I feel somewhat guilty giving only 3 stars as the staff at ‘Snappies’(is that a thing?) are always smiley, friendly and attentive. That said, if there’s something missing, I feel I need to point it out for the sake of my own selfish future interest. And so, whilst the pork belly with single scallop and slice of black pudding was very ‘nice’(chefs hate that I hear), the portion was somewhat miserly. A small, though delicately, presented main might be commonplace and accepted at some of Auckland’s fine dining restaurants but I don’t think this is the happy norm at the many waterfront venues. Maybe one more scallop and a slightly bigger piece of pork would have won the day though?
Verity O.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Auckland, New Zealand
We stopped by here randomly for a late-ish dinner. The atmosphere was great, with very funky décor and the feeling of space at each table. The cocktail was divine and definitely worth coming back for. I had the $ 15 special(fish and chips), which was delicious and amongst the best food presentation I have seen: simple but unique. Hubby enjoyed the burger. We thought the prices were reasonable given the location and the atmosphere. I was very happy with the service, it was a relaxed atmosphere with attentive staff. Definitely recommend a visit and we are keen to check it out as a bar later in the night.
Ben M.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Auckland, New Zealand
Been a regular at snap dragon for a long time. Hadn’t been for about a year though. Used to be four stars every time. They have a new menu, which is just average, nothing special, nothing worth getting excited over unfortunately. Two stars is just for the fact they are still relatively friendly and timely.
Laura C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Portland, OR
During a tuk-tuk ride, our driver guide pointed out Snapdragon and said it was a hot spot and the place to see and be seen after work. As we strolled around today, we saw a lunch special sign and decided to get the $ 15 steak sandwich and fries. Not only was it a good deal, but it was delicious and artfully placed on our plates. The sun was shining when we took a seat on the upper deck, but it started to drizzle after our food came. Being from Oregon, we didn’t mind so much, but our bartender, pulled an awning over our tables. That seemed like a nice gesture, considering he wasn’t exactly personable. Not in comparison to the other natives we’d dealt with in the past few days. Who knows? He might jus come across as curmudgeony and actually be a really nice guy. The place itself is MUCH bigger inside than it appears to be. It’s also got incredibly cool décor, with a 2-story wall of plant life and numerous sitting areas with high back chairs and shelves of vintage record albums. My guess is that this probably turns into a club at night. If I was visiting Auckland with friends(and not sightseeing with my brother) I’d definitely hit this place up at night for a night on the town.
Sarah M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Brisbane, Australia
Snapdragon is a funky little bar on the harbour at the Viaduct. The décor is very industrial and cool, with plants suspended over the tables outside on wires. Loved the vibe here — super cool! The service was a bit odd. After walking in at about 4pm we were unsure whether it was table service or order at the bar. We couldn’t find any staff to assist us so took a seat ourselves. My partner went and ordered at the bar to get us started. We had a couple of drinks and some fries. All yummy and reasonably priced. My favourite thing about Snapdragon was really the view, décor and vibe over the food and drinks. Very funky little place.
Stasj T.
Rating des Ortes: 3 San Diego, CA
I was walking along the pier and was drawn in by the old school sign. It reminded me of «Chicago» on Broadway. It also happened to be Restaurant Month, so I decided to drop in to try them out. I started with the salmon starter with lime, which was delightfully tasty. I could have eaten an entire entrée of the salmon. It was prepared alongside pickled ginger and dollops of some type of sauce. After the starter, I had the roasted lamb shank stew with kumara chunks with bourbon glaze. I was not impressed with the lamb shank; it was warm, but I found it a bit gamy and fatty. The taste of the lamb wasn’t all that great, and I couldn’t even force myself to finish it. It may be that I’m not a lamb person, but I can have lamb in a pita or shawarma and be fine. I’ll have to try something different here next time. Also, the staff was not super attentive. You walk into the restaurant and there is no hostess around, so you’re somewhat left to wander around until you bump into someone who doesn’t appear to be a customer. Practice waving down people before coming here.
Anders Hjelmer P.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Auckland, New Zealand
I had dinner here with my girlfriend, and the food was really really nice. The service on the other hand was some of the worst I have experienced in New Zealand on a restaurant in this price range. Just a small example: When the waiter came with our wine, he just placed it hard on the table without even pouring it. That is not how you serve wine in a restaurant, where the cheapest wine on the menu is around 40 dollars.
Shane S.
Rating des Ortes: 1 New Zealand
Can’t comment on the food or the drink. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon. After waiting for 15 minutes while the staff wafted around not attending to us at all we left. I don’t think the 9 patrons should have been too much for the 3 or so staff on working on the floor.
