Clooney Restaurant Review

I think you have to be just going for the taste, which was pretty interesting, but the portions are all tiny, so don't go with a big appetite. Seemed like a lot of money to go home hungry, but I appreciate others will like style over quantity. Nevertheless what I really hated was the dark almost old communist bloc feel to the decor and atmosphere. Reminded me more of a seedy Instanbul or Berlin bar, than a topnotch restaurant. Sorry but not my thing.

Industrial, modern, dark and intimate interior, outstanding food, a very interesting wine list (featuring many half bottles, by the glass wines and of course wine pairing options) and very helpful, warm and professional service have made this a real gourmet highlight! The tasting menu is absolutely recommended, but if you prefer fewer dishes but more of what you like, there is an a la carte menu, as well.

Elegant, lovely, and glam - the food, ambiance and service. Highly recommend for a special night out. Especially the cauliflower.

Excellent thought and imagination gone into each dish, the wines are very clever too. Each dish tells a story and pushes food, presentation and taste to the limit. Interior is modern and creates the perfect atmosphere. Highly recommended.

A lots of highlight of meals in their degustation menu, use quite lot of new cooking techniques on their cooking. The selection of wine menu is not surprised but good. The paired juices are amazing which is something new, but work perfectly with their meals. Only reason mark down a star, one of the wine in their menu has been marked a wrong year, other table's order has accidently added into our final bill by a mistake. Overall we had a wonderful night in Clooney.

Amazing journey at Clooney last night. Husband had the wine pairing and I was able to enjoy a juice pairing..... what a wonderful idea....
Thank you so much, will definitely be back again.

As always Clooney is a stand out for service, food, wine and ambience and my absolute favourite fine dining experience in Auckland . The service is faultless , the food extraordinary, the wine list extensive and it s a reason I recommend Clooney to everyone I know.

Outstanding and extraordinary dining delight! Fabulous degustation menu, full of wonderful imaginative surprises and twists on Kiwi classics. Impeccable wine pairings. Service was exemplary as you would expect with fine dining. Ambience, serene and sophisticated. Absolutely smitten with Clooney's. Definitely one of New Zealand's finest restaurants. Very deserving of it's three hats.

This is one of Auckland's most spectacular restaurants. My wife and I enjoyed our anniversary dinner here and, after a 7 course degustation menu with wine pairing, were incredibly impressed. The atmosphere and mood of the place suited the fine dining experience of the restaurant. Very highly recommended.

Really a world class fine dinning in New Zealand, worth trying before they close down.

Amazing food, fantastic atmosphere, and immaculate service absolutely loved it!

Delicious food, intimate and sophisticated setting. Every time I have visited has been an absolute pleasure, the staff is delightful and attentive and the food stays on your mind for weeks after you ve eaten it. Will miss this New Zealand icon!

Dined here last month. Had the 9 course degustation menu.
The food was delicious, service excellent.
Each course was spectacular - nothing was ordinary. You can tell that the staff are all very passionate about food and wine, which I loved!

I cannot fault this place on anything. We've been here a few times now and consistently had excellent service, delicious food and fantastic wine. Easy parking for a place so central. This is a very good restaurant, one of my favourite ones in Auckland. Reservations are recommended and there's a function hall downstairs.

Great food and service. One of Auckland's best degustation menus.

Came here for a birthday dinner and was blown away by the quality of food here. Each dish was creative, beautifully presented, using sustainable ingredients and perfectly executed. It is a shame that the restaurant is closing down soon. Glad I got to try it before it closes.

How does one even begin to describe a dining experience like Clooney? A fine-dining restaurant with three hats to its name and every bit deserving of them, we chose Clooney for our anniversary dinner in Auckland, so it was a special occasion for us, and indeed very special it was.

We dined from a three-course a la carte menu but if you think three courses would be the only offer you are mistaken; with the additional snacks , amouse bouches, breads and palate cleansers gifted from the kitchen, three courses quickly became eight, much to our delight, and representing fantastic value for money for the night.

To talk about the space and the service before discussing the cuisine; enchanting. Clooney has a very elegant, pared back eating arrangement, with soft spotlights and clever use of string curtains to create the illusion of intimacy and privacy between tables. We had such warm and pleasant service from our main waiter for the evening, he saw it was a special occasion for us and really made it feel like our night, and was patient with all the photos I was taking! I found the sommelier a little less warm, and he seemed to struggle with the concept of a basic drink that I requested as a brandy & soda, noting there was no brandy on the menu. But no matter; I do understand that Somms are highly specialized beasts, more suited to the task of pairing food with astronomically priced and prized bottles of wine than base beverage details. I secured from him an Icelandic gin & tonic which suited my palate just fine however, and happily so!

So do I recount a blow-by-blow description of our eight dishes, to deconstruct, to describe how wonderful they were? I think not. For a start, it would be a mammoth reading for any review. And second to that, I don t think words would do it justice. Just know that it is cutting-edge cuisine by a chef at the top of his game using the very best ingredients he can forage and get his hands on. Every bite balanced, succinct, a pleasure to eat. Highlights included the beef tartare starter, and the playful hokey-pokey ice cream stick for dessert, but in truth every plate was a star in its own right.

We were sad to hear that Clooney now has an expiration date, being shut down and a new vision taking its place in the same space by the same chef in early 2018. I m sure it will be excellent, but as long as Clooney exists I can urge anyone to give it a taste before it is gone. It will be well and truly worth it.

