We gotta hand it to the Frenchies, they’ve perfected the art of living well. There’s no arguing that their fashion, art, wine and most importantly, food is unrivaled. From bloody beautiful cheeses to delectable desserts and the fine drops accompanying it, we can all agree that french gastronomy is what dreams are made of.
If you’re on the hunt for a crème brulée to crack the top off or a coq au vin to warm the soul, then look no further. We’ve got your French food cravings officially covered with this round up of Auckland’s best French restaurants. Bon ap’, mes amis.
Origine
Commercial Bay
Commercial Bay’s crown jewel is one beautifully decorated, fiercely chic destination for authentic french food. It’s as if Origine was plucked out of it’s parisian bistro dwelling, to be planted among Auckland’s best viaduct views (floor to ceiling windows and two storeys see to this). A la carte, you’ll find the likes of tartare, onion soup complete with a moorish bread and emmental crown alongside their ‘Faux Foie Gras’ (a duck parfait, truffled with jelly and popped over a brioche) as starters and apéro snacks. The same authentic touch is reserved for mains, from boeuf bourguignon, steak haché (a perfectly grilled piece of lightly minced meat with fries), ravioli and an always delicious poisson du jour. Naturally, the wine list is superbly curated with pickings from near and far, homeland included. Pressed for time like a true parisian? You’ll be simplement ravi to hear there’s a $28 express menu featuring a tight selection of mains, a tap or non-boozey drop, and naturellement, bread and demi-sel butter.
Little French Pastry
Mt Albert
A cafe-slash-pastry-shop on a list of Auckland's best French restaurants? You bet. You see, while one might know Little French Cafe’s prowess for patisserie (ahem, like the New York Times) alongside coffee and a damn-good baguette, but a closer look at their sit-in menu reveals some French bistro classics—plus some. Always on the menu, however, is a creative take on a millefeuille — after all, part owner Benjamin Chevré is one of the nation’s most heralded pastry chefs, and a self-professed millefeuille feign. Sometimes a beetroot crunchy tower, sometimes a buffalo mozzarella and tomato vertical carpaccio. There’s also a very Alsatian Flammkuchen (thin, oh-so-savoury pizza creation smothered in raclette and hearty topping), crepes suzettes and the always trusty croque-monsieur and french onion soup to round out the experience (and subsequent food coma). It’s settled, you’re never stepping into this sunny Mt Albert spot for *just* one pain-au-chocolat anymore. Considering the grapples the fantastic team behind this have had to endure post-Auckland floods, we think a feast by way of supporting them is most definitely in order.
Ambler
Point Chevalier
After the neighbourhood bistro to indulge whims big and small? You’ve found it. Ambler bundles all the sensibilities and charms of the bistro you fell in love with on your last euro trip into one breezy yet cosy little bistro, open most days. Bonus point for the fact it’s in Auckland’s most francophone-like suburb, Point Chevalier, sitting pretty on Point Chevalier Road for easy access (and parking). If you’ve come hungry, you’re in luck: a full menu of mains awaits lunch and dinner hankerings. Specials are ever changing, but you can always rely on a beautiful cheese and charcuterie platter to pair with your glass (or bottles) handpicked from their extensive menu. While their iconic Bavette Steak with mushroom sauce and duck and chicken parfaits might suggest otherwise, it’s also an incredibly good pick for our vegetarians and pescetarians who love french food. Fish, oysters and hearty salads ensure no one goes hungry. Bonus points for the fact there’s a handful of tables outside (plus generous windows) to make for some seriously good people watching, Chablis in hand, what could be more French than that?
Paname Social
Auckland CBD
Brought to us by our amis of Ambler, Atelier and Wander fame (read, the incredibly French, if not inspired, joints of Auckland) is Paname Social: Lorne Street’s answer to a good time. By that we mean, a french-style apéro of a few rounds of wines, dotted by a grazing plate or two that naturally turns into a full dinner. To cater specifically to that is Paname Social’s signature oyster and Champagne bar offering with options by the glass or bottle, a legendary charcuterie platter and smoked kahawai croquettes with chorizo romesco (a must-try). Smatterings of French bistro fare come by way of Lobster tail mac and cheese, espelette mornay, Tuna tataki with a Niçoise salad, and Duck liver crème brûlée with onions. Don’t go thinking a visit is a strictly PM affair, a bulging-at-the-seams brunch menu has ethe likes of French toast (it’d be rude not to,) croissant or toast with compotes or marmalade (a bistro brekkie staple,) baked croissants, a Croque Copain, Oeufs cocotte with champagne ham, crème fraîche and gruyère, and Maman’s crêpe, brandy butter, apple tatin. Oh, and it’d be rude for us not to mention that the front terrace seats are 1) straight outta Europe and 2) highly instagrammable.