Crystal C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Ellerslie, Auckland, New Zealand
We initially booked this place for their tapas menu(as per their website) but on arrival the menu was changed and there’s no tapas… slightly unhappy as the team was looking for a tapas place for our team dinner. :( However, their latest a la carte menu surprised me and my colleagues… I had scallops and it was very refreshing and tasty! My colleagues had snappers and that looked amazing too. The ribs that one of my colleagues had was great too and fairly substantial too. I am though slightly disappointed on the sides like its caesar salad… and the rocket greens. Nothing much to wow for. The Dessert was good. As for their wine menu… guess its the beginning of the week and they were due to refresh their stock… :P we ordered two wines and they ran out on both of our selected first option. oops… The environment was great! loved the seating space overlooking the harbour. Great relaxing hangout place. Thank you for looking after the team this evening. Gold Star!
Evelyn W.
Rating des Ortes: 3 San Francisco, CA
The first time I came here i completely fell in love with the place. The food was great, the drinks were even better. Ive eaten here about 5 times over the past year and the level of quality for both drinks and food is dropping significantly with every visit. I’m quite saddened by the over salted chicken lollipops and the under seasoned beef tataki sharing place.
Ralph R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 San Mateo, CA
We loved our meal here, which we chose from the list of sharable(for two) dinner plates. We had the seafood pasta, which was loaded with over 2lbs(1kg) of mussels, clams, and oysters, mixed in with spaghetti in a tasty tomato-based sauce. WIth a side of toasted, crusty bread to soak up the sauce and a glass of wine, it was perfect. If you like shellfish, you must try it.
Katie C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Auckland, New Zealand
I agree with another reviewer that Snapdragon is definitely more of a bar for me. It’s a nice one though! I like to head there in the late afternoon for a cold glass of cider(it’s on tap) in the sun on their deck. It has absolutely amazing views out across the viaduct and at that time of day(around 3 or 4) it’s nice and quiet. I really like their interior as well, although it kind of lacks cohesion, it’s pretty cool how it feels like there are like three different areas inside the same bar. It’s definitely the place to go to for some relaxing afternoon drinks and snacks with your colleagues.
Alana J.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Auckland, New Zealand
Snapdragon is a bar located in the middle of the Viaduct in Auckland’s CBD. During the day they are open for lunch and dinner. At night it turns into two bars(one downstairs and one upstairs) with a dance floor upstairs and also a separate private function room located behind a revolving bookcase. I really enjoy coming to Snapdragon as a club in the evenings. I think that the atmosphere is great! If you feel like having a boogie there is always awesome music playing and plenty of people up on the dance floor getting their groove on. Snapdragon during the day on the other hand is another story. I feel the food is very standard but ridiculously expensive. To be completely honest I probably wouldn’t go back there for lunch again as I would rather spend big money on food I know I’m going to be happy with. However it’s all about trying new places, and unfortunately I feel Snapdragons menu doesn’t live up to all it could be. But I would 100% recommend coming here in the evening. Snapdragon as a club is one of my favourites.
Sarah B.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Auckland, New Zealand
I don’t personally think of Snapdragon as a restaurant. Perhaps it’s a long-time association with the Loaded Hog, or the small number of dining tables compared to the vast space Snapdragon occupies, that I think of it more as a bar. For those who do want to eat there, I’m sure it’s lovely. The menu looks nice and the outdoor seating area has some spectacular views. It does, however, make a pretty good bar. It seems to be a slightly older and more sophistcated crowd than some of it’s neighbours(Degree, Danny Doolans, I’m talking to you). The drinks are nice, the bar food is yum, the upstairs bit seems to be where a lot of people gather after work and then spread out onto the dance floor/seating areas later on. All the ingredients for a good night out here.
Liam W.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Auckland, New Zealand
I’ve only ever come to Snapdragon in the wee small hours so I can’t comment on the food. I can however tell you that the place does make a pretty sweet club during the night — nice big dancefloors on both floors, really nice high-end fit out. It generally feels suitably swanky for the location. I imagine that balcony overlooking the Viaduct is a wonderful place for lunch. The drinks also are pretty good — I’ve had some memorable Mojitos up here. Tried to get in here on the night of the Rugby World Cup final — was one of the few places without a cover charge. Needless to say it was a long night getting in! One thing Snapdragon need to look at is their bouncers. Now I realise it’s the job of a bouncer to be intimidating and keep drunk idiots in check. However one of the blokes here took his bravado a bit far in borderline attacking my 5ft1 girlfriend on the stairs for literally no apparent reason. Needless to say, one ruined night on the town.
Makanaka T.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Auckland, New Zealand
If you like paying $ 40 for two slices of sirloin steak then Snap Dragon is the place for you. I went there for a friend’s 21st and as I scanned the menu I couldn’t help but drool at the thought of having a sirloin steak. The price did not phase me as I assumed it was going to be at least a decent size of steak. I wasn’t looking for a huge serving but I was expecting more than two strips of steak. I kid you not I ate that bad boy in two seconds and was left hungry. I ended up filling up on a bowl of fries. The steak was delicious but definitely wasn’t worth the price I paid for it. I suggest that when one dines at snapdragon they eat something before hand. Apart from my issue with the steak, snapdragon is a good place to meet up with friends and after dinner you can continue your festivities upstairs to dance the night away.