Partingtons

By JOHN GARDNER

The lamb was pink, tending to the red end of the spectrum, full of flavour and with just the slightest resistance to the hungry bite. The harissa dressing, lively but not overwhelming, added more colour, both visually and to the palate. Tiny beans, a garnish of lentils and the counterweight of old-fashioned potatoes dauphinoise.

A dish that displayed the virtues of New Zealand food as it can be, superb basic ingredients lifted with a little imagination but not tarted up beyond recognition.

And this was all very pleasing, for we were in Partingtons at the Sheraton. Visiting pleasure-seekers or suits often head for the comfort zone of the hotel dining room rather than venturing into the unknown territory of restaurants. So their first encounter with local food is often in a setting like this, although what used to be called fine dining has gone backwards in many hotels.

At Partingtons the menu is a good straightforward sample of what we have to offer and I decided to go along a route a new arrival might take. I started with the whitebait fritter ($20). It was superb - a distant cousin of what the guys with the big nets and kerosene tins at the mouth of those Westland rivers might do - more of a souffle than an omelette, but meltingly light and tempting. And the bonus was that glory of New Zealand food, Nelson scallops.

Our other first course was less outstanding but still good; a delicate crab bisque ($16). If you're going to pursue local ingredients it is hard to stray from seafood, and the main of grilled tuna ($36) was simply excellent. Like my rack of lamb ($38) it was seared, the outer layer contrasting to the eye and to the taste, with a pink and tender interior.

Our progress through this meal started with an amuse-gueule of seared lamb in pastry with green olives and was punctuated by a lemon and lime sorbet, so we were only up to sharing a dessert. We should have stayed with the local theme and gone with some cheese or fruit, as the chocolate delight ($16), while prettily presented, was routine compared with what had gone before.

There was something soothingly old-fashioned about the decor and service, reminiscent of the silver-service days when the hotel dining room was the obligatory venue for all celebratory meals. The liqueurs sat on a hostess trolley and the pepper mill was one of those ludicrous giant phalluses.

But the young waiting staff were attentive and expert and the evening was a comforting pleasure. The wine list is standard and, surprisingly, offered only two dessert wines, but the staff were accommodating in making wines available by the glass not listed as such and our Wither Hills sauvignon blanc, Mt Riley Pinot Noir and Babich Pinot Gris ($13, $12 and $11) might have convinced the most discriminating new arrival that the local wine quality matches the food.

Cost: Dinner for two $189

Ambience: Traditional hotel comfort