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The menu was a beautiful powder blue leather bound list of seasonal dishes, all sounding so good it was hard to pick a plate. We had read a lot of great reviews of the newly opened establishment and were eager to sample.
The look was white, light with a chic modern design. Owner Mark Keddell (the man behind Libertine, Snapdragon and Wellington's popular Matterhorn) began the makeover at the end of last year and we were very impressed with what he's done with what used to be quite a dark downtown establishment.
The food was by Ian Harrison, whose CV includes legendary British restaurants like Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck and Marco Pierre White's Yew Tree. His last Auckland role was head chef at Clooney. I picked the toasted coconut granola with sweet and soft medjool dates, agave nectar and coconut yoghurt that was so light and smooth ($14). However, my dining companion won this round with the fluffiest sweetcorn fritters I've ever tried, teamed with house-cured bacon, smashed avocado and sour cream ($16).
The coffee was single origin and very well brewed. However, it's the $7 smoothie list that I suggest picking from. I can vouch for the cocoa nib, banana, date, almond milk and smashed brazil nut - it was refreshing, chilled and delicious, with a gritty texture from the ground nuts that I really liked.
