Luxe snacks at Craggy Range

CRAGGY RANGE Restaurant

Cuisine: Contemporary New Zealand

Address: 253 Waimarama Road, Havelock North

Phone: 06 873 7126

Website

Drinks: Mainly Craggy Range wines 

Reservations: definitely

I love the restaurant at Craggy Range. I first ate there back in the early days when David Griffiths and Prue Barton (now of Mister D's) were in charge but I reckon the current incarnation under Head Chef Casey McDonald is as good as it's ever been, with his emphasis on the very best locally-sourced ingredients along with the restaurant's immaculate standards out front and in the kitchen.

The place itself is simply about the flashest winery in the country, beautiful and grand and open, vast lawns and a pond, sculptures and a helipad, all resting under the imposing figure of Te Mata Peak.

So when - after a fun day playing at the River Park Blues Festival in Waipawa and on our way to an afternoon gig out at Cape Kidnappers - we found ourselves with a few free hours on the Sunday I couldn't resist hitting Craggy Range at lunch time. Just in case. Despite the fact that we had no reservation. And it was Valentine's Day. Just in case...

Of course they were fully booked. Of course. But they are fine people and offered us snacks on the terrace with a glass of wine. That's a big YES.

There is a small menu of four snacks, one dessert and two platters (cheese - $29 and cheese/charcuterie - $55). We had the four snacks.

• Organic fried shitake mushroom, fig sauce   $18
• Beef cheek croquettes, salsa verde & mustard aioli (5)   $16
• Raw venison and beetroot jubes, horseradish cream, duck egg & crispy parsnip   $26
• Shoestring fries   $9

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And they were, with the possible exception of the fries which were just good fries, absolutely sensational! We were all completely blown away. 

 

• The mushrooms, cut thinly and then coated in a batter that was slightly nutty and thicker than a tempura so they were like crisps with the most amazing subtle sweet and sour fig sauce that I bet came from local Te Mata figs - incredible! 

• The croquettes, small, delicate with a great fresh salsa verde kick - brilliant. (And here's a demonstration of the absolute class that Craggy Range continually demonstrates - the menu listed 5 croquettes. There were 3 of us. They brought 6 and didn't even ever mention it. Thanks guys!)

• But the star of the show was the venison tartare. I'm still in awe of it with those beetroot jubes, juice that had been reformed into firm jellies, not too strong, not too sweet, the same size as the tartare and subtle enough to let the venison still shine. The egg yolk was cured or confited or something to make it unctuous and the parsip crisps were small and perfect (and crisp). The horseradish was very subtle and the whole thing a masterpiece of texture and taste. Wow.

 

It was the most wonderful way to wile away an hour, sitting in the lap of luxury with a nice glass of Craggy Range wine (a current Riesling for me, Pinot Gris for Grant, and a Garage Project beer for Nicky, all priced as you'd expect. There are also older vintages available of the reds.). Everything was flawless from the food to the views to the service. One of New Zealand's very best.