus of contemporary European cuisine still change with the month and he never offers more than a focused half-dozen entrees and mains.

While he struts his stuff in the kitchen his sommelier/maitre d'/co-owner/wife, Creghan Molloy Wright, sashays through the liquid embellishments and charms her diners.

Just a nick of the carving knife behind is our runner-up, Cibo. Last time we reviewed Parnell's finest, we described Kate Fay's food as damn near a religious experience. Ate there again last week which - even through the unholy haze created by several bottles of Grant Burge's Holy Trinity - confirmed that vision.

When you look at the list below you'll see that Fay is our favourite chef. How come, if the French Cafe is our No 1 restaurant? Because she's an adventurer in the kitchen with an unparalleled ability to seek out wonderful ingredients.

For much of the year, and for a heck of a lot of last year, the Auckland dining scene seemed a tad beige. In the past few weeks new ingredients, new combinations have been tossed into the pot.

New faces, too. Annette and Michael Dearth arrived from California, Michael Meredith jumped on the 005 from Herne Bay to the city and the three opened the rather interesting The Grove, in the difficult-to-hear-yourself-speak room that was once home to Le Brie.

Up at the Chancery, Camillo Bisaccioni, Sergio Cherici, Simone Piva, Sergio Guzzardi and Filippo Scapecchi merely have to say their wonderful names out loud to convince that their deli-ish Italian, Aqua Matta, is the "reale" thing. Belinda Kasper and Mike van de Elzen parlayed their experiences in Conran's London chain into the ambitious Molten in Mt Eden. Renee Coulter, ex-Rocco, Glenn Smith and Martin de Haas, ex-Citron, are attempting to show Remuera what a decent casual restaurant is at The Maple Room. Lord knows, that's one part of town that needs to find out.

Old favourites turned up with new recipes. Simon Gault and Shane Yardley took over the desperately unhappy Essence and overnight it became the buzzy Felice (the buzz wound up by the irrepressible arm-waving maitre d', Steven Overend). Then Gault turned off the stoves at his own-brand restaurant and bought into the Euro/Pasha chain on Princes Wharf, leaving one wondering where to eat on the Parnell Rise now.

Hilary Ord and Mel Anderson waved goodbye to Verona, the heart and soul of K Rd, and fired up the fun'n'funky Musket Room around the corner on Ponsonby Rd.

And we really thought it was our birthday when we celebrated the happy return of Pru Barton and David Griffiths to Vinnie's. While they were Terroir-ising Hawkes Bay for two years, their Herne Bay baby had drifted. They're back. It's back.

Auckland, though, is a town that prefers to eat casually, stylishly.

Expect more gastropubs, just a flash name for the good ol' bistro serving a limited selection of simpler dishes. Think that means bowls of twice-baked goat's feta or Thai beef salad from Orewa to Drury? 'Fraid so.

2004 favourites

Restaurant: French Cafe, Cibo

Newcomers: Felice, Musket Room

Chef: Kate Fay (Cibo), Simon Wright (French Cafe)

Maitre d': Creghan Molloy Wright (French Cafe), Robert Johnston (Gault at George)

Sommelier: John Ingle (Number 5), Josh Pocock (O'Connell St Bistro)

Staff: Rocco

Wine list: Vinnie's, French Cafe

Cocktails: Rocco

Italian: Toto

French: Non

Seafood: Why is there no Rockpool here?

Ethnic: Satya (Hobson St), Joy Bong, Canton Cafe

Traditional/comfort food: Number 5

Downtown: O'Connell St Bistro

Viaduct: Euro

Waterfront: Mikano

Ponsonby Rd: Rocco, Musket Room

Parnell: Cibo

Out of town: Claret (Onehunga), Bowmans (Mt Eden)

Old favourites: Prego, VBG

Cheap 'n' cheerful: Gina's, Fish (Epsom)

Room: Tribeca, Vivace

People-watching: SPQR

Celeb-spotting: Soul, Chandelier

Lunch: Prime, Reuben

Tapas: Craft

Cheese: Gault at George

Disappointments: Otto's, One Tree Grill

Cafe fodder: Bambina, Eclectic

Pub Grub: White

Many happy returns: Vinnie's

Don't go there: Mission Blah, most of Takapuna

On the rise: The Grove, Aqua Matta, Molten