Dinner at the Sugar Club | Auckland Sky Tower
Breathtaking views of Auckland harbour? Check. Plush interiors? Check. Delicious cocktails? Check. Delightful menu that played on the palate? Check. The Sugar Club in the Auckland Sky Tower just has it all.
Whenever I’m in Auckland I somehow always end up in the iconic 328 metre high Sky Tower which has stood tall for over 20 years. It sits above the clouds to experience incredible 360° views of Tāmaki Makaurau, taking in ancient volcanoes, sparkling sunlit harbours and beyond.
This time, it was just one of those nights where you soak in the view, order cocktails (even though you *should* be drinking wine with the meal, but they’re just too good) and enjoy the excellent company.
My brother and I hopped into the very Star Trek lift that shot us up 53 floors above Auckland City, bound for the Sugar Club.
We were welcomed and ushered through the restaurant to our window-side table – I’d booked specifically so that we could enjoy the summer sun setting over the Auckland bridge. (Most of the ‘content’ I took was video – photos just weren’t doing the horizon justice.) Me and my lovely little brother simply relaxed and reminisced as we perused the menu.
Ordering from the Native Cocktail Story menu – a “liquid portrayal of New Zealand” was hard. I mean, look…
Based on the Arowhenua tribe story, Aoraki follows the conversion of man to mountain. We take botanicals from the local Tekapo basin, spirit from Central Otago and a chilling menthol to represent the cold blast of altitude, recognising the pure beauty of the region and the beliefs behind its creation. [Sipsmith gin – Misha limelight riesling – honey passion fruit cordial – pink grapefruit – dry ice]
I honestly wanted to try everything, but based on my mood I selected a Lost Ruby – ok, two – a play on one of the most popular cocktail during Prohibition era in the US, the John Collins. The Sugar Club team shifted the flavour profile towards a beautiful combination to pair the whisky with peach and pear. [Johnnie Walker Black – pear cordial – peach tea – fresh lemon – edible rubies.] And, to add the drama, it’s presented with a cloud of dry ice.
It was so, so good.
“With a Chef’s menu that champions seasonality, combining the best in local sustainably sourced produce with the boldest flavours from around the world. The kitchen focuses on flavours and texture, whilst the dining room and bar are an experiential destination with breath-taking views of Auckland City and the Hauraki Gulf.”
For at least a minute we pretended to consider a starter-main-dessert combination, but we both absolutely knew that we were choosing the ‘Deluxe Tasting Menu’ of 6 courses plus bread, hors d’oeuvre and pre-dessert. (Sidenote: will I ever learn how to spell hors d’oeuvre without Google? Probably not.)
The dishes – from the intriguing Tomatoes and Green Strawberries (with cured cucumber, lemongrass & koji water – the latter is definitely an acquired taste that neither of us had) to the divine Tartare of Harakeke and Kawakawa Cured Deer (gooseberry ketchup, beetroot and saffron cured egg – had us turning tines at every course.
We spent most of the meal ranking the courses – it was impossible not to. It was quite funny to see the order shifting as we nibbled our way through.
I enjoyed the Market Fish (with avocado mole, sea kelp butter and lemon verbena) and the Coastal Lamb (with shiitake, black garlic, bone marrow)… but was a little disappointed with the Cambridge Duck (with fermented carrot, burnt onion, ume reduction) – it was nice, but didn’t quite have the salted crispness of a perfect morsel, y’know?
In 2004, Peter Gordon set up the “dine by Peter Gordon” restaurant in the SKYCITY Grand Hotel in Auckland followed soon by the Bellota tapas bar in 2006. In July 2013, dine by Peter Gordon was closed to make way for the fourth iteration of “The Sugar Club” in the SKYCITY Hotel in Auckland, at the top of the SKY Tower. Sadly in 2020 he left Sugar Club, but I was still so curious to see what his legacy of Pacific Rim ‘fusion food’ would be.
“Peter still has restaurants in his native New Zealand and he is involved in many different food and drink projects, both as a consultant and investor. He has seen off his detractors with every new success and was awarded Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit – the New Zealand equivalent of an OBE – in 2009 for his skills as a chef and restaurateur, but also his tireless fundraising for leukaemia research.”
The palate cleanser was the perfect combination of zingy and refreshing – a perfectly quinelled sorbet and berry coulis.
And that view.
The dessert – usually one of my favourite part of a meal – was probably the weakest link; a Valrhona Chocolate Mousse with banana, almond, Bailey’s brownie – it was just too many things.
Our evening finished with a delicious array of Petit Four and the grin of our waiter as he presented them with a flourish and a warning that the apricot petit four had a delicious sour tang – scrumptious!
It was a night to remember.
A lovely taste of Auckland, with a gorgeous view over the beautifully darkening harbour.
Our meal at the Sugar Club was simply intriguing. One of those puzzles where you begin around the outside and see how the pieces meet in the middle. Some edges were a little askew, but the half of the fun was the journey, the pairings, the thinking through of the way the dishes were presented.
