SPQR

SPQR has been there as long as I know AKL, so it’s more than 15 years. Revisited again after so many years. The decorations are exactly the same. Give 4 stars based on the quality of the food for 4.5, service for 3, interesting environment added some points. Ordered Seafood Paella at least is the best in Auckland so far，cream brûlée wasn’t expected still ok. Very busy for a Wednesday nite. People come and go all looked very interesting and has a bit style maybe u don’t see in other places, possibly because it’s Ponsonby.

SPQR resides beside ‘Ponsonby Central’ and is a regular haunt for many local’s long lunches’ and espresso martinis — until one begins to fade. The ambience at night is certainly glamorous, a dimly lit setting with intimate tables, barely there music; animated people lining the bar deep in conversation. Last night, the 3 of us ordered an antipasto to share (black olives, artichoke, pastrami, buffalo mozzarella, tomato relish, chicken liver pâté…) which was all divulged and enjoyed. We then decided on the salmon pizza with thin base and fresh basil: scrumptious. I ordered the Affogato (for dessert) however after waiting 20 mins I then cancelled as I needed to go, so very disappointed! Beverages were reliable Antipodes Sparkling Water & a gorgeous Pinot Noir that my friend ordered and drank happily. Service is good, however when busy it wanes. Overall, a great place to dine & celebrate any occasion!

Good place to sit for a while and watch Ponsonby go by… service is exemplary. Entrée was good, could have used some more bread or crackers with the antipasto, I’m a hardcore margerita pizza fan so was a tad underwhelmed with the choice of cherry tomatoes and flat crust on my ‘Italian’ margerita.

SPQR has been a mainstay of Ponsonby Road for years. It’s generally seen as a place to «be seen» at, and some would say a little pretentious, but if you can get over this then the food is pretty good (its Italian) and the wine list is extensive.
Last time I went was for lunch and we shared a pizza bread which was excellent as far as pizza breads go. That was followed with a scampi salad with melon, shaved cucumber and chilli. It was fantastic. Very light, full of flavour and perfectly balanced.
SPQR often do champagne deals. We went because they were offering a magnum bottle of Veuve Cliquot for the price of a standard bottle — this seems to be their usual promotion. They also do good cocktails and I’ve had excellent Bloody Mary’s and espresso martinis.
Where they let themselves down is the service. About 50% of the wait staff are professional, friendly and interactive. The other 50% basically don’t pay you any attention unless you spend a lot of money or wear label clothes. So it’s hit and miss to say the least. Every time I’ve been (3 times) they have overcharged us and claimed it was a mistake when we pointed it out. So not sure if they just employed people that can’t use a calculator or if it’s something that they try and do so see if you notice. Either way, scrutinise your bill and of splitting the bill ensure they charge each person the right amount.

This is one of my Auckland favourites. It’s a real institution having been around for 20 plus years.
Service is often lively but a few times I’ve found it searly. Cocktails are good and food is consistently good. They do great squid, pizza and platters. Platters have shrunk in size over the years though!

Can I give a lower rating than 1 star? This place is the worst. The food, yes, it is okay. The staff are easily bad enough to erase any enjoyment of the food away. They seem to think that because they work at spqr they can talk down to people. Awful service.

Good choice for a lazy Sunday dinner, mind the smokers outside (inside tables probably a better choice). Been here before on a busy Friday night on a set menu and wasn’t that impressed. But someone mentioned they do the best crème brûlée so I came with that in mind. Tasted the classic platter — a mix of cured meats, salmon, olives, pâté, chutney, cheeses (good), eggplant parmigiana and finally a couple of desserts — chocolate & orange tart and raspberry crème brûlée. The chocolate tart was actually really good, but the crème brûlée was not the best I’ve tasted, quite a large portion, very soft and custardy and not as crunchy on top as I expected. I’ll let you know when I find the best!

It’s good to be beautiful. And if you aren’t, then you can at least pretend at SPQR. A Sunday evening antipasto platter and a glass of Sebastiano Chardonnay are a suitable prelude to a dessert selection that includes a raspberry Crème brûlée and orange and chocolate tart with Ferrero Rocher ice cream. Dress smart, daydream and watch the P Road popolare pass by. Shades are optional

