The time has come when our calendars are bursting with dinner reservations and our wallets are significantly lighter. Or are they? Enter Eat Drink Love Ponsonby: the month-long festival dedicated to tempting you with exciting limited edition eats, special set menus, and penny-saving deals. Basically, your best excuse to shoo away any invite that doesn't involve dining out, in favour of a fully-loaded eating and drinking programme at our favourite strip.
The return this year also sees the start of two handy additions: a wishlist function and a special category for brunch creations. So grab your planner and round up your foodie friends, here are all the best menus you need to devour this year at Eat Drink Love Ponsonby.
The Best EDLP Menus At A Glance
Everything $30 And Under
Copain Boulangerie Patisserie
55 Mackelvie Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Image credit: Copain | Babiche Martens
Slide your tiny sunglasses to the tip of your nose and perfect your shrug, we’re cosplaying Parisiennes this May. Take yourself to Copain and order a Dèjeuner Parisien. It’s a ham and emmental (literally called Le Parisien) baguette sammie, a flan and the national drink, Orangina (Fanta could never). Considering this little regalade (part of Eat Drink Love Ponsonby’s new brunch category, FYI) only sets you back $20, you’ll be set in spirit for a spot of window shopping in The Shelter across the road.
Hotel Ponsonby
St Marys Road, Saint Marys Bay, Auckland
Speaking of European sensibilities, a bang-for-buck version of the long bistro lunch is on the cards at Hotel Ponsonby. Except this time, it’s express. Depending on how quickly you decide on your second course because after all, it is a tough choice between Vodka battered fish and chips with curry mayo and bavette steak with frites and salsa verde. The good thing is, kahawai rillettes on focaccia (the first course) are yours to nibble on while you mull it over. Set your OOO, this one’s only available from 12pm to 5pm on weekdays.
Deadshot
45 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Firmly relegating cocktails from side-act status this season is Deadshot, who is putting their trust in us to create liquid creations. Two mini cocktails will land before you—complete with garnishing bits and bobs—and just like that, you’re the artist of your own liquid creation for all but $25 to $30.
Everything Between $30 And $50
Bali Nights
4 Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn, Auckland
If you’ve ever found yourself in the painstaking predicament of whittling down your choices of Bali Nights’ dishes, chances are this menu will sit right with you. Satay platters, beef rendang croquettes, beef ribs, a glass of rosé, coconut ice cream and banana fritters, and a Balinese salad for good measure—this is the Balinese three-course menu. Basically, it’s a platter within a banquet and we’re here for it. There’s also a tapas take on this offering, wine included, for just $30.
The Broken Lantern
198 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
Three dishes for $45 means the math is well and truly math-ing. A totally plant-based menu—or rather, the Plant Based Party—awaits at The Broken Lantern, proving that elevated pub grub can absolutely sidestep meats, and good things do come in three. Potato gnocchi with cashew cream, sautéed greens with lemon and a vegan-cheese-dusted Caesar salad, to be specific.
Okumnandi
295 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
Image credit: Okumnandi | Babiche Martens
Speaking of bang for buck—after all, ‘tis the essence of Eat Drink Love Ponsonby—let us once again sing the praises of Okumnandi. Two courses. Forty Dollars. Considering you’ve got bunny chow (soup in artisan bread), biltong, pap balls and more to choose between, it’s clear multiple visits for the taste of South Africa menu is in order.
The Blue Breeze Inn
146 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby Central, Auckland
San Choy Bau is delightful at the best of times. Throw in an island twist, a prime spot to watch passers-by, the joy of a walk-in option, and you’ve got all the flavours for a breezy dinner-time theatre moment. For $38 a pop at The Blue Breeze Inn, a medley of prawn and pork mince is yours to scoop up with cucumber, pineapple, herbs and a sugar palm dressing.
Everything $50 And Over
Sidart
283 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland
Image credit: Sidart | Alex McVinnie
If you've been meaning to try the Ponsonby Road stalwart Sidart for some time, take this as your sign to finally do it. From Tuesday until Saturday for dinner and Saturday lunch, this fine dining spot is offering a jaw-dropping five-course tasting menu until May 28. Experience three tantalising snacks to set the stage, then dive into Ruakaka kingfish with creamy coconut and vibrant mandarin. Savour Chef Lesley’s mum's Fish Curry with succulent prawns and hearty cassava then indulge in 100-day Aged Wagyu Beef with earthy taro leaves and savoury black garlic. Finally, enjoy Dreamview Milk Sorbet with tangy sorrel and aromatic kaffir lime. All this for $90? Woof. Bookings essential.
Eat Mi Ponsonby
80 Mackelvie Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland
When you see a menu named ‘Vietnamese Feast’ in Eat Drink Love Ponsonby, you really have no choice but to order it. A feast of coconut pork, pork banh mi, two lemongrass chicken buns, two bottles of juice, and $52 later, you’ll have to thank yourself—and Ponsonby’s Eat Mi—for dishing it out. Best of all, there’s no limit on how many diners can join in. Feast for yourself, wrangle a friend—it’s all a go.
GAJA
4 Brown Street, Ponsonby, Auckland
Image credit: Gaja | Babiche Martens
With a name like Nom Nom Chicken, you’re only going to have a good time. Pair it with oi cucumber, kimchi fried rice and two glasses of either a peach nuna cocktail or Korean lager, and you’ve got a home run with GAJA’s $55 Korean shared deal. Oh, and don’t you worry plant-based pals, subbing out your chicken for crispy eggplant is on the cards.
KOL
23 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland
So fun fact: you’ve actually got an important late-afternoon business meeting in Ponsonby this May. Specifically, at KOL. Even more specifically with two surprise cocktails or craft beers, a double dose of prawn toast, some vindaloo fries and goat's cheese with porcini in the ‘Taste of KOL’ special. Now that’s an agenda worth popping into the aforementioned non-negotiable “meeting” sometime between 4pm and 6pm for a cool $70.
Azabu Ponsonby
26 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Consider May your ticket to sample the most stand-out dishes from one of Auckland’s sleekest sushi destinations, for a slither of the price. We’re talking about none other than the taste of Azabu menu, which sets you back $55 a person and lands you in the lap of seared truffle beef or tuna tostadas, your choice of temaki, dumplings, ceviche and quite possibly the world’s most chic pork belly, salmon or tofu katsu. Hop to it, foodies, these courses won't devour themselves.
These deals are just the tip of the EDLP iceberg—there are so many other great offers and events to be had and You can find them all over here.
Main image credit: Blue Breeze Inn | Babiche Martens
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Leading image credit: Eat Drink Love Ponsonby | Babiche Martens