Culprit

Amindha Fernando★★★★★★★★★★5.0a month ago

My wife and I come back here year after year for a reason. It's different, it's inventive and most importantly, it's delicious. The set menu is a gem because each dish is curated and each bite is better than before. The standouts were the mussel hush puppies, beef croquettes, the burnt brussel sprouts, the lamb main and of course, the jetplanes. If you're looking for a solid inner city dinner spot, this is your place.

Hercules★★★★★★★★★★5.04 months ago

We were recommended Culprit during our visit to Auckland, and it absolutely didn’t disappoint. From the moment we arrived, the service was excellent attentive without being intrusive and the timing of each course was spot on. Every dish felt well thought out and intentional. We opted for the tasting menu through First Table, and it was outstanding value. That said, even at full price I’d happily return, as the pricing feels completely reasonable for the quality delivered. A special mention goes to the duck stuffed with pork, which was a standout main and something I’d highly recommend. On a second note, purely from my own experience, the overall visit to Culprit was better than my experience at Paris Butter. Culprit felt more cohesive, more enjoyable, and ultimately more memorable. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

D S★★★★★★★★★★2.04 months ago

A major let down. We were very excited to visit Culprit for the first time based off the large number of positive reviews. The restaurant appealed to us as we were after a mid to fine dining experience with influence of New Zealand cuisine or ingredients. Based off this being tasting menu only and the concept of this restaurant we thought it was perfect. The menu consists of three courses, the first two are small bite size options and the final course is a shared main. All of these small plate/bites were incredibly underwhelming. The flavours lacked any depth and any seasoning felt over powered by raw spices (mainly paprika) or sauces that tasted purchased instead of made in house. It was also concerning that such a large proportion of the dishes were deep fried which feels like a really lazy and cheap technique to try and make food taste good. This is followed by the fact that our main was just shredded duck (other guests of the evening seemed to have legs included)? This lacked any impressive technique that suggested the kitchen knows how to properly handle any meat. The sauce for the duck was the worst of the night, incredibly sweet and salty and once again tasting like something you could buy at the supermarket and we couldn’t finish it. The flavours of the evening were more inspired by the US or Asia and I felt that any kiwi ingredients that were used were completely suffocated by poor, heavy seasoning. Overall it felt like all of the food was pub/bar food, not set menu. Aside from the food, staff were nice and helpful. Disappointed that this was the one restaurant we picked on this trip to Auckland as we have had some really lovely experiences at other restaurants.

David Namerow★★★★★★★★★★5.05 months ago

What amazing culinary experience. We sat at the kitchen bar and watched Kyle and wonderful team do their magic! Had the fixed price menu, courteously changed to reflect our no pork or shellfish dietary issues. We were able to talk, kibitz and joke with Kyle while dining! Had a terrific NZ Pinot. Service was impeccable- too many highlights to mention. Just go!!

Olivia Lau★★★★★★★★★★5.05 months ago

Best dining fine experience in New Zealand. Outstanding, unobtrusive service. Fantastic, inventive food with weekly menus. Creative cocktails, but a limited wine list. Be warned that the kids eat like adults here, so expect to pay the same price for them as for the adults! Our kids LOVED the food tho (ages 8, 12). I the New Years Eve menu was $150pp, but included more courses than the regular weekly menu ($99pp). You must book in advance!!