Harbourlight Restaurant 24 London Street Lyttelton Phone (28)7089 B.Y.O.

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 28

Harbourlight Restaurant 24 London Street Lyttelton Phone (28)7089 B.Y.O.

(By

LINDA HARRISON)

Christchurch abounds with new restaurants but few other than the Harbourlight in Lyttelton could claim to be housed in an old cinema. The old Harbourlight cinema has had a fairly thorough conversion, with the upstairs being converted to squash courts and indoor cricket pitch, the back being converted to a music hall and the foyer to a restaurant. The restaurant does not quite do itself justice, with a sign outside advising of its light meals and including a sample list of the dishes served. However, a stroll down the side alley and into the foyer of the cinema dispells any illusions. The foyer is decorated in a rich red carpet with plain walls. A counter stands where one would expect to buy a ticket for the evening’s cinematic attraction, and it was here where we were met by the hostess. We were warmly greeted and shown to one of the restaurant’s six tables with warnings along the way not to trip on any of the numerous small steps. The tables are located directly in front of the cinema’s front doors, now covered with full-length curtains. To either side of the restaurant the staircase sweeps up to the circle, creating quite a striking effect in the small foyer. The tables are adorned with white linen tablecloths, candles, and silk roses. The menu is varied, with an emphasis on seafood. My friend and I started with garlic bread (90 cents). I had scallops in a rich white wine sauce as an entree (¥4.15). They were served in a shell on a bed of rice. The scallops were tender and the sauce lived up to its name and was very tasty. My friend had six Oysters Rockafeller ($4.20). The oysters were lightly cooked

and served in individual shells topped with a blend of cream, spinach and garlic. They were most enjoyable. Interestingly, the oyster shells were laid on a bed of salt crystals. For the main course, I had the fishennan’s feast ($9.90), which consisted of crumbed seafood served in a basket. The scallops, oysters, squid and fish were well cooked and presented. They were served with potatoes covered with a creamy cheese sauce, broccoli, carrots and yams. My friend hovered over the salmon steak but memories of bottling Rakaia salmon intervened and she chose a rib-eye steak with a pepper sauce ($8.50). She also opted for a salad and was offered a lettuce salad or coleslaw. She chose the coleslaw, which was attractively presented in a large paua shell and sprinkled with a choice of

either mayonnaise or an oil dressing. The coleslaw itself included dried apricots and currants, which my friend found to be an interesting variation. The sauce over the ribeye included cracked peppers and was, I was assured, very tasty. The meal was also accompanied by potatoes in a cheese sauce. Throughout the meal, the service was pleasant and attentive and the waitress

answered our many questions about the conversion of the cinema with enthusiasm. Apparently, the restaurant has been open since December on Friday and Saturday evenings and has attracted most of its clientele from Christchurch rather than from within Lyttelton. From this week, the restaurant will also open on Wednesday and Thursday evenings on a trial basis.

On weekdays, the restaurant is open at lunchtimes and serves home-made pies, sandwiches and light meals. We ended our meal with ginger pear cake and cheesecake. The ginger pear cake ($2.20) was very tasty though a trifle too heavy. It was garnished with cream and cherries and walnuts. My friend had the cheesecake ($2.20) which she claimed had a perfect texture (especially the base)

though she found it a little bland. We were served with coffee (80 cents) and complimentary after-dinner mints. The total bill for the evening was $34.55 and we were interested to note that there was no corkage charge. Overall, the meal was very pleasant, the service excellent and the bill quite reasonable. The restaurant is well worth the drive to visit.