One Tree Grill

About One Tree Grill

One Tree Grill is a relaxed, upmarket bistro on Pah Road in Epsom that has been an understated cornerstone of Auckland dining since 1996. Selected for the MICHELIN Guide 2026 and consistently ranked among the city's top restaurants, it pairs modern European / New Zealand cuisine with an extensive list of cellared wines — all without the unnecessary formality often associated with this style of dining.

The menu evolves thoughtfully through the year around Aotearoa's finest seasonal offerings, with ingredients sourced by head chef Sebastian Hindrichs from the best local suppliers. Expect Te Matuku oysters, forest mushrooms with truffle beurre blanc, Southland lamb rack and dry aged beef from the grill, alongside vegetarian and vegan options — and chefs who discreetly accommodate dietary preferences. Beneath the dining room sits a carefully maintained underground cellar housing a distinguished collection of New Zealand and international wines, complemented by seasonal house cocktails.

Service is attentive but unobtrusive, the atmosphere cosy and modern, and the welcome extends to guests aged five and up. Private dining spaces and tailored function menus are available in-house or catered at your venue. Free parking sits metres from the front door on Pah Road and Orakau Avenue, just minutes from the city centre. Dinner is served Monday to Saturday from 5:30pm until late, with a December lunch service Wednesday to Friday; walk-ins are welcome and bookings are recommended.

One Tree Grill: Modern NZ Fine Dining and Cellared Wine in Epsom, Auckland

One Tree Grill has held its corner of Pah Road in Epsom since 1996, and nearly three decades later it remains one of Auckland's most quietly confident dining rooms. Selected for the MICHELIN Guide in 2026 and consistently ranked among the city's top ten restaurants, it has built its reputation on a simple promise: outstanding food and wine, thoroughly professional service, and none of the ceremony that can make fine dining feel like a performance.

The dining room is warm and modern rather than formal — an upmarket suburban bistro where you can settle in for the evening. Service is attentive but unobtrusive, and the kitchen's philosophy is stated plainly: food that is exceptional but not architectural. Great flavours and a relaxing experience come first.

What's on the plate

Head Chef Sebastian Hindrichs and the kitchen team let the seasons lead. The menu evolves thoughtfully through the year around locally and sustainably sourced ingredients, and the chefs discreetly accommodate dietary preferences without compromising the refinement of the experience.

The result is modern European / New Zealand cooking built on uncomplicated, deeply savoury flavours. Start with Te Matuku oysters — natural with chardonnay vinegar or in crisp tempura — or the celeriac and black truffle soup with brie custard and cured egg yolk. Entrées range from sugar-cured salmon with leche de tigre to ricotta and agria scarpinocc with grilled octopus, plus a vegetarian plate of forest mushrooms with truffle beurre blanc.

Mains lean towards the grill. Leelands Southland lamb arrives as rack and shoulder with smoked eggplant and date chutney; the pasture-fed eye fillet comes with short rib and bone marrow; and the dry aged grass-fed sirloin and the 450g Black Angus rib eye on the bone are cut for people who take their steak seriously. Seared duck breast with saffron pear, long-line market fish with kumara gnocchi and a chickpea and capsicum tagine round out the list. Desserts are worth lingering over — a dark chocolate mousse with frozen chocolate sand, a black forest fondant, and a pina colada of coconut mousse and pineapple sorbet.

The cellar underneath

Beneath the restaurant sits a carefully maintained underground cellar holding a considered collection of distinguished New Zealand and international wines, each chosen to complement the kitchen's cooking. The menu helpfully suggests a recommended match beside nearly every dish — a Central Otago pinot noir with the duck, a Waiheke meritage with the sirloin — and the team is happy to guide you deeper into the list. Seasonal house cocktails are curated with the same care.

Private rooms and easy evenings

One Tree Grill handles occasions as comfortably as weeknight dinners. A function team can arrange a private dining space — the Conservatory Room and LP Room among them — organise flowers, and tailor a menu either in-house or catered at your own venue. For groups of ten or more, curated three, four and degustation set menus are offered, including vegetarian and vegan selections, and the chefs can cater for any dietary needs or numbers.

Practicalities are refreshingly easy for a restaurant of this calibre. Free car parks sit on Pah Road and Orakau Avenue, only metres from the front door, yet the city centre is just minutes away. Dinner runs Monday to Saturday from 5:30pm until late (closed Sundays), with a lunch service in December only, Wednesday to Friday. Walk-ins are welcome, bookings are recommended, and parties of eight or more should call or email. Children from five years old are welcome.

The loyalty the restaurant inspires is measurable: 4.7 stars from nearly 1,500 TripAdvisor reviews, 4.8 from more than 1,500 Google reviews, and a perfect 5.0 from over 4,000 on Restaurant Guru. One Yelp reviewer said they would fly back from America just to eat here again. There's a sustainability streak too — food waste is composted and recycled back into the restaurant's kitchen gardens, a full-circle touch that mirrors the produce-led cooking above ground. Whether it's a big occasion or a small win, One Tree Grill treats both with the same quiet seriousness.

