Stafford Road Wine Bar is easy to miss if you aren't looking for it. Tucked away in quiet Northcote adjacent to its sister store, Point Wines. Even the name is unassuming. A wine bar, after all, does not conjure up mental images of culinary excellence or a dinner destination. They are usually places that you stop off at en route to or from somewhere else. Nevertheless, Stafford Road Wine Bar has proven to be one of the best (if not the best) finds of the year.
The decor of this little tapas and wine bar is instantly soothing and comforting. Wrought iron outdoor furniture graces the brickwork pavement outside, and comfortable couches skirt the walls of the interior. There's more brickwork too under the artfully torn wallpaper, and more wrought iron in the chandeliers hanging from the wood paneled ceiling. It's well staffed too for a restaurant of its size. We visited on a Sunday night and we spotted four dining room/bar staff catering to just four tables, including ours.
And while on the subject of staffing, it must be said that the service at Stafford Road Wine Bar was exceptional. Jeremy Evans, the Maître d' and General Manager, greeted us with warmth, humour and sincerity. It seems so simple put down in those words, yet the level of service we enjoyed at Stafford Road is so often missed at more expensive establishments such as Soul Bar & Bistro.
We settled into a corner table which gave us a great view of the restaurant and the other diners. We were immediately brought water and menus, which were explained to us and we were left to make our decisions. The wine list at Stafford Road is amazing, featuring top New Zealand labels mixed in Australian and European offerings. Stafford Road offers wine by the 150mL glass, 375mL carafe or by the bottle, options I am very much in favour of, as I often like a bit more than one glass, but do not drink anywhere near enough to one bottle. I settled on the Hay Paddock Harvest Man Syrah and I would thoroughly recommend this to any fan of this breed of red wine.
After a quick chat with Jeremy, we decided on our meal. We decided on the chicken liver pate, patatas bravas, butterflied prawns & pineapple and a spanish tasting plate that included jamon, chorizo, calamari, olives, sun dried tomatoes and a small salad. All of the dishes were very good. The pate and patatas bravas were not quite as good as other example we have sampled elsewhere, but they were still delicious and ample in quantity. Eva loved the texture of the pate, and I was particularly happy about the fact that for once, someone had managed to get the correct bread to pate ratio. The patatas were probably a tad too soft for my liking (I prefer it a bit crispy) but they were beautifully seasoned with a slight spicy kick in the after taste that I really enjoyed.
Where Stafford Road really came into their own however was with the spanish tasting plate and the prawns. The prawns were cooked to perfection and flavoured superbly. An excellent example of top notch seafood. The tasting plate was the highlight of the meal however, as it was home to Stafford Road's best kept secret. The chorizo. The first mouthful had me in heaven. I cannot even begin to describe how amazing this humble little spanish sausage was. Spicy, flavoursome and just downright awesome, this is without a doubt the best chorizo in Auckland and I very much doubt you would find a better example outside of Spain. I expressed this utter rapture to Jeremy who informed me that the secret lay in the fact that he imported his sausages and other select ingredients directly from Spain. However he did it, I'm glad he did because that chorizo is not to be missed. The calamari is also worthy of mention, as it was also cooked superbly and had an amazing texture.
My only regret from the night was that I did not have my camera, as I would have dearly loved to have shown you the beautiful food presentation and decor from that night. Rest assured however, that I will be back soon for more of that chorizo, and pictures will follow. At under $75 for four tapas (one of them a large tasting plate for two) a glass of wine and a glass of orange juice, Stafford Road Wine Bar proves that great food and a good night out does not have to break the bank. Great job Mr. Evans! You've managed to knock Kermadec Restaurant from the number 3 perch on my list of favourite restaurants in Auckland.
Vital Stats:
Address: 141 Queen St, Northcote Point, North Shore City
Phone: (09) 480 2690
Class of Restaurant: Tapas Bar. Smart Casual seemed to be the norm, but we did see one table quite formally dressed
Parking: Plenty of on street parking outside the restaurant or on the streets nearby.
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