Empress Garden Restaurant | Chinese

About Empress Garden Restaurant | Chinese

Empress Garden Restaurant has been a fixture at the forefront of the Auckland dining scene for many years, operating from a villa on Jervois Road in Herne Bay and picking up several accolades and awards along the way. Its calling card is Peking Duck — crisp skin and succulent flesh — a dish that draws foodies back again and again, and one of the reasons the restaurant manages to genuinely make you feel like you're in Chinatown.

Inside, red lanterns hang across the ceiling and the decor stays minimalist and clean, with bright bursts of rich red and dark green leading up to the villa's entrance. The dining space is divided into various sections and rooms, which can leave first-timers briefly disoriented — treat it like dining at a beloved relative's home and you'll fit right in.

The menu runs from entrees and soups to mains, dim sum, desserts and banquet spreads, with the Peking duck as headliner and a takeaway menu for nights at home. The bar is fully licensed and also welcomes BYO wine, pouring New Zealand sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, chardonnay and pinot noir, with Tsing Tao in the beer fridge and Chinese wine available on request. Open seven days, with lunch from noon to 2:30pm and dinner from 5:00pm to 9:30pm.

Empress Garden Restaurant: Peking Duck and Red Lanterns in Herne Bay, Auckland

Pull up on Jervois Road and you could almost be arriving at any classic Herne Bay villa — until bursts of rich red and dark green lead you to the entrance and the red lanterns strung across the ceiling tell you you've landed somewhere very close to Chinatown. Empress Garden Restaurant has been at the forefront of the Auckland dining scene for many years, picking up several accolades and awards along the way. It has done that largely by doing one thing exceptionally well, and a great many other things properly.

The Dish People Come For

Ask about Empress Garden and the conversation lands quickly on Peking Duck. It's the signature, and the restaurant makes no secret of it: the pleasure is in biting through the crisp skin into the succulent flesh. Foodies make the trip to Herne Bay specifically for it, and it anchors a menu that also runs to entrees, soups, mains and desserts, with a dim sum section — steamed pork dumplings among the pictured specialties — and banquet spreads for tables that want the full procession of dishes.

A Villa of Many Rooms

Step inside and the villa reveals itself in sections: the restaurant is divided into various rooms and areas, which can leave newcomers a little disoriented on a first visit. The restaurant itself has the best advice — treat it as if you're dining at a beloved relative's home and you'll fit right in. The decor is minimalist and clean, with hanging red lanterns throughout the space and rich reds and dark greens leading to the entrance, keeping the oriental feel without any fuss.

From Entree to Dessert (and Takeaway Too)

The menu is organised the way a long-running Chinese kitchen tends to be: a Peking Duck section up top, Banquet for group feasting, then Entree, Soup, Main and Desserts, plus Dim Sum. If you'd rather eat at home, there's a takeaway menu as well, so the duck can come to you.

Licensed — and BYO Too

Empress Garden is fully licensed and also welcomes BYO wine. The list leans comfortably New Zealand: Marlborough sauvignon blanc from MoMo and Astrolabe, Seresin pinot gris, Hawke's Bay chardonnay from Tony Bish and Church Road, a Nelson gewurztraminer and a riesling among the whites; organic Marlborough pinot noir, Central Otago pinots, a McLaren Vale shiraz, Hawke's Bay syrah and malbec among the reds; and bubbles running from Lindauer up to Champagne Collet. Beer comes in 330ml bottles — Asahi, Heineken, Stella Artois, Steinlager, Tiger, Corona and Tsing Tao, the last also in a 600ml bottle — with spirits and whiskies behind the bar and, notably, Chinese wine available on request. Non-drinkers are looked after too: traditional herbal tea and plum juice drink, Bundaberg ginger beer, Nespresso coffee, juices and the usual soft drinks.

Plan Your Visit

You'll find Empress Garden at 227 Jervois Road in Herne Bay, and it opens seven days a week — lunch from noon to 2:30pm and dinner from 5:00pm to 9:30pm, with a break between the two sittings. Call 09 376 5550 to arrange a table, and if you're bringing a group, ask about the banquet options. First time? Don't worry about which room you end up in. Take the restaurant's advice, settle in like family, and order the duck.

Signature items

• Peking Duck
• Steamed Pork Dumplings
• Banquet Menu
• Tsing Tao Beer
• Chinese Wine
• Plum Juice & Herbal Tea

Menu

Spirits

• French Brandy — Straight pour.
• Jim Beam — Kentucky bourbon.
• Coruba Rum — Jamaican rum.
• Bacardi — White rum.
• Gordon's Gin — London dry gin.
• Vodka — Straight pour.
• Baileys — Irish cream liqueur.
• Kahlua — Coffee liqueur.
• Red Label Scotch Whisky — Blended Scotch.
• Canadian Club Whiskey — Canadian whisky.
• Jack Daniel's Whiskey — Tennessee whiskey.
• Jameson Irish Whiskey — Irish whiskey.
• Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky — Premium blended Scotch.
• Black Label Scotch Whisky — Blended Scotch.

