Ostro Brasserie and Bar

This place is absolutely stunning. The view from the deck is pretty awesome. Our waiter, Brian, made our experience extra special. He was very friendly, had the perfect recommendations for food, wine, and dessert! Definitely worth giving this place a try if you’re in Auckland. Thanks for making our experience so enjoyable Brian!!!

Simply five stars. And if 6 stars were possible i will put six. The overall dining experience was simply awesome. First the restaurant is stunning, nice view on the harbor with that classy but yet trendy feeling. Second the service couldn’t have been better. Attentive, caring and with that extra smile that makes your guest at ease. A french girl highly knowledgeable made also the difference. And last but not least, the foods, very difficult to describe as it was so good. Seared tuna awesome, omelette of King fish out of the world, eye fillet to perfection. Simply wow wow wow. A highly must go… from a date to a business diner.

Decided to make the most of Auckland Restaurant Month’s fantastic menu offerings by visiting Ostro this afternoon for a very indulgent 3 course meal. Located in the iconic Seafarer’s building on Tyler Street, Ostro boasts a breathtaking view of the Auckland Harbour, which on a bright Winter day like today, was postcard perfection. Being a fine dining environment, we were expecting a top quality experience and we were not disappointed. For entrée I had the Beef Carpaccio with anchovy mayonnaise. For main I had the Beef Brisket Burger and Chips with Caramelised Aubergine and Pickled Courgettes. The carpaccio was wonderfully flavourful, with the Parmesan and garlic chips on top really adding an interesting textural layer. The beef burger was also enjoyable, but the fries were a bit oily for our taste. We also had a knockout dessert; cinnamon doughnuts with vanilla cream and raspberry jam. As you can see below, the portion was incredibly generous, which we were pleased to see was a theme throughout the meal. The doughnuts themself were magic, being rolled in a thick dusting of cinnamon and sugar. The cream was also a well thought out accompaniment, not too sweet, but flavourful. The raspberry jam was a bit tart for our taste. All in all, was more than satisfied by the experience and cannot wait to come back to sample the dinner menu later on this month. With the promotion, Ostro’s offerings are an absolute steal (Just $ 40!!!).

Horrified to witness their oyster shucking process which on this night consisted of: previously used shells being dipped in water, arranged on ice, and the receiving an oyster supplied by s small plastic store bought container.
When confronted by the manager about our immediate desire to cancel the oysters and leave, she replied that it was only a temporary situation due to a lack of oysters. …really???
Hopefully you’ll have a much different experience, but the practice looked well engrained.

Top 3 appetizer I have had in my life. The Smoked Kahawai omelette. I will fly back to New Zealand just for this. Amazing! Great view, great customer service and ambiance.

This upstairs bar/​restaurant is a beautiful space to grab a tasty (and pricey) cocktail. It seems to be a hot spot for the yuppie crowd after work so I’d recommend cleaning up a bit, I felt a little out of place in my gym clothes.

Had a wonderful lunch at Ostro on Waitangi Day with no surcharge which was a bonus.
The interior is fantastic — light and breezy with great harbour views on the one side, more funky and industrial with a DJ booth and small balcony overlooking Britomart on the city side. We had a light lunch of Kingfish Crudo, Tahitian Tuna and Ox Tongue done two ways. Each dish was light, full of flavour and very moreish — our only complaint was that we weren’t able to squeeze in dessert!
The wine list is expansive with many foreign wines offered by the glass which sets Ostro apart from other similar restaurants in the city.
Our service was polished, but almost a little pushy on such a quiet day.
We loved the views & the food, so will definitely be back!

