Attention to quality, detail and style; rarely seen or tasted in Wellington.
Recently Wellington Live enjoyed a warm night at GPO. We indulged in a diverse menu with complex and unique flavours, which were presented in a simple and uncluttered fashion. Less is more at the General Post Office and that was a surprise to us.
When we entered we expected a hotel lobby style restaurant; it was anything but that. Intimate, elevated and really calming, with neat little booths for date night privacy.
The front of house staff welcomed us to our table using our names, which made us feel great, our dining guest was very impressed. We found the staff to be very attentive and well informed on all aspects of the menu, which really added to the experience.
We were particularly impressed with the sharp and knowledgeable waiter who looked after our table. He passed the Bloxham test with flying colours. After ten years of Corporate MasterChef judging experience, our reviewer, Bloxham, has acquired a refined and extremely comprehensive taste palette, which he wanted to put to the test at GPO. The waiter’s knowledge on seafood origin, dipping sauce ingredients, and cooking processes was so extensive Bloxham had to get a second opinion, “at this level of dining, I did have some pretty high expectations for the FOH staff, but what happened next was extremely impressive,” he says. The chef confirmed every one of the waiter’s comments, telling us the information was spot on.
Quite extraordinary was the whole presentation of the order; a seafood stack. Two levels of the freshest tuna, oysters, and prawns (which were to die for) caught earlier that morning. The dips were equally as creamy and delicious, you can really tell that every element of the dish has been thoughtfully selected and made in house. In fact, our whole evening was filled with such exquisite flavours, my guest and I couldn’t stop talking about all the wonderful palette combinations and unique tastes.
Every feature of the dish was delicately balanced, using locally sourced ingredients, high quality flavours, and exceptional presentation. When combining these elements you get an atmosphere that sits at the very top of the quality spectrum, something GPO has executed extremely well.
Despite some finicky Bloxham tests, we were very impressed with the whole experience. The recipe development, platter design, and glazed dishes complimented the refined and innovative environment perfectly – it was magic. We were also pleased with the atmosphere at GPO, it was a great night! The perfect mixture of elegance, style, and amazing food. Something hard to come by, especially given current staff storages within the hospitality industry.
Great job General Post Office, we’ll be back.
Review by: Wellington LIVE publisher /CEO, Graham Bloxham.
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