May 2, 2019 Restaurants
?Hugo’s Bistro is a finalist in the Metro Peugeot Restaurant of the Year 2019 awards for Best All-Day Restaurant. To see a full rundown of all our winners, click here.
Hugo’s won best new fit-out at last year’s Restaurant of the Year awards: it’s a long, narrow space with green tiles, velvet banquettes and stretches of marble, copper and timber. There are big front windows out onto the street and a bar at which to sit and drink a negroni in the late afternoon sun. The place exudes effortless class. The service is knowledgeable but casual: they offer you tasters of wine even when you’re ordering by the glass. The menu is classically bistro with modern updates, running through bruschetta with sardines to schnitzel to a pork chop parmigiana where smoked stracchino and a fennel salad work well with the sweetness of the pork. By day, it’s busy with suits; by night, the light is low and reflective. You can slide into a booth and hunker down for the evening; it’s exactly the sort of place to wind down after work. Classic and simple, with a modern spin.
What it offers: Shared-plate options / À la carte / Good for vegetarians / Takes large groups / Bar
A favourite dish: Charred octopus with tahini, celery, peppers and green olive
Hours: Breakfast/lunch Mon-Fri, Dinner Tue-Fri
Bookings: Yes
Price: $$
Chef: Emile Bennington
Central City
67 Shortland St
Ph 320-4387
?hugosbistro.co.nz
