Sunday Painters

A great French style Bistro on Ponsonby Road. The fit out is cute and really friendly service. The food is pretty uncontroversial but what they do, they do well. Excellent steak tartare and duck dishes. They also do a really well priced set menu for lunch for $ 55.

Sunday Painters is that place that aims high, but steers away from pretense.
Great setting, fantastic owner /​server /​host. The food is great, and their 3 course offering well worth it. The lamb was fantastically cooked, the brownie makes you curl up and suck your thumb…
The wine list is small, but we were able to find fantastic gems. Wish there were a better selection of Kiwi wines though.
Give it a go… you will not be disappointed!

Went here on a Thursday night with four friends. We each had the three course set menu and two bottles of wine between us. Overall, the service was friendly, attentive and professional. The wine was fantastic and well priced and food was good (with the exception of the starter which was pretty underwhelming).
Three of us had the savoury tart as a starter and one had butternut soup. The tart was basically runny cheese and pasty and wasn’t particularly good. The soup was excellent though. Main course was a mix of grilled chicken leg, lamb shank and fish of the day. All the mains were well presented and tasted great. However, the desserts were what made the meal stand out. The chocolate and peanut butter mousse was just amazing. I can’t recommend that enough.
The service was good. Prompt and friendly and nothing went wrong. Water was refilled consistently and the wine service was polished and very French! We had a couple of bottles of Cote du Rhone which were great and well priced.
Oh and the décor and fit out is so nice. Very cute and very French. You’d be on winning streak if you took a date here!
I’ll be back here — just with a a different choice of starter.

I’ve been to Sunday painters twice in the last month, and loved both experiences.
There is no official sign and the big retail style windows make the first glance feel like its some sort of second hand antique shop… in the bottom left as you push through the heavy wooden door there is a understated chalk sign that reassures you that you found the right place.
The menu is small but still enough to make you think and dream about what’s to come. The specials are seasonal and have been different each time… but if you’re lucky enough to get the rabbit… OMG the rabbit! its a must! Just thinking about it is making me drool, texture perfect rabbit in white sauce with the most tender yet flakey pastry.
There are few places this intimate and niche, the lovely high ceilings and a romantic atmosphere. I wouldn’t say its totally French, or totally Kiwi… but a little of both in a smart and playful way.
The wine (and liquor) list is pretty thought out and the service is wonderful and graceful without being overbearing.
Its a nice splurge and the perfect place to take a special date you’re trying to impress.
(pro tip: when making your reservation, ask for the table in the front window to the right of the door, it seats two (maybe three at a push) but its the biggest and best and you get to watch Ponsonby road amble by, and your back is to the rest of the diners and noise)

Sunday Painters is an intimate French restaurant located on Ponsonby Road and, go figure, its run by painters (hence the name). Sunday Painters is very ‘Ponsonby’ — trendy yet alternative.
The food available is fabulous. Steaks, fish, chicken — the usual menu, but done very very well and in a very French style. The chips are all hand cut big, chunky pieces of potato. Served golden and crisp, they were an absolute delight. Sunday Painters also offer French wines that compliment everything on their menu beautifully.
Though the food is great, my favourite thing about Sunday Painters is the décor. The curtains in the windows are made of different fabrics — stripes, paisley, floral, pastel colours — it’s all sewn together in a mish-​mash of brilliance. The seats of the chairs are made from the same fabrics — so while it is all a bit chaotic in design, somehow it matches and looks amazing.
The décor and friendly staff ensure a lovely atmosphere that is really cosy and personable — this restaurant is definitely worth visiting –particularly if it’s a special occasion!
Tip: There is a small function room upstairs for hire that would be perfect for a special, intimate gathering.

An almost secreted away bistro, if you were walking down Ponsonby Rd on a Sunday you may confuse it for some special art school project. Only a blackboard sign bears the name «Sunday Painters» in the entrance. Its mismatch of ugly drapes and tablecloths and crockery make a beautiful little, discreet restaurant.
It has a sort of high-​class informality of people who relax with a 2008 Bordeaux instead of a $ 28 bourbon. It actually has a nice menu of French-​esque dishes, though personally, looking at the prices it is more Brasserie than Bistro. They staff were friendly but not conversationalists, looking more to indulge the rich housewives present.
You are sure to please the lady in your life by picking up the tab at this romantic little restaurant.

I had wanted to come here since I peeked in the window and saw its «nana chic» style; tablecloths, mismatched china and a general retro Kiwiana vibe. We phoned near dinner time on a Saturday and there was a last table available. Half an hour later we were ensconced on the banquette drooling over the menu and wine list.
The wine list deserves its own particular mention as does the waiter’s knowledge of it — both were top shelf. The wines on offer are split into NZ, French and Italian/​Spanish and I could have happily sat here for hours just trying them all. I always think that when you are paying by the glass at a restaurant, you might as have something international because hey let’s face it, it’s not particularly affordable to drink Euro-​styles at home.
Our meal here was superb; the Beetroot Soufflé was a revelation (now replaced with the Goats Cheese Soufflé and a note to self: must go back to try this) and absolutely everything we ate was utterly delicious.
It was pricey though which was unexpected given the café style of the décor, but the food and drink were well worth it and I can’t wait to go again.

I love Sunday Painters. It’s quirky, it’s fun and decidedly homely — probably due to the group of friends who put the restaurant together. This French-​inspired spot was created by three people who were once part of a group who would paint and cook on Sundays, and a restaurant name was born.
When I visit Sunday Painters, I tend to head along with a friend who is almost completely obsessed with duck. Every restaurant we go to — duck duck duck duck duck. Perhaps I’m the goose for always attending with her, but at least we don’t get the same thing. I like the market fish, and have tucked into my fair share of tuna at the restaurant, while she always get the confit duck leg with duck liver mousse, roast plums and walnut purée. Mains are pricey, but worth it.