409 - 411 Tamaki Drive,
St Heliers
Auckland,
(09) 575 5239
The ViewAuckland Review
3 out of 5
Annabelle’s Restaurant, an established player in the waterfront village of St Heliers, seems to be afflicted with a case of split personality.
It has two dining rooms. One is decorated with a busy mix of alternating wood-panelled and stone walls, prettied with beach-themed decorations and a rain of pendant lights coming from the waved-panel ceiling. The other room is square, plain and minimalist, with its main wall dedicated to bench seating.
The double personality continues on the menu, where modern European standards jostle for position with Korean-inspired dishes with more upmarket ambitions.
From a list of starters that were mostly seafood, we shared a calamari salad ($13.50) and garlic bread ($3.50). The latter was a generous portion, adequately prepared, the former featured squid rings lightly floured and fried, served on mixed leaves, red onion, carrot, red capsicum, fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, and sprouts dressed in mayonnaise. A small bowl of tartar sauce came on the side.
For mains, my companion had prawns and scallops ($26.50) on bok choy with miso sauce. This consisted of six scallops and four giant prawns, both a bit over-cooked, and a large fritter containing even more seafood: shrimp, squid and mussels. So far so predictable, but the soupy miso—heavy on soy sauce and a garnish of raw onions—tipped the balance of flavours into confusion.
From the blackboard specials I chose a venison pot pie ($21.50) with a lid of thin yet chewy pastry covering a sweet, rich, stew. I was given the option of salad, chips or vegetables as a side. The vegetables (beans, broccoli and courgette) were crunchy and dressed with a buttery sauce.
From a wine list well constructed to suit all tastes and budgets, a glass of refreshing Fallen Angel viognier ($9) went with the seafood; and a light, acidic Lake Chalice pinot noir ($8.50) was a foil for the venison.
Dessert ($10—$20) is a line-up of the usual suspects: cheese cake, crème brulée, crumble, ice cream, cheese board.
Surrounded by plenty of attention to detail (bottles of Tabasco sauce on every table and a surplus of paper napkins sporting the restaurant’s logo that arrived with each course) we dined on a night when a nasty winter storm had driven away all customers, save one other couple.
If the service can be as attentive and gracious under the pressure of a full restaurant as it was this night, Annabelle’s will be a safe choice for a group with mixed tastes.
Annabelles Restaurant has been reviewed by 4 users