Gilt Brasserie

About Gilt Brasserie

Gilt Brasserie is an all-day, inner-city brasserie serving contemporary European fare with local charm from the heart of Auckland's historic Chancery Chambers building. It is the work of celebrated restaurateurs Josh and Helen Emett, pairing Josh's decades of global culinary experience with Helen's love of Europe — continental flavours with a New World point of view.

The all-day menu offers contemporary renditions of brasserie classics alongside playful new favourites: a raw bar of crudo, market oysters and tuna tartare, pastas including the signature king crab pappardelle, and larger plates such as roast duck frites, 300g wagyu sirloin and crumbed lamb cutlets. Desserts lean French — tarte tatin, Paris-Brest, baked Alaska — with a continental cheese list to finish, all served alongside world-class wines and timeless cocktails.

The setting is part of the appeal: Chancery Chambers was originally built in 1924 and served Auckland's legal community for decades, and Gilt is writing a new chapter for one of downtown's most storied neighbourhoods. Slip into a banquette or take a seat at the bar for a long lunch that turns into dinner, a special celebration, or a martini at the bar. Intimate private dining spaces — The Vault and The Oval — host one-of-a-kind events, a rotating Saturday set lunch runs every weekend, and gift vouchers are available.

Gilt Brasserie: Contemporary European Dining in Auckland's Historic Chancery Chambers

Gilt Brasserie is an all-day, inner-city brasserie serving contemporary European fare with local charm from the heart of Auckland's historic Chancery Chambers building. It is the work of celebrated restaurateurs Josh and Helen Emett: Josh brings decades of global culinary experience to the kitchen, while Helen's love of Europe shapes the room and the mood. The result, as they describe it, is continental flavours with a New World point of view.

The menu reads like a tribute to the European brasserie — classics rendered with a contemporary hand alongside playful new favourites — and it is built for all-day enjoyment, whether a long lunch turns into dinner or a martini at the bar stretches into the evening.

A storied address

Gilt's home is Chancery Chambers, originally built in 1924 and serving Auckland's legal community for decades. The building anchors one of downtown Auckland's most storied neighbourhoods, and Gilt sees itself writing a new chapter for it. Inside, you can slip into a banquette or take a seat at the bar, and there are two distinctive spaces for events: The Vault, a private dining room, and The Oval, a semi-private room.

The cooking stays honest but masterful — continental cuisine served alongside an extensive collection of old-world wines and all the favourite cocktails.

What to order

Begin at the raw bar, where Sicilian crudo of tuna, salmon and kingfish shares the list with market oysters served natural with a Cabernet sauvignon mignonette, and tuna tartare with shallots, chilli and chives. Entrées run from duck liver parfait with chutney and cornichon to a triple cheese soufflé, baked oysters with buttered leeks and beurre noisette, and grilled tiger prawns with 'nduja chilli butter.

The kitchen's calling cards sit among the larger plates. The restaurant itself singles out the duck frites with sauce l'Orange and its signature king crab pappardelle — pasta ribbons in a brandy bisque crème fraîche. Also on offer: a 300g wagyu sirloin with sauce au poivre, a 600g rib on the bone for two, crumbed lamb cutlets with almond and fried sage, citrus-cured salmon with lemon beurre blanc, a 120g minute steak with pomme frites and entrecote sauce, market fish with sauce normande, and organic chicken piccata.

Give the potato section its due — parmesan beignets with pimentón, confit potato squares with saffron aïoli, silky pommes purée and pommes frites — along with vegetables from cauliflower au gratin with Gruyère to eggplant parmigiana lasagnette. Dessert leans gloriously French: apple tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream and Chantilly, Paris-Brest, baked Alaska and a black forest tiramisu with preserved cherries, before a continental cheese list running from Comté to St Agur.

Drinks, Saturday lunch and celebrations

The bar programme covers apéritifs like the Garibaldi, three takes on the martini, first sips such as a Gimlet and Negroni, day drinkers from Margarita to Mai Tai, and after-dusk classics like the Old Fashioned. There is a full non-alcoholic list too, from a Botanist Spritz to a Virgin Sgroppino, alongside sweet wines from Sauternes to 20-year-old tawny port and a craft-focused beer and cider list.

On Saturdays, the kitchen turns to the Menu del giorno — a rotating regional edition, currently Piedmont — served as a three-course set lunch every Saturday from 11:30am to 4:00pm: focaccia to start, a choice of primo, a choice of secondo and bonet to finish.

Whether it is a long lunch that becomes dinner, a special celebration or simply a martini at the bar, Gilt Brasserie trades Monday to Saturday from 11:30am until late. Reservations can be made online or by calling 09 300 3126, and gift vouchers are available for gifting the experience.

