Zibibbo - Wellington

The evening clientele (romantic couples, tourists and businessmen) hasn’t changed and nor has the interior. The latter retains the spare, modern lines that chef-owner Adam Newell commissioned back in 2000.

The menu also continues along its original Mediterranean theme, stopping just short of fine dining and priced accordingly. Pizzas might seem slightly out of place, but at $22.50-$24 they are very popular and besides, some use has to be found for the wood-fired oven beyond roasting the pork belly.

Born and trained in England, Newell’s background is in haute cuisine. He once worked for the Roux brothers at London’s Le Gavroche, which is where he sent his protege Anthony Shone to complete his training.

Upon his return to Wellington, Shone was made co-owner and co-chef, and the two chefs now stand side by side at the pass, their banter exemplifying the clash of youth with experience.

One recent introduction has been sous-vide cooking (“I can now make a lamb rump as tender as a lamb rack”, marvels Newell), although in many ways Shone also remains true to his classical training. He reports that the recipe for his delicious porcini duxelle (served over a grilled scotch fillet) comes from old-school chef Nico Ladenis, while the layers of wafer-thin spud in the accompanying potato parmesan galette are also rigorously classical.

And the reason the galette tastes so good? Parmesan and lashings of butter.

“We’ve gone back to butter,” explains Newell with a grin.

This was obvious from the rich lemon beurre blanc that smothered a big plateful of paua ravioli, with fresh asparagus both as a complementary flavour and a balance to the richness.

A perennial favourite here is the tapas platter, a bejewelled selection of nine little ramekins set in a custom-made board. These change constantly but might include chicken liver parfait, deep-fried puffs of fresh goat’s cheese or bacalao, fresh figs with haloumi, or perhaps little savoury cones filled with salmon tartare and topped with capers.

For dessert you can also order tapas: creme brulee; cones of sorbet topped with tiny cubes of hokey pokey; miniature brandy snaps; superior chocolate mousse; and an amusing mascarpone “egg white” and lemon curd “yolk” served in a cut-away eggshell with shortbread “soldiers.”

The staff here are invariably attentive (at the sound of a spoon dropping, our waiter was instantly at our side with a clean one) and often witty as well.

“I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy your eggshell,” our waiter quipped as he cleared our dessert platter, scraped clean of every morsel.

Zibibbo
25-29 Taranaki St, Te Aro,
ph: 04-385 6650, zibibbo.co.nz
Lunch Mon-Fri from 12pm,
dinner Mon-Sat from 5pm
Mains $22.50-$34.50