Phone:(09) 361 2320.
Cuisine: Casual diner food
Rating: 7/10
In preparation for this review, I did two things that are not usually called for when heading out to eat - I had a snack, followed by a wee sleep. You see, I was off to check out the Late Night Diner on Ponsonby Rd and, though they open at 5pm each day, I was determined to see it in all its glory, feeding the hungry masses late into the night. You could say it was my version of pre-loading, with food and a nana nap standing in for the more usual half dozen sickly RTDs!
By the time I arrive at the diner it's close to 11pm and I'm wondering if I will be able to muster enough of an appetite and the energy to do my job properly. But I open the door and instantly get what I need - a dose of liveliness. From the loud music that fills the air, to the bartender's look - hipster cool in suspenders and moustache - and the floor staff who work the long counter top, crowded with happy customers, the atmosphere is the perfect pick- me-up for the late hour. I'm directed to a spare stool in my favourite place - right in front of the busy grill section of the kitchen.
The menu reads like any list of decent diner fare should - it tempts you into over-ordering with the ratio of fried food to salads unlikely to get a health tick of any sort. The short orders include all the favourites; mac 'n cheese and bangers and mash, while house-made beans sit alongside grilled sandwiches and burgers.
Drinks range from sodas and shakes to cocktails, New Zealand and American craft beers and, because even though it's a diner it's still on Ponsonby Rd darrrling, there's a comprehensive selection of bubbles and wine. I feel like a lightweight ordering an Arnold Palmer, essentially an iced tea with lemonade, when there are hard shakes - vanilla thickshake laced with cigar-infused bourbon, or a chocolate shake spiked with rum and Grand Marnier - to choose from, but I can only go so far pretending to be part of the late night set. But what makes Late Night Diner a suitable eating out option for everyone, not just the late-night revellers greedy for anything to soak up the rest of the evening, are the items in the "home cooking" section - pan fried fish on corn grits, duck with potato hash, quail on lentils, roast chicken and more - which are being delivered right, left and centre as I perch on my counter stool. This is not sloppy-Joe diner fodder by any means.
