PONSONBY LITTLE BLACK BOOK: A-Z CAFES + RESTAURANTS GUIDE SALTA ESPRESSO, 285 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 360 1295 Salta Espresso delivers quality personal service, great coffee and delicious fresh food made with pride on the premises every day. A full breakfast and lunch menu is available as well as delicious cakes, pastries and sandwiches. Open Monday-Friday, 6.30am-4.30pm, Saturday and Sunday, 7am-4.30pm. SANTOS CAFE, 114 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 360 8803 Under new management and with plans for a fully renovated cafe in July, Santos continues to serve great coffee, a selection of tasty counter food options and a new breakfast/brunch and lunch menu. Check out their ham and cheese waffles w’ poached eggs, spinach and chipotle hollandaise, smashed avocado w’ rocket, cherry tomatoes, capers and feta on toasted sourdough and their housemade baked beans w’ chorizo and a poached egg on toasted pide bread. Open 7 days 6.30am-3pm.
SHAHI INDIAN EXPERIENCE, 26 Jervois Road, T: 09 378 8896, www.shahi.co.nz For more than 26 years, Shahi cafe has been serving Ponsonby locals timeless, sumptuous north Indian cuisine with a difference. There is an extensive variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes; some of the most popular are Shahi cigar, chicken tikka, rogan josh and much more. A private function room is available, dine in, catering, delivery and takeaway. Open 5pm-late, everyday. SHOKUZEN, 45 PONSONBY ROAD, T: 09 376 4565 This is a fusion Japanese restaurant with a vast selection of dishes to choose from. Try the tuna takaki; sliced rare tuna with ponzu sauce, or the agedashi tofu; lightly fried tofu with tempura sauce or the seaweed salad, or perhaps share a platter of California rolls (sushi).
SATYA SOUTH INDIAN RESTAURANT, 17 Great North Road, T: 09 361 3612, www.satya.co.nz Satya is situated near the Ponsonby, Newton and K’ Road intersection. Their south Indian recipes are age old and based on Ayurvedic principles; their motive is good food. With its relaxed ambience and friendly staff, it is a great place for a vast range of Indian meals at a good price. Takeaway, delivery, catering and banquets for large groups are all available. Open for lunch Monday-Saturday, 11.30am-2.30pm and dinner Monday-Sunday, 5.30pm-10pm.
SIDART, Three Lamps Plaza, 283 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 360 2122, www.sidart.co.nz Sidart is the award-winning restaurant of chef Sid Sahrawat with modern creative New Zealand cuisine. It is a contemporary yet formal restaurant with innovative food and attentive, friendly service headed by Stefano Baldin. The gorgeous city views and intimate dining room make Sidart a place for special occasions. Highly recommended by the Ponsonby News team. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 6pm, Friday lunch 12 noon-2.30pm.
SAVOUR & DEVOUR, 478 Richmond Road, T: 09 361 2631, www.savouranddevour.co.nz Savour & Devour offers a range of cabinet food with homemade cakes, pies and sandwiches and a full breakfast and lunch menu. Catering and takeaway is available. Open Monday-Friday, 7am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday, 8am-5pm.
SIERRA CAFE PONSONBY, 295 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 0081 Now offering free wifi and their famous specialty Sierra coffee as well as delicious home-made cakes and slices - everything is available to take away. Open 7 days, 6.30am-4.30pm.
SAWADEE THAI CUISINE, 42a Ponsonby Road, T: 09 376 0320, www.sawadee.co.nz Sawadee offers dishes from the four main regions of the Siamese Kingdom. Thai food is a blend of tastes - hot, sour, salty, sweet and spicy with subtle additions of aromatic herbs to enrich the traditional flavours. Fully licensed, takeaway menu, functions catered and BYO wine. Monday closed. Open Tuesday-5pm to late, Wednesday-Sunday-12 noon-late.
SIOSTRA, 472 Richmond Road, T: 09 360 6207, www.siostra.co.nz Siostra is a local bistro serving modern European cuisine. Pop in for a glass of wine and tapas or book for dinner. Open Tuesday-Sunday nights. Private dining room available. SOUL THAI, 158 Williamson Avenue, T: 09 302 8888, www.soulthai.co.nz At Soul Thai, their goal is to cook restaurant quality, authentic Thai cuisine using the finest ingredients and deliver your order to your door fresh and fast. Order by phone or online. Now open in Mt Eden too. Open 7 days, 5pm-10pm. SPQR, 150 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 360 1710, www.spqrnz.co.nz A Ponsonby institution, SPQR has been a prominent fixture along the Ponsonby strip for 23 years. The lively atmosphere and friendly service gives SPQR an authentic, first-rate reputation. The pizza is great for an anytime snack and veal marsala is an old favourite. Eat in or takeaway. Open 7 days, 12 noon-late. ST PIERRE’S SUSHI OF JAPAN & SEAFOOD, 320 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 360 6553, www.stpierres.co.nz St Pierre’s Sushi is all about fresh, quality sushi at an affordable price. They now offer brown rice for all sushi flavours. Readymade to go for busy people, or made fresh on the spot any time for tailor-made sushi requirements. Party platters of sushi are a specialty. STANDING ROOM ESPRESSO, Victoria Park Market, T: 09 366 7776, www.standingroomespresso.co.nz Next time you are walking in Victoria Park call into this great little cafe. Standing room espresso is the place for great coffee and homemade food, slices and cakes. They offer organic coffee and delicious salads made to order.
photography: Michael McClintock
SUSHI EDGE, 280 Richmond Road, T: 09 376 6218 Sushi Edge is a takeaway or eat-in establishment serving a wide range of delicious sushi and sashimi options. Their servings are generous, everything is tasty and wellseasoned and freshly made. Their sashimi bento box, vegetarian tempura don and their lunch sushi boxes are all worth trying and are good value for money. SUSHI WASABI, Shop 14, 1 Jervois Road, T: 09 376 8388 Situated next to Dorothy Butler’s Children’s Book Shop, Sushi Wasabi specialises in traditional sushi and nigiri. Their sushi is made with brown rice. This is a daytime restaurant and you can dine in or takeaway. They have a loyalty card too. Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. SPQR
54 PONSONBY NEWS+ May 2016
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)