Ponsonby Crepes
Ponsonby Central
You’d be silly for not rounding off your Ponsonby road shopping spree or nosey around Ponsonby Central at Ponsonby Crepes. Open-air seating around the ‘food court’ area of Ponsonby Central ensures two things: you’re lured in by the homely smell of a fresh crepe on the grill, and even further captivated by the open-air kitchen that lets you peep in and see your creation get lashed with toppings before your very eyes. The people at the helm (and very often behind the bar, lovingly popping your crepes together) are Frenchies who know their food, as evidenced by the toppings you’ll find on the menu. Blue cheese, champagne ham, hummus and sundried tomatoes, bechamel sauce with ham or raclette — they stack the savoury galettes up with everything you could dream of. As for sweet — if it’s time to upgrade from the always-good classic butter — know that you can explore the likes of coconut, cherries, pear and even bacon and maple, in with go-tos like banana, salted caramel lemon, jam and chocolates of all varieties. Gluten free and plant-based options are very much available, as are a drop of wine, champagne or cider to truly round out the experience. And if you feel like giving France’s neighbours, belgian a bit of love, you’ll find their stalwart waffles on the menu too.
Petit Bocal
Sandringham
When the brunch and brekkie sweetheart of Sandringham swung open its doors for dinner service, they had our hearts and bellies singing with joy. With inviting decor and scrumptious dishes, we wouldn’t put it past anyone to spend a day at Petit Bocal just eating and drinking from breakfast to lunch to dinner. As one would expect from one of Auckland’s best French restaurants, they’ve curated a fabulous wine list of local and French drops. Whether you fancy sparkling or still, red or white, or perhaps even a traditional little aperitif to drink — they’ll have just the drop to match your meal. Speaking of such, you’ll be spoilt for choice with plenty of traditional french dishes. We’re talking boeuf bourguignon, confit duck or provincial-style chicken. Prefer to graze away? They’ve nailed the sharing platter game: with beautiful platters of fresh breads, dips, cheeses and charcuterie. Have them on their own, or as an accompaniment to a French food feast, and prepare for your tastebuds to be indulged like nothing else.
Le Garde-Manger
Queen Street
Save yourself a trip to France and hit up Le Garde-Manger for one of the best French restaurant experiences in Auckland. If you’re after authentic French food in a traditional setting that’ll have you dreaming about biking along cobblestone streets while toting baguettes and a bottle of red—then look no further, you’ve found it. Worth a notable mention are their sweet crepes and their savoury counterparts, galettes. You’ll find simple french favourites like butter and sugar and Nutella on the cards, as well as your more flamboyant choices like a crepe suzette (yes, the one set alight in front of you) and a poire belle-helene, complete with poached pear and lashings of chocolate. Of course the real crowd pleasers are their traditional bistro dishes—identical to those you’d find in the motherland. There’s escargots, pate, onion soup and charcuterie plates for starters, literally. As for the mains, we simply can’t resist their classic beef bourguignon, coq au vins, and the tartiflette (a decadently cheesy, potato and bacon-filled baked dish) for the best winter warmer. Speaking of such, Le Garde-Manger is one of the only French restaurant in Auckland to serve up Raclette year round. Could we love them any more?
Le Chef
Vulcan Lane
With a name like Le Chef, you can bet your bottom dollar—or, er, euro—that this French restaurant is one of Auckland’s best. Cooped up in the CBD’s Vulcan lane, Le Chef is one of the best places to unwind after a long day’s work, with a slice of cheese and a glass of pinot in hand or for a cosy dinner. Le Chef is all about seasonal cuisine, sprucing up their menu every two months to showcase the best of local produce, while staying authentically French. With outside seating dotted along the top of this pedestrian street, you’ll feel like quite the Parisian watching city-dwellers pass by, grazing away at a charcuterie, duck terrine, savoury beignet or roast camembert sharing plates. Croque-monsieurs (or madames, if you add the egg), brioche French toast and one of the best chevre-chauds salads in Auckland are to be found on their lunch and breakfast menu. The star of the show here is none other than their raclette—a hearty feast for the senses that will have you devouring a plate full of potatoes and charcuterie, covered in a decadent blanket of melted cheese. Grab a buddy and give Le Chef a bell—you’ll want to pre-order at least a day in advance to avoid any cheese FOMO. If you can't make it to Le Chef in the near future, do yourself a favour and whip up their legendary Fondue Savoyarde at home.
Sid At The French Café
Eden Terrace
This Auckland city staple simply doesn’t need an introduction. In case you missed the memo somewhere along the line, Sid at The French Café is the ultimate destination for fine wining and dining in Auckland. Here they pull out all the stops: the interior is impossibly chic and the food is next level wonderful. It’s a guarantee that here you’ll be treated to some of the most pristinely prepared and plated cuisine you’ll ever come across—this institution draws inspiration from fine French dining, after all. There’s an a-la-carte menu, where you can choose between three or four courses of seasonally crafted dishes. You’ll find beautifully roasted meats, cured fish and fresh produce, all garnished to perfection as well as cheeses and wonderfully creative desserts to finish. Or leave it up to the culinary masterminds to do the choosing, and opt for a five or seven-course tasting menu and be treated to course after course of plated magic. Not to be missed are their monthly Gaggeneau Tuesday Test Tables, where for $175 a pop, you can join fellow foodies as you enjoy six feature dishes, canapes and a tipple prepared by mastermind Sid and his team of talented chefs. As you might expect, everything here is executed with French finesse and will have you oohing and oh-la-la-ing with every bite.
