The Grill

I really love this restaurant! The online booking system made it very easy to get a table. Our waiter was very professional and helpful. He was also exceptionally thorough in his explanation woke preparing our steak tartar at the table. I had the chicken saltimbocca which was wonderful. My partner had the King crab linguine which he couldn’t finish as it was too buttery. My favourite (unusually for me) was dessert. Crêpe Suzette flambéed at the table; it was absolutely divine.

Wow… What an incredible steak house with all the steak house charm you could ever want or expect. Stellar service and their steaks, we ordered the Scotch filet and Bone in Ribeye, were incredible! Also, the potato gratin was simply heavenly as was their mac n cheese, my son declared it was the best he’s ever had. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys an amazingly good steak and sides. Delicious!

Ambience was meh… the interior is nice and dimmed but just too noisy.
Service was meh… Our server wasn’t too helpful in helping us decide what to order. There was also another staff member that was friendly but kept interrupting and including himself in our conversation.
Most of the food we ordered was also meh… the duck fat fries tasted like normal fries. The oysters were fresh but bland. The study of beef was just ok.
A solid 3 stars. However, we enjoyed the STEAK TARTARE so much that I don’t mind coming back here again.

3 years ago I ate at the Grill & have since been running around telling everyone that they served me the best steak I’ve ever had. So I was a bit nervous returning tonight, but I’m pleased to say that the quality was just as good, if not better than 3 years ago.
Located in one of the casino hotels, The Grill feels like an old school mafia restaurant (low lighting, waiters in white, ladies order first). The menu is pretty classic with a whole page dedicated to steaks, a raw menu, a sides menu & other mains. From the raw menu we ordered the sashimi platter & it was incredible — easily some of the freshest & most delicious king fish, salmon, tuna & snapper I’ve ever had. From there I had a grain fed eye fillet & my bud had a grain fed sirloin. Both were cooked to medium rare perfection & came with the most incredible array of sauces & butters (miso hollandaise, red chimichurri, green peppercorn, red wine jus, two butters I can’t remember & a choice of three mustards (so much choice!!)). We shared duck fat chips (perfection) & a crisp green side salad. We also had a cheese platter & a couple of cocktails each (we’re on holidays…).
Though the food was absolutely perfect, I think the best thing about the Grill is the staff. Our waiter walked through the menu with us, answered all out steak, cheese & cocktail questions knowledgeably & patiently. He even brought over every cheese they had on a giant board for us to have a look at.
The produce is largely sourced locally in NZ, with a list of producers in the menu & the quality shines through in the taste. The price is really reasonable for the quality too which is a bonus.
So, it looks like I’ll spend the next three years running around with the Grill still firmly at the top of my steak list.

Our son invited me and my wife here to The Grill on Federal Street recently for a Father Day’s lunch.
I selected the Sunday Roast from the Menu. I honestly have to say that it was simply the best piece of steak I enjoyed in yonks! It was so juicy and yummy !! The PortaBella Mushrooms side dish I selected complemented the meal wonderfully.
Best of all, being Father’s Day, my meal was «free»!!
I have no hesitation in recommending The Grill for an enjoyable fine dining experience!

The steak is amazing! And the service is even better! William (he has a French name, Guillaume, but that’s his American name) was so helpful with recommendations for wine and food. I can’t find words to describe how delicious this food is and how exceptional the service is! Go here. Just do it!

Last dinner out with my colleagues after a great business trip. The Grill is a must whenever in Auckland. The food was finely prepared, the refreshments where on point, and the staff was very knowledgeable.

Sunday they have «roast beast» cooked all day with bread pudding and béarnaise sauce. Absolutely amazing! The cold cut appetizer was perfect with some bread and butter. I highly recommend.

We came here for dinner for our last night in Auckland. And we were really looking forward to this! Having stayed at the Sky City Grand and have eaten at all of the restaurants in the hotel, Depot, Gusto, and Masu, we knew we couldn’t go wrong at The Grill. So far, our fav is Depot. We were there twice, for lunch and again for dinner.
At The Grill, we had the steak tartare, oysters, clams, and lamb. I had 2 glasses of the ’13 Syrah and hubby had the 2008 Pinot Noir. I must say that the food was great and the wine was divine. Our waiter was attentive and friendly. So why the 1 star?

