Akarua Wines & Kitchen by Artisan

Opting to sit outside the cottage, the outdoor heaters and blankets made for a cosy situation in peak winter, overlooking the beautiful gardens. To my left is the courtyard with wine cellar tasting. I can imagine that in summer, children are roaming in the gardens and mums are enjoying a rose at lunch perched on the bean bags.

We were greeted by Akarua’s friendly staff and offered a spritz menu and of course, we couldn’t look past the Aperol-inspired cocktail with a cinnamon twist - too delicious we had more than one…

Akarua’s goal is simple, they aim to deliver the best wine and food experience to their customers. And boy do they deliver. We decided to start with a ½ dozen of fresh bluff oysters which came out quickly and were beautifully presented. Next up we chose both items off the ‘individual’ menu – Artisan fish pie with salmon, market fish prawns and fennel with a buttery potato and crisp bread crumb crust and the portobello mushroom arancini. Both were mouth-watering. The arancini was served on a cauliflower and truffle puree with a side of sautéed cauliflower, the dish was so delicious I reluctantly shared it with my partner.