Apéro
K' Road
Pssst Aucklanders, we’re going to let you in on a little secret here. It’s to do with your new favourite watering hole and place for, well, stuffing your pie hole. We’re talking about none other than Apéro, a cosy yet chic wine bar and eatery propped up on K' Road. Taking its name from the urban French tradition of enjoying a quality drop and bite in good company, it comes as no surprise that Apéro is one of best French restaurants in Auckland. In true French bistro fashion, delectable lunches and dinners are served as a mix of small sharing and grazing plates, with the odd hearty dish thrown into the mix. French bistro classics are aplenty here: there’s a terrine of the day, a signature Apéro charcuterie board as well as saussies with pickles and mustard that’s served by the quarter metre, for the lovers of meat out there. You’ll also find fabulous dairy staples dotted in the menu, in the likes of goat cheese croquettes, the best burrata, and, of course, a legendary cheeseboard featuring their favourite slices of the stuff. As for desserts, you’ll most certainly want to leave room when you get a glimpse of their buttery madeleines, or seasonal soufflé. In true French style, there’s a plentiful wine menu full of quality drops. Whichever one you pick, rest assured that it’s been lovingly handpicked and received the seal approval by Apéro’s local wine legend, Mo. Now go forth and sip and graze your way through this menu—you can thank us later.
Paris Butter
Herne Bay
One of Auckland’s most chic destinations for degustations also happens to be one of the most creative — helmed by chef Nick Honeyman and 23/2024 Cuisine Chef of the Year Zennon Wijlens. While the signature Evolution Menu offering is, naturally, always on the change, each visit to Paris Butter will trustily supply five things: convivial service, one of the best wine selections and the glassware to boot (important, we say), endlessly inventive courses, a full belly at the end of your night (always a plus with fine dining). Not to mention, in a sleek, dimly-lit fit out that simply oozes charm.
While not strictly French, it's French in top-of-game food sensibilities. Degustations are served in courses of three or six, and will dish up textures and pairings that aren’t found—let alone, imagined—anywhere else in the nation or world. We’re talking velouté starters to have you dreaming for days and sides of impossibly infused butters between plates of local produce done deliciously different. It’s all about evening adventures at Paris Butter, open Monday-Saturday for dinner, but lads and ladies who lunch will find their joy at special Friday lunch sittings.
Le Paris French Eatery
Elliot Stables
Venture down into the wonderfully eclectic Elliot staples dining precinct, and you’ll stumble upon Le Paris, one of the best hidden secrets of Auckland’s French restaurant scene. Combining the best of both worlds, the team at Le Paris use New Zealand’s best produce to whip up authentic French dishes. The result? A menu dotted with some of the most authentic bistro dishes you’ll find outside of France. Seriously, you’d be forgiven thinking you’ve been magically transported to your local brasserie somewhere in Bordeaux or near the Champs Elysees. Their menu is full of different kinds of crepes and galettes: nutella, sugar and butter, nordique or fromagiere—you name the crepe, they’ve got it. Our pick, however, is the Tartiflette, which wraps up a baked potato, bacon and cheese-filled winter dish into the comfort of a crepe. Crepes aside, they have a stellar menu of French faves like escargots, onion soup, boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin. As for something sweet, we recommend having a peep in their sweets cabinet—French favourites like mille-feuilles, canneles, and tartlets have all made guest appearances here.
Bar Céleste
K Road
Speaking of delectable wine bars, let us introduce you to Bar Céleste. Found on K’Road, this neo-bistro offers Aucklanders a taste of the effortlessly exquisite dining style that the French are famous for. They’ve curated their selection of dishes to be shared, grazed at, and ordered at leisure—over a fine splash of wine, of course. With additional influences from a range of cultures and cuisines, Bar Céleste truly deserves its place in this round up of Auckland’s best French restaurants for bringing some of the favourite French bistro classics to the table. We’re talking the freshest burrata imaginable and drizzled with olive oil, smooth chicken parfait and simple yet snackable radish bunches paired with salt and butter. Alongside this line-up, you’ll also find plates highlighting NZ’s superb seafood, like a clam mariniere, crayfish bisque and a totally decadent whole buttered flounder. Wash this down with a glass from their considered list of organic wines, and voila, your tastebuds will love you.
Want to learn more on French cuisine? Check out our guide to French Rosé.
Image credit: Petit Bocal, La Fourchette, Sid At The French Café, Apéro, Paris Butter