There’s a lot happening around the charcoal grill at Parro. In this intimate Mount Eden restaurant you’ll find bold, fire-led food with Brazilian roots, Mediterranean influences and some serious culinary credentials behind it all.
Led by chef-owner Gleber Chaparro, Parro has quickly earned attention on Auckland’s dining scene. This year, the restaurant was awarded a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, while the Cuisine Good Food Awards awarded Parro one hat and named it the Greenstone Creek Metropolitan Restaurant of the Year 2026.
For Gleber though, the story behind Parro began well before the accolades.
His career has taken him through some of Auckland’s best-known kitchens, including Lilian, Amano and Depot, as well as restaurants across Europe.
Most notably, he spent time at Spain’s world-renowned Disfrutar, an experience that helped shape his approach to technique, precision and balancing flavours.
“Parro was born out of a desire to create an intimate, vibrant dining space centered around open-fire charcoal cooking and authentic hospitality,” says Gleber.
That idea now comes to life in a cosy 30-seat neighbourhood restaurant where the open kitchen is very much part of the experience. Brazilian influences from Gleber’s heritage meet flavours and techniques inspired by Spain and Italy, all brought together using seasonal New Zealand produce.
“We wanted a place where the barrier between the kitchen and the dining room dissolves, allowing guests to feel connected to the craft behind every dish.”
It’s an approach that extends beyond the kitchen. Front of house is led by Beatriz (Bia), while chefs Iagor and Martin work alongside Gleber behind the pass, bringing plenty of energy to the restaurant’s small, lively space.
Around the fire
At the heart of Parro is charcoal. The current winter menu leans into rich, comforting flavours, with slow cooking, smoke and fire used throughout.
BBQ bread is paired with Maximus burrata and Italian Villani prosciutto, while cured snapper gazpacho comes with blood orange and an orange noisette reduction. Tiger prawns hit the barbecue before being served with pil pil sauce and chilli oil.
One of the menu’s standout dishes is the pressed lamb shoulder, spice rubbed and slow cooked for 14 to 16 hours before being finished over the open fire and served with chermoula and labneh. For something even heartier, there’s T-bone cooked over charcoal and served with beef demi-glace.
And you’ll want to leave room for dessert. Parro’s tiramisu has developed something of a reputation of its own around Auckland.
Ultimately, Parro is built for sharing. Plates land at the table alongside rich, made-from-scratch sauces, the charcoal grill provides the soundtrack and aroma, and the compact dining room keeps you close to the action.
As Gleber describes it, “Parro is an intimate, 30-seat neighborhood destination where technique meets soul. It’s energetic yet refined.”
And with spring just around the corner, there’s more to come. A new seasonal menu is arriving at Parro, bringing fresh dishes to the table while keeping plenty of the favourites around too.
With two major accolades now behind it, and a new season on the way, Parro is giving Auckland diners plenty of reasons to see what all the fuss is about.
Imagery by Josh Harvey Photography.