Mother, from the team behind Lilian, Hotel Ponsonby and Honeybones, has the magic touch. <\/p>\n
\n Since the dawn of time, owners of bars and restaurants have been trying to work out how to get more women into their establishments, with mixed results. When I was growing up in Hamilton one
\n of the local pubs came up with the idea of a \u201cskirt night\u201d where you could purchase Lindauer for $2 a flute so long as you were wearing a skirt. Of course, who were the first 15 people through the door when the promotion opened at 6pm on a Wednesday? The university men\u2019s rugby team of course, all wearing skirts, their fists full of $2 coins because they now didn\u2019t have any pockets.\n <\/p>\n
The guys who own Mother (and Lilian, and Honeybones, and Hotel Ponsonby) don\u2019t have this problem. Women regularly outnumber men in all of their establishments \u2013 sometimes, as when I visited, by as much as 10 to one. Why? <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d one of them shrugged when we asked him. \u201cWe just design somewhere we\u2019d like to go ourselves.\u201d <\/p>\n
Mother has the magic touch. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
These Mother guys have the magic touch, though of course it only feels like magic. In fact, it\u2019s the combination of 1000 small decisions that make a restaurant appealing. The glassware, the colour scheme, the cocktail list, the menu style. Oh, and the $25 glasses of Laurent-Perrier, which democratise (just) the consumption of high-end champagne. <\/p>\n
I myself ordered a \u201cmartini tonic\u201d, which is a great innovation. With a little dash of soft drink in the otherwise intensely alcoholic classic recipe, it becomes more drinkable. It wasn\u2019t a great accompaniment to the food so perhaps try to neck it before you start ordering, but you really should order one. It comes garnished with two \u201csmoked olives\u201d \u2013 first time I\u2019ve seen those, too \u2013 which are unbelievably delicious. <\/p>\n
Much of the menu is familiar but the execution is out of this world. You don\u2019t often see tuna crudo any more and my wife, a crudoholic, reckons this is the best she\u2019s ever tasted. Thick slices of ruby-red fish, dressed in a bright green \u201cKaffir lime oil\u201d with a few wisps of buttermilk as a creamy counter to the citrus. The dressing was sweet and sharp, with those lime leaves imparting a characteristically tropical note to each bite. <\/p>\n
Mother’s tuna crudo and watermelon dishes. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Does anybody look forward to a plate of zucchini? You will after trying them here. They\u2019re sliced into chunks then lightly cooked and pickled, with a really generous wodge of goat\u2019s cheese and a handful of mixed olives. The zucchini\u2019s primary gift to humanity is its texture but, supported with those delicate sweet vinegary flavours, you could almost call it the hero ingredient here. <\/p>\n
Mother\u2019s steak tartare is pretty classic but comes with house bruschetta (they\u2019ve built a cool pizza oven into one of the kitchen walls and use it for daily baking to support the cafe and restaurant). They\u2019d really scorched the bread but surely this was intentional \u2013 it didn\u2019t ruin the flavour but did make it harder to use as a sponge for the sauces, which were rapidly accumulating on our other plates. <\/p>\n
The other standout dish was watermelon, scattered with puffed amaranth in a light lemony dressing. It wasn\u2019t the tastiest thing on the menu but it felt like big mouthfuls of summer. When a chef puts a deeply seasonal piece of produce like melon on the menu you know they\u2019re devoted to making your meal feel connected to the world around you. <\/p>\n
Mother cafe, bakery, restaurant and bar in Grey Lynn. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Mother is in West Lynn, in a block of shops that already features a gourmet fish and chip shop, a Mediterranean food market and a business promoting raw diets for dogs. That is to say, there is no shortage of neighbours willing to spend money on their luxury lifestyles. It\u2019d be easy to say the new restaurant was aimed at that wealthy local market but it feels like it is drawing them in from everywhere. It has achieved a rare thing in restaurants \u2013 somewhere you look forward to simply sitting down and becoming part of the picturesque scene. The fact the food, drinks and service are impeccable make this a perfect addition to the Auckland scene. <\/p>\n
Address: 403 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn <\/p>\n
Contact: Motherauckland.co.nz, Instagram.com\/mother.akl<\/p>\n
Reservations: Not accepted <\/p>\n
Hours (bar\/restaurant): Wednesday to Sunday, 3.30pm to late <\/p>\n
From the menu: tuna crudo $26, steak tartare $26, watermelon with amaranth $22, zucchini with goats cheese $24, wild prawns (price not listed), crayfish piquillo $29, chocolate mousse (price not listed), olive oil and salt $16, Laurent-Perrier by the glass $25 <\/p>\n
Score: 0-7 Steer clear. 8-12 Disappointing, give it a miss. 13-15 Good, give it a go. 16-18 Great, plan a visit. 19-20 Outstanding, don\u2019t delay.<\/p>\n
According to dining out editor Jesse Mulligan.<\/p>\n