Overview
There's nothing worse than a perplexing restaurant name. The conundrum can often provoke menu anxiety before you even set foot in the door. That shan't be a problem for a new downtown offering which is candidly going by the title: Meat Fish Wine.
Located in the historic Chancery Chambers building on the corner of O'Connell and Chancery Streets, Meat Fish Wine is the brainchild of two-time 'Chef of the Year' David Schofield and Melbourne hospitality group Apples + Pears. The venture will mark Schofield's return to New Zealand after several years abroad working in Australia and Michelin starred kitchens in London and France. As well as bringing his newfound European finesse to the engine room, he will combine local produce for a seasonally driven menu, offering "premium experiential dining with a true farm-to-table ethos".
Despite the straight-arrow label, the menu will offer a wide range of elegant dishes, including: eggplant dumplings with Asian greens; crab with golden beetroot, macadamia and ice cream; kina with duck egg pasta; Wakanui wagyu rump; pork belly with baby kumara and miso maple dressing, and the alluring brioche doughnuts with cinnamon sugar and homemade Nutella.
And, they weren't lying when they said there'd be wine. The bar will also feature one of the largest wine lists in the country, boasting over 600 varieties from New Zealand and around the world. While the final list is still under wraps, a quick look at Meat Fish Wine's sister restaurant in Melbourne reveals a 33-page menu of crowd-pleasing and rare wines from every corner of the globe. Running with the theme, the restaurant's $1.5 million fit-out will feature an elaborate chandelier in the shape of a hei matau fish hook carving, made out of 2,000 wine glasses.
Meat Fish Wine is schedule to open late June.