French Connection Restaurant

I wonder what came first. The French café, or the French Connection. From what I’ve seen of the french café (the outside,) this place does a far better job of capturing the french aesthetique. The owner sits outside all day, sipping coffee and chatting to people while selling good strong double shots that can easily be topped up with a shot or two of whiskey. When we went there hungover on a Saturday, he did a great job of upselling us to one of these ‘irish coffees,” and they more then did the trick. As for the food — it’s great. I only had escargot as I wasn’t particularly hungry the time we went, but it was awesome. There is nothing like sucking a snail out of a shell to really give you a full visceral food experience. I like how he leaves the lights turned down super low — as the place never really packs out, you can be forgiven for thinking you are eating in your own lounge.

Auckland is full of examples of faux-​French cafés and restaurants that are ritzy and glamorous and snooty. None really capture the homely, intimate feeling like The French Connection.
The French connection is a café and restaurant along Symonds St and worth the small diversion from the main part of the city. The owner has that fantastic French balance of aloofness and friendliness. He has as much character as this small business. The brick interior is cluttered enough to hold your attention without feeling claustrophobic. I love how they have utilized an old stove as a wait station instead of stripping everything away to a bare, minimalistic look.
Authentic French, like you’re relaxing along the Mouffetard. If it’s not busy, just be happy in the fact that everyone else is missing out on this great place.