L'Assiette, Auckland CBD

L'Assiette in Britomart Place. Photo / Babiche Martens

Herald Rating: 3/5
Address: 9 Britomart Pl, Auckland Central

We came here because we wanted to check out all the new additions to the Britomart precinct and we'd heard this place was a culinary highlight.

Parking was pay and display. But not for us, we walked.

We walked in and immediately thought that it was good to see the place filled with people, as otherwise the area was a bit desolate on a drizzly weekend morning.

The most unusual thing on the menu was not so much unusual, just a bit different from the standard Kiwi brunch fare, being French-influenced (Toulouse sausages in the big breakfast, crepes instead of pancakes, brioche french toast).

We ordered the wild mushrooms in a creamy thyme white wine sauce on sourdough ($15) and the crepe with lemon honey and mascarpone ($8). The flavours were delicious - the mushrooms especially. But on both counts there just wasn't enough. Just the one plate-sized crepe pour moi? Two pieces of bread with less than half a cup of mushrooms pour lui? We both walked out hungry.

The service was trying hard but you get the feeling that they haven't quite hit their stride yet. And we did wait some time for our food.

The coffee was very decent.

We recommend if you come here you look around you to check out other diners' portion sizes and order according to your hunger level (or buy a croissant or a macaron from the counter as a top-up).

Overall we thought that we'd love to be able to give this place a four out of five but, when you walk away from a meal still hungry, that's a definite point off.