Fish

The most delicious fish and chips ever! Very nice food and lovely staff. I invited friends from Melbourne to this restaurant and they really liked. They send a compliment message with waitresse to the chef. Im deffenitly going back.

Just invited to breakfast at Fish at the Hilton. The buffet is fine, not anything more than you would expect but decent enough. The service however was terrible. This is the Hilton. I expect more from them… it’s the Hilton brand on the line here. Had to bus my own table (twice). No salt & pepper. No sugar. Waited so long for the coffee it was cold by the time I got it. As tables left around us, no one cleared them. Food on the floor and the clincher was the pigeons… in the restaurant eating off the floor. Come on guys… you’re the Hilton! I know I keep saying that but I expect more from you.

Awesome. A delicious inventive menu featuring wonderful local seafood.
Located on the first floor of the newly renovated Hilton Auckland, it has a beautiful open air patio and amazing views of Auckland harbor.

Wow what a wonderful spot that combines an incredible view. It was early in the season so we got a lovely table in the enclosed patio area. It has a beautiful fire pit. What a great way to while the evening away watching the sailboats and the ferries.
The ciabatta is fresh and warm. The oysters are wonderful. We had two preparations. Au natural with vinaigrette and chili spice in pipettes. And then a baked oyster with bacon. Yum!
The pine smoked duck breast is such a treat. Under a smoke glass. It is like having cognac with your duck. Incredible. It’s accompanied by a terrific prosciutto with fig jam. This was such an incredible treat.
The terakahi (sp.) ceviche with coconut milk and a lovely lime. The coconut crème was wonderful. Talk about umami. It was so terrifically unctuous. And interestedly was terrific with a Shiraz. The coconut milk is organic and light like a mousse.
The service was terrific. Our server was super knowledgeable about wines and it was nearly a mini wine tasting. Well appreciated.
The whole blue cod was wonderful. Loved the green lip mussels. And two other types of clams. It was great with a Chenin blanc. It was perfectly steamed.
The white chocolate mousse with nitrogen cooling was so cool. Nitrogen cooled and then the mousse forms a hard crust. The dried mango was great and the Pinot noir dessert wine. Awesome!

We ate at FISH several times for lunch during our stay at the Hilton Auckland, where FISH is located. By far, my favorite lunch item is the FISH Bento Box offering Crisp battered prawns/​citrus pepper/​lemon; Pan roasted Akaroa salmon/​prawn & spring onion mash potato/​watercress & orange salad; and Chocolate mousse/​milk chocolate sorbet/​pistachio chocolate wafers/​house-​made honeycomb… all for $ 29.
Another lunch, I ate the Fish & chips/​puffed rice panko coating/​thick cut fries/​crushed pea tartare sauce is also delicious. There is a generous portion of fish and it was fried just right so the fish was flavorful and not dry. I also had the Chopped salad/​chicken/​spicy dressing/​avocado which hit the spot because I was craving a good sized salad that day. FISH did not disappoint.
Besides the delicious food, I appreciate the friendly, attentive and professional staff. The food at FISH along with the excellent service plus amazing views of the Auckland harbor make this restaurant an added bonus for those staying at the Hilton Auckland.

I had been to this space several years ago when it was called White. It was such a powerfully wonderful experience, I figured the new restaurant in the same location on the 2^nd floor of the Hilton hotel under the direction of Master Chef Simon Gault and the Nourish Group would provide a similarly positive evening for the four of us. I was correct! What a fantastic dinner and dining experience we all shared.
I went in a few days early to select the «perfect» table for our dinner, and Oscar, one of the Managers was most gracious in escorting us around and we ultimately selected table 50, overlooking the harbor.
Dinner started off with our table of four sharing the Tuna Tartar, $ 25, and the Ciabatta w/​emulsified tomato oil & aged balsamic, $ 8.50. The dip/​spread was so light and delectable, we ordered some more wonderful bread to soak up the remaining dip. We were amazed at the air-​light consistency and full flavor. A wonderful start enjoyed w/​a bottle of Clos Marguerite $ 74, which went down so well.
Next up was a dozen plump rock oysters (8 raw, and 4 lightly deep-​fried). This was excellently coupled with Te Mata Chardonnay, $ 16/​gl, per Danny, our outstanding server.
Our mains were similarly thoroughly enjoyed, and it was difficult to get a bite of our friends’ plate, as they wanted to hoard it for themselves. We enjoyed (see photos): Hauraki Gulf snapper, $ 35; special fish of the day, $ 36.50; Akaroa salmon $ 34; and a Whole roasted Turbot (market fish), $ 45, accompanied with clams & mussels. A side of the thick cut fries, $ 7.50 and steamed vegetables, also $ 7.50 for the table.
Danny suggested a new wine, a pinot gris for the table with our mains, and though we didn’t care for it, and we subsequently ordered another bottle of the Clos Marguerite that we so enjoyed at the start of our meal, he didn’t charge us for the bottle he opened for us!!!
Dessert was the specialty of the house, the Nitro (White peach /​mango /​freeze dried mango), $ 21, and one hot chocolate fondant, $ 17 (see photos). This was a display of art coupled with chef mastery. A glass of port and sauterne finished the meal.
A full 4 ½ hours later we left, fully contented, sated, and happy to have dined here, having been served very well by the staff.
As the name suggests, the focus is on seafood, BUT, they have many meat options, including 150+ day old ribeye (for two) I want to come back and try. I look forward to returning to this, and their other group restaurants, both here in Auckland, and elsewhere (Taupo and Wellington).

