We made a rash decision to purchase a voucher deal for this establishment like Silver A’s review.

1/ First of all the food was very nice.

2/ There was very little of it (we had the 5 course) through the voucher that was on the coupon site.

3/ The wait between meals was below par by the time you got your next meal or more frankly your tasting you were forever hungry for the whole night , my wife and I and 6 others all ate there and have never left a restaurant ever in my life feeling hungry after waiting approx 3 hours and spending $400 bucks on food and that’s with our discounts. and ordering the cheapest possible wines on the menu two bottles and a soft drink that came to $280 All of us would never go back very disappointed would never recommend Number 5 to any one unless you hated then or wanted to play a practical joke on them.
4/ My advice is don’t bother with this place, the sad thing is that the food (nibbles) was great, if there was a more of it and quicker service.And especially with the discount vouchers not sure whose saving here your clients or you on the food quantity after looking around and seeing whats on the plates of other customers.
5/ The waitress we had (French) was very hospitable and friendly top marks for her alone. You had class. 5+++
6/ There is two restaurants in this building one is “”Great”" however Number 5 very disappointing.

We made a rash decision to purchase a voucher deal for this establishment. Firstly, our background – we eat out in Auckland a lot, we love to experience fine dining and 5 star food and service. Coming from Europe and being used to Michelin stars, we are real foodies.

When we saw a voucher deal for Number 5 we were apprehensive about purchasing it, as selling vouchers to get customers in can be a bad sign that a place that should be doing well is not turning over what it needs to in order to survive as a business. And one always has to ask why.

However, we decided to give the Number 5 deal voucher a go, hoping we would be in for a pleasant surprise!

By March, we had forgotten we had purchased the voucher deal, and once we realized it was about to expire, we booked a table for a Saturday evening.

We were looking forward to trying the degustation menu (which we hoped would be delicious) and as we had some reasons to celebrate, a couple of bottles of Bolly (like there has to be an excuse)!

We walked into the restaurant and were almost bowled over by several staff members. We were not greeted or even afforded a smile or acknowledgement. A bad sign, it was the type of welcome one would expect at a road side ‘greasy spoon’ where the staff are over worked, under paid and under trained. Not good! We should have listened to our gut instinct and turned around and walked out there and then.

When we were finally noticed, we were ushered upstairs by an irritated looking maitre d, once again without a smile or any sort of cordial welcome. Absolutely useless and unpleasant maitre d, he is clearly in the wrong job.

Once upstairs, we were seated by the maitre d in the corner. Upstairs in this place is ‘the cheap seats’ but I think it’s reasonable that you would seat your voucher customers in the cheap seats, so I have no complaints about that. Unfortunately for us we ended up in the cheapest of cheap seMoreats tucked away in the corner farthest from the window. But that’s ok, someone has to get that table right? No complaints, but after feeling so unwelcome in the first instance, it kind of irked us that we were seated here.

We were starting to become apprehensive and uneasy about the evening ahead at this stage. The warning signs were there, the giant neon writing was on the wall!

Next, quite a sweet waitress came to ask us if we could present our deal voucher. She was only doing her job, but we wondered what kind of place we had come for a meal in, what kind of clientele does this place attract? Do people really eat and run here? Are we really being asked to pay before our meals? We have never experience this before so we actually genuinely did not understand what we were being asked for. Hmmmm.

Note that we has not been offered a wine menu at this point. We were offered water and not a drink yet were expected to show the voucher.

In addition, we had to ask twice for the wine menu. Goodness knows why the maitre d did not give this to us when he seated us.

The maitre d then showed a couple in, and seemed to be giving them a choice between tables. The couple opted for a table by the window. My partner watched this unfold and we had a brief discussion about why the other couple might be offered a choice of table. Personally I don’t know why, but I feel it might be because we were not recognized as a couple since we are 2 women, and perhaps the better tables were being reserved as romantic tables. Who knows, maybe that couple were not having a deal voucher menu that night.

At this point, before we spent $170 on a bottle, we decided that we could not tolerate such abysmal Fawlty Towers-esque service and we left and took our cash elsewhere (into Peter Gordon’s pockets to be precise). We left leaving our bottle of water untouched.

We eat out too often to waste our time in places where the service is worse than mediocre when there are so many better places out there, where the staff CARE about their customers experience, and where the staff know that if they give their customers a great dining experience, the restaurant will get repeat business and recommendations.

The odd thing is that Number 5 clearly needs the repeat business, or they would not be trying to put bums on seats with voucher deals.

Unfortunately I cannot review the food, but the menu looked reasonable, and we were looking forward to trying it.

