Hinchcliff House is a four-storey mega venue that's overtaken the heritage Hinchcliff Wool Stores, a huge sandstone structure dating back to the 1860's that has been restored and revived as part of the ever-evolving Quay Quarter. Five venues sit inside: Two Italian eateries, an underground cocktail bar, a private hospitality space and an attached bakery.
While each venue brings something interesting to the table, the real marvel of the venue is the huge wool store it sits within. At Grana, bare sandstone walls are accompanied by wooden beams and large grain and wheat bundles that are placed around the restaurant. The space ties your dining experience to the history of the building, while the food is made using pasta and bread made in the building's combi mill.
Then you have Lana, the degustation dining hero at Hinchcliff House that serves up a few kinds of long Italian feasting experiences — focussing on all things seafood. Set within the heritage building's loft, you can either grab a table beneath the open wooden rafters or pull up a pew at the spectacular pink marble bar while sipping on Italian tipples.
Downstairs at Apollonia, the lights are dimmed and soft beige tones are traded for dark reds and leather seating. Here the cocktails are king, with the negronis holding a special place in the bar staff's hearts. Each Friday at midnight the staff hold a toast to what's important in life: love, life and negronis.
All four of the venues are the creation of prolific New Zealand restauranteur Scott Brown (Amano) alongside the team at House Made Hospitality. Brown has been running restaurants across the Tasman for over a decade, founding Auckland's Hipgroup in 2004.
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