New Zealand Restaurants - A Selection

We've just come back to the snow after 1 month in New Zealand visiting family, walking and, of course, finding the time to fit in a few meals out. A quick review of the few restaurants we managed to get to:

• Andiamo, Auckland
  
• The Botswana Butchery, Wanaka
  
• The Bunker, Queenstown
  
• Fergburger, Queenstown
  
• Salt Bar and Restaurant, Whitianga
  

Andiamo, Herne Bay, Auckland

On arrival, we wanted to go out for a nice meal - cue some internet research and local knowledge. We had many candidates but Andiamo was one our hosts had never been to, was getting good reviews from friends, and had a good wine list.

The restaurant itself had a busy bar just off the main restaurant area and patio dining for those brave enough (it wasn't yet quite warm enough for us at the start of December).

Starters were good: a couple of feta salads, some scallops and calamari. The mains were hapuka, tuna, lamb and beef. Again all solidly presented. This was washed down with a nice Dry River Riesling. 2 desserts were ordered and 2 came (but not the ones ordered). Result: 2 free chocolate desserts and another 2 sticky toffee puddings. On receipt of the bill, we found we had been charged for 2 bottles of wine not 1, but it all got worked out in the end. Time for a walk home through the Ponsonby drunks, out celebrating Christmas early (just like being at home!).

Verdict? Good enough, but too pricey for what it is; certainly not the best Auckland has to offer, and perhaps trying a bit too hard; waiting staff need to pay more attention to the customers rather than their friends! We weren't disappointed with our meal, but neither were we blown over.

The Botswana Butchery, Post Office Lane, Wanaka

After over 1 week of hard walking in the South Island, we marked our last evening in Wanaka with a meal at The Botswana Butchery. This restaurant, albeit the Queenstown branch, was recommended by family who had visited a few weeks ago, but was already on our list to visit.

Starters consisted of Buttermilk and Herb Prawn Cutlets and French Onion Soup. The cutlets were demolished quickly, but the soup took a bit longer - it was delicious, thick, very filling and with lots of bread! A good start to the meal.

After a suitable interval our main courses arrived: 1 sirloin with Bearnaise, and 1 venison. Both were a very good size, and delicious. The cabbage and bacon side we ordered went well with both, and there was plenty of it. The wine list had plenty of wine available by the glass so we tried a couple of Otago Pinots.

For dessert it was 1 excellent crème brulee (the soup was so filling I was practically full after my starter!).

By now the sun was setting, the few clouds that had been lingering over the mountains had disappeared, and so it was off to see Mount Aspiring at sunset - glorious.

Verdict: great food; attentive service; good atmosphere and wine list; great views! Highly recommended.

The Bunker, Cow Lane, Queenstown

Part of me doesn't want to write this review - if I keep it secret then it might remain something special.

There is a Botswana Butchery in Queenstown, but we had heard tell of something else - a small windowless restaurant which used to be used to tune skis, hidden in Cow Lane below a more easily discovered bar of the same name: The Bunker. Again family had visited a few weeks before and recommended it to us, for which we must be thankful! We phoned ahead and reserved a table, and upon arrival found ourselves in a cosy windowless room with only 6 or 7 tables and a roaring log fire, kept well stoked all night.

Starters were duly ordered, along with a bottle of the stunning, and reasonably priced, Wooing Tree Pinot Noir. I had a terrine of pheasant and duck liver parfait with walnut bread - it melted in the mouth and was delicious. My partner opted for the wild hare - seared loin together with braised hare filo rolls which (apparently ...) were stunning.

For the main course I chose the Beef - easily the best beef I have had for a very long time. My husband went for the lamb - rack and braised shoulder. Again delicious.

Dessert time: 1 dessert of the day (a delicious vanilla panacotta) and a trio of chocolate, including a mouth watering pistachio brownie. These were accompanied by glasses of Cloudy Bay late harvest Riesling and 20 year old tawny port respectively.


Throughout the night the service we received was exemplary, and we were allowed plenty of time between courses to relax - the restaurant almost demands that you relax as soon as you walk through the door. In terms of overall atmosphere this rivals anywhere I've ever been - add to that top quality food and a fantastic wine list and you have the ingredients for the perfect night out. So good we stayed at our table for an after dinner drink - we didn't want the evening to end. If you're in Queenstown book a table. This was the best meal we have had in a long time!

Fergburger, Shotover Street, Queenstown

Now strictly speaking this isn't a restaurant, but it does have tables - in fact it can probably seat more diners than The Bunker, although perhaps not in quite the same comfort! But no visit to Queenstown can be complete without a visit to Fergburger.

