Tyler St. Garage

Over the weekend North Island, or should I say lower and mid North Island was hit by what the weathermen called a "weather bomb". High winds tore through Taranaki and my old hometown; Whanganui. Roofs were torn off, trees felled, power supply disrupted. Up here in Auckland we caught just the fringe of the system and escaped with relatively minor stuff.

Tyler St. Lager

Just as quickly as it turned horrible, the weather became absolutely perfect. If Saturday was a precipitous low pressure sweeping across Taranaki and Manawatu, Sunday brought a fabulous high.. clear blues skies not a cloud in sight. Winds were still moderate, sail boats out in force in Auckland harbour.


And so we found ourselves strolling down to the waterfront after church, looking for a spot of lunch. Wanderings brought us to the Britomart precinct. Happy people soaking in the sunshine, dogs sniffing about. Poked our noses into 3 Eateries: Mexico - closed on Sunday, Brew on Quay - menu did not appeal, and walking round to Quay Street, Tyler St Garage. I had read reviews of this place and was keen to try it out.

View looking out to Quay Street

One happy lunch party sitting out in the brilliant (hot) sunshine and bracing breeze. Inside, a cavernous space, cool, dim and inviting. Industrial look, black painted steel beams (I would'nt mind a house like this), exposed bricks, high tables (on wheels) with bar stools, strategically positioned so that we could perch and shoot the breeze and watch the traffic go by outside. Picked up a menu and a friendly wait staff engaged us and we decided to eat here. Not a big menu, small plates for sharing, tempting gourmet hot dogs and pizza. Drinks not exorbitant either. We settled for 2 glasses of Tyler St lager - it seemed the right drink for a bright sunny day.. and foodie friend ordered Wild Boar Hot Dog and I ordered hot smoked salmon, broad bean hummus with grilled flat bread. (I had some misgivings about ordering a "small plate" as they are often not quite enough).

Wild Boar Hot Dog

Their eponymous lager was refreshing, well chilled but not outstanding. Went down well though. The Wild Boar sausage came quickly, smelt mouthwatering-ly savoury, on a soft roll. Topped with a serving of "sweet & sour apple sauerkraut with chilli", french fries and 2 small ramekins of ketchup and home-made mayo. Sausage was smoky, juicy and more-ish. My small plate took quite a while longer and to their credit, staff came to apologise and assure us that it would be out soon. And it was well worth the wait.

Grilled Flatbread

It was nothing like what I had expected. It was way better. The flat bread had been quartered, brushed with olive oil and grilled lightly - light crust with warm chewy interior. The smoked salmon and broad beans were presented as giant quenelles - one light tan and the other brilliant jade green. Their flavours complemented each other too - the hot smoked salmon had been mixed with dill, finely minced shallots and topped with Ikura (salmon roe) - smoky, salty, slightly piquant. The broad bean hummus was light, fresh tasting, with a hint of mint. Each component was delicious on its own but together made a very yummy mouthful. Very satisfying.

Hot Smoked Salmon, Broad bean hummus

Yum. We'd love to come back again perhaps in the evening to experience live music and sample more of their food offerings.