The Food Room is Ponsonby’s answer to Kingsland’s The Fridge. They do good coffee, salads and milkshakes but their standout feature is the pies. I opted for a mince and cheese pie and it was in the same league as the Fridge. Buttery pastry with a premium filling. At around $8 it’s on the pricey side but worth it if you’re on the mood for a pie!
The pies are what everyone talks about. Considering there's a sign outside which says 'best pies in town' or something to that tune. The pastry is delicious, buttery and flakey but the pies are also pricey at around the $7.50 mark. The fillings are generous with meat and tasty. Though the mince and cheese pie is nice they do add a few extra herbs and ingredients so it's not your standard mince and cheese pie flavour. I personally prefer a basic mince flavour and sauce. Their huffer mexican pie is also a good choice. They give you a cute coloured animal figure instead of a table number.
After walking past their blackboard sign saying 'best pies in Auckland' a couple of times, I decided to finally take them up on the challenge and test whether this was true - and I have to admit, they're not far from the truth. I had a mint and lamb pie dine-in, and at around $7 a pop it's not cheap for a pie, and it would have been a nice touch if they had offered some mesclun or salad greens for dine in (like Little & Friday), but when compared with $15-20 lunch options in the area, it's actually not too bad value. I will definitely be back to try some other flavours!