Really enjoyed the new menu. Every meal was delicious and a wonderful experience.

One of the top 5 restaurant experiences of my life. Amazing food - Michelin star quality, great wine matches and a seductive ambiance made for an amazing evening

Although the food doesn't really fill u. But the atmosphere and the service was unbelievably amazing

The Clooney team treated us to an excellent dining experience. Presentation was perfect. Service exactly how you wantThe atmosphere let romance flourish. Thank you.

We have been there couple of times, and so far it has been a reliable fine dining spot. If you are a fan of Expresso Martinis then it is a must try item here as they are the best and most authentic in Auckland! The seating arrangement can be bit improved as there are always at least 4 other people facing you (from other tables) at any given time regardless where you end up being seated (except for the head table, which is more secluded and ideal for larger groups.
Be aware that on certain days, they only offer degustation menu. The degustation was bit of a let down for us. Presentation and stories behind the dishes were excellent and informative. There were some superb dishes there, but at the same time some of the dishes weren't too special (considering the money you are spending).
There were people smoking right outside the bar entrance, and the smoke was coming in because Clooney had the door open.
I probably wouldn't go here again, but definitely worth a visit if you haven't for the unique experience that you won't find anywhere else in Auckland

Wonderful food with wonderful service. It's a shame this place is closing in a months time. Visit if you get the chance

Been there a few times now. I used to really enjoy it but recently the food has taken a nose dive. If you want to pay 40$ for an average main, this is the place for you....

We finally managed to leave New Zealand mediocrity behind. We had the six course tasting menu with matching wines and it was superb. I'd rate it a 28 out of 30. Absolutely worth the money.

Came by as part of the Food month as they had a special dining menu. We had to come by before they closed.
We came through the bar entrance and as we turned the corner the dining area wowed us with the flowing curtains and the separated dining areas. After being seated the sommelier came up and gave us advice on drink choices.
The menu was a make your own three course meal from a selection of dishes. There was also canapes and bread that came along with the meal.
The first canape was really interesting, a tribute to oysters served over smoking rocks. They also had a tribute to NZ with "fish and chips" with "L&P".
The food was very interesting and fun. The names didn't tell you much and the presentation was great. Most importantly, the food was delicious. For me, the standout dishes were the octopus and the rhubarb. Both just tasted amazing and were just memorable. The mandarin was close to the top as well.
It is quite sad that this place is closing because it is really good. I now know why its always been one of the top restaurants in Auckland.

Always an outstanding dining experience, tables are dimly lit and intimate, food is delicious and portion sizes are perfect!

This is one of my favorite restaurants. The inside is just sexy and the lighting is just right, the fine dining experience is super and the staff are friendly, good food foes down very well when your service staff are welcoming and friendly. Evertime we are here i leave with the feeling cant wait ro come back vibe. 5stars for me.

Simply Top was one of the best restaurants I have ever been to.

Came by as part of the Food month as they had a special dining menu. We had to come by before they closed. We came through the bar entrance and as we turned the corner the dining area wowed us with the flowing curtains and the separated dining areas. After being seated the sommelier came up and gave us advice on drink choices. The menu was a make your own three course meal from a selection of dishes. There was also canapes and bread that came along with the meal. The first canape was really interesting, a tribute to oysters served over smoking rocks. They also had a tribute to NZ with "fish and chips" with "L&P". The food was very interesting and fun. The names didn't tell you much and the presentation was great. Most importantly, the food was delicious. For me, the standout dishes were the octopus and the rhubarb. Both just tasted amazing and were just memorable. The mandarin was close to the top as well. It is quite sad that this place is closing because it is really good. I now know why its always been one of the top restaurants in Auckland.

Seriously, beyond amazing. You won't regret dining here. They tell you a story of NZ cuisine spectacularly.

Clooney was as good as I remember. We had a great time. Please fix your coffee machine. So it comes out hot.

Excellent food and service. Most everything tasted really good and the presentation was very nice. Only the wagyu was a bit tough to chew. The flavors all meshed well within each plate. Also tried the blue duck vodka which was smooth and a bit sweet. And the Te Rere Shiraz went well with the meat dishes in the meal. The duck was probably my favorite of the courses.

Clooney is regularly featured near the top of the Top 50 restaurants in Auckland. Tucked away in a quieter part of the city, diners can enjoy a peaceful retreat where the focus is on spectacular meals. The degustation menu is inspirational, with some unique New Zealand themes, all prepared to the highest standard and served by knowledgeable staff. Wine pairings are excellent and offers the chance to try some different styles. This is a unique dining experience suitable for a very special event. Definitely not to be rushed, we took over four hours from pre-dinner cocktails to the coffee, but enjoyed every minute.

Wonderful food, intamite, and great advice for the excellent wine selection.

Food made both of us a bit sick on the next day. We had prawns and fish. Average food, but good service. Overall, not worth it.

Very top-end food, well presented and very subtle flavours. Pity our (French) waiter didn't really add to the experience. Also swamped with MANY fruitflies throughout the whole evening, which was weird!

Chocolate mushrooms are great. Food pretty good. Portion sizes very small. Lamb rack tasty but one small rib for main left my protein intake well down for the day.

Wonderful food with wonderful service. It's a shame this place is closing in a months time. Visit if you get the chance

Fancy, great services making us like king and queen food is beautiful - for the main we need more veges too rather than just piece of me working fish. Their wine list isn't big - quite small.