IN BRIEF
Inspired by tastes of New York, Dubai and London, cemented in pure New Zealand flavour.
WHY CHOOSE THIS RESTAURANT?
It’s an establishment created for both locals and visitors, by locals who are polished hospitality professionals. Situated in the Arrow River Reserve, with its large sliding doors opening onto a calming outdoor area you’ll be hard-pressed to find a nicer spot to relax and just stop for a while in Arrowtown.
ABOUT THE FOOD
Sometimes you can get a sense or a taste of a region not only in the ingredients but within the composition of a menu. Take Tom’s Omelette, for example, named the ‘Tomlette’ by the regulars and presented in the form of a potato rosti with crispy free-farmed bacon, rosemary, feta and Kiwi onion dip, or the mushroom and black garlic gnocchi, to which you can add a poached egg or chorizo. This is food that is comfort personified and bursting with protein – crucial for fuelling a full day’s skiing up at the mountain. However, great happiness can also be found in a generous bowl of the coconut, chilli and lime ceviche served with house-made tortilla chips, while the signature 12-hour slow-cooked pulled beef sando is nothing short of remarkable.
ABOUT THE CHEF
Having worked at Wellington’s Floriditas and Matterhorn before moving to The Sherwood in Queenstown, executive chef Ainsley Thompson’s cooking was already widely respected before she took on the development of The Dishery menu. Top talent continues in the kitchen with head chefs Tom Tulk (ex Amisfield, Queenstown) and Floyd Little (ex Roots, Lyttelton) working the pans with locally sourced, fresh ingredients to create food that stands out in a regional town that is teeming with breakfast, brunch or lunch options.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Restaurant manager Stefanie Krismer is a hospo girl through and through and doesn’t miss a beat in this substantial, upbeat space. Owners Scott and Emily Stevens are entrepreneurs, fiercely proud of their local community and their stunning natural surroundings. Scott has a string of restaurants and venues under his belt, being a founding shareholder in Good Group Hospitality, which includes Botswana Butchery, White & Wong’s and Harbourside.
OF NOTE
The Dishery takes its name from the pan or dish used by miners for cooking, eating and gold panning. It feels poetic that this thriving bistro continues a legacy of great hospitality in a town that earned its reputation by providing food and entertainment for miners from the Arrow River goldfields more than 150 years ago.
4 Buckingham Street, Arrowtown
Check website for opening hours
SHARING MAINS: $14 – $28
CONTACT: 03 441 1849
WEBSITE: thedishery.co.nz
