Apéro Food & Wine is one of those places on K Road that you know you’re going to go back to. Quite simply, it is just consistently so good. Run by couple Leslie and Mo – and boy do they make quite the team – you’ll find a quaint interior with exposed brick, genuine hospitality and a selection of great wine that goes alongside incredible food.
“We opened Apero in 2014, and we will turn 12 this year,” Mo says. “The inspiration came a year before and it came about as there was really no ‘Wine Bars’ in Auckland. There were bars that sold wine, but leaned more into beers and cocktails, and there were great restaurants that had great wine lists, but no where that you could just rock up and drink a great glass without all the faff.”
That idea still feels like the heartbeat of Apéro today. It feels like it’s built around ease, but never at the expense of quality. “In terms of K Road, we didn’t specifically target K Road, but we fell in love with the exposed brick at the site of Apéro, it was a perfect size for us and K Road had lots of character. The rest is history.”
It’s easy to see how that instinct paid off. There’s a natural alignment between the street’s personality and the bar’s unpretentious confidence. It doesn’t try to be anything it’s not and that’s exactly why it works.
“The vision was for Les and I to do things our way, and for people to trust us to do that. To be fair, that principle still stands today,” Mo says. “We have become very comfortable in our space, we know our limitations and what we are capable of, but what we set out to achieve and what we wanted to stand for still stands as important for us today. We also basically opened a place that we would like to come and frequent ourselves.”
That sense of self is what makes Apéro feel so grounded. There’s a confidence in doing things well. And… then there’s the food! Les’ cooking has that ability to feel both simple and intricate at the same time. It’s thoughtful and every dish seems to land exactly where it should. Whether that’s something understated or a little more complex, it’s the kind of food you know you’re coming back for!
“Les is always working hard on the specials board, she keeps that hyper seasonal, and that is a constantly changing situation,” Mo says. “Our menu, is the menu… after 12 years, there are too many classics that we can’t change. When ordering you should always check the specials and then work in a combo of the new and the old, or let us pick for you.”
That last part feels key and there’s a trust built into the Apéro experience. You trust them to guide you, and they lean into that with ease.
“Wine wise, the staff and I decide in the moment what we should pair. The beauty of owning your own place is that you can open and pour whatever you like and like wise for Les, she can order and cook what she wants. That ability keeps it fresh for us as well.
“I would say the word that represents the wine list best is ‘loose’. There is a wine list, and you can use it, but really the best thing to do is to sit back, have a chat with one of the staff and let us find you something. I definitely don’t have a set style for my list. I’m lucky enough to try lots of different wines, and really the first question is ‘Do I like It?’. If the answer is yes, then I look at all the other factors.”
It’s a refreshingly human approach. Less about rules, more about instinct. “I like to be surprised. I like all styles but probably have a soft spot of Northern Italian wines at the minute.”
Apéro hasn’t tried to change over the years, and that’s really the point. It knows what it does well, sticks to it, and lets the food, the wine and the atmosphere do the rest.
Trust us, you want to visit this one! For more info and to book a table, visit Apéro online!