The Sugar Club

Flew in from Los Angeles for a wedding in Auckland and was recommended to dine at The Sugar Club. Superb hospitality was the first thing we noticed, then the amazing view of the city! We got slightly confused on how the menu was setup but the manager was extremely helpful in guiding us.
Food was excellent, and drinks were really well made. I have to admit, they made one of the best old fashioned I’ve ever had! Will definitely be back.

I loved this place. Food was amazing. 7 course dinner with matching wine was absolutely great. Views are amazing .
was interesting that I checked in with them twice and they kept telling me they are fully booked then the third time I asked they said they have room.

Went here for a birthday lunch, it was lovely! Wait staff were friendly and informative, food was amazing and presented so beautifully. Of course the views are great being so high above the city (with the sky walk people walking right past the windows too!). All up a great experience, definitely worth visiting for lunch or dinner.

Amazing view in Auckland! Great wine selections, unique cocktail choices! View+Drink=Perfect weekend night out!!!

On a lovely winter’a day under a clear sky, I was invited as part of a corporate group (10 in total), I dined here at The Sugar Club.
While the interior fit-​out, spectacular view and nice service all got a tick, there is only one way to describe the food … «underwhelming».
There was absolutely no WOW factor, not to mention the portion sizes, which are minuscule, particularly in relation to the price.
I think Peter Gordon’s fusion signature cooking is over-​complicated and just a little bit on the «try hard» side.
My starter was a seared Pacific tuna with dashi broth, apple sponge cucumber, nam jim dressing, coriander and quinoa. It was tasteless! The tuna was prepared in tiny cubes and none of the flavours complemented one another. My dining companion opposite me had chosen the tuna also and not wanting to be rude, we said nothing but gave one another a knowing look, screwed up our noses and pushed our plates away!
My main was the day boat fish (the day’s catch being terakihi). It was presented baked with whitebait chawanmushi, Jerusalem artichokes, salmon caviar and greens. Now this sounded good in principle, but the fish was over-​cooked and sometimes the K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple stupid) mentality has a lot going for it. Duck fat potatoes (the potatoes tasted old) and broccolini were served as sides.
My dessert was the Solomon’s gold 70 percent chocolate sorbet with milk chocolate mousse and amaretti. And it was certainly in another league compared to the first two courses. Rich, creamy and delectable!
I can only say that for a special experience at a higher cost point, The Sugar Club needs a bit of a rethink. And it’s not somewhere I’d be recommending. Sorry Peter!

Wow just loved it. Every single ways. Diner eas just stunning and the view and services outstanding. It is very fine cuisine and you can choose how many dishes you want. It is surely pricey if you top it up with wine, which you should, but definitely a great place for a special occasion or… a special date

Good views fine coffee and selection of wine. No gluten free options. But a different place for a coffee

New Zealand’s celebrated chef Peter Gordon has designed the menu at The Sugar Club, which offers fine dining with views of the city from the Skytower. It was a great place to go for my friend’s Birthday and really nice that Peter came to our table.
I loved the dishes I chose, Crayfish with Otago saffron linguine was simply divine. If could have had a whole bowl of just that, I would have. Then the Lamb Loin was beautifully presented with pomegranate, yoghurt, falafel and an eggplant and mint salad. Everyone’s dishes looked great though and I think even though they are small, 3 courses is plenty.
For dessert I was underwhelmed with the Solomon’s gold Chocolate sorbet. I just found there wasn’t any different flavours, it was just a plate of brown blandness. The Blueberry Cheesecake on the other hand was good and the Rhubarb with vanilla parfait was nice.
The Sugar Club offers an elegant dining experience including a luxurious cocktail bar with amazing views. Definitely a must for at least a cocktail and canapés.

An elegant venue for a special meal. Peter Gordon continues his fusion fiesta with a new menu of small and large plates that can be combined as tapas, three to seven course meals and as you like it. Staples such as Asian duck, beef with pesto and a Mediterranean flavoured lamb are well presented and taste lovely. The desserts need a bit more work as they struggle to find balance and form (I don’t know why, but I’ve always found this to be the case with PG’s restaurants). The wine list is expansive and more than a match for the food. You can come up to the bar for a drink but it’s $ 35 for a minimum of two cocktails if you aren’t staying for dinner. If all else disappoints, then you can at least enjoy the amazing view of the city and harbour as the sun sets and the night sky twinkles around you.

I had another opportunity to eat here, this time for dinner with spectacular views of the city by night. Didn’t expect Peter Gordon to be in the house, nice treat. The staff are all very helpful and attentive, tonight was no exception. Just three courses this time, with a couple of extras along the way (a seared venison starter and the roasted pineapple sago I enjoyed last time). My first dish was Dahl Inari pocket tempura on a coconut, papaya and cucumber salad — true fusion, what Peter does best, loved. Lamb followed with falafel, eggplant, mint, tahini, pomegranate, again a really unexpected and lovely dish. Dessert was not as good — mochi matcha rhubarb, vanilla parfait, grapefruit paste. Sounded great, but didn’t hit the right spot flavour wise. That aside, this is still a top choice for a special occasion.

Great spot for a business lunch! Wonderfull food, very good, courteous and knowledgable staff headed up by the manager, Philip, who made us feel very welcome. Courtesy valet parking included.
Oh yeah, and the view is amazing!

