Geraldine Johns
Main Course
We have been here before. A long time ago it was the very good Le Brie. Less than a year ago it started out with great promise as Alta. Now it has another new suit – and new owners again.
The Grove has been open but one week in this revised guise when the Duke and I descend. ordinarily, one would suggest that the newness of the place should be borne in mind when making an assessment. But to Hell with that.
Despite its neo-natality, I really do think its got it. So let's not faff about.
Its undergone a bit of a revamp since the last lot left. The bar bit has been tidied up. The artworks have gone. The walls remain predominantly cream, with the addition of a few contrasting colour-ways.
Astute use of shades and candles give The Grove a sophistication that is underscored by it's black-pants-white-shirt wait bunch – but undermined by the slack fashion attentions of the clientele. If you don't dress up to come here, you should go straight home. The effort they make to attend to you should really be reflected in your attire. (I hope the cruet set of tea cosies at the window heeds this call.)
Michael Meredith – ex-Vinnie's – is in the Kitchen. That brings a pedigree to this old place in it's new guise. The small clipboard menu is a smart look. perusal clearly indicates Meredith has maintained the fine-dining standards of his previous address. It's very cutting edge, with plenty of indigenous ingredients incorporated, along with the use of meats such as rabbit and ostrich.
I am captivated by the entrée selection, and from the seven on offer select two. First I shall have the Northland smoked snapper with yam, avocado and cucumber ($17) and I'll follow that up with Indian spiced duck breast with carrot and cashew salad, coconut jelly and coriander oil ($19).
These two dishes will be interspersed among the Duke's selection of a seven-course vegetarian tasting menu ($70) that starts with a cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup with truffle oil and meanders through a jewel of taste creations. Space does not allow me to identify each dish in its entirety, so I can only tell you that each offers an explosion of delight - and I urge you to reserve space for the Valrhona chocolate cake that completes the journey. (I got so excited about it I had to urge the table next to me to get it.)
I am also in a state of excitement over my own choices, each of which blitzes any similar dishes I've tried. Such feelings of utter contentment are further bolstered by the waitsorts who have perfected the art of pampering, sans suffocation. They know a lot about their dishes – and about their wines. Here I must make special mention of their extraordinary efforts to accommodate personal needs and tastes. There is a per-glass section, as well as petite carafes if you just want a slurp for each course. And an admirable by-bottle selection too.
Seldom have I been so enthused about one so young. Credit, therefore, to owners Michael and Annette dearth. If restaurant success is about stamping a point of difference, they've done a fab job. I'm going back tonight.
