Cabaret night prizes for snazzy dressers

SWINGING: Greytown-based swing crooner Steve Carlin will perform.

IBERIA is wrapping up its inaugural music season with a cabaret night - complete with prizes and a sumptuous meal.

The restaurant will be hosting the cabaret event this Saturday night, which will include a three-course dinner, complimentary bubbles and entertainment from Greytown based performers Kit n'Karboodle and Steve Carlin, aka Franki Martini.

Guests are invited to "dress to impress", with a prize for the best dressed couple.

Iberia owner/manager Marlon Tortoza said the event is to celebrate the end of its Iberia at Night season - live music sessions with Wairarapa musicians every Thursday evening.

"It should be a great night of eating and dancing."

This year was the first the eatery had hosted regular live performances - which ran from March to October - and said the season had been "a success overall."

"We'd never done something like that before, so we thought we'd try it out," said Mr Tortoza.

"It became quite popular - we had people coming in just for the music, and one couple who came in every single Thursday.

"People enjoyed being able to sit down with a pizza, a glass of wine and some good music."

Mr Tortoza picked all the live acts for the season's roster with assistance from Mark Rogers of production company Up With People.

These included acoustic jazz duo Kit n'Karboodle, old-school blues ensemble Bob and Kate, easy-listening group The Elderberries, Stefan Brown and Pat McKenna of the Kingsford Brown Trip, and swing crooner Franki Martini.

"We got a few local household names," said Mr Tortoza. "We wanted to go for that laid-back jazz and bossa nova style, to fit in with the feel of the restaurant.

"But, by the end of it, we had people getting up and dancing."