My advice is don’t bother with this place, unless you hear they have over-hauled their front of house service.

The sad thing is that the food could be amazing, but with service this bad, the kitchen will be over shadowed.

Give Number 5, or should it be -5, a miss.

We had a Xmas function here. It was my first timeback after a couple of years but I found the food and service to be of a suitably high standard. No.5 won’t push the culinary boundaries, but they don’t pretend to. If you want well executed tasty european inspired food, with excellent wine, in a quite setting with good service give this restaurant a go

Had a deal voucher for Number 5.
Very pleasant evening. Good ambiance, tasty food – although portions were quite small.
Waiting staff friendly and attentive.
Would certainly go back.

My husband and I took a business client to Number 5 late Nov 2012. It is truly a 5 star restaurant. The menu is diverse enough to satisfy most diners. The wine menu is extensive and I found the staff extremely knowledgeable and able to suggest wines that were perfect for the courses we ordered. The food was wonderful. Our guest was very impressed with his courses as were we. The restaurant itself is an absolutely beautiful and historical space to dine in. A relaxing ambience and clearly happy diners around us completed a fabulous evening out.
The lovely owner and ALL the wait staff were wonderful to us and I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. We have eaten recently at another “high profile” restaurant and were very disappointed there, not so with Number 5. We will most certainly be back.

I went to Number 5 Restaurant in Nov 2012 to celebrate my wedding anniversary thinking that we would enjoy a lovely evening together, it turned out to be far from that. We were greeted by a ratty lady that was rude and incourteous. We had the degustation menu which was appalling. The meals were a disgrace to say the least, the service was so bad that after the third course of total bad food and lack of service we had enough. Each meal item took over 35 mins and when arrived was cold, undercooked and well crap in all honesty. Anyway when the third course arrived that was enough … We put the cash on the table and left only to be chased by owner swearing at us in front of her customers ……….never seen that before! Anyway we left and were still hungry, we went to our favorite place and had a fabulous time and meal. Give Number 5 Restaurant a miss big time, there are a number of fine dining restaurants around that live up to their name in terms of food, service and delivery and most importantly customer care!

I felt compelled to sign up and leave this review after reading a very good review for Number 5 over the weekend.
We have eaten here many times over the last few years (mainly with a voucher for degustation) and never been disappointed.
So we were delighted when friends invited us to go A LA CARTE.
From reading other posts it seems obvious that the service is not something they pride themselves on, and that has always been evident. My main gripe this time was, if you smoke, chew some gum, we don’t want your stink near us.
On to the food. Snapper starter looked stunning, and the fish was so delicate, but there was no synergies to the dish, and far too much salt. Style over substance I’m afraid.
The tried and tested Chicken pate and rabbit were not to their usual standard. A slightly tarte taste in the chicken made me question how old it was, while the rabbit had bone and no seasoning.
Duck leg was burnt on the bottom and chewy, while the breast self sauced the dish with blood seeping out every where.
My beef looked great, but was charred on one side and almost uncooked on the other and pretty chewy.
The lamb was under cooked and not rested.
However the fish main was excellent, lovely flavours.
Again we questioned the freshness of the food, when the cheesecake came out with a soggy base and firm jelly.
We’ve had the chocolate before but was different this time and really not even worth a mention.
A totally disappointing night, which was why I was so surprised to read a great review on the same dishes we shared a few days later.
So we will not be returning to Number 5. A new chef and some new ideas, but as the old saying goes if it ain’t broke din’t fix it.

Thanks Martina
We didn’t speak to your waiting staff as they were sadly not interested in us or our experience.
I have seen a few negative reviews on a few different websites recently so perhaps your menus not as well received as you thinkMore.
I appreciate your comment, but there are too many good restaurants out there to waste time on ones who are just going through the motions.

We dined using the deal vouchers for the five course degustation menu.

I made our booking for dinner to celebrate a 40th birthday back in July and received confirmation of my booking by return email at that time. When we arrived for dinner, there was no record of our booking and it took for me to show the person who met us upon arrival, the physical copy of the booking email to convince him that we actually had a booking, which he accepted upon seeing the email.

The staff then frantically bundled together a table setting for six in a space that would not seem to normally hold six people as we were cramped into a corner which required the waiters to squeeze around us to serve us.

My expectation was that because I had booked such a long way in advance, and because I had expressed that we were celebrating a special birthday, that we would have been sat at a better sized and better positioned table, rather we felt ‘shunted in’ at the last minute.

Our waiter was excellent, and did a great job of making amends and serving us throughout the night, though had to shuffle around a cramped table.

