Depot is a fast paced and fresh eatery and oyster bar by award winning New Zealand chef, writer and TV presenter Al Brown. Open from 7am for coffee and a bacon & egg doona right through to lunch and dinner, our emphasis is on delicious small plates, w...
Overview
Price Range | Reasonable |
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Ambience | Lively |
Accepts credit cards | Yes |
Noise level | Bustling |
Licence | This venue is licenced |
Food Options | Organic food, Gluten free |
Products and specialities
Wheelchair Access, Great for groups and outdoor seating available. Dress code is casual. Depot Eatery & Oyster Bar has been crowned Supreme Winner of 2015 Metro Peugeot Restaurant of the Year Awards!
Hours
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Depot is one of the newest restaurants in Auckland that has taken off incredibly fast. Opening the beginning of September it has been a star on the scene ever since. The food is as good as everyone says - must trys are the Turbot Sliders which have remained on the menu from the change up its hard from 16th Jan onwards. Also if you have a sweet tooth the Brown Sugar Pie is to die for. Only negative is that not being able to book lends to long waiting time. Al Browns idea of a fast turn around restaurant with shared tapas style eating is a great one BUT there is one flaw... Everyone loves the restaurant so much that no one wants to leave! Have waited an hour on one occasion and 1 1/2 hours on another.. both times it was worth it and with the longer wait complimentary oysters were sent our way.. but really waiting that long is not ideal. So I would suggest turning up early 5:30-6 or not until past 9:30.. This is pretty much the only thing that lets this place down.
Al Brown describes Depot as a casual eatery where punters can “drop in and refuel” on everything from live oysters to lesser-used cuts of meat. All washed down with a carafe (yes, a carafe – and tumblers) of good New Zild wine. While it might not be possible to ‘drop in’ at all times, a wait for a table is so, so worth it – that Depot is a relaxed, social, yet still intimate environment is immediately obvious. And the food, ah, the food is just so damn good. Live oysters and cockles, shucked to order; plenty of interesting fish options like Smoked Kahawai Cakes (savoury, tangy and satisfying), Snpper Sliders (think mini fish burgers in sweet pillows of freshly baked bread); lesser-used cuts of meat like skirt steak (quickly grilled on charcoal – packed with steaky flavour and with a nice chew) and classic sides like a slaw with peanuts or iceberg wedge with ranch dressing (the perfect antidote to the stingy rocket salads across the city). We were more than happy with the Mt Edwards Pinot Noir on tap, which we ordered in a carafe. Yes, there’s a touch of retro about Depot, but its not kitset or kitsch, it’s a return to food that tastes great without being complicated, to food that can be shared and punctuated with mmmmm’s and ahhhhh’s and even - shock - eaten with your hands and chewed vigorously with your molars - and talked about in a lively, buzzy atmosphere. The food: Fresh, simple, flavourful. Enough little interesting things to keep curiosity piqued. The place: Rustic industrial but not overdone – London meets Melbourne comes to Auckland. Sharing the loos with the Red Hummingbird next door could make for an interesting sojourn. The service: Informal but attentive and brainy.
This place is the absolute shizzle. It's totally my kind of restaurant. Casual vibe, secondary cuts (think pork hocks, beef brisket), delicious beer selection, wine on tap. It's actually not as expensive as I thought it would be, me and my lady friend enjoyed a couple of mains (which was actually a huge amount of food) and a few drinks for less than $90. Can't complain about that. Oh yeah, the staff were wonderful
Have had dinner here on more than one occasion and think it is absolutely wonderful. Everything from the potato skins to the falafel to the sugar pie is to-die-for. Sometimes there is a line for absolute ever but the food and service are worth it and if you have dinner early you should avoid this problem. Yummy and a definite 5 out of 5.
There are no good places around work to get a glass of wine after work on a Friday so having the Depot open up right on my back door is great! I love the atmosphere here — alway bustling. The wine on tap is such a great idea and really tasty. And finally I can get a good cup of coffee in the mornings. We went there for dinner the other night — wowsers — the snapper tortillas are amazing and in fact all their food was fab. Totally recommend.