Ambler Cafe & Bistro is a local café, bistro and wine bar at 181 Point Chevalier Road, Point Chevalier, Auckland. It pours Coffee Supreme all day, every day, alongside Sawmill beers on tap and an extensive wine list, with a menu that mixes exciting new dishes with old favourites.
The dinner menu ranges from Te Matuku oysters from Waiheke Island and a duck and chicken liver parfait through to a wagyu beef burger, fish and chips, and a market fish of the day. A dedicated cocktail list includes house creations like the Midnight Coffee Kiss, made with Coffee Supreme, alongside classics like a Negroni and Bloody Mary, and happy hour runs Wednesday to Saturday from 4 to 6pm on cocktails, Sawmill tap beers and house wines.
Ambler has sister restaurants Atelier and Wander, and offers gift vouchers, group bookings and online table reservations.
Ambler Cafe & Bistro, at 181 Point Chevalier Road, describes itself simply as your favourite local café, bistro and wine bar — and its menu backs that up, running from an all-day coffee and brunch offering through to a proper dinner service.
Ambler pours Coffee Supreme all day, every day, alongside a full hot and cold drinks list covering everything from a straightforward long black to hakanoa chai, turmeric and matcha lattes, kombucha, smoothies and fresh juices.
On the dinner side, small plates include Te Matuku oysters from Waiheke Island, shucked to order, a duck and chicken liver parfait with madeira cherries and crispy chicken skin, and a cheeses and charcuterie board built for the table. Larger plates move into a wagyu beef burger, fish and chips, a buddha bowl, and a market fish of the day or butcher's cut, both of which change daily and are best asked about directly with staff.
Ambler's drinks list is a genuine standout. Sawmill beers pour on tap from Matakana, alongside Heke Lager, Asahi, and a no-alcohol Sawmill Bare Beer for anyone skipping alcohol. The wine list spans champagne and pétillants naturels, rosé, white and red selections from New Zealand, France, Spain and Australia, including organic, biodynamic and vegan-friendly options. On the cocktail side, house creations like the Midnight Coffee Kiss — dark rum, honey, ginger and Coffee Supreme — sit alongside classics like a Negroni, Bloody Mary and Aperol Spritz.
From 4pm to 6pm, Wednesday through Saturday, Ambler runs a happy hour covering all cocktails, Sawmill tap beers and house wines — a good window to catch the drinks list at its most approachable.
Ambler is part of a small family of Auckland restaurants, with sister venues Atelier and Wander. The team also hosts upcoming events bookable directly through the website, and takes group bookings and press enquiries by email.
For anyone wanting to give Ambler as a gift, vouchers are available online in a range of values, sent by email with a personalised message and usable straight from a phone or printed at home. Tables can be booked online, and Ambler notes a surcharge applies on public holidays.
Ambler is closed Mondays, open Tuesday from 7am to 3pm, Wednesday to Friday from 7am to 10pm, Saturday from 8am to 10pm, and Sunday from 8am to 3pm. It's located at 181 Point Chevalier Road, Point Chevalier, Auckland.
Between its all-day Coffee Supreme service, a dinner menu built around oysters, house-made charcuterie and a wagyu burger, and one of the more comprehensive wine and cocktail lists in the neighbourhood, Ambler earns its billing as Point Chevalier's local café, bistro and wine bar — a place built to be visited for coffee in the morning and cocktails by evening.