For a very special occasion, I am being taken along to FISH which is located on level one of the Hilton Hotel in Auckland.
FISH, brain child of Simon Gault from likes of Euro, Jervois Steak House and Masterchef NZ Judge, along with his protégé Shane Yardley, have teamed up to create a mouth-​watering experience, by combining some of the best views of the Auckland harbour with some of the best produce around.
Needless to say I was expecting big things here, and boy did they deliver! However this did come with an eye watering bill at the end. but for such a special occasion, the food and the service combined truly delivered and was worth every cent of the bill.
We were greeted by a very welcoming and friendly waiter called Oliver, who engaged with all the dinner guests and was an absolute pleasure to have as our waiter.
For the entrees, we had a mixture of freshly shucked oysters and a Caesar salad. I was told the oysters were really good and worth every dollar ($ 4.00 per oyster, half-​dozen on each plate). The Caesar salad came out with the dressing made up table side, which was a very nice touch, and poured over. The salad was amazing — there was literally nothing wrong here I could find.
Our mains — I decided to go halves with one of my party and order the Rib Eye for two — with duck fat potatoes and aioli. Oliver again brought this huge slab of meat out on a separate table and proceeded to cut this up into strips, pour over the red wine jus and serve it to our table. The meat, exactly how I like it, medium rare was simply amazing. I somehow managed to eat more than my half-​share, it was truly that good. This was perfectly matched by a bottle of Roaring Meg — Mt Difficulty.
The other guests went with mainly fish orientated dishes, such as the whole baked snapper with a side of chunky cut chips and an Akaroa Salmon. I heard no complaints what so ever.
There were no long unexpected waits, all food was delivered together. With a big group of people this is one of the hardest challenges a chef has to overcome as not all foods cook the same and require different techniques. all of which were handled expertly. Clearly there is a reason why Simon rates Shane so highly.
Feeling rather full from the entrée, the chips, the steak — I was intrigued by the Nitro Desert — consisting of Nitro /​White peach /​mango /​freeze-​dried mango. This again was done at table side — where liquid nitrogen was poured out into a bowl. The Chef carefully placed some cream in a ladle with fruit purée followed by more cream, dipped straight into the liquid nitrogen and rolled around creating a meringue of sorts topped of with mango purée. The whole experience was well worth the price alone and yes — like everything else above did not fail to impress.
Once Oliver returned to ask how everything was going and cleared our plates, he heard about the special reason for tonight, a Wedding Anniversary and congratulated the party and returned with a plate of chocolate truffles and chocolate writing that said Happy Anniversary, and two complementary glasses of Wooing Tree «Tickled Pink». I make special mention of this desert wine as it is not listed as being sold by the glass, but Oliver said he had a certain amount of pull with the bar staff and was able to get away with it. I’m not 100% sure if this was true or not — but it was really a nice and thoughtful gesture.
Thus comes the end of another review, and usually I would sign off by giving my star rating. On this occasion, I feel I need to simply say if I could give them a 6 out of 5 I would — but it probably still wouldn’t reflect the whole experience worthy enough. If you are looking for a place to go for a special occasion, make sure you consider FISH. You will not be disappointed.
Regards
Critic

I visit Fish in the morning for my breakfast buffet, but had never made it to dinner here. One night, I was lazy and it was chilly outside, so I made my way down to the hotel restaurant.
As it was early in the week, I was able to choose where I wanted to sit and look over the menu. The item that immediately caught my eye was a free-​range chicken dish with broccoli quinoa. I was confused by this, as I wasn’t aware there was a broccoli quinoa, but then again, I’m always open to learning new things. Since I was unsure about the quinoa, I also ordered a side of green vegetables.
When the plates arrived, it was very welcome. The chicken was perfectly tender, and the broccoli and quinoa side was PHENOMENAL. I don’t know what they did to the quinoa (turns out it was broccolini and quinoa), but it was savory and somewhat caramelized, if that’s even possible. I had to make a conscious effort to slow down my eating and not wolf it all down, because then it would be gone and I would be sad. I would stop myself, have a piece of zucchini from the fresh greens bowl, chew slowly, then cut another piece of free-​range chicken.
I was highly satisfied after finishing everything, though as it is a bit pricey, I might not make this a regular spot.

This was a fantastic experience. Booked an Auckland Restaurant Month 5 course seafood degustation and it was great. The service was flawless, professional and friendly. The food was great and the wine excellent. Couldn’t have asked for a better night.