We have been here twice this week. Once during the week and once in the weekend.
This restaurant is fine dining and courses are more fun if you share.
All the dishes are must try dishes. The décor is much like the great Gatsby and the wait staff is nice and knowledgable.
Although plates are small, it is incredibly filling.

We found the service of the Sugar Club superb, food was fantastic and the view was to die for not to mention the cool and hip feel without trying to hard to achieve this.
We had seen a few other reviews going on about the portion size of meals being too small, well found the staff up front about this and even recommending that I look at 3 – 4 courses not including dessert (yes I am more of the husky side of man size) and found by the third course I was pleasantly satisfied.
The view was perfect and was great to see Auckland fully lit up on a beautiful clear night.
We say defiantly give it a try and if your looking for somewhere new with good service and a bit more modern atmosphere with good food great view and good wine the Sugar Club might be the night out for you.

The service was good, food was pretty standard. The view is beautiful. It is recommended if you have a celebration, but again the food might be soso. We had Peking duck– got some hairs on the skin. Funny. I wouldn’t expect this in a standard Chinese restaurant. But you can see it in sugar club. Crayfish linguine was ok, a bit salty for us. Dessert was standard. Overall, ok. I could name a dozen more restaurants that are better than the sugar club.

The Sugar Club is actually kinda cool… Not as pretence and snobby as some people think. Peter Gordon does something different here. Firstly its on the highest floor of the Sky Tower, out of all the restaurants. Already been twice for dinner I thought i’d shout the girls a yummy birthday lunch.
Secondly, its no ordinary menu. The meals are smaller portions, like a sharing plate or tapas but its all for you. From the photos below are a mix of the lunch and dinner menu items, however the menu changes with season, and this is why some of the photos aren’t named. There are set prices, with two dishes being $ 56, three dishes being $ 70 etc, however you can mix and match and have any of those dishes mains or desserts. You will be surprised at the portion sizes. For me I ordered 2 dishes — the day boat fish and one dessert, but I recommend ordering sides to share. I’ve tried the watermelon & Feta… sounds like an odd combo but its actually quite refreshing and works in a weird way. The miso Kumara is delicious, and you can’t go without the duck fat roasties.
After visiting twice for dinner and once for lunch, the food is quite outstanding. Everything is displayed beautifully and cooked to a good degree. The only dish I would avoid is the Spiney Crayfish and Linguine, as it was far too cheesy and could just use some adjustments.
Nb: If you all order different desserts, you can all try a spoonful of each others.
Rating
Food: 8.5÷10
Service: ⁸⁄₁₀
Value for Money: Very Good
Level 53, Skytower
Cnr Federal St & Victoria St
Opening Hours:
Lunch: Weds-​Sun 1200pm-​230pm
Dinner: Mon-​Fri 530−930pm

Like many, we had high hopes for The Sugar Club. It is in prime location and headed by a famous chef. Normally the prices are sky-​high (like it’s location) being $ 90 for 3 dishes, so we only made the plunge when Restaurant Month came around and the menu was up for $ 59 for 3 dishes + 2 small tasters.
Our favourite dish was the Crayfish linguine, which was bold in flavour and delicious. Other dishes were all fairly underwhelming. The Beef Pesto (Peter Gordon classic) was much too salty. Desserts were also disappointing — the chocolate dessert was surprisingly one of the worst presentations I may have ever seen.
Service was attentive but there were a few mishaps like collecting plates over our heads (eeek).
The perks of dining there are the complimentary visit to the Observation level and free valet parking.
While the view was amazing during dinner, I don’t think I will be back.

The portions are quite small, so you order a few things. This may have been a better place to go with a double date to get to sample a little more. Nevertheless, we had a great time looking down at the city and sampling some pretty good food. The thai venison salad stands out.
It’s also a good way to get up to the top of the Sky Tower for something other than just walking around (and not have to wait in the same line either!).

One visit was enough. Sadly, the main highlights were non-​food related. One incentive for going was having your admission included to the Observation Deck (up to a full hour before your reservation). I also admire New Zealand born chef Peter Gordon but his menu turned out to be underwhelming.
This may sound strange but I recommend checking out the restrooms. The men’s are a bit cooler than the women’s cause they have a lookout over the urinals, whereas the ladies only get a porthole view over the hand basins.

The sugar club is more suitable to be a high end bar than a fine dining restaurant. Having said that, I thought the food here was good. The portions are small, but enough and didn’t make me feel like I overate.
Views from up here are second to none. It can be enjoyed on a good day or bad, depending on your mood, and there is a very comprehensive drinks list to go with it =).
This place can get quite noisy when it fills up so if you want a nice quite place for a chat or business meeting I wouldn’t recommend it.
Price wise I think it is quite steep, but I guess you are paying partly for the views and service as well.
Overall this is a good place to go if you want to impress, but for good food and atmosphere, you cab find better.

Gordon is supposed to be amazing but the food they served me was truly questionable. I paid a $ 100 for food I could have gotten better at a diner for $ 20.
For those out there who love their cheap greasy BURNT french toast then please try The Sugar Club’s Saturday brunch.
The guest I was dining with ordered Seared Tuna in Truffle Oil. I haven’t never smelt just a bad waft of truffle smell across the table in my life. Sure the dish looked nice and was presented well, there really is no reason to drown fish in oil and then smother.
Cocktails were much nicer. The bar tenders could have gone a little lighter on the alcohol to mixer ratios. The Wahine was incredibly sweet, bordering drinking syrup and The Beautiful Islands was pretty much straight rum in a nice glass with an orange peel.