C.A.C

Came here for a Mother’s day dinner. The restaurant is big, apparently it use to be an ammunition storage facility. So not a good choice if you want something cozy, but if you want quiet and intimate this is the spot. The menu is tapas but I think the term «tapas» is often missed used. I would say too big for tapas, but they were perfect for sharing. Between the 6 of us we have a good spread, and everything was delicious. My favorite were the risotto balls, the crispy duck and the squid. Also the lemon cheesecake was loved by the table, although I did not try it.
I would say this is a great place to celebrate ocassions or meet up with a group of people.

This is one of those places that was pretty average for me, but lots of other people love it. I think what may have been the turn off was the seriously bad sangria I had before our food arrived. The food was pleasant enough and the staff were… again I use the term pleasant. All in all the setting was lovely and very romantic but I would say it was all pretty average, apart from the company of course.

We came here for a few after work drinks and I was unfortunately quite disappointed. There was absolutely no atmosphere at this place — probably because we were the only ones at the bar the whole night! I could imagine the upstairs area would be nice if it was busy as it felt like it could have a warm ambiance about it especially for these cold nights. We only ordered the chunky chips cooked in duck fat which were delicious and I have heard the tapas are good but I wouldn’t return. There are much better places to have a drink after work with a much better atmosphere.

It was a special occasion and I’ve decided to visit my old time favorite CAC. Great parking space, quiet upstairs, lovely atmosphere… Exactly what I needed on the night. Grilled beef steak (19) is my favourite but I’ve kindly let my friends choose dishes this time.
Squid & Couscous ($ 19) tasted succulent and fresh as always. I love this dish too! It’s somewhat very refreshing and tastes healthy. We’ve tried the Prawn ($ 19.9) for the first time but I wasn’t impressed. The sauce was too overwhelming the taste of prawn. Display was a bit awful too. Not a dish I wanted to try again! My friends have a love for eggplants but all we could taste for this Baked Eggplants ($ 14) was pesto. We also ordered Risotto balls ($ 8) but nothing was special about it. I didn’t really enjoy the creamy cheesy dip. Maybe because I’m not a cheese lover.
Their dish seems a bit expensive to be a tapas but I do want to defend them — the amount is huge. And you wouldn’t regret ordering it at its price (if you order right things I mean).

CAC is the site of the old Colonial Ammunition Company factory. A historic bluestone building that dates back to the early 1900s and was renovated and re-​opened as this hip tapas bar located in Mt. Eden.
I’ve been visiting CAC since it first opened years ago, but this is the first time I have been back since Unilocal has been available in New Zealand.
The interior space at CAC is one of it’s best attributes. The bar area is hip without being pretentious and the upstairs seating is definitely the best spot in the restaurant. Upstairs you have an A-​framed ceiling with exposed timber creating an appealing space which is far enough away from the bar that the background noise gives ambiance yet remains easy to carry on a conversation.
The food selection is Mediterranean tapas with a kiwi flair. Of particular interest last night was the hummus with lamb, mint, parsley and pine nuts. A combination I was unsure of at first and turned out as the highlight of our meal. The rest of the fare is reliable and tasty. Given that it’s tapas, it is best suited to groups of 3 or more so that you can benefit from variety and sharing.
The cocktails have really taken a step-​up in the last few years, but sadly, the wine list has taken a back-​seat. In their early years they had quite an expansive by-​the-​glass list with a variety of red wines from abroad. This has been scaled back quite a bit and the selection of only 6 red wines, of which 3 were pinot noir, is a bit of disappointment. However, I’m sympathetic to the challenge of offering lots of wines by the glass, so I’ll cut them a little slack. That being said, I think they could do better.
Overall a reliable joint, great environment and solid food!

I have been here a few times. The food was good. But the last time, the customer service was not even worth a point!!! Very bad. First ignore you after you sit down. Then can’t answer food related question when we asked. Very bad attitude. It was too dark, you do not know what you are eating. They stored their bread in a basket which was on the floor. No space between the basket and the ground. We saw the waitress opened the basket took the bread and kicked the basket back in with her foot… WT…
There was an air freshener directly on top of our table. I am sure we did eat the food with extra ingredient.
2 of us got stomachache that night. Not happy. Won’t go back again.