Frankly the worse dining experience in Auckland aside from having a rotten fish thrown at you from a passing car.
Picture this: a bar/​restaurant filled with some of the biggest tossers our country has to offer. They will get preferential treatment over you. The squealing staff will no doubt screw up your order while they’re distracted fawning over Oliver Driver or Sally Ridge. The wine selection will be boring and over-​priced. The food is about as unimaginative as you can imagine.
I ordered a mozzarella salad and what arrived was a bit of cheese, a sliced cherry tomato, a basil leaf and a drizzle of olive oil. When I questioned exactly what the chef had done to «prepare» this meal and why it cost $ 26 the answer I received was «people here like to see the ingredients». My beer took over half and hour to arrive (taking the top off a bottle is obviously a very involved process) when I asked the staff member where my drink was I got a snooty «what did you order?» When I explained I’d just ordered a bottled beer the staff member snorted and said «You would» and walked away. So I went straight to the bar to get myself a beer where the staff member descended on me and demanded to know what I was doing. My reply — «your job». The main gave me food poisoning probably because the same staff member spat in it.
This place is why the rest of New Zealand hates Auckland.

An amateur attempt at an upscale restaurant/​wine bar. During a trip to NZ my wife and I were walking down Ponsonby road looking for a decent restaurant and SPQR was one of the few that didn’t have a wait to be seated. After our dining experience here we know why.
The manager greeted us and took us to our table, my wife wanted to sit next to the fire and we were off to a great start. When I asked about the whisky selection the manager seemed confused, so I went up to the bar myself and ordered a glass of Aberlour from the bartender, where I received the most stingy pour I can remember. When it came time to take our orders it was as if the manager/​server didn’t work there and knew nothing about food, I asked his opinion of various menu items and again the bewildered face and an inability to answer, odd, I went with the pork belly. The food arrived it was decent but not of the caliber you would expect from this type of reastaurant, it lacked creativity and originality and was reminiscent of a roast shop, at least the kitchen was more generous than the bar with the portions.
SPQR left a lot to be desired and based on this experience we will not be returning. I recommend if anyone else is in the area the other restaurants might be worth waiting for a table.

Great pizza and wine selection. Enjoyed dinner here after a walk through the Ponsonby neighborhood.

This is not a review about SPQR. This is a review about the single greatest waiter I have ever met in my entire life. No hyperbole!
I don’t go to SPQR for the food, I don’t go there for the wine and I don’t go there to be seen (amongst the regular crop of Auckland’s elite). I go there to be served by NayNay, the exuberant, fun-​loving, camera-​hogging waiter who makes life at SPQR worth living. NayNay was nominated for Metro’s Restaurant Personality of the Year a few years back and was up against a number of restauranteurs. The mere fact that a waiter can be put on the same list as an owner/​operator just goes to show how much gusto and flair this guy puts into his work. The first time I was served by him I was on assignment with Express Magazine. We asked if we could take his photo, and he literally jumped at the chance, frolicking all over Ponsonby Road, swinging off the parking limit sign and grabbing onto the ivy-​laden gate at SPQR’s door, posing.
I can vouch for the fact that many people head to SPQR just to be served by this spunk, and I think you should go there to meet him for yourself. He is a shining light on Ponsonby Road and I hope he stays there forever.

I used to be a big fan of SPQR back in the days when I was a smoker and it was a smoker bunker filled with trendy people, eating, drinking, laughing and of course smoking.
Times have changed for both of us but without the smoke the bunker remains. The service is still consistently excellent and the menu, décor and other things seem to be pretty similar to how they were 10 years ago. Nice place for lunch, dinner or drinks if you feel like people watching and also being watched. Consistently good coffees, food, wine and cocktails.

SPQR is good. it is great, and it knows it. It is one of those places that has impeccable staff, delicious food, the best of the best. It isn’t exactly cozy or anything but you don’t go there to relax. You go there to indulge and be seen (if you sit outside). I have been here during cocktail hour and it was just as snazzy as i expected. The bartender knew his stuff and the waiters were promptly prepping about the restaurant. The drinks were great and I have heard from friends (and read) that the food is amazing. I can only judge on the presentation as I only saw the dishes leave the kitchen. I look forward to coming here to dine one day. I will say though that when I do it will be one of those planned booked pretty dress type dinners that will last a good few hours. Either that or the extended lunch. I will want to savour it all.

I went to SPQR to catch up with a good friend of mine about life, love and everything else in between! He came with his 5 year old son and even though SPQR did not have kids meal options on the menu the waiter was more than happy to ask the chef to make something special for my friend’s son.
I had the fettuccine and my friend had the working lunch. We sat outside enjoying a sunny day and delicious food. My favorite part about my SPQR experience was the massive wine glasses, nothing delights me more than a huge wine glass! The fact that the wine glass was huge did not mean my serving of wine was disappointing which delighted me even more!