Overview
Found in an unassuming building down Sale Street, Clooney is an opulent dining destination characterised by plush booth seating, faultless service and refined cuisine. After announcing the closure of the restaurant last year, owner Tony Stewart ultimately made the decision to keep the doors open after being approached by chef Nobu Lee.
Nobu was originally offered the position before the last head chef Jacob Kear but turned it down to pursue other endeavours. Coming from sophisticated Melbourne restaurant Vue de Monde he arrives at the helm of Clooney with a fresh new approach. Diners can now choice between a two, three or seven-course degustation — making it more accessible for diners who aren't after a five-hour marathon. Bringing everything back to the core of the ingredients, 100 percent of the produce used is New Zealand-sourced — right down to the salted blueberry-caper imitators. On that note, a new menu feature is a retrospective look at Kiwi food culture through canapés, playing on meat and three vege, traditional green lip mussels and fish 'n' chips.
Another new element has seen the restaurant look beyond the age-old method of wine pairing — though that's still available — to include the option of tea and juice/kombucha degustation matches, something they believe is a New Zealand first.
Credited 'Tea Master' Anna Kydd was enlisted to pull together the tea pairings, and has brought to the table an organic blend from one of the oldest tea estates in North East India, one of the world's most expensive green teas, a concoction made with black pine needles and the Golden Monkey, which is known for its honeyed peach notes.
Elsewhere in the non-alcoholic beverage department is juice and kombucha pairings. Just like Nobu's seasonal menu, the pairings will change regularly. Current offerings include: pear, banana and coconut juice, and parsnip and fermented apple.
Clooney's wine list is curated by sommelier Benjamin Astair with over 300 labels spanning old and new worlds while showcasing the best of New Zealand.
For more information and bookings, visit clooney.co.nz.