The last time we ate there they had just moved from Cow Lane. Doing some research before we returned we were amazed to see the advertising - they are a true phenomenon! So what do you get? Fantastic quality burgers, good chips and drinks, including beer if you require it. We grabbed a takeaway consisting of a couple of 1/2lb burgers (we'd just finished a very tough walk!) but on offer are other delicacies such as the tofu 'Holier than thou' burger! This is the nest place in NZ to eat a burger - make sure you don't miss out and remember ... "Ferg Loves You".

Salt Bar and Restaurant, Whitianga

Our final meal out was at Salt. We'd dined here before so had high hopes which weren't quite met.

I started with the chicken liver pate, served with relish and cornishons (gherkins). I wasn't convinced by the gherkins, but they worked very well! A filling starter again for me though! The gravadlax was also appreciated. Then, eventually, came the main course. We had the misfortune of being served behind a large table of 12 or 14 - and it showed. Not only did we have to wait over half an hour for the main course, but when the lamb and the fillet arrived they were overcooked: the beef was medium rather than medium rare, and the lamb hadn't been pink for a while! The salsa verde served with the lamb was overpowering, as was the imam bayildi. Not the best choice. The beef was good, notwithstanding the overcooking.

For dessert there was a crème brulee again - good but not great and, bizarrely, served with rhubarb (which didn't work).

Verdict: not a great meal for us but I'd be prepared to give them another chance if we ever go to the Coromandel again. And there doesn't appear to be a huge choice of fine dining in Whiti. The last time was far better.

Le Monde - A whole world of tasteless, cold, badly cooked food

Well the title of the post says it all really. But before I begin, can I just say that despite the food I did have a good night out - due in no small measure to some excellent company.

Le Monde is, and I quote from the website, "one of the premier boutique hotels in Edinburgh. Its popularity and reputation continues to grow." Really?

We met in the bar, Vienna. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised - the clientèle were mixed - pensioners, teenagers and a whole range in between. The bar itself was very nice. A good start. Then we went upstairs to "Paris" for dinner ...

Atmosphere

Styled as "an intimate space for romantic liaisons" (I wasn't there on a romantic liaison) I expected something subtle. Instead we (not me ...!) had to ask for the music to be turned down so we didn't have to shout to one another. I was also a bit put off by people dancing when we were eating - I know, I know: I'm old (fashioned) - a restaurant should just be a restaurant ... No?

And then, as I move a water glass away it sticks to my hand - yuck! New glass requested immediately ... I am left feeling a little bit queasy. I suspect we are not the "restaurant's" favourite table.

Food

I can safely say that this is one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had!

To start: I chose the ham terrine with apple chutney and rye bread. Or to put it another way - a completely tasteless terrine with an identical (non) tasting chutney. At least the toasted rye bread had some flavour to it. There was no salt and pepper on the table either, so I couldn't try to improve it. The textures of the food were different but that's really about all I can say. I would love to admit I was exaggerating here but no - I have never eaten anything before that tastes of nothing. So to get two on the same plate ... well it certainly was an achievement.

We also had mussels, scallops and bruschetta. The most interesting comment passed was that the sauce with the mussels was hot. I said nothing, as did most others ...

For the main: there was a mix up - one person ordered a rib-eye with no tomato, 2 others ordered rare sirloin. The rib-eye came with a tomato, one of the sirloins without ... confusion reigns as I point out that a rib eye is clearly different from a sirloin and that I have the wrong dish - I was happy to swap. No that would not do. The dishes must be taken back to the kitchen because neither of the two waiters knew their rib-eye from their &!*!. Sure enough, a few minutes later, back came the plates with the tomato switched. Apparently I was correct.

So, rare steak should be (more than) a bit bloody, right?? If we peered intently at it we could just about detect a hint of pink. Our rare steaks came medium to well done. If they had been cooked as ordered they would have been very good - the quality of the steak only ruined by the incompetence of the chef. And then the temperature: the steak was cold, the chips that came with it even colder. The mushroom was quite nice (but then it's difficult to screw up a grilled mushroom). I kind of felt obliged to eat the (half green) tomato.

Lamb shanks were also ordered. I was too afraid to ask anyone what they thought, and I suspect everyone else felt the same as we talked about everything but the food.

I skipped dessert and instead chose a large espresso: it was excellent.

