Review: Cibo, Parnell

John Dory with Octopus at Cibo in Parnell. Photo / Chris Gorman

Address: Axis Building, 91 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell.
Phone: (09) 303 9660
Rating out of 10: Food: 8, Service: 8, Value: 7, Ambience: 7

My dining companion, a well-travelled person who no longer lives in Auckland, is fascinated by the distinctive style of service you can encounter even in upmarket Auckland eating places. This is the amiable, informal approach that aims at establishing an engagement between the staff and the customer. "I'm surprised he didn't call you 'mate'," she remarked, only to find herself a little later addressed as "darling", at which she was rather more amused than disconcerted.

But if the style was a little different from the restaurant in Lyon that she cited as the most polished service she had ever encountered, it has to be said that on the essentials the staff at Cibo didn't put a foot wrong. They knew about the food. When they were not sure about a particular wine, they sought advice and a sample was provided. The dishes arrived promptly and correctly and the bill included only items we had ordered. We were greeted with warmth and farewelled with speed and courtesy, a skill regrettably absent even in places that acquit themselves well for the rest of the evening.

Cibo should, of course, be getting things right, as it is celebrating its 20th year and such longevity is hard-won in a trade where the average business has the lifespan of a moth. It is not, after all, in the most attractive surroundings in Parnell but on our midweek visit it was packed with an eclectic clientele: couples exchanging hot glances over cocktails, business groups and gatherings cheerfully celebrating family and friendly occasions.

Why it is successful was demonstrated throughout our evening. The seating is comfortable and the decor pleasing, with one wall dominated by a collection of mirrors. The acoustic is forgiving and were able to make ourselves heard despite the volume from some neighbouring customers increasing as their mood became livelier.

The wine list is comprehensive and the menu is full and inventive. I halted at the very first item, which illustrates the house style. This was chicken mushroom duxelle, balsamic onion, black garlic panna cotta, chicken mousse and duck ham and it was closely followed by "Nose to tail - seven-spiced beef cheek, crispy wagyu beef tongue, oxtail scotch egg, Sichuan eggplant, star anise, mushroom tea."

My choice eventually fell on a comparatively simple tuna and veal tartare, which was quite delicious, full of flavour and of a pleasant texture, and topped with a sauteed veal sweetbread. While I was engaged with meat and fish my companion went for one of the options from a decent vegetarian section and enjoyed her attractive concoction of beetroot carpaccio, beetroot spelt risotto, balsamic figs, walnuts, beetroot meringue and goat's cheese gel.

She then moved on to the fish, with a herbed John Dory expertly cooked and prettily presented with roasted chickpeas, cauliflower cream, and octopus. She had opted to omit the chorizo and this had been noted and delivered.

I considered the fish and chips, if only to sample what was described as CO2 batter, but was happy I opted for the lamb, which was perfectly cooked, moist and tender. It sat on what was described as shank granola, which was a grain-like assembly and surrounded by a smear of green pea puree and other bits and pieces, including anchovy dust. I couldn't swear what was what, Cibo being one of those places that favours lighting of the very subdued variety. But the whole came together and delivered interesting passing flavour notes.

We had passed on side dishes, which we didn't really need with a view to indulging in desserts. They were terrific. My ganache was rich in texture and flavour with a subtle marzipan icecream, cherry sorbet and dashes of this and that. The gingernut icecream with the excellent date and ginger pudding was an intriguing touch although the need for what was greeted as "polystyrene pear" was questioned.

If our evening was typical, Cibo is likely to keep up its extended innings for as long as its operators wish to stay at the top of their game.

Our meal: $270 for two first courses, two mains and two desserts plus five glasses of wine.

Wine list: A wide-ranging list with enough choice by the glass. We celebrated with a unassuming sparkling Pelletier Blanc de Blancs from Burgundy, enjoyed the full-flavoured Man o' War Waiheke pinot gris, the Peter Lehmann Eight Songs Barossa shiraz and the Staete Landt Marlborough dry riesling. We finished with a sip of the luscious Cloudy Bay Late Harvest riesling.

Verdict: Upmarket but not pretentious with lively food to match its lively atmosphere.