Ponsonby Road Bistro

Melissa Morrow (far left), Blair Russell (left) and their team have the recipe perfect for the style-conscious epicureans of Ponsonby. Blackboard exhortations of ripe cheeses and today’s shellfish, the courage to place a large, glistening, grilled whole sardine solo on a plate, and the perception to offer and explain unusual wines are testimony to a thorough understanding of their market. Thoughtful food using fantastically fresh ingredients and a handwritten menu with mostly familiar dishes – superb steak and chips; fish of the day; excellent renditions of pâté and parfait – mark this as a true bistro. However, African, Asian and Latin American touches also find their way on to Sarah Conway’s intelligent plates. Window and kerbside tables receive sun through early lunchtime, while, inside, a horseshoe-shaped magnet of a bar is a local’s refuge and a visitor’s comfort alike.

In brief: an excellent bistro menu and a sexy city mood