The Esplanade Hotel

By EWAN McDONALD for viva

The couple at the table in the corner were breaking up. He dropped the "I think we've been seeing too much of each other" speech right in the middle of the entree and she held it together until the last mouthful of her Chatham Island crayfish salad, then went very quiet.

She remained so while he masticated every inch of the marbled grain-fed sirloin, downed the crispy mustard spatzle and broccolini and lapped up the porcini glaze, gazing at his plate and not daring to look up at the white, drawn, tensed face and quivering lower lip on the other side of the damask tablecloth, not a crumb of the Akaroa salmon medallion disturbed, let alone the lime-buttered corn, broad beans, choritzo crisp and capsicum reduction.

He might have been wondering whether it would have been cheaper if he'd arranged to dump her at McDonald's instead.

At the next table a foursome appeared not to notice the small human drama, the volume of their discussion of their team's hopes for the rest of the season rising in direct proportion to the side's results falling.

Around the room, another foursome, perhaps retired doctors or lawyers, murmuring niceties, faces burgundy-bright.

In the far corner, a husband and wife observed their meal-mates.

There's something very Agatha Christie about the Esplanade Hotel in Devonport, especially on a pitch-black, drenching night, with raindrops rattling the huge windowpanes and a small crew of diners, just enough to be the victims, witnesses and corpses of a country-house murder mystery, in the Edwardian dining room, with its pressed steel ceiling, damask tablecloths and napkins on generous-sized tables, chandeliers, 1920-ish light opera and jazz.

Since its renovation a couple of years ago the grande dame has gained a reputation as one of our finer boutique hotels and its kitchen, particularly after Keith McPhee caught the Seabus over from Cin Cin, was also highly regarded. When McPhee went into Orbit, Paul Watson followed him from the Ferry Building to Devonport.

He's stuck with McPhee's concept of a grazing menu, suggesting that diners try several smaller dishes rather than a conventional entree-main-dessert meal.

"When I dine I like to try something I have never tasted before. When I write a menu I like to give others the same opportunity to try something new. I feel fortunate to work in this era where we can source nearly any ingredient we want from just about any area of the world."

And nearly every ingredient can turn up, in dishes like crisp quail tempura wrap of blackboy peach and watercress with copperwell and tahini dipping duo: there are more notes in there than the Archangel Louis was blowing on his horn up on the sound system.

The bird in batter was an interesting idea, and the flavours worked, but it seemed to complicate the already fiddly task of eating quail.

Creamy red curry duck risotto with preserved lemon tomato salsa and fresh coriander might sound unorthodox. Superbly prepared, the nutty texture was a perfect foil for the festival of Asian flavours.

Watson had decided to present fresh snapper with a crayfish sauce that overpowered the fish. It's never a fair fight against the crays.

Rather too chewy lamb loin came with a macadamia crust and a nice balance of tomato gnocchi, beans and an aromatic thyme jus.

By this time we were looking for something simpler. Our shared chocolate cup was an extravaganza of cherries, rich chocolate sabayon, feijoa icecream and berry and mango coulis.

The service was friendly and helpful but lacked polish. When we asked the waitress or kitchen to choose wines, St Clair Riesling 2002 was a fair choice for the risotto, quail and snapper; the lamb was matched with another safe bet, Nautilus pinot noir 2001.

In the corner of the dining room, there seemed no chance of kiss and make up, or even a kiss goodbye, for the young couple. In the kitchen, the occasional application of the K.I.S.S. principle might be worth thinking about, too.

Open: 7 days, breakfast, lunch and dinner

General manager: Glyn Taylor

Executive chef: Paul Watson

Food: Pacific Rim

On the menu:

* Sauteed black tiger prawns with fresh corn, crispy tortilla and sweet garlic chilli sauce $16

* Porcini mushroom soup with truffled cream float and fresh pecorino $9

* Pasta of linguine with venison sausage, oven-dried tomato, basil and parmesan $16

* Pistachio-crusted chicken breast with baby leeks, kumara mash and plum chutney sauce $20

Vegetarian: Options on menu

Wine: Quality rather than quantity, by-the-glass selection is narrow

Smoking: Separate rooms

Noise: Light opera and Louis Armstrong

Disabled access/toilets: Use brasserie entrances; toilets showing age

Parking: Wharf, streets are free

Bottom line: There's something very Agatha Christie about this dining room since its renovation a couple of years ago. Chef Paul Watson continues the concept of a grazing menu, creating interesting, extravagant dishes that are sometimes too complicated for their own good.

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