Quiet confidence is at play here, from assured service to a menu that just knows what it needs to do.
Old-world charm runs through this decades-old restaurant in the basement of the art-deco Lawson Apartments Building. Venetian blinds shield diners from the street, and when you push on the heavy, worn wooden door, there’s a feeling of entering a place that’s seen it all. From power lunches to first dates and landmark celebrations, it’s also a safe port for the solo diner. Owners Dan Morris and Emma Ferguson have built a reputation across their venues for the quality of the wine offering, but the non-alcoholic side of things hasn’t been shunned. A non-negroni delivers for those who abstain (even just at lunch). Food is classic bistro, the waitstaff ably guiding diners through the menu. Oysters from Streaky Bay offer a plump, saline start, while the market fish, hapuka from ‘up north’, is translucent, the skin crisp. For those who savour the soundtrack of a restaurant, it flows effortlessly from the classic jazz of the building’s era to modern post-rock. A metaphor for the restaurant itself?
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