Signature items

• King Crab Pappardelle
• Roast Duck Frites
• 300g Wagyu Sirloin
• Market Oysters
• Triple Cheese Soufflé
• Saturday Menu du Jour

Menu

Large

• Roast duck frites — With sauce l'Orange.
• 300g Wagyu Sirloin — With sauce au poivre.
• Market fish — With sauce normande.
• 600g Rib on the bone — Fried rosemary and lemon, for two.
• Crumbed lamb cutlets — Almond, yogurt and fried sage.
• Citrus cured salmon — French beans and lemon beurre blanc.
• Minute Steak — 120g scotch, pomme frites, entrecote sauce.
• Organic chicken piccata — Lemon, sage and fried capers.

Pasta

• Squid ink linguine — Sautéed calamari, pancetta, lemon, chives.
• King crab pappardelle ricce — Brandy bisque crème fraîche, Italian parsley — the house signature.
• Tomato vodka sauce rigatoni — With stracciatella and Parmesan.

Cheese

• Continental Cheeses — Served with fennel tortas and baguette.
• Comté — Hard cow's cheese from the Jura.
• Tête de Moine — Semi-hard cow's cheese from Switzerland.
• Brie Truffle Rouzaire — Soft cow's cheese, Île-de-France.
• Pont L'Évêque — Soft washed-rind cow's cheese from Normandy.
• Taleggio — Soft washed-rind cow's cheese from Lombardy, Italy.
• St Agur — Blue-veined cow's cheese from the Auvergne.
• Crottin de Chèvre — Soft goat's cheese from the Loire Valley.

Potato

• Parmesan beignets — With pimentón.
• Confit potato squares — With saffron aïoli.
• Pommes purée — Olive oil and chives.
• Pommes frites — Classic French fries.

Salads

• Chopped green salad — Kale, pecorino and grated egg.
• Endive, pear & Roquefort — Walnuts and chardonnay dressing.
• Niçoise — Yellowfin tuna, salt-baked beets, celeriac, egg, anchovy.
• Simple green salad — With French vinaigrette.
• New York salad — Prosciutto, peas and chervil.

Snacks

• Salt cod croquettes — Golden fried salt cod croquettes.
• Baguette — Served with brown sage butter.
• Oeuf mayonnaise — Classic French starter of egg with mayonnaise.

Dessert

• Apple Tarte Tatin — With vanilla ice cream and Chantilly.
• Paris-Brest — Chocolate mousse and hazelnut crèmeux.
• Baked Alaska — With Neapolitan.
• Doughnut sandwich — Vanilla gelato and dulce de leche.
• Zabaglione — With rhubarb & hibiscus granita.
• Chocolate torte — Served with crème fraîche.
• Black Forest tiramisu — Preserved cherries and mascarpone.

Raw Bar

• Sicilian Crudo — Tuna, salmon and kingfish, salted capers, lemon, olive oil.
• Market Oysters — Served natural with Cabernet sauvignon mignonette.
• Tuna Tartare — With shallots, chilli and chives.

EntréEs

• Maiale tonnato — Pork with tonnato, fried sage and lemon.
• Seafood cocktail — Octopus and mussels with spiced marie rose.
• Triple cheese soufflé — A light, savoury soufflé of three cheeses.
• Duck liver parfait — With chutney and cornichon.
• Baked oysters — Buttered leeks, beurre noisette, pickles.
• Grilled tiger prawns — 'Nduja chilli butter and parsley.

Cocktails

• Campari & Soda — Simple, bitter apéritif highball.
• White Port & Tonic — Apéritif serve.
• Garibaldi — Campari and fresh orange juice.
• Bardouin Pastis — Anise apéritif.
• Santorini Martini — Gin, caper & lemon vermouth, dirty.
• Gin Martini — Roots Marlborough gin, fino vermouth, orange bitters.
• Vodka Martini — Belvedere vodka, fino vermouth, orange bitters.
• Gimlet — Gin, kaffir lime, olive oil.
• Blanc Cosmopolitan — Vodka, cacao blanc, yuzu.
• Negroni — Gin, rosso vermouth, campari.
• Sgroppino — Seasonal sorbet, vodka, prosecco.
• Margarita — Blanco tequila, curaçao, lime.
• Bramble — Gin, crème de mure, lemoncello.
• Paloma — Tequila, grapefruit, yuzu, prickly pear.
• Mai Tai — Golden rum, orgeat, lime, spiced rum.
• Boulevardier — Bourbon, kumara, campari, vermouth.
• White Russian — Vodka, amaro Montenegro, cacao, gingerbread cream.
• Old Fashioned — Bourbon, bitters, orange.
• Affogato — Espresso, vanilla ice cream, amaretto.
• Espresso Martini — Vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, demerara.

Vegetables

• Eggplant parmigiana lasagnette — Baked with mozzarella.
• Escalivada — Roasted capsicum and aubergine with anchovy.
• Cauliflower 'au gratin' — Gruyère, Dijon, thyme and breadcrumbs.
• Fried carrot — Mascarpone, capers, chilli and garlic.
• Roasted brussels sprouts — With broccoli verde, parsley and lemon.