Signature items

• Te Matuku Oysters
• Ricotta & Agria Scarpinocc
• Leelands Southland Lamb
• Dry Aged Grass Fed Beef Sirloin
• Seared Duck Breast
• Forest Mushrooms

Menu

Mains

• Long Line Market Fish — Black tiger prawn, braised leeks, kumara gnocchi, parmesan emulsion.
• Seared Duck Breast — Parsnip purée, saffron pear, roasted chestnuts, fennel, nasturtium.
• Leelands Southland Lamb — Rack and shoulder, smoked eggplant, date chutney, sugar snap peas, pistachio.
• Chickpea & Capsicum Tagine — Vegetarian: falafel, grilled capsicum, eggplant, sweet potato, dried apricot, mint.
• Pasture Fed Beef Eye Fillet — Short rib, celeriac, forest mushrooms, brussels sprouts, bone marrow.
• Dry Aged Grass Fed Beef Sirloin (300g) — Black garlic butter, wild watercress, jus gras.
• Black Angus Rib Eye on the Bone (450g) — Maître d'hôtel butter, wild watercress, jus gras.

Sides

• Shoestring Fries — Truffle and parmesan.
• Smoked Agria Mash — With chives.
• Broccolini & Beans — Onion butter, almonds.
• Beetroot Salad — Blood oranges, goat's cheese, rocket.
• Beta Carrots — Honey and buffalo feta.

Desserts

• Dark Chocolate Mousse — Almond crème, mandarin, frozen chocolate sand, buffalo yoghurt.
• Vanilla Crème Brûlée — Sauternes jelly, ginger, poached rhubarb, passionfruit sorbet.
• Pear & Feijoa — Tonka bean custard, lime gel, black sesame sponge, spiced ice cream.
• Black Forest Chocolate Fondant — Cherry compote, chocolate soil, frozen mascarpone.
• Pina Colada — Coconut mousse, tropical fruit, rum jelly, pineapple sorbet.
• Tamarillo & Green Apple — Butterscotch, green apple, tamarillo sorbet.
• Petit Fours — Frangipane and caramelised apple, sea-salt ruby chocolate truffle, burnt honey ice cream cone, preserved orange and white chocolate mousse tart.
• Single Premium Cheese — One of three premium cheeses with saffron pear, dates, quince paste, buckwheat lavosh.
• Premium Cheese Selection — Three premium cheeses with saffron pear, dates, quince paste, buckwheat lavosh.

EntréEs

• Sugar Cured Salmon — Avocado crème, kohlrabi, toasted grains, leche de tigre.
• Marinated Beef Tartare — Caperberries, aged cheddar, toasted almonds, buckwheat, agria crisps.
• Ricotta & Agria Scarpinocc — Grilled octopus, white bean, capsicum, sage.
• Free Range Pork Belly — Swede purée, pineapple chutney, charred cabbage, sorrel.
• Forest Mushrooms — Vegetarian: wakame, confit potato, truffle beurre blanc, pickled enoki, kale.

Appetisers

• Te Matuku Oysters — Natural with chardonnay vinegar or ginger dressing, or tempura with lemon aioli; subject to availability.
• Chicken Liver Parfait — Plum chutney and aromatic brioche.
• Seared Scallops — Ajo blanco, vanilla velouté, green grapes, lemon.
• Celeriac & Black Truffle Soup — Brie custard, rosemary cracker, cured egg yolk, hazelnut.

Set Menus & Degustation

• Three Course Set Menu — Entrée, main and dessert; opens with house-made sourdough and honey-thyme butter.
• Four Course Set Menu — Sourdough roll, entrée, main and dessert; suggested for private groups.
• Degustation Set Menu — Seasonal tasting journey from forest mushrooms and cured salmon to market fish, lamb, duck or beef, plus two desserts.
• Wine Pairings — Curated New Zealand and international matches for the degustation menu.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a booking at One Tree Grill?

Walk-ins are welcome, but bookings are always recommended. If your preferred time is unavailable on the online calendar, call or text the restaurant.

What are the opening hours?

Dinner is served Monday to Saturday from 5:30pm until close. The restaurant is closed on Sundays. Lunch service runs December only, Wednesday to Friday.

Is there parking nearby?

Yes — free parking spaces are available on Pah Road and Orakau Avenue, only metres from the front door.

Can dietary requirements be catered for?

Yes. The chefs discreetly accommodate dietary preferences, and the curated set menus include vegetarian and vegan selections.

Is the restaurant suitable for children?

One Tree Grill welcomes all guests aged five years or older.

Do you host functions or private dining?

Yes. The function team can arrange a private dining space, organise flowers and tailor a menu in-house or catered at your venue. Parties of eight or more should call or email; for groups of ten or more, curated set menus are suggested.

Is there a set menu or degustation?

Yes — a three course set menu, a four course set menu and a degustation set menu are available, with optional wine pairings from the cellar.

Tips

• {"body":"Walk-ins are welcome but bookings are recommended — call or text the restaurant if your preferred time isn't showing on the online calendar.","title":"Book ahead"}
• {"body":"Lunch service runs in December only, Wednesday to Friday; dinner is served Monday to Saturday from 5:30pm.","title":"Don't miss December lunches"}
• {"body":"Nearly every dish lists a recommended match from the cellared wine list — the team can guide you through the underground cellar's New Zealand and international collection.","title":"Ask about wine matches"}
• {"body":"Skip the city parking hunt: free spaces sit on Pah Road and Orakau Avenue, only metres from the front door, minutes from the centre of town.","title":"Easy parking"}
• {"body":"Parties of eight or more should call or email; groups of ten or more can choose from curated three, four or degustation set menus, including vegetarian and vegan selections.","title":"Planning a group dinner"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Guests aged 5 years and older welcome","dietary":"Dietary needs accommodated; vegetarian and vegan options available","parking":"Free parking on Pah Road and Orakau Avenue, metres from the front door"}