Warm beginnings...

There is nothing quite like the warm glow of anticipation one feels when you have spontaneous weeknight dinner plans with a great friend.

That email advising that your end of financial year budgets are not up to scratch seems irrelevant compared to the gossip that is sure to follow a couple of glasses of chardonnay. Even the four-car accident on the motorway that you narrowly avoided does not dampen spirits. You can recognise the fact that you were able to get away first and not get stuck in the inevitable traffic jam stretching back to Penrose. Luck is on your side!

Ponsonby Road Bistro was the destination that Thursday night. Did we have a booking? One glance around the restaurant and I was perplexed. Other than a couple at the bar, we appeared to be the only souls there.

However, it quickly became clear why this was quite an ask. An hour later, it was packed to capacity. The popularity of this fashionable bistro cemented the fact that going out for tea at 6.15 is just not very cool.

The menu is one of the most salivating around. Braised beef cheeks, Waiheke oysters, duck confit on puy lentils, rhubarb crumble – it is all there attractively scribed in that trendy writing only an architect can do, making it a difficult choice when you are still on weekday ‘controlled’ eating. They also do a shellfish of the day, which we all love. Parfait.

Our eventual choices of scotch fillet, home-baked bread, oysters with the traditional red wine vinegar and shallot accompaniment, John Dory and a rich chocolate fondant were all delicious. Isn’t that just what you feel like on a cold June evening?

The bread and butter pudding was the star though. From the moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it. Images of Nigella, Rick and Delia charged through my mind. This very English pud was (I knew this from food TV) the epitome of Britishness.

I felt comforted and warmed knowing that I would soon be paying homage to my forbearers by eating this pudding. That, like mushy peas and jellied eels, this didn’t quite follow the colonists to end up on the plates of future generations of New Zealanders. But unlike jellied eels, this really should have. It’s the custard. No one can resist it.

The same can be said about the whole dining experience. Sometimes you visit bistros to find that they are more fine dining than French provincial. It can be a disappointment. Ponsonby Road Bistro does not have this problem. Indeed, it was a delight to be welcomed off the street into a restaurant where your needs are carefully considered. They understand why you have chosen to eat there. Our excitement was not in vain.

You should really try it. But a booking is recommended.