KEY POINTS:
Villa d'Vine
204 Jervois Road,
Herne Bay
Ph: 376 2001
Website: www.villadvine.co.nz
Open Tuesday to Friday, 7pm till late; Saturday 8am till late; Sunday 8am till late afternoon.
I don't know about you, but I often judge books by their covers. The old saying doesn't say you shouldn't; it just warns us that your impression may change once you read the book.
For me, "first impressions count" trumps "you can't judge a book by its cover" every time. I make inferences from the name of a restaurant, and gratuitous, groan-worthy puns or blunders with the language of the people whose cuisine it serves is usually enough to keep me away.
Villa d'Vine manages to do both those things (and adds insult to injury by describing itself on its website as a "restaurante") so normally I would have stayed away. But I had been there before, when a bunch of us booked the whole place out for a farewell do for a colleague. Catering for five dozen is a test of a kitchen and although I can't recall what we ate - there was too much fun being had roasting the guest of honour - I do remember being impressed enough to make a mental note to come back.
The place has recently expanded its hours, which is presumably a sign of prosperity, although it was virtually empty on the Friday night we turned up. The street-front area was crowded with smoking drinkers - or drinking smokers - which some of the more purse-lipped persuasion may find a bit off-putting. But beyond them there is a warm welcome, more often than not provided by the owner, who circulates watchfully like an old-fashioned European padrone.
That's apt because Villa d'Vine - that stupid name notwithstanding - is unashamedly European. None of your Pacific rim Thai fusion pikopiko-frond sauce baloney here. The menu - it's on a blackboard on the wall so the owners of failing eyes may have to go for a walk to scrutinise it - is divided into French and Italian. Likewise the wine list.
It seems to me a bold call for a restaurant to list no New Zealand wines at all but there's something endearingly unabashed about this place. Look at the room. No wall divides the kitchen off from the dining area. The bar is at the front, the chefs go about their business down the far end and diners occupy the middle space. It feels casual, unfussy, unpretentious - and the food's like that too.
The Blonde announced she was eating from the Italian menu and I could have the French, which seemed a bit presumptuous given that I was paying and she wouldn't have even been there if I hadn't asked her. But the waitress said my first choice, the French salad, was off because "our beans haven't shown up", so I felt entitled to ask for the entrée of risotto with wild hare. It was rich and hearty and the rice grains were agreeably al dente.
The Blonde said her involtini, eggplant parcels stuffed with ricotta and basil, were perhaps slightly undercooked, but delicious.
The mains - slices of medium-rare roast lamb served on a ratatouille, and a vegetarian lasagne - were both impressive.
And even after a window-shopping walk up and down the street we could not manage a dessert. This is a place that keeps it simple and does it well. It's funny how often those two things go hand in hand.
Wine list: All French and Italian.
Vegetarians: Plenty of options.
Watch out for: The gauntlet of streetside smokers.
Sound check: Conversation-friendly.
Bottom line: Understated, comfortable and impressive.
THE BILL
$137.80 for two
Involtini $16.50
Risotto $22.90
Lasagne $26.90
Lamb $28.50
Wine (four glasses) $43
- Detours, HoS
