Auckland, New Zealand: Dinner at Ostro Brasserie & Bar

Chic and trendy Ostro Bar & Restaurant in Auckland CBD.

Ah, my first-night dinner in Auckland!

Well, I saved SisterJ and Myrhh from cooking and washing the dishes by inviting them to dinner with me at Ostro Brasserie and Bar in Britomart or CBD (Auckland's central business district). SisterJ has been here before at the restaurant's deck terrace during a company cocktail event evening so she told me that it's an upscale a bit trendy restaurant with views of the Waitemata waterfront harbour. Now, I kind of like that.

There was an after-work city marathon going on.

That's our restaurant, upstairs.

So I met them after they checked out from work. We actually met outside the Britomart Station where I saw a city-sponsored running event. It is always nice to see these kinds of social community initiatives because they really make the city alive.

The restaurant wasn't very far from the station, just a quick walk to the next block and we were there.

When we arrived, we were shown quickly to our table which has views of the Waitemata harbour. I was glad I reserved ahead of time to get this table. The view is not that super pretty of a sight as it is a working industrial harbour, but the expanse, the water, and the horizon gave a winning and relaxing ambiance. The floor to ceiling glass window was ideal for a dinner setting like this. It was already evening so the lights outside were flickering against the dark.

We were seated on the corner which has a nice vantage point in the restaurant. We were not there in the middle of everyone per se, we have a bit of privacy and that was very nice. I took my needed pictures and then we were ready for our drinks.

A nice and chic restaurant with a view.

Cheers to our first evening!

We had a combination of white local wine for moi which I cannot remember the name anymore, a lemonade drink for sisterJ and a Speight's cider for Myrhh.

We then checked out the menu and pondered for a moment if we should be ordering each a starter. Or a shared starter perhaps? Here's the thing, the 3 of us are going through some, let's call it a weight-watching phase, which is a neverending phase I guess, haha. So after some logical exchange of should we or should we not, we chose to have some bread to share instead. Fair enough!

Sharing food is caring you know, it is caring for your health, your body and your wallet.

For our mains, we all ordered different dishes.

Mine was fish, a local one called hapuku. I have never heard of it. The waiter told me that this fish is native to New Zealand and it has similar qualities to the cod. Oh, I want to try! It's a hearty fish and it came with seaweed and a delicious funky broth. This was just adorable and quite different, I would say alternative, but, perhaps a bit too sweet? I have noticed that Kiwi cuisine tend to be on the sweeter side. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed this very much.

Meanwhile, SisterJ had a black Angus burger which came with a super burnt bun, as intended. It was, well, a black bun! Of course, the burger was served with fries and mayonnaise. Myrhh settled for some kind of beef or was it duck with vegetables. She reported that it was delicious as well. And oh, we had some extra fries for Myrhh and moi, too. I have to say that the fries were very good.

The restaurant offers locally-sourced seasonal dishes so I guess the menu changes throughout the year.

Moi excited to dig in to my hapuku fish meal. We were sitting right behind the glass windows which was really nice.

SisterJ and her massive burnt Angus beef burger with fries. The fries were very good.

Myrhh's meal looking very pretty.

My fish came with a funky broth.

During dinner, we talked about our road trip which will begin the day after next. We were excited! We were going to rent this little home mobile van complete with 3 sleeping spaces, a kitchen with stove and fridge, and a toilet and shower.

Our road trip itinerary has been planned but not in detail yet as we still have to agree on which nature camping parks to stayover each night and the activities we will be doing during the day. Let's say half of it is planned, the other half will be spontaneous and on the spot. Luckily, there is an abundance of free magazine guides in the city which you can get from the tourist office and even everywhere, in restaurants, hotels, and parks. In addition to that, the internet offers a plethora of endless options. There is no need to worry.

Nobody was interested in dessert but I had a little espresso to seal off the dinner.

Sometimes I cannot fathom when people order a 3 or 4-course meal. Unless you are dining in super upscale expensive places where the whole 3-course meal with in-between amuse-bouches (they do give you these bite sizes to wash and prepare your palate for the next) is equivalent to the whole dish already in a normal restaurant.

We had a little walk around Britomart and the harbour.

We were going home on the train. So it was a first for me to try their train which departs in Britomart downtown center. The girls wanted to let me experience the train ride and show me as well how far it is from Auckland city to Onehunga where they live. The ride takes approximately 27 minutes from Britomart to Onehunga. Onehunga is also the end destination hence it is called the Onehunga Line.

They also told me that many people have been complaining lately about the train because it is either late or not running at all because of some technical issues. I guess each city has its own problems huh. Not surprising at all.

Going home with the train.

Onehunga is a suburb in the southern part of Auckland. SisterJ works in Auckland city center so she takes the car to the Onehunga train stop and then takes the train to the city center. Myrhh, on the other hand, works near the airport, so she takes the bus which departs as well from the Onehunga train stop. The train stop is really very near to their home but they've become localised, they go everywhere with their cars just like everyone else. Hah, if they were to live in the Netherlands, they would have been cycling =)

Just 1 day in Auckland and it felt already like I was in the city for a few days!

Travel Period: May 2018
Destination: Auckland, New Zealand

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All pictures were taken by a point and shoot pocket camera or a smartphone.