Somm Wine Bar & Bistro — Restaurant in Waitematā

Was very disappointed in the food at Somm, We ordered the "crab toast" to start off with, following by the "Raclette nduja honey rosemary 72hr Poolish dough pizza" And the grass fed sirloin.

Crab toast: To put this simply... by no means of any offense but it tasted very basic, the photo says it all... I tasted it and I reminded me of the mayo tuna I made the other day but with a spritz of citrus, garnished with some chives...

Raclette nduja Honey Rosemary: Flavor wise this actually tasted good, with a perfect amount of cheese and the hint of spice from the nduja and the hint of sweetness was the perfect combo 👌 However... what is a pizza without a base... You'd think a 72hr poolish dough would be fluffy and airy Unfortunately it was so tough and chewy (not in a good way) I gave up eating it completely...

Grass fed sirlon in Burgundy jus, mushroom etc..: You would hope that a sirlon that is charging $48 on the menu would be a pretty bomb steak, which many restaurants if they do charge that much they do deliver like Lilians in Grey Lynn. At ordering i asked I'd like my steak rare, and the lovely staff just wanted to confirm with me that its actually "rare" that I wanted since I understand not many people get "rare" steaks but to my experience ive been let down way too much with a medium rare steak being overcooked and even if they slightly overcook a rare steak it ends up being a perfect medium rare.

Any how, the waiter comes out and mentions the chef wanted to confirm you wanted a "rare" steak because it can end up being quite chewy, the chef recommends a medium rare. I was thinking... hmmm? Ive never had a steak being chewy being rare, but hey lets give the chef the benefit of the doubt. Lets go with the medium rare then.

I also got advised that the steak will take about "20mins" to prepare. So i thought gosh this must be some fancy steak for it to take that long. Alright im willing to wait for a good steak.

20min goes by pizza and steak comes out together. The steak "looked" really good, but the moment I bit into it... why is it so dry..., alright maybe I had a part that is slightly more cooked, tried another piece from the center. What do you know? Still dry and what else? Chewy... It made me sadder and sadder as I ate, honestly ive made better sirlons than this myself. Did i just get a bad cut of sirlon?

Lets try the mushroom. Errrr... the mushroom had no bounce to it, it was soggy like it was left overnight and was sitting in juices for along time. Tasted more like a soggy sponge. Big nope.

note very kindly I was offered a new steak when i mentioned the above. But its been 20mins already for a very average steak, The whole meal was already average... and I don't want to wait another 20min in the hopes that it "might" be good.

Because of how disappointed I was, my drinks were taken off the bill and they had provided me with a discount. 👍🏻

Besides the food: 5/5 service, staff were very attentive and friendly 5/5 atmosphere facing the wharf for some good sea view Nice and warm even outside in the open as there were heaters above.

TLDR: average overpriced food Superb 👌 service Removed drinks off the bill and gave...

We decided to check out SOMM, Princes Wharf on Sunday afternoon and had a very enjoyable time. Such a great concept to hero NZ wines and to do so by region and your choice / favourite variety. There are 4 tasting glasses to a flight and they are a generous 75mm pour so half a standard glass. Of course you can order by the glass or bottle, though many were taking advantage of the flight offerings. The decor is smart and sophisticated and the service outstanding - friendly and super fast to get your experience underway. Bruno from Chile was our SOMM / manager for the afternoon and was very welcoming and knowledgable. As the wine bar got busy there was a great chilled vibe as people soaked up the lovely weather whilst exploring the extensive wine list. This location has always had the benefit of wonderful sunshine most of the day and Sunday didn't disappoint - the glasses were sparkling and everyone was having a great time! Must say the pizzas were delicious and super light. Very impressed, we have needed a classy wine bar in Auckland for a long time - NZ wines focus will be a big drawcard. We look forward to many more...

The open-plan atmosphere was lovely and vibrant, offering a great array of wines and food choices. Opting for a wine tasting paired with duck pate toast and Somm’s signature steak and fries, we were in for an adventure.

While the wine tasting leaned on the pricier side, the portions of the four options provided were decent. Now, onto the food experience. The anticipation for the duck pate was met with a bit of disappointment as it lacked flavour, but the redeeming factor was the onion jam, which added the much-needed taste it was missing.

Moving on to the steak – it was nothing short of amazing! Perfectly cooked, juicy meat topped with delightful chimichurri, bursting with the right flavours. Despite a fatty piece at first, the staff’s understanding and kindness in offering a replacement were truly appreciated. The fries complemented the meal perfectly.

We also got a dessert with a candle to celebrate our anniversary. While a tad sugary for my taste, it served as a lovely conclusion to our dinner. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, and a heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff at Somm for making our...