As most of us know, service is so important. So I want to let fellow Unilocaler readers know of this unfortunate encounter.
Steak tartare is prepared table side. And most of the time (from my experience), your table side dish is prepared by your waiter. So, when a different person (the lady) came to our table with the cart of ingredients, I simply asked «Oh, will you be the one preparing the dish?» Her reply was «yes, I would not bring the cart and leave it here, now would I?’ Very sarcastically. And very rude.
Wow, were we shocked. What did I say wrong? It doesn’t matter to us who prepares the dish, I was just making conversation.
I don’t know if she had a bad night or if she was hormonal because she (looks like she could be) pregnant, but that was not acceptable. It saddens me that such a fine establishment would employ such a mean person whom would treat their guests in such manner. Everything that they did right (friendly host, great waiter, great food) was undone. She made our our experience at The Grill an extremely bad one!
Her name was Anna and she’s the restaurant manager. How could this be?
I tried not to let her attitude affected my evening but unfortunately it did. We went to a nice restaurant to have nice experience and a nice meal, but I got a rude manager instead. In hindsight, we should have walked out when it happened and enjoyed another fabulous meal at The Depot.

Did not eat the food but this looks like quite a cool place with a good cheese board oysters and king crab legs on ice. The beef also looks good. I had a nice glass of cab/​sav at the bar whilst waiting for friends.

I came here for the lunch time special. $ 29, for steak chips and glass of wine. Exceptionally good value for money compared to other restaurants.
On arrival we were greeted by warm and friendly staff. The menu was provided soon after, but as we had already made our choices it was not needed.
It did take close to an hour to have our food delivered to us? The restaurant wasn’t overly busy & there seemed to be plenty of staff in the kitchen. No explanation was given to us about the delay.
The atmosphere felt a bit dark to me. Dim lighting. This is lunch time. It’s not supposed to be a romantic dinner lol.
The food as expected was amazing! The chips as always fantastic (duck fat) of course & the sauce exceptional.
If you have a spare 90 mins… Make sure you stop by and try this out!

Wow — this is the word that sums up this amazing place. We went there on Fri night and the whole experience was amazing. We were warmly greeted when we entered and escorted to the bar while we waiting on our table. The atmosphere is relaxed, with low lighting and simple décor. We had 2 amazing cocktails — a side car and an apple and vanilla mojito. The effort that went into making them was obviously worth it because they tasted great.
Next we went to our table and ordered a bottle of Chablis. You could nearly swim in the wine glasses they gave us, they were huge! For starters we had the scalloops with venison black pudding, and the smoked pork spare ribs. The presentation was simple but beautiful (see pics). The scallops were cooked perfectly, and the meat from the ribs was just falling off the bone — so tender.
For mains we ordered the rib eye aged on the bone steak and crayfish with garlic and pernod butter. Duck fat chips and a tomato salad made up our sides. I cannot fault any aspect of this meal. The crayfish was delicious and only a tiny bit of the sauce was needed as it was just perfect even without adding it. The tomato salad was made up of different types of tomato with some basil, so fresh and simple. The steak was HUGE, but also perfectly cooked and tender.
We had no room for dessert so I cannot comment on how good that would have been but I can only imagine it is amazing also.
This is an expensive restaurant, and I must admit that had I asked what the market price for the crayfish was ($ 150), I would not have bought it. Im glad that I didnt though because it was an amazing taste sensation.
If you are celebrating something special, or just trying to make up to someone special for something (like not buying a Xmas present… or Valentines present), then you definitely cannot go wrong with this place.

