Ada Restaurant

The Verdict

Travelling across the busy Auckland strip of Great North Road, you’d easily drive past if you didn’t know about this dreamy food haven. The ex-convent, tucked away in Grey Lynn, has since been converted into a beautiful boutique hotel with a sun-lit bistro called Ada. Having changed hands a couple of years ago, Aaron and Fran of rockstar hospitality fame (with projects across Tāmaki such as St. Marg’s, Pie Rollas, Major Tom, Hello Friends + Allies, Winona Forever, Just Like Martha, Rude Boy, and Friday I’m In Love to name a few) reimagined Ada with modern Māori twists to our culinary scene thanks to the beautiful kai from Chef Kia Kanuta and the team. For those who knew about that squid ink spaghetti with paua cream (and a rēwana fry bread mop)—you’d already know Ada is a pretty magical place.

After Chef Kia’s announcement to move on from Ada to focus on family last year, we wondered who would take on Ada’s next chapter. Cue: Chef Alfie Ingham (ex chef-owner of Hugo’s Bistro, and for those lucky enough—from pop-ups such as XO Mangal at Satya K’Road and his chef’s residency at Roses). For those who haven’t yet been introduced to Alfie’s culinary style, you’re in for an absolute treat.

Relaxed, pared back and bringing the homely vibes reminiscent of a European bistro in the countryside—Alfie’s approach to his new menu at Ada has the bones of European soul food but with a Kiwi pep in his step. Forget copious amounts of cream and butter and bring in a hefty glug of olive oil—locally grown Wairarapa Lot 8 olive oil at that—and the creaminess of ajo blanco (essentially garlic bread in lush, sauce form).

Alfie greets us with a warm hug and focaccia dough which he’s about to massage with olive oil and herbs from the garden—a beautiful harmony of fragrant herbs grown just a step away outside, in Ada’s courtyard. We grab a seat at the beautiful long wooden table, enjoying the aroma of freshly baked focaccia. The details are well thought out, even down to our sparkling water—with a sprig of basil from the garden, for a welcome herbaceous refreshment on this sunny afternoon. Exposed brick, textural stucco and pops of lush green from the decor and indoor plants transport you to somewhere far, far away from the bustling Great North Road. 

It feels like having lunch at a friend’s home. The dishes come out, plates of summer—or “bits and bobs”, as Alfie so casually says, as he serves them to us straight from the kitchen. The kitchen pass is only a step away, an open kitchen of sorts, and you can see (and hear) the crunch of the bread being cut, the lick of a flame, the click of the oven doors. 

We start with heirloom tomatoes at the peak of their beefy savouriness, going hand in hand with sweet stonefruit (juicy white-fleshed peaches), sitting on top of a bed of Clevedon mozzarella. Seasoned with hearty basil from the garden, another good glug of olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt—it’s all you need. The produce speaks for itself, as Alfie says. Yet, we know it takes someone with such knowledge, skill and attentiveness to coax those flavours out with pairings which appear so seemingly simple. 

We graze on slices of fresh market fish of the day, alongside plump slithers of roasted red peppers bringing a hint of sweet with salty pops of capers and colatura (a.k.a liquid anchovies). It’s light summer fare, thoughtfully curated according to the texture, flavours and the season. 

For main dishes, opt for beautifully cooked deer with sweet, juicy cherries, charred bitter witloof and luxurious popcorn-sized bites of smoked bone marrow. Fresh tarragon flowers bring a hint of anise to break up the rich, savoury gravy—save a chunk of focaccia for that essential sauce mop. Vegetarians can opt for fresh handmade pasta, plump rows of agnolotti pillows stuffed with creamy ricotta, nestled in sweetcorn dressed with nutty browned butter and shavings of Parmesan. 

Alfie’s favourite dish of the moment? Shishito peppers from up north—a spicy roulette, with every third one being spicier than the others—blistered until they’re salivatingly sweet. Throw in the crunch of whole almonds, and juicy halves of dark purple grapes on a bed of ajo blanco. You’d be surprised it’s effortlessly vegan too, without feeling forced into dietary restrictions.

We finish our savoury summer fare with an ice cream menu (yes, you heard that right). House-made fig leaf ice cream from the fig tree in the garden—a grassy coconut vibe which is ultra refreshing and not too sweet. Paired with crunchy bits of bittersweet honeycomb and juicy raspberries, it’s like a little textural mouth party for your sweet tooth. Get one of everything— the olive oil ice cream with peach prosecco and lemon verbena granita was like a grown-up fruju but better. Thanks to the wonderful garden outside, we’re expecting a sorbet with pineapple sage to be added to the menu soon.

We left our long lunch feeling inspired by the beauty of summer produce here in our backyard (or, in this case, in Ada’s). Alfie’s menu will change as produce seasons come and go, but you won’t have to wait three months for a menu change. It’ll depend on what’s available locally, and what’s growing in the garden. If you’re lucky to get a spot at their iconic Sunday long lunches then you will get a chance to try any new dishes there first (and at an absolute steal at $69 for five courses with a glass of refreshing bubbly in hand).

This is Ada 2.0.

Words: Vicki Young | Image credit: Ada via Instagram. 

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