Elliott Stables

November 25-28, 2013

Last week several hundred Aussies and Kiwis in my field of work swooped on Auckland for a conference. The contingent from my office numbered more than a dozen and we met up often for lunch, dinner and/or drinks. Elliott Stables proved to be a particularly good location for such meet-ups. It's centrally located and essentially a glorified food court. Choose a heavy timber table to sit at and note its number, wander around the various stalls, order and pay for your meal, then sit back down and it's brought out to you. 

I was pleased with the veg choices I spotted at several stalls. Ela Cuisine even dared to mention vegan options on their menu! I enjoyed their conical masala dosa (NZ$12 ~ AU$10.70) and watermelon juice (NZ$5 ~ AU$4.50) on my first visit.

On Tuesday night I splashed out on a Vegetarian Box (NZ$20 ~ AU$17.90) from Samurai Japanese Restaurant. It offered a nice array of fresh and fried dishes (though no pickles!), and I'm pretty sure it was ninja vegan.

Thursday evening was spent drinking and grazing, so I looked beyond Bonz Cajun Kitchen's meaty mains and ordered a bucket of hushpuppies (NZ$6 ~ AU$5.40), ultra-fried bundles of cornmeal and corn kernels with a bit of jalapeno heat.

I would certainly recommend Elliott Stables for large groups. The range of vendors and casual, comfortable setting allowed us to arrive and leave in bursts, mingle at our leisure, and choose meals that suited our individual tastes and dietary requirements.

_____________

An Auckland Vegan recommends the El Faro tapas at Elliott Stables. The Stables have also earned positive posts from Cheap Eats, the food pornographer, A Rumbly Tummy, I talk too much my mouth hurts, Amateur Foodie Review, Eats by Anna, Choice! NZ, Auckland Food Connoisseurs, HURRY UP AND EAT and Foodie Doodie.

_____________

Elliott Stables
39 Elliott St, Auckland
veg snacks & meals NZ$5-25 (AU$4.50-22.30)
http://www.elliottstables.co.nz/

Accessibility: The stables have a wide entry but the tables are arranged at high density. The food vendors are all on the same level and generally accessible with varying counter heights. Food is ordered and paid for at counters then served at the table. I didn't ever track down the toilets.