The Black Hoof

Super authentic food, friendly and fast. Let the waiter choose for you, as then you get some great surprises which you would otherwise miss. Get the peppers as one in ten is burning hot, and just adds to the night out. TAPAS at their best.

$ 2 Tapas and $ 10 Cocktails on Thursdays (from 5pm to 7pm) — not to be missed! Loved everything we tried. From the chicken liver parfait down to the jamon, everything was so tasty and were a decent size. Couldn’t help myself from making yum-​yum sounds with every bite. Great homey ambience for meeting up with friends or having a different kind of family dinner.

Paella, sangria, cured meats — if you crave Spanish food or want something a little different, The Black Hoof will hit the spot.
Compared to other types of cuisine, Spanish restaurants don’t seem to be that popular in Auckland. Restaurants will have Spanish dishes, but not many boast a full menu dedicated to Spanish eats.
Even if you’re here just for a drink and a bite (and they have a good selection of European beers), the goat cheese croquetas with honey and marcona almonds are to die for. It’s one of those mouthfuls where I raise my eyebrows and look at the food with a «wow» face. Honey crusted and crispy on the outside, it caves into pillows of cheesy goodness. A real treat.
Tempted by the overhanging cured meats at the bar, we ordered a selection of the meats to nibble on. I’d recommend this option if you’re not familiar with the cured meats because you’ll soon find your favourite. It’s only times like this when I can justify eating so much fat clinging to the meat. And you need it for the melt in the mouth sensation.
I can’t deny wanting to go to a Spanish restaurant to try their paella. Although they didn’t have the traditional seafood paella, we were convinced to try the Arroz Negro Squid ink rice with crispy calamari and saffron aioli. I hadn’t tried this variation before. While it’s not traditionally paella, it’s still prepared in the same way. Not to be confused with black rice, the colour comes from squid ink and is made with squid, white rice, olive oil, and in this case saffon aioli.
It was oilier than I expected but that didn’t stop me from digging in. The rice was beautiful fragranced and soaked with seafood broth. While it didn’t totally satisfy my craving for seafood paella (if possible it only intensified it!), I still very much enjoyed this variation.
I’d recommend The Black Hoof for a slice of Spanish paradise. We were made right at home with the service, and they take on any requests gracefully. If anything, go for the goat cheese croquetas!

Craving the same Spanish flavors ever since a trip to Barcelona last year, I couldn’t pass up The Black Hoof after reading the great reviews. I had a fantastic dinner eating at the bar on a Tuesday night and had the entire place to myself! The kitchen was very accommodating and allowed me to try many of their signature dishes including the lamb shoulder, jamón croquetas, braised leeks, and of course some Spanish cured meats and cheeses.
Everything was phenomenal, with food this good and quality ingredients that bold, this place should have a line every night of the week. The lamb was tender on-​the-​bone, roasted deep with a great crust. The side accompaniments of crunchy spiced almonds and whipped chickpeas offered a variety of textures and flavors to highlight the mains. Everything was prepared with care and the menu (wine list included) shows a lot of knowledge and forethought into creating an enjoyable dining experience.

I discovered this place after The Denizen wrote about how good the Chicharrones were and not to be missed. We went last night and were delighted with the décor, the menu selection and the service was bright and breezy and attentive. We went for the Chicharrones and I must say that the were the most delicious pieces of crunchy pork belly I’ve tasted. We also ate the goat cheese croquettes (a recommendation from patrons at another table) and the beetroot. All were fabulous! The $ 9 happy hour Margarita was one of the best I’ve had in Auckland. so perfectly balanced and so yum. I had 3! I would definitely go back, try more dishes, take friends and enjoy. This place was great! Thank you.

Can’t believe I haven’t done a review of this place, I’ve been three times! Not only great for me, but It’s the perfect place to take visitors to Auckland with it’s cool city vibe, exposed brick walls, high ceilings and pretty views through the arched windows down to Queen Street. It has a nice, welcoming atmosphere and is the kind of place where you can eat as much or as little as you like in typical Spanish tradition. The menu has an exciting range of tapas, small and large share plates, charcuteria, cheese and there’s a big wine selection with a focus on sherries too. There’s a Tapas Tour on offer for $ 55pp (or $ 39 for lunch). Things you need to know — there’s also a weekly lunch feast which serves three to four people for $ 120 including a jug of Sangria (Spanish rice cooked with chicken, prawns, mussels, clams and chorizo) and happy hour is Tues-​Sat 5−7pm. But, probably best to check the website because these guys are always changing it up a little. Word of advice, don’t leave without sampling their goats cheese croqueta. Thumbs up from me!

Went recently for a family dinner. I’d heard good things about this restaurant — for fans of authentic Spanish cuisine, this is a good place to try. The waitress recommended we go with the set menu — and it was a great choice. Delicious range of food, friendly service and great beer. The only gripe was the fit out is a bit dated but otherwise we couldn’t fault it. I want to go back and try the rest of the menu now.

Just came back from lunch… oh my God I am so sleepy :) really enjoy the meal there, they have a deal 20 nzd for main course and a drink. And the main course was yummy. The burger was very fresh and a slight touch of Mexican spices made it very special. On top the glass of wine was perfect. However one of my colleague took a dessert and it was 14 NZD… Found it too steep :(((Anyway definitely will try it at night it a nice bottle of rioja. Nice Spanish place. Viva Espana ! Olé !