Sweet Wines

• Pigeade Muscat Beaumes de Venise — Sweet muscat from the Rhône, France.
• Valli Late Harvest Riesling — From Central Otago.
• Carmes de Rieussec Sauternes — From Bordeaux, France.
• Pergola 'Visner' — Sweet cherry-infused wine from Le Marche, Italy.
• Montilla Moriles Alvear PX — Pedro Ximénez from Jerez, Spain.
• Graham's 10yo Tawny Port — Tawny port from Porto, Portugal.
• Graham's 20yo Tawny Port — Tawny port from Porto, Portugal.

Beer & Cider

• Kronenbourg 1664 (draught) — Draught lager, 5%.
• Urbanaut Atlanta Bright IPA (draught) — Draught IPA, 4.6%.
• Sawmill Hazy Pale Ale (draught) — Draught hazy pale ale, 5.5%.
• 8 Wired Mahu Lager (440ml) — Lager, 4.5%.
• Sawmill Pilsner — Pilsner, 4.8%.
• 8 Wired Luppolo Italian Pilsner — Italian-style pilsner, 5.0%.
• McLeod's 'Paradise' Pale Ale — Pale ale, 5.5%.
• McLeod's 802 #69 — Ale, 6.8%.
• 8 Wired Hippy Berliner Sour Pale Ale — Sour pale ale, 4.0%.
• Shining Peak Little Fake XPA — Low-alcohol XPA, 2.5%.
• Garage Project White Mischief Peach Sour — Low-alcohol peach sour, 2.9%.
• Sawmill Bare Beer — Zero-alcohol beer, 0%.
• Garage Project Tiny XPA — Zero-alcohol XPA, 0%.
• Loïc Raison L'Intense Cidre Dry — Dry cider, 6%.
• Paynters 'The Alchemist' Apple Cider — Apple cider, 5.5%.

Non-Alcoholic

• Botanist Spritz — NZ botanicals and soda.
• Amaretti Sour — Lyre's amaretti and lemon.
• Amalfi Sunrise — Lyre's aperitif rosso, blood orange, orgeat.
• NON #1 — Salted raspberry and chamomile.
• NON #7 — Stewed cherry and coffee.
• Le Tribute Olive Lemonade — Spanish olive lemonade.
• San Pellegrino Chinotto — Italian chinotto soda.
• Virgin Sgroppino — Lemon sorbet, Pentire coastal spritz, soda.

Saturday Menu Du Jour – Piedmont Edition

• Focaccia — Rosemary and sea salt, to start.
• Parmigiana brodo — Primo choice: three-cheese tortellini.
• Vitello tonnato — Primo choice: confit tuna, fried capers, sage.
• Risotto ai funghi — Secondo choice: with egg yolk; add shaved fresh black truffle.
• Brasato di manzo — Secondo choice: braised beef cheek, oregano, garlic & citrus parmesan polenta.
• Bonet — Dolce: chocolate and amaretti biscuit.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gilt Brasserie?

An all-day, inner-city brasserie in Auckland's historic Chancery Chambers building, serving contemporary European fare from restaurateurs Josh and Helen Emett, alongside old-world wines and classic cocktails.

Where is Gilt Brasserie located?

At 2 Chancery St (Chancery Chambers), Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand — a 1924 heritage building that once served the city's legal community.

When is Gilt Brasserie open?

Monday to Saturday, serving lunch and dinner from 11:30am until late. Closed on Sundays.

How do I make a reservation?

Book online via the reservation links on the website, call 09 300 3126, or text the front desk on 027 955 1010.

What is the Saturday Menu du Jour?

A rotating three-course set lunch available every Saturday from 11:30am to 4:00pm. The current Piedmont edition includes focaccia, a choice of primo, a choice of secondo, and bonet for dessert.

Can I host a private event at Gilt?

Yes. The Vault is an intimate private dining room and The Oval is a semi-private dining space. For event enquiries, email events@giltbrasserie.nz.

Are there non-alcoholic drink options?

Yes — a dedicated non-alcoholic list includes the Botanist Spritz, Amaretti Sour, Amalfi Sunrise, NON #1 and #7, olive lemonade, chinotto and a Virgin Sgroppino.

Tips

• {"body":"The Menu del giorno runs every Saturday from 11:30am to 4:00pm — a three-course set menu with a rotating regional theme, currently a Piedmont edition.","title":"Make Saturday lunch an occasion"}
• {"body":"The king crab pappardelle in brandy bisque crème fraîche and the duck frites with sauce l'Orange are the dishes Gilt is known for.","title":"Order the signatures"}
• {"body":"The bar programme spans apéritifs, three martini variations and after-dusk classics — ideal for a pre-dinner drink or a slow evening in the Chancery Chambers setting.","title":"Pull up a bar seat"}
• {"body":"Ask about The Vault (private dining room) or The Oval (semi-private space) by emailing events@giltbrasserie.nz.","title":"Planning an event?"}
• {"body":"Gilt is open Monday to Saturday from 11:30am until late — it is closed on Sundays, so plan weekend visits around Saturday.","title":"Note the days"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Strong vegetable, salad, raw-bar and seafood selections, plus a dedicated non-alcoholic drinks list."}