Meat Fish Wine will occupy the ground floor of historic Chancery Chambers on the corner of Chancery St and O'Connell St, Auckland.
Meat Fish Wine will occupy the ground floor of historic Chancery Chambers on the corner of Chancery St and O'Connell St, Auckland.
A well-known Melbourne dining and wine establishment, called Meat Fish Wine, will be soon be opening a restaurant in Chancery Chambers - one of Auckland's historic buildings
"Meat Fish Wine plans to open up in the law society's building in O'Connell Street by the end of this month," says Anthony Barton, retail leasing broker for JLL.
The ground floor restaurant space in Chancery Chambers, distinctive for its round copper turret, was previously occupied by Su Kho Thai restaurant and is now undergoing a major refurbishment.
Barton says the owners, Apples + Pears Entertainment Group, liked the building's location and character and this will be the group's first and flagship restaurant in New Zealand.
He says Chancery Chambers has a rooftop area, which the new tenants are also interested in using as a bar.
Established in 2007, Apples + Pears Entertainment Group also runs the award winning Melbourne restaurants Red Spice Road, Red Spice QV and Burma Lane. It opened Meat Fish Wine opened in Melbourne in February 2015.
The restaurant within the well-known Melbourne restaurant Meat Fish Wine.
Chancery Chambers, on the corner of Chancery and O'Connell Streets, was built in 1924 and stands on the site of Acacia Cottage, home of Sir John Logan Campbell, known as 'the father of Auckland" who gifted Cornwall Park to the people of New Zealand in 1901. His cottage is believed to have been Auckland's first European dwelling.
Chancery Chambers was designed by a French-Canadian architect, J Sholto Smith of Mullions & Smith, and once housed a tea room in the sixth floor tower and a Turkish baths in the basement.
"Chancery Chambers is in the right part of town for the high end market in a convenient location for downtown office workers and guests of city hotels," says Barton. "In the last five years, the area around O'Connell Street, Fort Street and Fort Lane has seen a real lift. These streets are all shared space now, making them much more pleasant for pedestrians."
He says the Meat Fish Wine restaurant will be led by Executive Chef David Schofield who will "use the best of local produce combined with ingredient-focused cooking to create a dynamic, seasonally driven menu". Schofield started his career in the late 1980s in his hometown of Wellington.
Meat Fish and Wine's bar in Melbourne.
"David's culinary adventures have taken him from London to the South of France and a few stops in between working with Michelin-rated chefs and learning in one, two and three-Michelin star kitchens," says Barton.
"His style would best be described as honest and straightforward with seasonal produce taking centre-stage. He loves sweet and sour, and hot and cold pairings as well as matching flavours from different cuisines.
"David has represented New Zealand in several international culinary competitions, gaining gold and silver medals and setting records that still stand today."
Barton say the menu at Meat Fish Wine will change frequently and be based on "what's fresh and delicious" from premium New Zealand providers. "A majority of what is used in the kitchen is grown locally."
"Meat Fish Wine will have a bar area with one of the largest wine lists in New Zealand, with more than 600 premium wines from New Zealand and around the world. A changing selection will be available to try by the glass in the bar or restaurant."
