Kingsley’s Restaurant 655 Colombo Street (Between' Cashel, and Lichfield Streets) Phone 62-444 B.Y.O.

Press, 10 February 1982, Page 14

Kingsley’s Restaurant 655 Colombo Street (Between' Cashel, and Lichfield Streets) Phone 62-444 B.Y.O.

Kingsleys is a relatively new arrival in a corner of the-city.'already fairly well set up with small restaurants and lunch bars.

From its opening hours and its menu. Kingsley’s is still a little uncertain where it is going to find its market *- among diners looking for an -interesting seafood restaurant in the middle of the city, or among those who want a fast and relatively cheap meal. Behind its lace curtains, the decor of Kingsley’s is striking — rather like an Edwardian railway dining car, in the first-class section of a first-class train.

Rich red carpet, red table cloths, red velvet seating for 50 people crowd a long narrow. room, with a handsome sideboard displaying an elaborate gateau, and lighting that might almost be gaslight. The quality of the food is so good that Kingsley’s ought to be trying to lift itself a little “up market.” To do that, it would need to reduce

its seating slightly, to give more space between tables, and devise a way of breaking the long, narrow effect of its shape. A couple of strategi-cally-placed screens would do the job nicely. Perhaps the most important ingredient in a seafood restaurant is freshness. All the Kingsley’s fish tasted as though "it had'been at sea until a few minutes before cooking, and this sense of immediate preparation extended to the range of selfservice salads and the most unsoggy trifle dessert. Lunch for two, without wine, came to $22.50 — and both diners left the restaurant feeling enormously replete. In fact, anyone planning to tackle the Kingsley’s most splendid offering — the Captain’s Platter at $6.95 — should fast for 24 hours first and decline any further meals tor a day or so afterwards. This lush collection of New Zealand seafoods included scallops, mussels, marinaded raw fish (also available as a chilled entree), fillet of sole, paua pattie, and fish tour'nedos (also available as a luncheon special, the fish rolls suffed with egg and tomato and served in a cream sauce at $4.75).

In price, Kingsley appetisers ranged from a soup of the day ($1.60) to seafood surprise ($3.80). Entrees ranged from fillet of sole ($2.40) to scallops ($3.70).

Main fish courses ranged from flounder ($4.50) to crayfish mornay ($l2). A variety of steak and chicken dishes are also offered, priced between $4.80 and $7.50 (for eye fillet), with self-service salad SL6O extra.

Lunch specials include chicken and salmon salads at $4.50. An important point,, given the restaurant’s location in the heart of the retail shopping area, is that its fast, efficient service allows a comfortable two or threecourse meal to be eaten, with time for coffee, in an hour.

Desserts, for those with unusually large appetites, included apple pie ($1.65) and gateau ($2.25). Kingsley’s is trying to cater to a variety of markets. Drinks offered include milkshakes, coffee, fruit juice and Coke. A special children’s menu is available.

The opening hours also suggest a degree of uncertainty about its market. Lunch is on from 11.30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday to Friday. Evening hours are Tuesday, 5 to 8.30; Wednesday. 5 to 10; Thursday to Saturday, 5 to 11.

With its bring-your-own licence (corkage 50 cents) and unusual seafood offerings, the Kingsley could develop into something much' more in keeping with its attractive trimmings. Dishes such as squid rings (an en-

tree at $2.80) or the marinated fish in coconut cream (entree, $2.50) are worth seeking out and lingering over m the pleasant, airconditioned surroundings. If Kingsley’s can. maintain its standard, and devise a table arrangement that seems a little less cramped and regimented, it will become one of the more interesting small, specialised restaurants in Christchurch.