Hugo's Bistro restaurant review: Metro Top 50 2018

By Metro date Jun 21, 2018

Hugo’s Bistro restaurant review

Metro Top 50 2018 restaurant Hugo’s Bistro in the Auckland CBD on Shortland Street does classic European-style bistro food.

Hugo’s Bistro is the more-grown-up sibling restaurant of owners Clare and Joost van den Berg’s Odettes. A new inner-city away-office for Shortland St’s legal execs and accountants, the elegant space offers easy-to-understand, well-executed European-style bistro fare, served promptly with a smile and a ready chat. Crucially, the kitchen nails the classics – fans of steak frites and veal schnitzel rejoice – but this is also the most sophisticated new fit-out in town. Everything from the green-pillowed booths (the most comfortable in the city, we’d wager) down to the terrazzo flooring exudes taste, and the dining room features the last slabs of pink marble from the South Island’s Hanmer.

What it offers Shared-plate options / Good for vegetarians / Free-range chicken and/or pork / Craft beer selection
A favourite dish Espresso semifreddo, burnt orange.
Awards Winner, Best Inner-City Bistro; Winner, Best New Fit-out; Runner-up, Best New Restaurant;
Finalist, Supreme Award; Finalist, Restaurateur of the Year: Joost and Clare van den Berg
Hours Breakfast and lunch Mon-Fri, Dinner Tues-Fri
Bookings Yes
Price $$
Seats 38
Chef Emile Bennington