The Grill - Auckland

Bring a big appetite,” the receptionist warned, as she jollied through our phone reservation for The Grill. I thought
we had done so, until the generous portions of perfect, succulent steak, some up to three inches thick, challenged our capacity.

The glossy new addition to the SkyCity stable, The Grill is Sydney restaurateur Sean Connolly’s paean to red meat. With around 20 staff on the floor and swarming through the open expanse of white-tiled kitchen, it has the buzz of a New York steak house, along with a substantial infusion of excitement. The main floor is clubby with brooding, dark-leather panelling and umbral wooden walls, while the mezzanine is more open but still confidential. Den-like and cosy, it is also engaging and inviting.

There’s a modest “raw bar” but the main meat acts hang out in their own glass-fronted cabinet, among them five- to six-week dry-aged Australian Black Angus T-bone at $80 for a twin-share 1kg slab – which I thought not bad value.

Freshly grated wasabi root and natural pickled ginger added spark to a shared plate of five selections of perfect sashimi, sampled as we charted the courses ahead. Ross, the duty manager, fell promptly to mixing our steak tartare at the table, quietly discussing the variations proposed, such as smoked agridulce paprika, and offering samples for us to comment on seasoning as he mixed. Our other entree was Connolly’s Cambridge duck and foie gras pie floater – a green pea puree ring around a moon of rich, shredded duck swooning under a medallion of tasty pâté de foie gras.

The long manifest of intriguing imported and local wines was outstanding, showing the clear hand and head of Jeremy Ellis, SkyCity’s head sommelier. Anna, our main server, navigated us through the list with erudite comments about the salinity and concentration of the pinots, and showed exemplary skill in food and wine matching. Despite a capacity crowd, she and the other staff we encountered were all attentive and calm under pressure, willingly discussing dishes, intimately familiar with ingredients and their treatment and happy for us to order progressively.

Our flavourful, high-temperature chargrilled fillet on the bone “with garlic and parsley butter” arrived unbuttered, a detail quickly attended to when we pointed it out. Armoury was a beautifully hand-finished and razor-edged Peter Lorimer steak knife. Blunt dish descriptions reflect The Grill’s no-nonsense approach – few chefs are bold enough to write “pork chop” on a high-profile menu. Many, however, would love the budget to pen the word “caviar” – $250 for 30g.

I opted for the snapper which was disappointingly thin and dry. But the four caramelised scallops on top had fared better than their transport and the whole looked good on a colourful, tasty anise carrot puree.

Tempting salads included beetroot, cress, goat’s curd and pink grapefruit or a bitter-fest of radicchio, witloof and endive. And the Salash smallgoods, made by a local Slovenian family, will certainly be on the list for our next visit, along with the suckling pig platter.

Yes, there were some grumps. Bread was not offered to us, though it was to other tables, napkins were on the endangered species list and lighting dimmers had a mind of their own. Teething problems?

Creme caramel was silky, nestling beneath a sweet, light caramel syrup. The cheesecake, meanwhile, was served deconstructed: airily light quenelles of cream cheese filling foiled by piquant dried raspberries.

The Grill is a rather grown-up restaurant, run with enthusiasm and aplomb by diligent career professionals. Just take care to bring that big appetite.

SkyCity Grand, 90 Federal St, City, ph: 09-363 7067
Sat-Thurs 12pm-2.30pm & 5.30pm-10.30pm
Fri 12pm-10:30pm
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