Address: 99 Quay St, city
Phone: (09) 307 6966
Web: goodgroup.co.nz/botswana-butchery
Rating: 7/10
There's more on this butcher's block than mere meat. In fact by the time I returned from an overseas trip to find Botswana Butchery had opened its doors in Auckland's historic Ferry Building, I was champing at the bit to get there. It had been widely reviewed while I was away and at only three weeks old had already been included in a list proclaiming Auckland's best restaurants for 2012. Some people were calling that a bit rich, so I took myself off to find out if it deserved to be there.
Botswana Butchery exists in both Queenstown and Wanaka so, with Auckland, that constitutes a chain I'd say. The fit-out for this latest addition is full of splendour. The dining room features a carefully calculated mismatch of magnificent lampshades and big colourful padded velvet armchairs that add to a feeling of opulence. Sumptuous, regal, Alice in Wonderland-like are all descriptions I'd use. Gaudy, already dated, tacky, are ones I've heard others bandy about. For my part, I'm usually very forgiving of whatever fit-out greets me as it's what follows in the food and manner of the staff that will most likely leave a lasting impression.
Chef Stuart Rogan, previously of The Grill, gives us a menu that makes it immediately obvious that a steakhouse, this is not. Sure, there are more than 10 different cuts of red meat to choose from that can be assembled with different sauces and sides, but there's plenty more on offer so most bases are covered.
Eyeing up a full-on meatfest for my main, I made a reserved choice of starter - the "new style" prawn cocktail. Served with salty pancetta and avocado cream, the poached prawns were sweet and firm and crisp grated apple and cos leaves were a cleansing foil for the mayonnaise. The pork scratchings were a disaster - the longer I chewed, the more they determined to not go anywhere.
