The writing was on the wall from walking into reception. The smell of smoking in here did not bode well. The short walk to the room was done through a cloud of inhospitable bugs that were no doubt attracted by the outdoor lights that were unnecessarily blazing.

As we progressed to the front door of the “unit” via a concrete hallway that was reminiscent of Alcatraz my thoughts had already turned to finding alternative accommodation.

On opening the door we were assaulted by yet more bugs and a room crammed with three uncomfortable single beds (not the double and two singles I had been told to expect). Don’t expect to be able to cook anything in the kitchenette either. In fact from appearances it is difficult to tell what is the bathroom and what is the kitchen! On reflection this is probably a blessing as cooking in a place so unhygienic could send you to the local hospital (admittedly this could be a blessing too).

The fridge was broken, the shower was skanky, the bedding was appalling. Let me be clear – I have travelled and stayed in a huge range of accommodation over the last 30 years and do not have super high expectations of motels. If I was a back-packer in Asia paying a stipend I would not have been so underwhelmed.

I did not complain in the morning as all I wanted to do was escape, which we did with rapidity. If you are forced to stay here before it is torn down and totally rebuilt you have my condolences.

Situated in Federal Street opposite the Sky Tower I had been given rave reviews about how good this place is. It has just swept the Metro/Audi awards winning the supreme award, the best new restaurant and the best casual bistro award. It was set-up by Al Brown who is well-known for quality and who started the stunning Logan Brown restaurant in Wellington.

I don’t get out much so thought I better check Depot out and after a long day (including a trip to Wellington and back) I agreed to meet some customers for dinner. We arrived at 18:30 and I was incredulous at the amount of people there. It was jammed at 18:30 on a Thursday night?

We were up for the wait so ordered some local beers (I had Americans with us) and wines and watched the crowd continue to grow. The beer I seem to recall was Tuatara Helles Lager – personally not my thing – but my guests enjoyed it enough to have several. They said it lived up to its reputation as “crisp, dry, with a little citrus”.
We were standing around a table outside (where rugs are provided should they be necessary) and were quite happy with a couple of snacks to keep us going. The wine list was just big enough to be interesting and even more important it gives you the right selections. We had some potato skins as a taster and were amazed at how something so simple can be so tasty when cooked over wood and sprinkled with some good Gouda.

What problems can occur when you are at the most popular place in town and they don’t take bookings? Sometimes you have to wait. We were happy as we were having a few laughs but after 90 minutes started to feel the need to sit and eat. There were four of us and our table seemed to take a lot longer than smaller parties. We noticed many people choosing to have their meals at the bar or standing which makes sense given the nature of the food and the casual atmosphere. This is not a linen clothed place – a good thing – just be prepared. The staff did a great job keeping people happy, keeping us drinking and giving complimentary starters to quench the stomach rumblings.

As the clock we weren’t watching approached the 2 hour mark we were led to our table. The atmosphere is great inside with a cosy and inviting feel and plenty of “hub-bub” The service was great – knowledgeable staff and speedy service. The selection caused more distress as everything sounded great. We settled on four dishes (two small share plates and two large share plates) and a side. This worked out to be the perfect amount of food for the four of us and left room for desert – sort-of. The “share plates” idea is continuing to gain popularity in New Zealand and I personally love it for two reasons. 1. You get to try more off the menu and no-one can say “Hands-off” and 2. Food is meant for sharing. This creates an atmosphere that could be called “Italian” in its attitude to food, fun and sharing.

The food was remarkably quick and we started with Snapper Sliders with pickled lemon mayo & watercress as well as Lamb Ribs with skordalia & cumin paprika oil. Fresh snapper in sliders was fresh, tasty and a big hit for Depot – it scored with us too. These would also be great for kids. The lamb with skordalia and cumin were spicy enough to tang but not too hot to overpower the meat. (Skordalia is a thick puree in Greek cuisine made by combining crushed garlic with a bulky base—which may be a purée of potatoes, walnuts, almonds, or liquid-soaked stale bread). I don’t think this is a great description of the unreal taste of this dish! Main Courses Hapuka Belly w/ green olive, lime & fresh herbs, Crisp Pork Hock w/ apple & horseradish salsa verde and Brussels Sprouts ‘not your mothers’ w/ Salash Pancetta & Walnut Crumbs. The fish on the menu was Kingfish but they had Hapuka in fresh and it was inspired. Sweet and moist unfortunately leaving you wanting more. Pork Hock is a weight-watchers delight. I would buy this again just for the crispy outside. It literally melted from the bone. There are very few places I would ever order brussel sprouts. This side dish will change your mind about this beautiful vegetable forever.

We had no room for desert but still decided to get a bar of chocolate (just like it sounds) and the desert special which was a sugar tart. Here is my tip – always try the special desert. This was sensational. It looked like a brulee in texture and was not as sweet as the name suggests. We could have had two of these.

End Verdict.
I will be back . . .and soon. Even better this is a place that is fun, delicious and affordable.