Recently, I met a new friend who blatantly refuses to have beef on his plate. Why?! Having gone back to Asia to see New Zealand beef and lamb labelled so proudly on menus, I was just offended the overseas visitor didn’t want to try steak right here in NZ.
As an unabashed carnivore, I’ve always had my eye on Sean Connolly’s The Grill — known for their succulent steaks that make you never want to eat a regular piece of steak again. Even before the restaurant opened, it was well under the public eye for the reality show Under the Grill, which documented Connolly’s journey to opening the multi-​million dollar restaurant.
From their gold embossed logo, the chocolate brown leather seats, to the succulent cuts of meat served on wooden boards with heavy artisan steak knives — The Grill is masculine, it’s luxurious. The downsides to this popular restaurant was like too many contemporary or fine dining restaurants, lights were dimmed to a minimum with candles flickering across your faces. Seats, while comfortable were a bit too close to our neighbours — and too many times, I caught the eyes of my neighbours staring at my food.
There’s nothing like filling your whole stomach with cheese during the first course but I gave in to the amazing sounding combination of haloumi and honey. And fair enough, the generous dousing of honey across the crispy top layer of haloumi was heaven upon first bite.
For my more health conscious friends, the salmon gravlax was also an easy win. The salad was crispy and zesty and wrapped perfectly around the salmon.
Being much more comfortable slicing through a juicy steak than cutting meat off a bone, I was pleasantly surprised when the meat fell cleanly off the bone. Presented on a bare chopping board, I did not once put the knife down as I continued to slice more and more of the tender beef, oozing with meat juices.
My companions’ mains of wild venison chilli was sadly in no way to match the short rib that I had in front of me. In a casserole pan form filled with beans and chilli, the main could have belonged more rightly on a mexican menu with tacos to match. And of course, every cut through my own steak was a cut through their hearts.
It’s the stage in course meal where your stomach tells you that you’ve had enough but the dessert menu whispers sweetly through your thoughts. Of course, you wouldn’t normally go to The Grill unless you’re there for a special occasion, which is always the excuse for ordering that extra side of duck fat chips and slathering on that rich butter. And the meal is not complete without dipping your spoon into some form of sweetness.
Maybe it was the heftiness of the meal before but I reminisced more of The Depot’s sugar pie next door for their nonchalant simpleness. Or maybe age is catching on and I’m starting to lean more towards uncomplicated and clean flavours than stark decadence.
You can be guaranteed a brilliant cut of steak at The Grill — it’s time to convince my friend to give NZ beef a go before leaving the country. You’ll be promised a rich decadent night out. Their Grilled For Time menu is worth mentioning, for 2 courses for $ 35 or 3 for $ 45 if seated before 6:30pm. Otherwise you could easily be spending $ 60 on one main alone once you’ve decided which side to go along with it.

We visited for the lunch time special. During the month of June it was $ 29 for a eye fillet served with double cooked duck-​fat chips (!) and a miso hollandaise. Plus a glass of wine. Yes, a mere $ 29! With a side of broccolini, this was a perfect lunch.
Now let’s take a moment to reflect upon the steak. It was, quite simply, one of the best I’ve ever had. Eye fillet is often boring and not my usual choice. This particular one was incredibly delicious, amazingly cooked and perfectly tender; our knives cutting the meat as if it were butter! With lashings of the miso hollandaise and mustards we were in steak heaven. There might have been eye rolling. The servings of chips were overly generous — we easily could have shared just one — but again they went great with that hollandaise or covered in malt vinegar that came in a cute bottle on the table.
Service was very proper, complete with white jackets, lots of checking if we were okay and serving wines by the glass table side. It’s dark, moody and serious inside — perfect for important businesses dealings. At night time I imagine the interior lends itself more to romantic dates when you really want to impress. The regular menu is by no means cheap, but having experienced the «economy» version at lunch time I would happily cough up more cash for an evening meal.

A dinner in the private room at The Grill — sounds perfect and very nearly was.
Our table was well looked after by a superb waiter — who marshalled the additional food deliverers and ensured we were all looked after with wine and water (Antipodes of course). The only downside was that we were a big group so that involved a lot of door opening and shutting and the rugby boys outside were also enjoying their night out — so a little noisy.
To the food — platters of seafood and very thinly sliced cold cuts. The oysters, prawns, scampi and clams were fantastic — a little lemon juice was all that was required.
A real treat was an Alaskan crab leg — perfectly cooked.
The meats our end were pancetta and coppa, also very delicious.
The mains were either wagyu or rib eye on the bone — I had choice regret as I opted for the rib eye and I should have gone for the wagyu. Never. Mind the duck fat fries were spectacular and I am sure low cal as well!
Because we had a set menu there were three choices for dessert and sharing seemed the only way to taste as many as possible. The roasted rhubarb cheesecake was fresh and delicious but my partner in crime was still reluctant to share the Valrohna chocolate and peanut butter ice cream combo. After a small arm wrestle the exchange was made and I would agree that the chocolate was marginally ahead.
Overall would definitely recommend

