close button

Ebisu: Metro Top 50 Restaurants 2014

Jun 23, 2014 Restaurants

Ebisu, Auckland. Photo: Ken Downie for Metro. All rights reserved.
Amano " target="_blank" title="Book now" rel="noopener noreferrer">Book now

116-118 Quay St, Britomart. Ph 300-5271, ebisu.co.nz.
Lunch Monday-Friday, dinner 7 days. $$

Now this is lovely. Ebisu is all dark timber and tan leather in a century-old brick warehouse on Auckland’s waterfront: massive, ancient beams hold the whole place up. During the day it’s awash with filtered light and by night it’s darkly atmospheric. Which would count for nothing if the food wasn’t as good as it is: you might describe it as a modern izakaya — there are all the familiar favourites, running from sashimi through agedashi tofu to chicken karaage, only here they’re tweaked and pulled, subtly, just enough that you know they’re thinking. And there are more experimental dishes, too — duck, lamb. But the remarkable thing about this place is that it’s not expensive: you won’t pay much more than you do in any number of average izakaya places around Auckland, yet Ebisu presents the food so enticingly, gives you a nice wine list and very good service, and lets you relish the charms of that beautiful building.

4 Spoons

A favourite dish: Crisp soft-shell crab served with wasabi tartare and orange ponzu.

Shared-plate options / Takes large groups / Bar / Bookings not usually taken for dinner

[booking_form]

Latest

Metro N°447 is Out Now shadow

Metro N°447 is Out Now

In the Winter 2025 issue of Metro: Our Annual Schools Report Card for Tāmaki Makaurau, plus sage advice on choosing a school, how to meet the unspoken dress code, and a peek behind the curtains of Kelston Boys Samoa Group’s efforts at Polyfest 2025. PLUS: Metro’s Top 50 Baked goods in Auckland, choice tips on how to lose all your money quickly and easily with your smartphone, a deep dive with a soft landing on puffer jackets, the restoration efforts of the SS Toroa, the sweet taste of history and more!

Buy the latest issue