The food itself was good in flavour, though all of us expected more than three small slivers of venison for the main course, especially as I looked around the restaurant at the serving sizes of other diners receiving main meals. I hope that this was not as a result of the deal vouchers which I have read reviews online comment about.

I raised my concerns directly with the restaurant after our experience, which unfortunately they have not responded to as they indicated they would.

Overall, while we made the most of the evening and enjoyed ourselves, unfortunately Number 5 did not live up to either our expectations or the hype, and given the other fine dining restaurant choices around Auckland we are unlikely to return.

**Following the original review above, we have had correspondence with the owner whichMore we have not been happy with, and have refused the offer of a complimentary meal based on her response**

What an awesome evening out. Deal voucher – Degustation menu… Wow! Impeccable, friendly and knowledgeable service and wine recommendations. Every course was delicious and just when you thought it couldn’t get even better the next course was even tastier. Yes I may have still been slightly hungry at the end but I have a voracious appetite and that wasn’t what the evening was all about. Can’t recommend this restaurant highly enough for a special evening out

Although not a favourite, I’d still recommend giving this place a go, the food is a little on the pricier side but the ambience and atmosphere makes up for it. the old Victorian style building gives a warm feeling and the staff are all very friendly and prompt.

Sad but true, smaller portioned meals than others at different tables for deal vouchers. Would not bother with restaurant that adhere to these con techniques in the future. Unaddequately cooking technique ruined the meal for us, dry food and overcooked food. Lovely reception though.

We tried Number 5 last night and had an exceptional evening. We started with fresh oysters which were amazing followed by the 5 course Degustation menu…each dish was memorable and the service impeccable. We’ll definitely be back & would highly recommend Number 5.

A flawless fine-dining experience in central Auckland really. I visited recently with my partner for our anniversary and it suited well as the ambiance is private, very comfortable and the expert service struck exactly the right balance.
I highly recommend the varied Assiette (assortment) of Beef and indeed the beef and lamb dishes are standout.

Love this place! The decor, the food (always try the degustation menu divine!) and the wait staff are attentive but not in your face! They have the knack for good timing in taking away glasses/clearing out plates in between meals.

It’s been awhile since I have been to Number 5, I was not disappointed the first time and this time was even better. The food was outstanding and wine was great. It is so good to go to a place were the staff are so friendly and knowledgeable. They really know their stuff when it comes to matching the wine to the meal. I will be back and sooner rather than later.Well Done Number 5 and thank you for a great night.

Eaten here many times but not for a while, but friends booked us in for new years eve.
First class food and the matching wines were excellent.
The clear winner was the beef main course which was outstanding. so many elements from the animal and all ate beautifully together. The lemon meringue dessert was the perfect ending.
One small gripe was that they were very busy but the two older ladys at the bar still had time to stand there chatting all night. That said “Manny” was fantastic and really made the night for us.

Well as a long time patron of this (my favourite) restaurant, the last few times I have been to dinner here I have been so disappointed.
The waiter (a young gentleman) told us they didn’t have it and I must be mistaken because he had never heard of it. I opened the wine menu and surprise there it was on the menu. It arrived warm! We then waited and waited, then and someone came to take the glasses away and asked if we would like our bill?
We kept having to ask for things i.e. cutlery, someone to actually tell us the specials and even to take our order. We would have been served by about 4 different wait staff, as no-one could actually be bothered with proper service and were too busy running around.
We eventually asked to speak to someone in charge but didn’t bother as the so called manager/waiter was chatting a way with young lady.
So disappointed that our favourite restaurant seems to have disappeared!!!!!

This is one of our favourite places to go to spend some discretionary cash and indulge our appetite for delicious gastronomy.

I particularly recommend the degustation menu. I tried it one season and I’m still desirous of more.

The favourites – the items which stay on the menu – are good. My experience with the changeable items are various.

One time I had Beef Wellington. I wish I could have more of it.

One time I had whitebait. I made better whitebait plate myself.

Service is excellent, always.

Verdict: I need more money to spend at Number 5.

Hands down the best lamb I have had and that is saying sometyhing! (Lamb and steak is all i ever order). Cute romantic views and friendly staff helped but the food was a great standout for me!

Love your work number five!

