Review: Bowmans in Mount Eden

The girlfriend and I had a top shelf date night at Bowmans [sic] in Mt Eden on Friday. I don't know much about the history of Bowmans or how they lost their apostrophe, but what I have picked up is that the restaurant is not necessarily hugely in fashion right now. That would explain the several empty tables, and their audio choice of The Best Classical Album in the World … Ever! which, when we arrived, was up to the part where Amici Forever sing 'Unchained Melody' – the perfect soundtrack, really, to a spot of air pottery and a good geez at the wine list.

Auckland's best-catered bus stop

Two Fifteen isn't a marquee name on the Auckland restaurant scene, but after seeing it in the Metro Top 50 last year, and hearing Dine's senior chef name it among her top three favourite restaurants in the city, I was most looking forward to trying it out last night. The restaurant is named after its street number on Dominion Road, a part of town where the competition for upmarket dining comes from Pizza Hutt, Burger Fuel, and a suspicious looking noodle house called Two Monkeys.