Tribeca Restaurant and Bar

By GRAHAM HEPBURN for Viva


Eating out in Auckland over the Christmas holiday period can be an unnerving experience. The city appears deserted, almost eerily quiet, until you stumble through a restaurant door to be confronted by half of Ponsonby, gabbling away in an excited fashion, fuelled by a heady mixture that is equal parts alcohol and relaxation.

Either that or the place is deathly quiet. Tribeca was the latter when we arrived on a midweek night, although it built up a nice buzz as the evening wore on.

Housed in the former Blind Institute building on Parnell Rd, Tribeca makes good use of the space with an open and airy feel to the dining area, a cosy bar and an outdoor dining/drinking area at the rear. The dining room setting is formal, with the tables bedecked in white linen and boasting a daunting array of oversized glassware. The service is efficient and obliging but thankfully not overbearing, as it can be at some fine-dining establishments.

Chef Rick Rutledge-Manning, who was previously responsible for the cuisine at Te Awa Farm winery in Hawkes Bay, has a share in Tribeca and delivers a menu that changes with the availability of seasonal produce. A legacy of his time in Hawkes Bay is the showcasing of the region's wines on the comprehensive wine list.

For our entrees, we opted for roast Chinese duck and seared scallop salad ($17.50) and sauteed calamari with a polenta souffle ($17). Both were excellent. The exquisitely spiced duck and juicy scallops on a bed of ginger and cucumber shavings was a winning combination, beautifully complemented by a glass of Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay ($13), as suggested by our waiter.

Jane's squid was ultra tender, served in a delicate corn chowder sauce. My main of smoked roast pork with a saffron and apple puree ($28) was robustly flavoured, though the pork was a little overcooked. Again, it was well-matched with a glass of Te Awa Farm Merlot ($10.50).

Jane's paddle crab and scampi dish ($31.50) looked great on paper but arrived as a selection of seafood in a bouillabaisse-style soup. We rounded out the evening with a glass of Blackwood Park Botrytis Riesling ($7.50) and a pleasant-enough white chocolate marquise with strawberries ($9.50).

Rest assured that Tribeca is a fine-dining experience to be enjoyed. The food is elegantly presented but, with our meal coming to $143.50, our mains perhaps lacked the wow factor you would expect for that outlay.

Open: Lunch - Monday to Friday, dinner - Monday to Saturday, brunch Saturday and Sunday.

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