Had a wonderful night at Ostro with two of my friends a few months back. We were all looking forward to the food and it did not disappoint!
I booked three weeks ahead just to make sure we could actually get a table and asked if we could also be seated by one of their large windows, because Ostro has stunning harbour views. I recommend booking this early!
All three of us agreed to order a main dish each and then share two desserts, as the meals are quite pricey. Entrées start at $ 16, while main dishes range between $ 29 to $ 90!
My dish of Seared Yellowfin Tuna with garden peas, wasabi mayonnaise, karengo (like seaweed) and pea shoots ($ 16) was fresh, delicious and I would happily order it again. My friends ordered the Roast Scampi Risotto with Marlborough saffron and parmesan ($ 29) and the Ricotta & Spinach Tortelli with tomato, basil and parmesan ($ 29) both of which were tasty.
For dessert, we ordered the Violet Chocolate Fondant with salted caramel ice cream and the Bombe Alaska — both were great, but the fondant definitely hit the spot!
I thought the service was great. Our waiter was very chatty and attentive. He kept our water glasses full and asked how our meals were throughout the evening.
What a fantastic night — I cannot wait to go back!

The location is stunning, overlooking the working port, and there are a lot of great bars/​restaurants on this part of Tyler. The restaurant is a few flights up but the bar is worth having a drink at. The cocktails are very innovative but, and I understand mixologists being proud of their work but it should not take 20 minutes for 4 cocktails, however tasty.
We we’re sat promptly but then it became a game of hunt our waiter, it took another 15 minutes to order the wine. The menu has a lot of variety (fish, meat, pasta) and everything our table of 4 had was exquisite, from the duck ravioli, to the kingfish, trevally, line-​caught Taihitian tuna. Managed to chase down another waiter for another bottle of wine but then took an age for the check to come (it was spectacularly wrong, by more than NZ$ 100)…our waiter now was all over us, whilst making it clear he wanted us out. Would absolutely recommend this but stay on top of your waiter/​waitress!

A great menu accompanies the gorgeous view of Auckland harbour. Ostro was the first ‘high class’ restaurant I’d ever been to, so I was a little nervous during my visit. I didn’t like seafood and I couldn’t eat meat that had even a hint of blood in it back then, so my menu options were very limited. Now that I am accustomed to both kinds of fare, It almost makes me teary eyed when I think about what I missed. I stuck to a burger (blaspheme, I know) while those I was with ordered the most beautiful dishes of eye fillet, oyster and tuna that made me rethink my predilections. In a way, I have to thank Ostro for pushing me in the right direction and challenging me to be more daring with my meals. They take seemingly simple ingredients and turn it into art.
The highlight of my visit was the dessert. Deconstructed, but not pretentious — just delicious. Every bite was uniquely stunning and well presented. To top it off, the place is comfortably laid out, with lots of room between tables and glass walls allowing for panoramic vistas of the water. The service is also exceptional, I hope to eat there again some time and be a little more adventurous.

Dined there today for High Tea. Service amazing, good perfect. Asked for an ice tea rather than a pot of tea due to the temp at the time. This should be permanent on their menu as it was made perfectly. And the maple butter… Heaven! Well worth price and would return in a heartbeat

Dined June 27, 2014
What a happening place this is. The evening was most memorable. Four of us dined here, and were thoroughly enchanted by the food. Service was good, though we all commented that the scene is so busy, and the acoustics so lousy, that we were almost yelling at each other to be heard in an attempt to have a conversation across a narrow dining table.
Starters to share for the table were the Kingfish Crudo, $ 18 & Pumpkin Ravioli, $ 24. The marinated and cured kingfish (citrus/​ginger based) was filling, and the added chili provided some punch, but otherwise was lackluster. However, the ravioli was the star and we all commented that we each would order it as our own individual entrée.
Mains that we enjoyed were Steamed snapper w/​assorted shellfish,$ 38, Beef filet, $ 38 and Pork belly, $ 38. While the portion size was very adequate for three of us (see photos), yet the gentleman who had the pork belly commented that it was more sizzle and substance, and felt unsated and desirous of more food. Flavors on everything were excellent, and the beef filet was perfectly cooked, with a seared exterior.
Desserts were: Chocolate fondant, $ 16, Crème Brule, $ 16, and cinnamon donuts, $ 9 for the other gentleman. The gentleman who ordered the pork belly had the donuts, and was appeased by the generous quantity, if only it had the taste to enjoy. We all had an opportunity to sample one, and we all agreed it was the losing dessert of the night. Everything else was easily devoured.
All in all, a positive evening. I would return, but only on a quieter night so I could hear my dining companions.

