The dish: Food from the old country

The old Ponsonby Fire Station has been given a new lease of life.

It has reopened as The Williamson, a stylish new cafe with chefs Matt Wilkinson (ex-head chef at Occam) and Sinbad Boulidon (ex-Chapel) in the kitchen.

On the menu you'll find old English classics - soft-boiled eggs and soldiers, homemade baked beans, bubble and squeak and mince on toast.

Owner Jeff Tuffey says the menu style was inspired by the building - "we wanted to go a bit old-fashioned with a bit of a modern twist".

Tuffey has long admired the old fire station but with its previous incarnation as a nightclub, major renovations were needed. The top floor is still being worked on and should be open later next month as a bar.

The Williamson is at 1 Williamson Rd, Ponsonby, ph 360 1115.


No longer Open Late

While a Ponsonby icon reopens, another has closed.

The Open Late Cafe shut its doors for the last time on Sunday night after 25 years.

Owner Victor Talyancich, who has run it for the past 18 years, attempted to renew his lease with the landlords to no avail, so he was forced to close.

It is one of the longest-running eateries in Ponsonby where you could get nachos, lasagne and even a steak into the wee hours of the morning. No word yet on what will open in its place.