When I was ten, my mum was between cooks and we had no option but to go for every meal. We tried pretty much all the fine dining restaurants in Auckland, Number 5 was my favorite and still is. I remember numerous other restaurants that offered my chips and burgers due to my age, and try to talk me out of ordering from the menu, though occasionally some places end up letting me order from the menu, they will turn out half the adult size (usually only half the price). I was always told that adult flavors are not for kids, or I won’t be able to finish the full size meal. The reality was, we would have to go somewhere else after dinner so I can have enough to eat. Number 5 was completely the opposite. The manager lady would greet me, sometimes offer me some oyster, or other sort of delicacy. I can order whatever I want from the menu, and sometimes she would combine two different mains together for me, or get the chef to make me something not on the menu. I found the biggest difference between number 5 and other fine dining restaurant is that number 5 doesn’t treat itself like a restaurant, going to number 5 is more like going for dinner at someone else’s place. There is a real sense of hospitality and pride from people working at number 5. The manager (or owner) lady is truly passionate about food and wine. Take for example the bathroom, one reason I absolutely dislike Orbit and Iguacu is because their toilet reminds me of the toilets in malls, number 5′s toilet isn’t decorated with fancy material or anything, but you can tell that the owner has put a lot of effort into making it comfortable, for example, providing good quality hand soap, the kind you use at home. The food at number are good, maybe not as exciting as some of the other restaurants from oversea, but it is consistent. I never had a bad meal from number 5 in my past 15 years of going there. Number 5 also has a very good wine selection, both local aMorend oversea, the manager (or owner) lady tastes all the wine on the menu and she usually offer excellent advice on which wine to get, one thing quite a lot of other restaurants lack, I am not interested in some waitress or waiter memorizing the description of each wine, I much rather hear it from someone who tried it before. The price for wine are probably on the cheap side when you compare it to other restaurants that charge silly money for wine. The selection is very extensive, you have wine from 10 a glass to several thousand a bottle. I highly recommend number 5, and I wish there are more restaurants like number 5 around. (btw, if you wanna see the opposite of number 5 try Y Not).

Not been here for a while, but wont be leaving it so long next time. Enjoyable from start to finish.
Very friendly relaxed service(from a very young duo) and great food made for a great night out and left my table wondering why there were only 10 people in on a friday night.Big fat scallops and tender venison capaccio where the choice from the entrees, while duck and beef were devoured for our mains. Brave choice to use a cheaper cut of meat in a restaurant of this standing, but it was really nice.Best of all was the desserts, outstanding. Come on Auckland get behind this great little Bistro.

Went here on a Saturday night for a birthday dinner. Lovely decor, great service and a very extensive wine list. Being a beer drinker there were limited options – three to be exact but it made a nice change having wine instead.

Starters were excellent, especially the carpaccio. Mains were good, though a fellow dining partner did find the lamb to be a little chewy and had a bit too much fat on it.

Desserts were amazing. Definitely recommend the Lemon Curd Cheesecake and the brulee.

So 9/10 for food, 9/10 for service and 7/10 for price.

not the best restaurant in the world – when looking for high class flavor – try sidarts around the corner – wine list is wonderful and the staff are the best – 2 out 3 isn’t bad – i will come back again

My partner and myself treated ourselves to a wet weekend in Auckland. We were faced with a challenge for enjoyable a meal out that wasn’t Asian or deep fat fried products. To our surprise we were recommend to number 5 from another top end restaurant.
So there are people in business that know the meaning of networking…
Saturday night and a late booking, so we had to take one of the last available tables. Our hosts for the night were very attentive but perhaps a little eager at times, mainly with constantly returning to fill our water glasses and breaking up conversation flow. Overall, service-wise, we enjoyed our banter with the waiting staff.
Surroundings at “Number 5″ were very pleasant and quite a contrast to other Auckland dining establishments. Loved the open fire and relaxed environment on a cold wet night.
Our meals were created using very traditional menu items. We felt it lacked a little excitement. We both felt our cuts of meat could have been of better quality, but what we did receive was cooked to our requests.
Value for dollars, the entrees and mains were both quite generous in size.
We once again have enjoyed a great weekend in Auckland and will continue to hunt for that special dining experience.

Always a good meal at Number five our steaks were excellent if rather large for our modest English appetites. The starter of Venison was superb we would never had ordered but for the recommendation from the waitress. As for wine the lady really is the best I have had some amazing wines over the years and have never been disappointed. Probably mean not giving last star.
Tony Buckingham

Been here many times and never fail to be impressed.Great service from knowledgeable staff, beautiful food(I personally love the duck entree that the last reviewer disliked. Always a good night out. My favourite in Auckland.

lovely little place – was enchanted by the decor. Tables with lots of room, which is fabulous. Service could have been better – when asked if we could move to the window seat, we were told “i do not have enough time to re-set that table”, even though another waitress kindly moved us later on in the evening.

Had the duck entree – pretentious and so sweet it could be classed as a dessert – quite foul. The mains and desserts (black angus, pork, fondant and brulee) were just fabulous though.

service needs some sprucing.