Overview
Just one month after turning Victoria Street's Karaage Burger into a salad bowl concept and Wellington restauranteur Asher Boote has reimagined another of one his popular venues. This time, long-standing Thorndon favourite Tinakori Bistro makes way for new neighbourhood eatery, Daisy's.
After 28 years of white tablecloths and French dining, Boote has pressed the refresh button in line with what he calls "a new, more accessible era of dining." He believes the word 'bistro' has previously taken on a starchy, high-end connotation. With Daisy's he wants to bring back the neighbourhood restaurant and take ownership of what the bistro originally was: "A local eatery to gather with great food, where you can come for a bite and a drink with friends or sit down around a multi-course meal for a family celebration, and everything in between."
On offer at the new opening inside the 150-year-old building is Kiwi comfort food with eclectic modern flavours. That includes smaller dishes such as creamed paua and flatbread, and pork and duck liver terrine with homemade piccalilli.
Larger dishes include slow-cooked lamb shoulder with mint jelly, and roast half chicken with spiced butter, sage and onion stuffing. For something sweet there's roast tamarillo, salted walnut with oat custard and the 'Golden Milk' pie with ginger cream. Fans of Tinakori haven't been forgotten as the famous steak frites cross over to the new menu.
Daisy's is currently open for dinner service from Tuesday to Saturday, and the upstairs dining room is available for private functions. Over the next few months, Daisy's will look at growing its service to include weekend lunches.
Find Daisy's at 328 Tinakori Road, Thorndon. For more information, visit eatatdaisys.co.nz.