Beautiful view, food, service and restaurant. To start, the phone booking was professional and they offered us valet parking for free. Upon arrival, the restaurant is beautiful. We were taken to be seated next to the window with the sea view. To follow, the food was amazing. Catch of the day was Hapuka. It was so soft and the top was crispy. My husband ate pork. It was so juicy and tender. The entrée and dessert were beautiful. To finish, the service was wonderful. The staff were very friendly and had a sense of humour. The dinner was a birthday cerebration. The chef made a «happy birthday» message on the plate with chocolate, truffles, and candle. It was simple. But very nice touch. Well done fish. We will be back.

A special occasion is always a great excuse to go somewhere fancy.
Fish was our pick and we were simply amazed by its view when we walked in. Located on the second floor of Hilton, it had the most wonderful view of the ocean.
We started with Ciabatta w emulsified tomato oil and aged balsamic (8.5) as my partner was about to chew up his napkin due to hungriness. Breads were a touch solid but the dip was light and tasty despite looking very creamy. We both had the Express bento box (29) and started eating as soon as they arrived. Tempera prawns were lightly battered with crispy skin which was just heavenly. Mini burger was displayed so perfectly and tasted fantastic. Can’t really comment on the main as I don’t eat Salmon but my partner enjoyed it with the accompanying mashed potato. I was a bit sad as I didn’t know the portion of Salmon would be this big :(
Ah my God and the dessert… Chocolate mouse was layered on top of vanilla ice cream with pistachio chocolate wafers. This just melted in my mouth. What a nice way to finish lunch with.

Whenever you tell people that you are going to Fish at the Hilton, their response is always something along the lines of ‘Oooh, that’s flash!’ and they’d be right — it is pretty flash — in a white shirt, linen tablecloth kind of way but for me the food and service wasn’t up to scratch.
I came here recently for a mid-​week dinner with a group of four. Our waiter was nice enough, introducing himself upon arrival and swiftly getting us drinks. However, promptly after our drinks arrived he came back to ask if we were ready to order. We weren’t, which is fine — easy mistake to make — but then he came back twice more within 5mins and we couldn’t help but feel rushed.
Anyway, order we did. The oysters to start, which I think were from Kaipara. They were served in the shell and were fresh but very small — perhaps it’s not cold enough for oysters yet. For my main I had p/​f blue nose served on potato fondant with pesto. The blue nose was over-​cooked and dry and the potatoes were dense and soggy. The pesto was punchy and at least went some way towards disguising the taste of the other poorly cooked components.
For dessert we shared the cheese platter, which was o. k but a bit underwhelming. The cheese itself wasn’t bad but the accoutrements, bar a few crackers, were non existent. What’s worse was, the waiter didn’t even know what the cheeses on the platter were and rather than going to the kitchen and asking, he proceeded to guess.
It was still an enjoyable evening but I think that was largely due to the company and being seated next to the roaring fire, than the food or service. Unfortunately with exciting new restaurants opening every day and more trustworthy stalwarts I doubt I will be back anytime soon.

Fish at the Hilton used to be White at the Hilton. I’m not sure why they changed it, as White was amazing, but I guess an emphasis on seafood is fitting when you have such a breathtaking view of the harbour. I particularly like the way the seating is on different levels to enable as many diners as possible to take advantage of the 180 degree picture windows. Clever.
Another thing that impresses me about Fish is the emphasis on sustainability. We read a lot about over-​fishing and the species which are most endangered, but that all goes out the window when you go out to eat a beautiful meal. I like the fact Fish sources delicious sustainable seafood, thus taking care of your conscience and your tastebuds in one go.

Fish Restaurant is part of The Hilton on Princes Wharf — part of the enormous complex that is often dwarfed by huge ocean liners that pull up outside. Luckily The Hilton looks like a big ornate ocean liner itself, so none of the visiting ships ever look that foreign when docked in the area.
Inside The Hilton is a glorious restaurant with absolutely stunning views, simply called Fish. I can see why so many people make the special trip to the downtown wharf — outside of the stunning food and impeccable service are views that have to be seen to be believed. A stunning harbour, the afternoon sun licking the water as boats travel by; bliss!
If you’re heading to Fish for lunch, try the express lunch — a bento box for just $ 29. You can also check out the lunch special set menu — two courses for $ 35 or three courses for $ 45. My last meal there was an a la carte dinner with one other — I loved the pan roasted hapuka fillet with crayfish reduction, while he enjoyed the beautifully presented roasted blue cod with clams, mussels and a vermouth salsa. If you’re dining for dinner, expect to pay $ 35 – 40 a main, but it’s worth it

My girlfriends and I went here for breakfast as part of our Hilton stay. This was the best breakfast EVER. It was also the breakfast before our busy day of wedding activities, so we needed to have a good one and this was it, sitting on the end of the pier!
We started with a selection of shots of spirulina (we made sure we had a LOT), banana smoothies, berry smoothies, fresh berry yoghurt, and even mini donuts. Then we moved on to a hot breakfast buffet, with all the usuals. There was also a cold breakfast buffet of every kind of cereal you can imagine, plus beautiful gourmet breads, endless fruit selection, cold meats, and even a guy who was dedicated to making your eggs to order.
This was the best breakfast feast before a wedding, and it was a good thing we ate so much as I don’t think we had time to eat again until dinner!