Merchants of Venice

23 Feb 2012

Good company, fabulous food, a birthday to celebrate and bubbles, glorious bubbles - what better excuse for another Ferry Girls outing!

The birthday girl, Miss L, decided Merchants of Venice, located on the picturesque North Wharf was the restaurant de jour.

With an upbeat spring in our steps and a few bubbles imbibed along the way, the short trek from Downtown to North Wharf was made in satisfactory time, with the many sights of a bustling Auckland waterfront enjoyed along the way.

The Service
At Merchants of Venice, our party of six Ferry Girls were greeted by their super friendly and efficient front of house staff.  With an extensive knowledge of the wine list (big tick) and a friendly 'nothing is too much trouble' attitude, we were quickly seated at our reserved table.  Imagine our surprise and delight when we saw our name 'The Ferry Girls' chalked up on a tile as a reservation place holder - a nice touch and made even more special as the delightful waitress advised we could take it home!

The Food
Both the wine list and the menu were extensive, with just enough choice to feel indecisive, but not large enough to feel overwhelmed.

Orders were quickly and effeciently taken, with helpful suggestions as to what were favourites and best sellers.  From pasta to pizza, fish and chicken, Saltimbocca to Polenta there was something for everyone and everything in between.

Starters
Two bread and dips to share ($8.00 each) arrived quickly and were equally quickly devoured.  Comments included lovely, freshly baked and still warm.  Voting by the Ferry Girls was taken and an overall rating of 3.6 out of 5 was awarded for the Starter.  

Mains
The Birthday Girl, Miss L, ordered Risotto Gamberoni E Zucchini ($28), who commented that it was Excellent! Flavoursome! Beautiful!  Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Miss J decided that Petto Di Pollo E Speck with Dolcelatte (28) was the dish for her.  With a smack of her lips, she declared that it was the nicest Italian she had ever had in New Zealand and was on par with Italian foods eaten in Italy.  Rating: 4.5 / 5
Miss A insisted that Pesce Del Giorno ($36) was exactly what she wanted, exclaiming that the delightfully presented dish was Sensational!  Rating: 4.5 / 5
Miss D ordered Saltimbocca Alla Romana ($32), commenting that it was tender and succulent.  Rating: 4 / 5
Miss P also ordered the Pesce Del Giorno, arriving at a similiar conclusion as Miss A - Fantastico!  Rating: 4.5 /5
And me Miss D2, well I couldn't decide, and after a game of eenie, meenie, meinie, mo, the Petto Di Pollo E Speck won out.  With a lick of the plate so as not to miss a single morsel, it was declared a winner.  Rating: 4.5 / 5

Desserts
Miss L and Miss A shared a plate of 'very, very nice' Profiteroles (rated 4.5 / 5).  Miss D2 and Miss J shared a Cassata (rated 3 / 5) and commented that it was only 'average'.  Miss P declared 'I could have kept on eating' the Pannacota, rating it 5 / 5 - 100% success!  Miss D indulged in the Tiramisu and commented that it was Fabulous and light (rated 4.5 / 5).

Wine
The wine expert amongst us - you know who you are, declared that she was quite pleased with the wine list - a true compliment from a wine connesiour.

The rest
Ambience: rated 4 /5 and noted that it was a lovely restaurant and highly recommendable.
The Ladies Room: rated 3.5 /5 as it was clean and tidy with a couple of cubicles - so no waiting (often ideal after imbibing in a few delicious bubbles).
Service: A++, a real 5 /5.  The waitress was exceptional, attentive but not over bearing, friendly.
Value for money:  at $360 for six Ferry Girls, it was a little on the pricey side.  But it was totally worth it for a fun girls night out or equally a romantic dinner for two. 

Overall
With the marvellous service, knowledge of the menu and wine list and the great view of the harbour, this is a restaurant I would highly recommend as a must do on the ever changing Auckland waterfront.  Overall rating 4.5 /5.

Thanks for having us and thanks for the fabulous name plate!
http://www.northwharf.co.nz/Eateries/Merchants-of-Venice.aspx