In the daytime, The Larder’s plain decor and food cabinets suit its description as a diner or coffee shop, but after dark it has loftier ambitions. After all, few coffee shops start the meal with an amuse-bouche, but we were served demitasses of sweetcorn soup with parsley-infused olive oil. The emphasis was on ‘sweet’, though […]
We’re told that Whitebait is not just a relocated White House; it’s part of the trend away from stilted ‘fine dining’ to a more casual experience, though still with high-end food and pricing. There are no certainly no white tablecloths, but there’s also no mistaking this for a rambunctious diner. The conversation was a polite, […]
There are many pleasures to be had down dark alleyways in Newtown, but few of them are legal. One exception has always been the narrow arcade off Riddiford Street, which has been home to a string of European restaurants over the decades, most notably (for those with long memories) The Swiss Chalet. It is into […]
I was initially puzzled by the buzz among my friends about Mexico’s imminent opening: they’re not normally the type to get excited by chain restaurants with branches in Takapuna and Hamilton. Then I saw the menu and understood the hype. The dishes looked more innovative and better presented than most Mexican food in Wellington. Queues […]
This review required some mental time travel on my behalf, because while this issue will come out in early summer, we dined in the depths of winter. We tried to imagine gazing out across the dunes towards a golden sunset, Kapiti Island cast into glorious silhouette as the last rays stroked the sky… but our […]
Basque describes itself as a “Tapas Bar and Restaurant”, though the layout and atmosphere, with prominent beer taps and more leaners than tables, definitely emphasises the bar aspect. This is underscored by a vast and fascinating drinks selection. As well as the expected Riojas and Albariños on the wine list, there’s a whole unknown (to […]
Imagine life without fermentation. We would have no bread; no wine or beer; no cheese, pickles or salami. For some years now fermentation has been slowly bubbling away as a foodie trend, often with health-fetishist overtones, focusing on sauerkraut, kimchi and other means of creatively rotting vegetables, grains and beans. It was to be expected […]
One occupational hazard of a professional gourmand is a diet rich in fat and sugar, and according to my doctor the inside of my arteries now resembles half-melted raclette, while my liver is approaching the size and consistency of foie gras. It was just as well that my next review was Loretta, a new restaurant […]
I was all set to hate this place. A bar and grill run by a celebrity chef, with a jokey name and calculatedly oh-so-casual decor, set up with leaners and long tables to capture the raucous suits and out-of-towners. And in Cuba Street! Such a conceit might fly in Featherston Street or Blair Street or […]
Grey clouds rolled in from the south as our train pulled in to Plimmerton station. While it detracted from the carefree seaside ambience, the autumnal chill put us in the mood for a hearty northern European meal and heightened our craving for hard liquor. Inside Topor, the cosy atmosphere perfectly complemented the wintry exterior: warm […]
