Cars lined foreshore parking and party people were heading to the beachfront’s long standing restaurant which has operated under names such as Bathers, Oasis, and Lou Lou’s.
But on Saturday, guests of The Esplanade Restaurant & Bar were the first to see the latest transformation of this seaside site. And what a transformation it is.
New owners Alex and Kelly Kaihea (owners of The Beach House at Bucklands Beach) and partner Josh Carter have not just given the café a once over, they have completely renovated.
Most fittings, including the once famous but sadly dated ceiling of bottle corks, have been replaced with contemporary, upmarket décor. A dash of shimmering black – gorgeous self-embossed wallpaper – is in striking contrast to the otherwise earthy tones of biscotti and donkey brown with loads of leather.
Impressive is the new and palatial bar separating casual drinkers/diners from the more formal dining area. Walls have been removed to provide streamlined access from front to back and there are new seating arrangements with room to accommodate musicians such as the Roundhouse Jazz Band, which provided the background music on Saturday night.
It was great to see outdoor courtyards have scrubbed up too – lovely on a fine summer’s day or balmy evening. A small lounge area near the toilets allows patrons to wait in comfort if the “little room” is occupied and toilets have received new basins and paint.
It doesn’t take a genius to appreciate that Eastern Beach is a wonderful site for a restaurant but it does take genius to get the mix right. And it looks like Alex, Kelly and Josh are right on track. Not only does this rejuvenated venue look out to sea, it is finally being presented in a way that makes the most of its potential.
Even the menu is designed to attract discerning patrons who fancy variety. It offers a keen balance between tempting tapas platters (daytime fare) and a more refined fusion of Pacific Rim flavours at night. While pitched at a slightly more relaxed style of dining than The Beach House, it is evident that the Esplanade team has gone the extra distance to ensure an elegant, tasteful venue that is sure to impact.
Personally, I can’t wait to dine there and the new opening hours provide plenty of opportunity to do so. The Esplanade Restaurant & Bar is open seven days, Monday to Friday, 11am until late for lunch and dinner; Saturday & Sundays, 9am onwards for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Like The Beach House it is focused on delivering the best and looks like becoming one of the area’s most popular venues – go see for yourself!
For example, there are weekend breakfasts such as the Esplanade omelette stuffed with bacon, tomato, spinach, mushroom and cheese served with hash browns ($17).
Lunch dishes include the likes of the Esplanade burger with bacon, brie, beetroot, tomato, lettuce, avocado, aioli and fruit chutney served with fries (($21) or coriander-crusted big eye tuna on a salad bed of artichokes, roasted red peppers and baby beetroot accompanied by feta and kalamata olives with a balsamic glaze ($26.90).
For dinner, check out entrees of crumbed lamb fillet served with mushroom ragout, Yorkshire pudding and mixed salad ($16.50) or, perhaps, green herb risotto and crumbed scallops with a champagne and basil crème sauce ($19) to name but two.
Mains, which range in price from $25 to $35, include pistachio nut-crusted, oven-baked South Island salmon and cherry tomatoes on fresh green asparagus with fresh basil and hollandaise sauce ($29.90), crispy duck confit on Spanish orange sauce with William potato ($32) and chicken ballotine stuffed with carrot and spinach wrapped in bacon and sat on a kumara mash with mustard and red pepper beurre blanc ($29.50).
Finally, for those who love to indulge the sweet things in life, the dessert menu offers several delectables.
Try Banoffi – layers of toffee and crunch biscuit served with rolled cream, caramelised banana and chocolate flakes ($11), lime and coconut tart served with vanilla bean icecream, berry coulis and sweet sublee ($12) or a delicious platter of New Zealand Kikorangi Blue and aged camembert served with preserved figs, balsamic glaze and a cracker selection ($18.50).
Of course, that’s just a taste of what’s coming out of the Esplanade kitchen – there’s more and it all sounds good!