The best steak I have eaten in my life. Period. Perfect cooked, incredibly juicy waygu rump served with an array of herb butters and sauces, duck fat potatoes chips and cabbage & parmesan slaw.
We dined in the private dining room at The Grill on Tuesday night and had a fantastic evening. The service was brilliant — water and wine constantly topped up, meals delivered at the same time and to the right seats, despite being a large table, and cutlery perfectly reset between courses — they operate like a well oiled machine and I suppose at the prices you pay to dine here, that’s what is expected.
Just a minor complaint — when our host was giving a speech between courses the waiter kept coming in and not shutting the sliding door fully, which with a rowdy Blues team dining outside was rather distracting! That being said, even when the door was closed it offered little soundproofing, making the private dining room, not so private. Still, a very minor complaint…
If you’re wanting to devour a top notch steak at an up-​market restaurant, I think you’ll be hard-​pressed to find better in Auckland.

As you enter the opulent two-​level dining room, you’ll find the open kitchen to your right, and a small bar on your left. The Maitre’D greeted us warmly, and we were told that there should only be a 15 – 20 minute wait if we were happy to wait at the bar (having chanced our luck without a booking.) The 2 bartenders were very friendly & accommodating, having a laugh with us and offering samples of the by-​the-​glass wine list. 20 minutes flew by as we admired the impressive wine cellar displayed vertically on the walls, complete with a sliding ladder to reach the really pricey plonk! The Grill is known for its extensive wine list, and there was an ample choice of wines by the glass as well — definitely a great place to impress the vino fan in your life.
We were shown to our upstairs table, which looked out over the mezzanine floor to encompass a great view of the raw bar & kitchen area. The poor chef who was stationed out the front spent the entire night shucking oysters to order & preparing sashimi; great fun to watch though!
The menu is a 3 page extravaganza with sections headed: Raw Bar, Cold Cuts, Starters, Mains and Butcher’s Block. The focus is definitely on meat, although seafood is also a highlight, especially selections from the Raw Bar. A truly international line-​up of delicacies such as Alaskan king crab claws, Queensland prawns and Osetra caviar line up next to NZ kai moana stars like Cloudy Bay clams, Milford Sound crayfish, scallops and Bluff oysters.
But let’s make no bones about it, the meat is the star of the show in this restaurant. Let me list the ways you can indulge your primal appetite: You can try it raw as Steak Tartare, cured as Serrano or Bresaola charcuterie, smoked as Pork spare ribs, slow-​roasted as Lamb shoulder, to share as Suckling pig, in a bun as a Wagyu burger, and that is just to name a few, without even mentioning the extensive steak selection from the Butcher’s Block!
We started with two meat-lover’s entrees: I had the insanely smooth Duck liver parfait with Pedro Ximenez jelly and toasted brioche, while the Ultimate Carnivore lived up to his name by ordering the Wood Grill Ox tongue, served with lemon & horseradish cream. It looked like a very long tongue on a plate, and I am reliably informed it was delicious, and the accompaniments brought out unique flavours. He will apparently be trying this at home. My parfait was unctuously smooth and rich and paired beautifully with the slightly sweet, crispy brioche.
For mains we couldn’t go past the «Study of Beef» to share. Our friendly waitress informed us that the selection of the chef’s 3 favourite cuts of the day included a Wagyu sirloin, grass-​fed eye fillet and a Scotch fillet. When quizzed further on the Wagyu, the very knowledgeable Maitre’D answered all our questions about sourcing of meat, cut selection etc. The 3 sauces we choose the accompany our meat were Chimmichurri, Red wine jus and a Miso hollandaise, as well as a side of broccolini with olive oil and slivered almonds. And of course, Sean’s famous duck fat fries.
The Wagyu was The. Best. Steak. Ever. Because of the unique cut — the Maitre’D had explained it was a combination of sirloin & other cuts — it had been sous vide before being finished on the grill. The flavour was incredible, the texture sublime. The other steaks were fantastic too, but now I know why people rave about Wagyu! The Miso hollandaise was my pick of the sauces, while the Carnivore rated the Chimmichurri. The fries were everything a fry should be: crispy-​crunchy on the outside and fluffy & flavoursome in the middle. All matched with a stonking glass of Pinot Noir.
There was no way we were fitting in dessert after devouring that amount of meat, so we left with the sweet taste of Wagyu still lingering.
I will be returning to The Grill, I will be recommending The Grill, and I suspect I will be dreaming about The Grill.

