Madame Social won ‘Best Ambiance and Design’ at the Restaurant Association Hawke’s Bay Awards. Kem Ormond decided to test the ambiance for herself.
It wasn’t that long ago when the Iron Pot at Ahuriri, Napier, was surrounded by old wool stores.
They were long past their use-by date and couldbarely stand upright. The fishing boats use to pull in and you could buy half a dozen flounder with a piece of twine sewn through them so you could carry them back to your car.
Ahuriri’s come a long way since then. It now has such a buzzing vibe, both during the week and in the weekend. With its gorgeous boutique shops, selection of fantastic cafes and eating places it’s Napier’s “Lovers Lane”.
Then there is one of its biggest and newest additions - the Madame.
Glam, sophisticated, relaxed and with a definite New York flair is how I would describe Madame Social, the bar and eatery overlooking the water.
With the most beautiful views, it doesn’t matter what the weather is.
Sarah Kelly and Steve Kelly, the couple behind Madame Social in Ahuriri. Photos / Supplied
Madame Social promises to deliver a unique dining and social experience that artfully blends the rich and diverse flavours of modern Asian cuisine with a funky European twist.
The minute I walked in I felt I had walked into somewhere special. The lighting gives off a moody feel and the layout of the seating, the intimate booths, luxurious fabrics that have been carefully chosen, right down to the marble-topped bar that wraps around the centre of the room.
It took years of planning, design and building with the vision of local developer David Mackersey to get this special venue off the ground in July 2024.
Throwing Covid into the mix, as well shipping delays for imported furniture and fixtures to arrive, meant seasoned hospitality locals Sarah and Steve Kelly could easily have thrown in the towel.
Designing and running hospitality venues is in their blood, and they just live and breathe it.
The carefully selected team can cater for up to 60 seated diners, while another 80 can enjoy socialising, where on any busy week there can be up to 1000 cocktails being made.
With a team of 45 full and part-time staff, Madame Social’s aim is to make customer enjoyment their number one priority. Every little detail has been thought out right down to the beautiful crystal cocktail glasses, of every shape and size, gold chopsticks, and the stunning plateware, hand selected for each dish.
Steve Kelly, who is a chef by trade, designed the menu, which he describes as, “Asian fusion food with a genuine depth of authenticity.”
The food is exciting and fresh, with a twist of New Zealand thrown in to the odd dish - for example they have pork and paua dumplings. Every day, fresh dumplings, wontons, and spring rolls are hand made by one of the specialised chefs.
