With the atmosphere, menu, wine list and service all hard to fault, the Cuisine judges were unanimous in their praise for the central-city Wellington restaurant Logan Brown.
A 1920s banking chamber – ringed by columns like an ancient Greek temple beneath a soaring classical dome – is perhaps a surprising setting for a restaurant owned by Hunger for the Wild stars, Steve Logan and Al Brown.
Their television series casts them as hunting-shooting-fishing Kiwi lads, but the unpretentious pair has made Logan Brown a temple of serious dining that completely captivated our international judge and his dining companions.
Head chef Shaun Clouston writes the menu in conjunction with co-owner Al Brown, creating memorable dishes that are not overburdened flavour combinations. Game often appears on the menu as well as unusual indigenous ingredients, such as farmed Bluff-style oysters (meatier than the wild). The paua ravioli has become a classic not to be missed and anything from the ocean is guaranteed to be utterly fresh. There’s a light hand at work on the desserts, creating a choice that’s hard to decide on.
Fittingly for the magnificent food, the wine list is one of the most impressive around, with premium New Zealand bottles and a stellar selection of imported prestige wines.
I wrote about a wonderful meal at Logan Brown on my anniversary. The service was second to none. And those extra little touches made the event so memorable I’m still telling people the story two years later.
Congratulations.