Aubergine Restaurants — Restaurant in Devonport-Takapuna

Been coming here for many years and used to really enjoy it, especially to celebrate a special occasion ,but after last night's experience ( Matariki) we felt the place is nowhwhere near as good as it used to be. The food was ok , and it's expensive now. But the service has declined to what you'd expect at a very average pub. Clearly the staff aren't experienced or interested in basic serving etiquette, they don't remember who ordered what , ( there were only three of us !) Instead they just bring all the food and ask " who ordered the.. ? Then they lean over the table and it's up-to you to put your hand up and take the plate . We ordered a $60 bottle of bubbles, instead or pouring the glasses individually in front of you like they used to ,they just poured all three on a spare bit of the table and handed us each glass individually! The food was nice, but after serving us the food we had ordered, they never came back to engage with us. They didn't top of our drinks, or ask how meals were or anything like that. They stood around the bar chatting and when our party finally realized "Aubergine" had changed to an "eat and leave " type place, we got up to pay . Only when paying did the guy with the hair in a man bun asked if everything was ok, to which a member of our party replied honestly and politely " it was just ok". He then proceeded to make, what I took to be a smart comment " not quite up to what you're used to getting at Macdonalds ?" which I thought was really rude. We paid a15% surcharge on top ( which we knew about and was happy to pay ) but given that we'd come here to celebrate my 54th birthday , we left feeling the night was something we'd rather not repeat, nor recommend...

We had a large group for our family Christmas get together and were recommended a couple of places around Auckland. We chose Aubergine in Takapuna and it was the perfect choice! Leading up to the dinner the staff were friendly, informative, have us great options to accommodate different budgets and hunger. 😁 On the night the service was great, nothing was a problem there were no panicked looks on any of the team's faces, so professional yet friendly. Yah we found "hospitality"! The food, there good oh my Darwin the food. It's not often I look at the meat eaters and want to steal something from their plates but the dishes that were coming out looked stunning and even the pickiest amongst the group enjoyed every last bite. A couple of us went with vegetarian options and I have to say the falafel at Aubergine is second to none. Their mezzo platter was a perfect mix of flavours and the portion size was perfect not too much and not to little. Now I had the tiramisu for dessert and I have to say I've tried a few of these over the years and always been left with, "oh that was nice" but Aubergine's version of this classic dessert was just pure magic so a big thank you too the chefs. I could literally go on for hours about every little detail but I think you have to try for yourself. Aubergine is definitely a restaurant that we'll need frequenting when we're back in Auckland for a visit and will need telling those that couldn't attend how they missed out on some of the best food and flavours in Auckland. Well done team an awesome effort you should be proud...

It was better than I've anticipated.

The waitress immediately asked me if I wanted water, I said yes. Water was tap like I requested. After I ordered a lemon lime bitters and scotch fillet, I didn't have to wait too long. The way the staff did service was great. They were generally very attentive, and were the same towards other customers. I can see why this place gets busy.

Scotch fillet tasted good. Broccoli was well cooked, though I was hoping for a little more broccoli. Roast potatoes were also well cooked. They also had some spice which was mild. I assume it was added to live up to its Mediterranean cuisine. Though it was still good. The sauce was generally good. Most significantly, the steak itself was decently well cooked.

Environment wise, it have enough seats for people to sit in. Even the outdoors have enough tables for people to sit. I like how outside was not too bright. There was enough shade. Music was not played too loudly, which did not disrupt the experience. Also, despite the limited amount of toilets, I've been in one and it was clean.

Overall, atmosphere was good, food was great, and the way the staff did customer service stood out to me the most. Let's see if future experiences, continue...