The Bill

So we ask for the bill. As we divvy it up, someone mentions a tip. "Have they included a service charge?" someone else asks? Yes they have: so we get a bill with a service charge included plus a space for a tip. Cheap trick? We didn't leave any extra.

Overall Rating

It's not a restaurant. A restaurant should serve good food. A restaurant should not be dominated by a huge bar - reference Harvey Nichols Forth Floor for how it could be done. You should not have to shout in a restaurant. A restaurant should not boast of the quality of its steak and yet be unable to tell the difference between cuts, or be able to cook it correctly. This was a truly terrible dining experience. Burger King is far better - at least you get what you expect there. And I have to say the food is a damned site tastier.

If only 1 person reads this and decides not to go, my work is done. This was a huge letdown.

The Champany Inn: Restaurant with Rooms

For our wedding anniversary this year we decided to go to the Champany Inn for a meal. We had visited the Chop and Ale house last year and vowed at the time to come back to the restaurant. With an eye for the bargain (and in the hope of offsetting some of the cost of the wine!) we plumped for a summer offer - Dinner Bed and Breakfast for £170. This did limit us to the quick supper menu, rather than the full menu, but the range of food looked excellent so we were more than happy to compromise.

Accommodation

It's not an hotel, it's a restaurant with rooms. But I have to say that the rooms were excellent. At what was effectively £90 for bed and breakfast, the price wasn't all that bad either. Facilities included free-view TV, wireless internet, a large super-king bed, and a spacious bathroom (even if the bathroom décor and design was somewhat dated). A very good room indeed.

Wine List

When we decide where to go for a meal, more often than not the choice is governed by how good the wine list is - if it's bad, we probably won't be going ...

The Champany wine list seemed to me to be larger than the Witchery list, which in itself is an accomplishment. But, of course, size isn't everything: the content was equally as good. As usual we found ourselves drawn to the Burgundy, something we don't drink much of at home, but instead settled on a 2001 Delas Hermitage Les Bessards which was stunning: hints of woodsmoke on the nose, red fruits on the palette and complex yet smooth.

Food

Never before have I been offered chorizo bread, or pesto bread - and those were only a small selection of what was available. An excellent and unusual start to the meal.

The Quick Supper Menu had a small but good range. We enjoyed perfect chicken liver pate and brioche, and a Stilton salad for starters. The pot roast was oxtail, but we both chose the sirloin - a large (8oz?) steak on the bone, served perfectly with freshly made chips and the largest array of vegetables I have ever been served in a restaurant: French beans, baby leeks, baby carrots, asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower. All of these were very al dente, which wasn't to my personal taste, but very nice.

Thoroughly full, we finished the wine, and looked at the desserts. In due course waffles arrived, with a delicate maple syrup, and crème brûlée - the latter came, surprisingly, with a pot of ice cream. Whilst nice, it seemed to me like 2 separate desserts rather than 1, and that was the way I ate them. An odd way to serve the pudding.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served in a country style kitchen. I found it slightly off-putting to have the food cooked in the same room, in an open-plan layout, but apart from that it was very good. A choice of fruit juice, cereal, yoghurts etc, and a full Scottish breakfast. We were not overly keen on the sausage (beef) - excellent quality but I think we are traditionalist pork sausage people (you learn somehting new every day). There were more mushrooms than I have ever seen in my life (a plus for me), well cooked eggs, tasty bacon, black pudding and tomatoes. Not a baked bean in sight (!).

Overall Rating

A great evening with very good food. In terms of value for money this was excellent. Was it Michelin star dining? For me the food was slightly below that standard, but we were just having the Quick Supper. The whole experience, however, was certainly up there with the best: the waiting staff, and owners, were attentive and knowledgeable; the sommelier was very helpful in narrowing our choice down from an excellent list; the dining room itself had a very relaxed and intimate atmosphere.

The only downside was that we forgot to check when the wine shop opened. Assuming it opened at 10am in line with licensing laws, and planning a visit after we checked out, we were disappointed to find out it opened at 12pm. Never mind, at least our wallets are a bit less empty than they might otherwise have been.

Go to the Champany Inn at least once in your life. If you don't mind spending £40 on a steak, opt for the full menu: you get a much greater range of steaks to choose from. But the Quick Supper menu offers a great choice and a 3 course meal for the same price - if you like the contents, as we did, it's an excellent option. Either way I am sure you will have a fantastic time.

This could be our last meal out in Scotland for the 2009. The next reviews may be of restaurants and wine slightly further afield ...

Next up in this country, we have 21212 in January - I'm looking forward to it already :-)