Mollies

Had an excellent time at Mollie’s, mostly due to the personal attention of Bernadette and Steven, the owners. We only had breakfast on our meal plan, but it was fabulous, especially the poached egg and avocado. The room was upstairs, had a loft and balconies outside the main and loft floors. Air conditioning, important in NZ’s summer months, was more than adequate. Parking was off street and plenty large enough for our rental Toyota Highlander and the other guests’ vehicles. Location was good. Close enough to downtown Auckland as to be walkable if you’re able to walk a few miles, but you’ll probably want to take a cab back. The local restaurant/​shopping area is a neighborhood called Ponsonby. There is plenty to see and do there, it is also walkable but probably not going back to the hotel if you’ve done any shopping.

I went to Mollies’ restaurant for a work Christmas party and it was absolutely stunning. The dining room area of Mollies is gorgeous and white — lots of beautiful marble, big lavish mirrors that made the space seem larger, and extremely attentive staff.
We had a set menu, which was $ 60 each and included a main, a dessert and a glass of champagne… one glass of champagne! Hah! This was a Christmas party and I’m damned sure we drank the place dry over the course of our very rowdy afternoon. My main was divine — a simple spinach risotto with feta. I also had a bit of oven-​baked market fish, but I steered clear of my boss’ favourite confit duck leg (on account of both my pescaterian diet and her militant love of duck). For some reason everyone at the table ordered different mains — a total oddity in my experience — so the festive meal looked even more festive with all the colours and flavours decked out in front of us.

Everybody should spend a night at Mollies, you will love the experience, and you will love yourself for the pleasure. My visit to Mollies was by chance; I was offered an assignment to write a story about elite destinations in my home city, and Mollies was on top of the list.
Not knowing what to expect, I expected the normal 5 star boutique hotel experience, but what I got, was so much more. The food was spectacular, the service excellent, and the setting, just perfect.
After dinner we sat and listened to light opera and a piano recital, and in the morning I didn’t want to leave.
Mollies is not for everyone’s taste, but it is worth every cent. And it is the perfect place to celebrate an anniversary or special occasion.