Red Wine

• MoMo Organic Marlborough Pinot Noir — Organic pinot noir by the glass or bottle.
• Grasshopper Central Pinot Noir — Central pinot noir by the bottle.
• Mount Edward Central Otago Pinot Noir — Central Otago pinot noir.
• Stone Paddock by Paritua Scarlet — Merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon blend.
• Nessus McLaren Vale Shiraz — Australian shiraz.
• Church Road CBS / Merlot — Cabernet-merlot blend from Hawke's Bay.
• Squawking Magpie Hawkes Bay Syrah — Hawke's Bay syrah.
• Decibel Hawkes Bay Malbec — Hawke's Bay malbec.

White Wine

• MoMo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc — Marlborough sauvignon blanc by the glass or bottle.
• Astrolabe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc — Aromatic Marlborough classic.
• Seresin Marlborough Pinot Gris — Marlborough pinot gris.
• Tony Bish Fat and Sassy Hawkes Bay Chardonnay — Rich Hawke's Bay chardonnay.
• Church Road Hawke's Bay Chardonnay — Hawke's Bay chardonnay.
• Blackenbrook Nelson Gewurztraminer — Aromatic Nelson gewurztraminer.
• Astrolabe Marlborough Rose — Rosé from Marlborough.
• Mt Edward Riesling — Riesling, by the glass or bottle.

Beer & Cider

• Asahi — Japanese lager, 330ml.
• Asahi Zero — Non-alcoholic Asahi.
• Stella Artois — Belgian lager, 330ml.
• Heineken — 330ml bottle.
• Steinlager Pure — NZ lager, 330ml.
• Steinlager Classic — NZ lager, 330ml.
• Tiger — Asian lager, 330ml.
• Corona — 330ml bottle.
• Low Alcohol Beer — Lighter option, 330ml.
• Apple Cider — Cider, 330ml.
• Monteith's Black — Dark beer, 330ml.
• Tsing Tao (330ml) — Chinese lager, 330ml.
• Tsing Tao (600ml) — The big bottle of Chinese lager.

Non-Alcoholic

• Coke — Soft drink classic.
• Diet Coke — Sugar-free cola.
• Coke Zero — Zero-sugar cola.
• Lemonade — Soft drink.
• Fanta — Soft drink.
• L&P — Kiwi lemonade classic.
• Soda Water, Ginger Ale or Tonic Water — Mixers.
• Orange, Mango, Apple or Pineapple Juice — Choose your juice.
• Nespresso — Coffee made on Nespresso.
• Herbal Tea (Wang Lao Ji) — Traditional Chinese herbal tea.
• Plum Juice Drink (Suan Mei Tang) — Classic sour plum drink.
• Bundaberg Ginger Beer — Brewed ginger beer.
• Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water — 750ml bottle.

Menu Highlights

• Peking Duck — The house signature, prized for crisp skin and succulent flesh.
• Steamed Pork Dumplings — Dim sum classic pictured among the restaurant's specialties.
• Banquet — A banquet section of the menu made for group feasting.
• Takeaway — The menu is also available for takeaway at home.

Champagne & Bubbles

• Lindauer Brut — New Zealand sparkling served in a 200ml pour.
• Lindauer Fraise — Strawberry-styled sparkling in a 200ml pour.
• Deutz Brut — Classic sparkling, 750ml bottle.
• Champagne Collet — French Champagne, served by the bottle.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Empress Garden Restaurant located?

At 227 Jervois Road in Herne Bay, Auckland. The phone number is 09 376 5550.

What are the opening hours?

Open seven days. Lunch runs from 12:00pm to 2:30pm and dinner from 5:00pm to 9:30pm.

What is Empress Garden known for?

Its Peking Duck — crisp skin and succulent flesh — along with many years at the forefront of the Auckland dining scene and several accolades and awards.

Can I bring my own wine?

Yes — it's BYO wine only, and the restaurant is also fully licensed if you'd rather order from the list.

Is there a drinks list?

Yes: New Zealand sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, chardonnay, rosé and pinot noir, bubbles, beers such as Tsing Tao and Asahi, spirits, and Chinese wine available on request.

Can I get takeaway?

Yes, there's a takeaway menu alongside dine-in.

Is it good for groups?

The villa is divided into sections and rooms, and there's a banquet section of the menu suited to group feasting.

Tips

• {"body":"Lunch runs noon–2:30pm and dinner 5:00pm–9:30pm, seven days — plan around the break between services.","title":"Mind the two sittings"}
• {"body":"It's BYO wine only but also fully licensed, with Marlborough sauvignon blancs and Central Otago pinot noirs on the list.","title":"BYO or browse the list"}
• {"body":"It's the signature — foodies come for the crisp skin and succulent flesh, so make it the centrepiece of your order.","title":"Order the Peking duck"}
• {"body":"The villa is split into sections and rooms that can disorient newcomers — the restaurant itself suggests treating it like a beloved relative's home.","title":"Treat it like a relative's place"}
• {"body":"It's available on request even though it isn't printed on the wine list.","title":"Ask about Chinese wine"}