Rosie, Parnell (NZ) by Bilby Blue

It had been a hectic day at the office, and lunch had been overlooked in the rush to meet deadlines. I deserved a special treat and Rosie – one of the eateries in Auckland’s Hip Group – looked like it could deliver the goods.

Its focus is on locally sourced, fresh, seasonal food, with the aim of letting the ingredients shine. And based on my experience, Rosie totally nailed it.

When dining solo, I rarely have more than a main and dessert, but the entrée options sounded so good that I could not resist going that extra distance. For my entrée I chose the special of the day: fried zucchini flowers (from the Hip Group’s own farm) stuffed with pinenuts and feta, with charred zucchini, radish and zucchini puree. It was a great dish (the photograph does not do it justice). The feta by itself was extremely salty, but worked brilliantly when eaten together with the incredibly smooth zucchini puree.

For my main course, I thought the market fish would be a light option, given that I was planning to tackle a dessert as well. Panfried tarakihi fillets with corn, radicchio and thinly sliced radish on a tomato puree was a lovely melange of freshness (again the photograph does not do it justice). Perfectly cooked fish paired with bitterness from the radicchio and sweetness from the corn and the tomato. Again a dish in which the individual elements combine wonderfully.

And for dessert… passionfruit is one of my favourites, and so it was hard to go past the Rosie baby doughnuts with passionfruit curd and peach. The doughnuts were tiny – about 3cm in diameter – very light, with a crispy outside and soft fluffiness inside, nestled in a shallow pool of smooth fruity curd. Fresh peaches in small dice and a big dollop of fresh passionfruit tumbled over the top. A very pretty dish and a great finish.

Service was excellent and unobtrusive, making a solo diner feel most welcome. A newspaper was found for me to read while waiting, the food arrived promptly, and the empty plates whisked away as soon as I had finished. Also welcome was the complimentary sparkling water.

With windows wrapped around two sides of the dining area it was a very pleasant spot to sit and watch the world go by.

Verdict

We loved it.

Overall

Great food, superior service and all for a reasonable price. Rosie is understandably a popular spot with locals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I will definitely be returning.

Find it at

Rosie
82 Gladstone Road
Parnell, Auckland
New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 524 8253