We come here every second Wednesday night for a Uni connect group that’s run by the young adults church ‘Change’. I love coming here as it always means catching up with good friends and eating delicious treats. We usually just get dessert and they are so good. My favourite is the raspberry sorbet but the espresso crème brulee and chocolate tart are also amazing!
The place is MASSIVE so it’s perfect for big and small groups. The loft area upstairs really makes you feel like you’re having dinner in an intimate house whereas the downstairs area has the feel of a bar.
It’s a great place for a cozy evening and it’s often not super crowded either which can make a brilliant change from most places in Auckland.

I always used to drive past this place when picking up my husband from work and it was somewhere I always wanted to try. And when I finally did I definitely was not disappointed. The tapas are so delicious, okay yes a bit expensive, but so yummy you really just have to try it out and just forget about how much its all going to cost.
I loved the risotto balls, meatballs, the ricotta gnocchi, everything is really very good. Its a bit more of a winter place to go as its a little dark inside, but thats all good, as its somewhere nice and cozy to go on a yucky Auckland day.
I can’t wait to go back again.

C.A.C is one of those places that kind of flies under the radar. It’s very good all ’round. The food is fantastic and different. If you’re looking for a place to eat that isn’t your average, this is the place. It’s tapas. I think the twelve hour lamb is the best I’ve ever had. The risotto balls will suit anyone and you can’t go wrong with the ricotta and spinach gnocchi. Most of the cocktails are great — the passionfruit mojito is a crowd pleaser, there’s live music in the downstairs bar area, the place is dimly lit and the seating arrangements are good — there are couches and a large long tables for groups, small tables with big chairs for couples, etc.
I suggest you go with a group, ordered a whole bunch of things and share. Happy days.
Note for broke people: This place isn’t cheap. It’s not super expensive, but don’t expect to pay less than $ 15 for a cocktail, for instance.

C.A.C does the best tapas in Auckland. Big statement but before all the others there was this place and while it’s not Spanish-​style, every single one of these small plates is a winner. I can even vouch for the meaty/​fishy ones too because I’ve been here so many times with other people, we’ve eaten our way right through the whole menu.
I also really love that the building was saved; bloody Auckland is notorious for ripping down its history for carparks and without the vision of C.A.C’s creators, this old munitions factory (Colonial Ammunition Company) would have undoubtedly have gone the same way. Unfortunately much of the old complex wasn’t so lucky (BOOM) with just this building and the tower remaining.
Anyhoo, back to the food. This place is so vegetarian-​friendly that I literally can’t order everything I want in one visit — there’s just too many to choose. But if I had to… get the Ricotta & Spinach Gnocchi with Mint & Parmesan Butter (heavenly), Risotto Balls, Mushrooms grilled with Herbed Ricotta, Beetroot Salad, Baked Goats Cheese… see what I mean? It’s just all so good you’ll be fighting your mates to get your fair share. No really, you just might.
The drinks list is as thorough as could be and I’m embarrassed to say I’ve even managed to try several of the desserts. Again, everything excellent. The service and patrons are always straight up — not much wank here, just foodies having a good time. Downstairs there’s a bar that has a DJ every Saturday night with other musical acts ad hoc, and upstairs is the mezzanine dining area.
Nom nom nom.

I will happily pay $ 16 for a passionfruit mojito at Cac and never look back or regret it! This place is beautiful, with a rustic jazz bar feel to it. I enjoy sitting upstairs and enjoy the darkness of the place. The only light is the candles flickering on the tables. If you are lucky the bar hosts live performances from talented individuals who make drinking your mojito even more enjoyable.
I went to Cac for dinner with a friend of mine and when she ordered the rabbit I looked at her in disgust but after having a little bit myself I found myself coming back the second time and munching happily on the rabbit.
Please note by eatery Cac is attempting to inform it’s patrons that their serving sizes are more or less the same size as tapas. Do not go there expecting to walk away full and satisfied, to be full you might have to order 2 or 3 items on the menu depending on how hungry you are. As for satisfaction the mojito and the rabbit were enough to satisfy me