Cibo — Restaurant in Waitematā

Love, Love, Love this place!❤️❤️❤️ Everything about it is an amazing experience from the stunningly pretty decor to the absolutely divine food and the even more divine staff. In my opinion the food is just as good as The French Cafe (their Head Chef used to work there ages ago), less fussy and has larger portions. The menu is exciting with some surprising ingredients all perfectly matched to create taste sensations. Dishes like the duck have Asian flavours carefully combined with the more traditional to create dishes that are unique and really "pop!" ......and then there's the extensive wine & cocktail selection!... These are "not to be missed" and as many times as I've been to Cibo's, the cocktails are always perfectly crafted and just too good to be passed up. Tip: Although it's not on the menu, ask for a "Hill Baz." If you're thinking that sounds familiar, you're right.. it was named after the very lovely "Mother of our Nation" with her selection of flavours. It's truly delicious and so moreish it should be illegal! 😁

The decor is pretty, stylish and makes you feel instantly welcome when you walk in the door. (think flower walls, hand mirrors, huge tropical plants, an outdoor courtyard, pink & white and a light airy feel)

.....But..and it's a big "but".. the best thing about this place is without doubt the Team!.. Without exception, they are the best. They're friendly, fun, true professionals and seem to truly love working there- that's rare especially in hospo and especially now. They go put of their way to make their guests feel special. Whatever the Owner/Manager is doing- they're doing it right..

If I could give more than 5...

Cibo is one of the best fine dining restaurant in Auckland. Tuck away in a quiet corner of Parnell it is a good location to have a nice dinner for special occasions. Their menu is quite confusingly interesting, the first time when I look at it I went what...? Tataki/Coffee/Chocolate/Sprout.... what is it?! Unbeknown to what I was in for, I just embraced my inner adventurous self and ordered it to try. And oh wow, that was the most AMAZING tataki ever. The venison was cooked to perfection, the coffee sauce and chocolate dust... or was it the other way round? are very good companions for the venison. We also ordered something more conventional like the natural Buff Oysters, and that was quite tasty too. The vinaigrette tasted almost like Japanese ponzu sauce, slightly sweet, tangy and spicy. My partner also ordered the entree of the day featuring pan fried scallops and some green dust. That was so good she refused to share. We had the Wagyu and Hapuka as our mains, and these were a bit less amazing compare to the appetizer and the entrees we had. My Wagyu was not as tender compare to the venison and my partner's hapuka was loaded with salt, and the coconut rice porridge I think it tasted like cream rice from a can. Then come dessert time, we had the Afghan fry-pan brownie and the St Honore pavalova... and these once again were AMAZING! We are hoping we could just come back for dessert. Wonderful place and really friendly staff. Highly recommend it !! Would be nice if we could just be here for...

Wow, we didn't expect the warm, inviting welcome when we entered Cibo. We were greeted so warmly by two gregarious gentlemen at reception which set the scene 😍 We let the maître d know we were in a hurry as we were going to an event at 7.30pm (we arrived @ 5.45pm) absolutely no problem they whizzed (not too fast) our orders through for us to make sure we were on time. Our wonderful french waiter guided us through which wine to choose and also which meals to try which was appreciated. So, pork belly and the special 'half doz tempura battered Waiheke Island oysters' to start... Delicious 😋 then on to our mains of eye fillet steak, lamb and... 🥁 a whitebait omelette (south island whitebait used) delicate deliciousness on a plate (pricey little fish however so worth the special delicacy). YOLO. All dishes were cooked to perfection 👌😋 To finish off we chose a warm rich chocolate brownie with spiced icecream and a big berry covered pavola shared between 2. It was my bday and our lovely waiter and maître d' came out carrying the pavola with a candle singing happy birthday... such a lovely surprise and they sang in such a fun way 😊 it made my night ❤️ But wait there's more... as part of the ambience of Cibo there's a fish pond with yellow irises alongside outside heating in the patio area... it is lovely and warm. To those of you looking for a lovely welcoming place to eat 100% choose Cibo, you won't...