The Commons

We came here for dinner tonight, wonderful experience. From services, vibe of the restaurant and food. I can’t fault much to be honest. We enjoy the food here, all well cook with a twist! Firstly, I have to mention the very refreshing pomegranate mojito, great to start the night. A complementary bread and butter was serve prior to other food. The butter is amazing!!! And we order a piggy platter to share. Was good variety, spreads cracklings, bread, olives … As you can see from the photo. For main I had the fish with cockle and my partner had the lamb loin, both wonderful!
Will definitely return to try their pub menu, I love their deco by the way :)

I agree with Alex, this place isn’t so much rated for dining, more so it’s value as a great meeting place for drinks. Lots of different seating options, inside and out, cosy armchairs, outdoor couches, big heaters and the bonus of music on the busy nights. Good, knowledgeable bar staff and a grazing menu if you’re not planning on having a meal. Also, they’ve added Sunday roasts over the winter.

My friend and I grabbed a grabone voucher for this place. I have been in the past a long time ago and thought I’ll give it a go again. The service was really good, we didn’t need to wait too long (as some of the reviews have mentioned it takes a while for someone to come). The entrée I had was the smoked wagyu — this dish is delicious, its light and full of flavour, the main I had was the pork belly — good flavours apple purée was yum, if I had to give a score out of 10 it’ll be an 8. Even though the pork was well cooked and still moist, some bits it were a little dry. I feel like there should be some kind of gravy to soak it up with.
For dessert I had the toffee apple crumble — the ginger was a nice touch, however I thought it was way to sweet for my palate and there was a lot of toffee (a lot!).

For me, the bar area at The Commons is an easy 4 but the restaurant a 3. The food isn’t bad, it’s just really fiddly fine dining — lots of foams and unusual flavour pairings — which, don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate but would much rather go to the likes of Michael Meredith’s or The French Café.
Moving on, the bar… it’s brilliant! Great for after-​work drinks — just what Takapuna needed. Huge outdoor space that’s perfect on sunny days and a reasonable sized indoor area for miserable nights. I tend to stick to beer & wine here but they do have cocktails too!

service was awful. Food was very good, signs on the door seem to have wrong opening hours as they are meant to open on a Sunday before mid-​day however the day we went they didn’t no reason why. there was lots of custom around also because the colour run was on that day.

Friendly staff. Great atmosphere. Really bad $ 19 mojito that didn’t even taste like it had any alcohol.

I have ventured to The Commons for my first North Shore review! What a chic and warm atmosphere to have lunch at. We came on a Saturday and it was easy enough to get a table so dont be put of from visiting in the weekend.
Due to the cold wet weather we both chose warm, hearty meals. The beef cheek was delicious and perfectly cooked — but if you can follow a recipe anyone can cook them perfectly. I actually made them in the pressure cooker and turned out perfectly. One big plus was the ample amount of gravy! The only inkling I had was that it lacked a bit of seasoning and just a point of difference in flavour.
No complaints for the smoked pork cheek from my friend. If you are lover of potato or chips I would highly recommend ordering the beef dripping potato bits. OMG! Amazing! Incredibly crunchy on the outside and soft pillows on the inside.
We had great service and food and would return for dinner and drinks.
Rating
Food: ⁹⁄₁₀
Service: ⁹⁄₁₀
Value for Money: Good
21 Hurstmere road, Takapuna
Opening Hours: Mon-​Sun 1130am-​Late

Excellent interior design, great ambiance and environment but extremely bad service.
I’ve been here for drinks a few times now and every time it was an O. K experience. This time however, we were seated (by ourselves) for about an hour with no service at all. We kept flagging down waitresses and asking if we should all order at the counter instead but they keep saying someone will come to the table… eventually.
We finally made our orders, had our drinks and then went to go pay and they got our orders wrong on the computer…
2 stars because i love the interior design haha and potentially more once i try the food (but other Unilocal reviews say the food is overpriced for what it is? what to do…)

We walked in with no reservation but they seated us quickly in the fine dining section and service was quick with complimentary breads brought out. There were two options for meals, $ 75 for 5 course tasting menu, or traditional a la carte from a small menu. We chose a la cart and ordered the Sirloin and Market fish (Blue Nose) and sides of their potato bits and brussel sprouts.
As we dined early the food was super fast, and very well presented. Certainly pleased with the food, particularly the sides were cleverly designed: crunchy potatoes with sour cream, and brussel sprouts with bacon hock and wasabi mayonnaise.
Perhaps we could have has slightly better table service– no drink refills offered. Still an enjoyable evening.

