Million-dollar atmosphere

Press, 21 October 1983, Page 8

Million-dollar atmosphere

Already known affectionately in the city as “the million dollar pub,” the new Chancery Tavern, which opens tomorrow, promises international quality at middle-of-the-road prices. For sheer opulence, the tavern has no rival in Christchurch. According to the owner, Mr lan McKenzie, the distinction extends to the rest of the country as well.

No expense has been spared to create an atmosphere of elegance and comfort in a complex that includes a 150-seat restaurant, a cocktail bar and a lounge bar.

Mr McKenzie has definite opinions on what a tavern should provide. The idea for the Chancery Tavern came, he says, from the fact that he could not find an existing facility that lived up to his expectations. The opportunity to build from scratch in a brandnew complex in one of Christchurch’s heaviest foottraffic areas was too good to miss. ) , » ’ '■ ■ i '

Mr McKenzie approached New Zealand Refrigeration and Industrial Holdings, Ltd, the developers of the Chancery Arcade, for the first floor space in the new building. Six months and thousands of man-hours later, he is justifiably pleased with the results. In spite of the lavish fittings and the air of sophistication in the tavern, Mr McKenzie is adamant that it is a place for the average family to enjoy. Prices in both the restaurant and the bars will be similar to those at existing family-oriented taverns.

“The average man has a right to the best when he goes out for an evening,” Mr McKenzie says. “Here, he can have a drink beforehand, enjoy a first-class meal with his wife and family and be treated like a king, without wrecking the family budget.” Streamlining, he says, is the key to the success of the operation. Efficiency in handling large numbers of people need not equate with

poor service or a crowded atmosphere. “I’m not running a sardine factory here,” Mr McKenzie says.

The tavern has been designed to cater for a variety of different entertainment requirements. The restaurant has its own entrance from Gloucester Street and has been planned to provide seating arrangements for groups of all sizes, from couples to banquets. The adjacent snug bar has a family licence, which means that children can accompany their parents during a pre or postdinner drink.

The club bar is the largest and most traditional, offering both lounge and bar seating for guests. A feature of this bar is the provision of light lunches at reasonable prices, aimed specifically at business people who have neither the time nor the appetite for a main meal in the middle of the day. Most elegant of all is Little Caesar’s Cocktail

Lounge, between the restaurant and the Club bar, with features borrowed from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. A glossy grand piano dominates the room, surrounded by a bar that curves in sympathy with the contours of the piano. Service at Little Caesar’s is by way of suitably-attired cocktail waitresses, leaving patrons free to enjoy the entertainment while drinks are brought to them.

In keeping with the grand scale of the opening, a guest artist has been engaged to play in the bar who has come directly from the Playboy Club at Century City in Los Angeles.

Little Caesar’s will specialise in serving cocktails, either mixed from the cocktail list provided or made to clients’ specifications. The atmosphere of the bar is sophisticated and formal and the intention is to encourage patrons to use Little Caesar’s as a nightclub rather than a traditional bar.