I’ve been meaning to come here since it opened. It’s got a great setting on the second floor with views over the wharf and across to Devonport. Service was good, we had a great waitress for the evening. I ordered pork belly with caramelised pear, celeriac remoulade, salsa verde and crackling, yum! Also tasted the Parmesan beignets, goats cheese salad and bread with seaweed butter (sorry, forgot to photograph). Couldn’t fit dessert in, so now I’m going to have to go back… the violet chocolate fondant with salted almond icecream is calling.

It was absolutely amazing dining there, great food great wine and friendly service. Definitely will go next special occasion!

Service, excellent. Selected and well trained waiters can repeat the menu and single details of dishes, and kindly reminders. Simple for me, coz I m the kinda selective mutism person. View, brilliant. If you ask me where can bring your intimated friends and parents to, I highly recommend here. Homemade soda, pretty color and healthy taste, coz you can tell which kinda fruits in it. Lunch salmon, fresh and perfect match with the side bread. I liked the butter spread, which I guess it is exclusive. However, prawn salad was too salty for me, and I won’t ask for a change. According to my past experience, I m not sure what the next plate will be, and how the chief will react. During check out, their staff asked my opinion and said they will make progress, so I think I ll be back someday and see how the progress goes. Lol.

Go for lunch not dinner and go for the view which is amazing! Seafood was excellent took the special of the day. I’m told dinner is exquisite but you don’t get the great view after the sun sets.
A Must go for locals and roadies like me!

I completely understand why everyone raves about this place. Everything I ate and drank tonight was perfection. The staff are friendly and informative. I’ll definitely be back (when I can afford it).
Try the beef carpaccio it was my favourite on the menu. And you can’t leave with out trying their cinnamon donuts their fluffy and delicious.

I don’t visit the CBD often, so when I do I want to make the make of the trip. There were 6 diners in our party. We we warmly greeted by the staff on arrival and ushered to our table, Then then hard choice and discussions began, what to order. After several visits from the patient waiter we finally had our selection. He kindly offered to talk us through each dish and explain what they were.
For Appetiser, I chose the Seared Yellowfin Tuna and for Mains Honey– Glazed Grilled Poussin. Although we did share most of the dishes between the group. I really enjoyed everything I tried.
Looking out over the harbour was a great backdrop to a great meal. The staff were very helpful and knowledgable. The only slight downside was that once we moved out to the firepit for coffee’s we had to open a new tab. If it was added to the table bill it would have been a perfect evening.
I have found excuse to venture into the CBD more often

Ostro is one of those restaurants you proudly take overseas guests to to show off our beautiful City. It’s located on the second floor of the newly renovated Seafarers building and has stunning views of the harbour, which can be enjoyed whether you are sitting inside or out thanks to floor to ceiling windows.
The menu beautifully showcases New Zealand produce with a focus on local seafood (tarakihi, bluff lobster, kahawai, kingfish to name a few), beef and lamb. I’ve heard wonderful things about the steak but I definitely recommend trying the line caught Tarakihi, which is served pan-​fried with a light fennel, almond and grape salad.
If you are going with a large group I definitely recommend enquiring about the set menu. We got a choice of three options for entrée and main for $ 60 with included sides and bread to start. They also have a large square (ish) table outside that is perfect for group lunches/​dinners (seats around 16pax).
Ostro definitely makes a dent in the wallet but the quality of the food, service and the setting make it worth every dime.

1. Magnificent location!
2. Simple dishes but with the freshest ingredients that enhances the food’s natural flavour.
3. Friendly service. They had only been open for a week when we went so everyone including the maitre’D was new, however they were all making an effort to make us feel looked after.
4. Expensive wine list but I think the tourists might be their primary target.
5. We would go back.