So about 6 months ago, I walked by the Black Hoof and at first thought it was a brothel. This was mainly b/​c it was on the second floor and gave no indication of what the business actually was. Man, am i glad that it turned out to be a restaurant! I’ve experienced manifestations of the Black Hoof via other Unilocal events but finally was treated to the ‘Tapas Tour’ for my 30^th birthday, and man what a treat. We got there with 3 minutes to spare for the happy hour and got a white sangria jug for only $ 25! The Sangria was fruity but not syrupy sweet and therefore just perfect. We then took an escapade through various tapas dishes that were well portioned high-​quality food and most importantly well-​timed between courses. I had an impeccable 2007 Rioja and cannot gush enough of the attentive service throughout the night. The hostess even complemented my dress. I love places that know how to execute high quality food and service, charge a reasonable price and not have even a whiff of pretentiousness. Definite recommend!

Delicious snacks and an exciting drinks menu — perfect for an after work TGIF celebration. Happy hour deals are perfect, with 4 Moritz with lemon for $ 20 and yummy strawberry mojitos. The wine selection is great too!
We had a round of croquettes, crunchy pork, smoked eel, escabeche and patatas bravas. We ordered another round of croquettes, because they got gobbled up immediately — so good! Rich, crunchy, salty and sweet. Definitely the tastiest thing we ordered.
Waiters were helpful, chatty and full of good recommendations. The music was awesome too! Cool covers mixed with Spanish music.

Can highly recommend the Tapas Tour. A wonderful way to sample delicious Spanish-​inspired treats.

We had a birthday meal at The Black Hoof this week and loved it! Very warm & friendly service, a casual, yet special atmosphere, a different beer list (love drinking beer that is from the same region as the cuisine) and delicious tapas.
As there was almost too much to choose from we opted for the ‘Tapas Tour’, a set menu at $ 55 per person with an optional mini-​dessert at $ 7.
The bread with romesco and then olives and almonds were standards to start, but things just got better from there! We loved the creamy goat’s cheese croquettas and the smoked eel with patatas, even Wil enjoyed the beetroot with blue cheese, walnuts and dates. Our stand out dish was the lamb, which was divine — so melt in your mouth tender and so rich — we fought over every last forkful! We of course also enjoyed a plate of jamon and chorizo and probably could subsist on just that forever more if we had to!
My torta de Santiago arrived with a wee birthday candle which was a cute touch, and the dish itself tasted so much better than my failed attempt at home several years earlier.
It was a mid-​week evening, but the place was well-​bustling and yet we didn’t feel rushed or crowded which was nice. We first tried the jamon from The Black Hoof at the Unilocal Maritime Mixer in October and had been counting down to this visit. Now we just have to start counting again — we’ll be back for sure!

The Black Hoof is a newcomer to the dining scene in Auckland, but you wouldn’t think it when visiting. The room is buzzing with diners and the overall feel is of a well established restaurant, thanks to a group of hospo professionals who have joined forces to bring the delights of Spain to the city.
The beverage menu is terrific. Cocktails, sherry and wine are all well represented. My dining companion worked through the cocktails while I focussed on sherry and wine. When there’s three Fino choices you know you’re on to a winner! I had a glass of straight up Fino while she enjoyed some splashed in to Rebujito cocktail of lemon, soda and mint.
The food options run the gamut from tiny to massive. There’s olives, meatballs, smoked almonds and small tapas by the piece and mid-​sized raciones like the delicious smoked eel with potato. Then there’s rice dishes that looked large and satisfying, but for which for my stomach had no space.
But my most favourite thing on the menu? The selection of high quality Spanish cured meats. In particular the Jamón that hangs, still on the bone, above the bar tempting anyone sitting close enough with a sweet and salty scent. This is top-​notch Jamón, the quality of which I am unable to get in Australia due to our food importing laws, and eating a plate of hand sliced meat made me so very happy. The simple things in life are often the best, right?
Sure there’s probably trendier places to visit in Auckland but for a very good feed, an unpretentious setting and easy-​going hospitality I wouldn’t hesitate to pay a visit to the Black Hoof.

we came here on recommendation from casita miro (the winery on waiheke) and we are really happy we did. everything we ordered was really great. the 18month jamon and the raw caught line fish were our favorites.
we met one of the owners and he was really great and just a pleasure to talk to. also the whole staff was amazing and friendly. our waiter whose name we didn’t catch (red haired guy) was super helpful and pleasant.

Central AK was screaming for a wine bar that serves great tapas and The Black Hoof has certainly delivered! Tucked up on Wyndham St in a warmly lit loft, these guys serve up an array of mouth-​watering bites w separate sections devoted entirely to charcuterie and cheese… a menu after my own heart.
Whatever you do, don’t miss the creamy goats cheese croquettas — perfectly formed and drizzled with honey and macadamias or the line caught cerviche, marinated with green olives. The pork belly is also incredibly moreish — beautifully tender w a good crackle.
The atmosphere is casual and inviting — perfect for an after-​work drink, a work lunch or dinner with friends. Personally, I’m looking forward to working my way through those cheese and chacuterie sections and considering I work down the road, I don’t think it will take me long!

Amazing tapas!!! The goats cheese croquettas, roasted cauliflower and cerviche were packed with fantastic flavours!!!
Great wine list and friendly staff to boot.
A great lunchtime spot that I’ll be visiting again.