Based on reviews and referral by a local friend, 4 of us dined here.
The food was very good, as was the service. However, considering the portion size, as Yvette says, we were underwhelmed. 4 stars for food. 4 stars for service.2 stars for value. Averaged out to 3 stars. See photos for food and prices (overpriced).

We visited The Commons on Saturday night. We were impressed with the look of the place, I’d had a drink here before but never eaten anything.
The food was good, 3 out of 4 of us enjoyed our meals. I had the ravioli which was lovely with good texture and flavour. While not huge portions it did leave room for dessert! Up until this point the service had been really good. Attentive but not obtrusive. Our plates got cleared and then we were left sitting there for about ½ hr with no offer of more drinks or a dessert menu. While I hate being pounced on as soon as you finish eating dinner it would have been nice not to ask for the menu’s. If it hadn’t have been raining we probably would have gone to Movenpick! A good experience but could have been better.

Excellent food and service. Best dining experience I’ve had in Takapuna. The bar downstairs has great ambience and the restaurant upstairs has excellent food and service. Enjoy the smokey flavours of the steak, pork belly and duck. Hard not to enjoy!

The Commons is one of the best things to come to Takapuna since the opening of The Department Store. It serves a range of different patrons and provides a great, communal area for drinking, eating and shopping.
We ate at the restaurant upstairs, which had a luxurious atmosphere with chandeliers and it was nice to overlook the common courtyard, looking out over the bar downstairs.
Yes, it’s expensive. But the food is delicious. I had a lovely pea risotto. Luckily someone else was paying!
And there is Zomer just around the corner for delicious coffees and brunches, owned by the same people who run Zus & Zo.

I’ve been here on a few occasions, with my parents and with friends, sat in different places and enjoyed my visit every time. The first time I was fixated on watching the chefs in the kitchen, propped up on a bar stool opposite. On other occasions I have come with friends and opted to sit upstairs, it is quieter, spacious and you get big couches to lounge on.
Being a non alcohol drinking vegan, often going out can be limiting. For me it is more about the people and the atmosphere of the place. Additionally the staff are great and the interiors are pretty awesome. The Commons has the great atmosphere and there is the odd vegan option on both the bar food and bistro menus which is an added bonus. For those without dietary restrictions The Commons is a even better.

We came here for a friend’s birthday drinks and we were all looking forward to seeing if The Commons lived up to its reviews.
I loved the outdoor area with the huge couches, tables and plenty of places for groups to settle in for the night. The inside is really good as well. Dimly lit, luxurious furniture and an open kitchen so you can see what the Chef’s making.
The prices were a little steep for our liking, but we’re all pretty poor haha. My friend ordered some polenta fries and only eight came out on the plate! It would be great for a business function or for the older generation who don’t mind spending more.
In saying this though, my drink was so worth what I paid for it. I got a rhubarb cocktail and it was so good. Not too sweet which is just how I like them.

Nick Honeyman’s newest project after Cru a Sale St. I absolutely love his cooking and the Commons is no exception. I only went to the bar area and had drinks and nibbles but will definitely be back once he’s sorted out his ‘Common Room’ menu. The atmosphere is chic and smooth. Very modern and relaxing (depending on what side of the restaurant you are on, one is quite big); I love the design of the place…
On the pricing, I feel that for the quality of the food being served, the prices are very reasonable. There are many places in Auckland that charge the same price or more for lesser quality food. I’ve always found Nick’s prices to be on the cheap side considering the kind of food he produces.

I have yet to sample the menu at The Commons however the food I see in passing always looks amazing, as does the drinks menu.
Being a faithful white wine drinker I can only comment on the Sav Blanc and Pinot Gris selection which I have found to be excellent. The price range is similar to a lot of the popular bars in Ponson-​by/​Britomart etc so good value for the quality of the wine and establishment.
My favourite part of The Commons has to be the outdoor covered courtyard which has such a fantastic atmosphere and is an excellent place to relax with friends any day of the week.

The first time I really experienced the Commons was a winner of a night for me! I turned up for a quiet drink with friends holding my safe and happy budget of $ 10. I sipped on my first wine — aware that once I hit the dregs of my Sav I would need to put away my wallet and embrace the free water. However in a twisted turn of events, the wines kept coming, along with an array of decadent plates. I didn’t have to open my wallet or mouth to request the food, which was being ordered by a friend whose budget obviously put mine to shame. The food was amazing! And even the cheapest Sav was tickling my tongue in a ‘keep em coming’ kind of way! The only downfall of the commons (if I were the one paying) would have to be the price, which is a little on the steep side. Perhaps for stingy ones like me it’s best to stick to somewhere a little less classy. Besides price, the bar is beautiful with an open plan outdoor area which begs for Auckland’s afternoon sun.