Historic pub now discerning food destination

Historic pub now discerning food destination

Restaurant entrepreneur Mark Keddell and celebrated executive chef Sean Marshall have successfully remodelled one of Auckland’s oldest pubs into an exciting eatery and bar for discerning Aucklanders.

Now The White Rabbit, it was formerly The Crown. On the corner of Customs Street East and Gore Street, the 1864 establishment is now a modern daytime destination downstairs, an evening restaurant upstairs, and complete with a snug back bar set to unveil its secrets after dark.

The White Rabbit injects some real competition into the flourishing hospitality precinct of Britomart. This dramatic change turns what was an old drinking institution into a food destination with the specially created menus designed by award-winning executive chef Sean Marshall and delivered by head chef Ian Harrison. While heading ‘front of house’ is beverage and service director Gary Olasz.

The fact that Ian Harrison and Gary Olasz enjoyed considerable success during their time at Clooney as Head Chef and General Manager is a serious signal that The White Rabbit is set to be a leading food contender in Auckland.

“Downstairs was a real old pub for years and years. However we’ve worked hard to completely transform this quite large space to make it a lot brighter and breezier. I suppose it’s now a fresh take on a 1950s farmhouse kitchen with a clean urban finish. Melbourne chic you might say,” says Keddell.

Black has now been replaced with white. A large retro Smeg fridge sits behind the bar, with designer tea pots on display along with big jars of preserves. Tins of tea sit where bottles of spirits used to with giant fruit bowls of citrus on the bar.

“We’ve kept the big white-tiled bar, but got rid of all the clutter apart from a few nice bottles of wine. It has to be a versatile all day space and so you don’t walk in instantly thinking it’s either a café, bar, or a restaurant. The impression now is probably more so of a modern-day café brasserie.”

Interior features include plenty of pine coloured tables with modern dark bentwood chairs, and the option of comfortable fabric-covered bench seats and cushions. There’s also a couple of shared white tables with wood-topped wrought iron bar stools, some big wooden floor lamps that lean towards some of the tables with little white pots of herbs on each.

Open from 7am, seven days a week the breakfast and lunch menus place much emphasis on fresh New Zealand produce, with Keddell’s own lifestyle block on Blackbridge Road in Dairy Flat supplying the likes of honey and eggs. Later in the day, patrons can enjoy an array of tasty grazing plates.

The high-profile corner site gets good afternoon sun and Keddell’s bought some Parisian style cane chairs and tables, offering an alfresco option as well as sending the message that the old gastro pub has seriously modernised with its look and feel much more female-friendly. Lion may still be the supply brewery but a greater focus is now put on delivering a good array of smoothies, juices and sodas.

Up the dark wooden stairwell, patrons now follow a long light-box affixed to the wall right into the new 50-seater restaurant. Overlooking Britomart with a peek of the Waitemata Harbour, the refurbished upstairs corner room also features the building’s many beautiful Victorian sash-windows and an intricate pressed ceiling, albeit this one is still black.

Once a private venue for hire, upstairs is now a cosy bistro restaurant, open from 5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday. Again the emphasis is on quality local cuisine and a great wine list in comfortable surrounds, complete with cosy chairs, booth-style seats, and a feature fireplace.

Keddell hopes people will appreciate the improvements made to the much loved 150-year old Auckland heritage building and hospitality business.

Outside the iconic building now boasts a top hat on its signage with of course The Mad Hatter Tea Party and White Rabbit both connected to Alice Of Wonderland. However Keddell says Lewis Carroll’s writings are not necessarily the inspiration. He points out that White Rabbit was also the name of a famous World War Two spy, and of course it’s a lucky charm for the superstitious. One thing’s for sure, he and Marshall seemingly have the monopoly on that name in New Zealand hospitality.

“We’re delighted to be open right at the start of summer, with four or five months of some great events and shows set to happen in Auckland. A raft of visitors will be hitting the city. We’re also expecting to attract those who work in the central city and of course the many Aucklanders always on the look-out for a great new dining and bar experience,” says Keddell.

Ends

© Scoop Media