We’d struggle to think of a restaurant that embodies what it’s like to eat in Auckland right now better than Bar Céleste. Since its opening at the tail-end of 2019 by Nick Landsman and Emma Ogilvie, the self-identified neo-bistro has cemented itself as one of the best dining holes on Karangahape Rd (a feat that’s getting harder and harder by the day) by serving up plates which celebrate both simple freshness and salty, buttery indulgence. Whole flounders get stripped down to the bone; oysters slide down in the same breath as a juicy pét-nat; duck-liver parfait and pickled fig is mopped up by rustic chunks of sourdough.
As with most places of this kind, Céleste’s fluid food offering changes constantly (daily, if you go by the stamp on its menu), with an obvious love for beautiful produce. The room itself is romantic and cosy, dimmed by night with warm light emanating from the open kitchen, where you can sit up on the counter and watch the chefs cook for you. Come in late to down a smashburger and some fries. It’s when all the flavours are dialled up to 100: the charred caramelised patty, the extra garlicky aioli, the oozing buttered buns.
An extensive bottle wine list is complemented by drops (around five) offered by the glass, often showcasing wines you don’t see in many other places. If you want to take a bottle home, you can: Star Superette, the owners’ new wine shop, is just a few doors down.