Okay, for those of you that already know me, I’m steak-​n-​ribs guy, honestly. I’m simple in my tastes and critical of whats put in front of me. They say a man’s home is his castle, well you can take a man’s home away as long as you don’t touch the steaming steak in front of him. So obviously the Grill is high on my list of destinations.
This is an amazing place, a great meal. But worth it’s pricey tag? On that I am somewhat on the fence. The décor is not that impressive, very old world polished wood with a set of simple sleek lines.
We were seated quickly, the place was busy and the wait was longer then I would have liked, but I suspect that was the anticipation. The service was impeccable and friendly and after a small entrée the main dish arrived. The steak was delicious, I will not disguise that, the thick cut potatoes in duck fat (aka, chips) were also great, that crunch of excellence. Mm-​mm…
We skipped dessert and went downstairs to the only downside of the evening, the bill.
I won’t lie, the entrée, main, service and handling were amazing, but the thing is. I’ve had a few better steaks. in pubs … for $ 35.
The Grill has a reputation, a quality and an atmosphere that only the Sky City Grande can really pull off well, I would highly recommend it as an experience but mileage may vary on the value-​for-​money stakes/​steaks.

I’ve had two visits to The Grill and both times have been really enjoyable.
We opened with streak tartare, mixed together at the table, and it was great, aside from what was slightly heavy handed use of mustard in my opinion, which dominated some of the subtler ingredients a bit much.
On the first visit, the study of beef, which varies the selection of beef night by night, included an aged Australian scotch fillet which was incredible. This time ’round the selections were slightly different (including wagyu rump) and still great, though not quite as tasty as the first time. The miso hollandaise that is served with the beef is delicious. We also had suckling pig which was pretty good.
Strangely, the highlight for everyone was the side of mac n cheese. It sounds ridiculous, but that was what we couldn’t stop talking about and is what gets me excited about just writing about it. There are no other bits in it, just macaroni and heaps of delicious cheese, with an oven baked cheesy crust you have to crack through. Fantastic!
Ambience and service was slick, though we were slightly confused by the 15 minute drum solo that came through the speakers during an extended live version of a rock song which didn’t quite seem to fit the mood. I love a good drum solo, but was possibly not the best time to listen to one. Great restaurant all the same.

PRO TIP: there is valet parking at the SkyCity Grand Hotel for diners here at the grill… now thats classy… when making a booking ask for a booth seat
This is a serious steakhouse with a sophisticated elegant masculine streak. The perfect place for the man of your life and when you’re in the mood for a REALLY fantastic properly cooked fine dining steak and some excellent top service.
I’ve been there half a dozen times with friends, and on date nights and quiet birthdays and all sorts. Its really a no brainer for a special occasion. I can’t think of anywhere else in Auckland that offers valet parking, or this level of luxury.
I won’t tell you what to have but the steak tartare served tableside is really spectacular both in the theatrics of watching it being made, as well as the knowledgeable service. If you have never had steak tartare, you owe it to yourself to try this classic that is done perfectly to set the bar. The oysters are simple but so fresh and so meticulous you couldn’t ask for more. While its a steak house and some sort of beef is the idea of the place… there are other amazing dishes that deserve a look too. Of course the duck fat chips can’t be passed up, perfectly crisp and salty and a drizzle of vinegar from the eyedropper just cuts the fat and makes it the side that you will dream when you next think of this place.