Address: 185 Ponsonby Road
Phone: (09) 360 2001
Website: sundaypainters.co.nz
Cuisine: French bistro style
Rating: 8.5/10
I was fully aware of the risk in arranging to meet three friends at a new Ponsonby eatery on only its third night open.
What's more, I'd heard that the concept and name of the new restaurant, Sunday Painters, had emerged from a group of friends in the habit of getting together of a Sunday to paint and cook together.
Now anyone that knows anything about the hospitality industry knows that setting up a successful restaurant is not for the fainthearted and those with a "passion for food" invariably get a rude awakening when the reality sets in.
There's even a joke that goes: what's the best way to make $100K? Start off with $500K and open a restaurant for six months.
So why wasn't I more nervous for this new eatery? Well, because this is the latest venture of Esther Lamb, previously of Stellar, and 10 years on I can still recall how well run and successful that restaurant and bar was. I was banking on her not having lost her crafty knack of creating a cool, local place to eat and drink.
Situated on Ponsonby Rd, Sunday Painters is charming with colourful upholstered seating, ceiling to floor curtains, sparkling chandeliers and walls painted the most restful shade of green. The ambience is soothing, soft and slightly bohemian. And full. On the night we visited every table was taken.
Esther settled us in and then directed the gentle and knowledgeable co-owner, James Kirkwood, our way to advise us on wine choices. The menu and wine list are hand-written and tied with a velvet ribbon, adding to the personable feeling of SP. Apparently they didn't set out to create a French-themed eatery but with Kirkwood's love for French wine and Lamb and third co-owner and chef, Isobel Thom, wanting to create bistro-style food and atmosphere, it's turned out that way.
Starters for us included mussels in batter with walnut sauce, beetroot and chevre salad and leg-o-rabbit. All of these exceeded our expectations - the batter on the small, tasty mussels was light and the smooth nutty sauce a delightfully different addition; the salad had lovely, simple flavours with the sharpness of the soft goat's cheese balancing the beets beautifully; the crumbed and fried leg of rabbit was delicious.
Rabbit is under-used in this country and given their obvious abundance, I reckon more restaurants should look to include it in their menus. The meat is succulent and, like chicken, takes on flavours well. Served at SP with a lightly dressed, red cabbage coleslaw, this starter was fabulous.
Mains were sufficiently slow to arrive and by this I mean that I am tired of having food thrown at me as though it is a race to get from course to course.
What our mains all shared was they were not overly ambitious dishes. Instead they were fine examples of simple food done well. The duck confit and Lyonnaise potatoes my friend tucked into had meat that fell off the bone and potatoes and onions thinly sliced and imbued with duck juices.
The man of the table reported that the steak frites was up to scratch with thin, hand-cut fries and a juicy piece of beef topped off with parsley butter. The visitor from Arrowtown in our group was well-pleased with her hapuku and when I stole a forkful I could see why - perfectly cooked, settled on a bed of braised onion and fennel with a olive and caper tapenade, it was a dream dish.
I'd dithered between the beef bourguignon with potato dumplings and the duck neck sausage for my main. The home-made sausage won out and it was an ingenious and tasty dish. It involved a duck neck, or rather the skin of it, stuffed with minced pork and served on a bed of puy lentils. Trust me, it was not as gruesome or rich as it sounded and I was in heaven.
The two desserts we ordered were a small letdown. At only $10, though a perfect example taste and texture-wise of this French classic, the creme brulee was nevertheless voted "too small" and the pastry-dominated rhubarb pie fell short of "rustic-charm" with its amateur presentation. Short on rhubarb too, it was on the dry side. Next time I'll try the duo of chocolate - a mousse concoction that looked divine.
Sunday Painters feels like one of the "salons" of old where eating, drinking and lively conversation were considered worthy arts all on their own. I think I've discovered my creative side.
From the menu: Mussels in batter with walnut sauce $16, beetroot & goat's cheese salad $16, leg of rabbit $18, fish of the day $28, duck confit $32, steak frites $28, duck & pork sausage $25, greens $6.50, creme brulee $10, rhubarb $10.
Drinks: Licensed with good selection of wines by the glass.
