Cotswold Inn 88-90 Papanui Road Phone 553-535 Licensed

Press, 29 July 1987, Page 34

Cotswold Inn 88-90 Papanui Road Phone 553-535 Licensed

By HANS PETROVIC It was with some regret that I learnt early this month that the Cotswold Inn’s first-rate Tudors Restaurant had been closed. Instead, a combined menu of the original Tudors’ fare and the relatively cheaper from-the-grill selection are both now available upstairs in the Crofters Restaurant. The Cotswold Inn, however, also offers another service, little known to the people of Christchurch, and that is what this article is about. Did you know it is possible to hire an entire, luxurious motel suite at the Cotswold for the evening, and have dinner there? For logistical reasons of serving the food, parties of six to eight people are preferred. I first found out about this more than a year ago, when a friend had hired a suite for a week to promote some perfume products. We remained in the suite one evening and had our dinner there. We learnt then that this facility was available to anyone caring to make the enquiries. (The hiring fee is negotiable, and surprisingly reasonable.) We were also told then the charming story about an elderly couple that occasionally visited the Crofters for lunch. One of the two had some difficulty getting up the stairs, and it was arranged to serve their lunch, buffet style, in one of the ground-level suites. After that, we were told, the couple drove up regularly each week, availed themselves of the excellent food served in their private suite, and stayed for several hours, quaffing a few bottles of wine. Because of the privacy, other advantages we found during our first visit were that one felt no restriction to getting up occasionally and stretching one’s legs — or even watching TV between courses. When we had finished one course, we merely picked up the phone, di-

ailed the kitchen and asked them to bring the next one, which then arrived faster than usual service in the average restaurant. This time, the occasion was my birthday, and we booked a suite for a group of six. On our individual arrival, we were greeted by smiling waiters and sat on the couch and armchairs sipping pre-din-ner drinks while the table was being set. This evening, we were also assigned one full-time waiter, who stayed with us the whole time, unobtrusively waiting in one of the bedrooms, from where he would , emerge at our call. The two-bedroom suite had bathroom facilities handy. The table Itself was covered with a white table cloth, with quality silverware, silver salt and pepper shakers, pink candles and two pink carnations. Iced water was served early, as was delicious garlic bread ($5.70 for six people) and curled balls of butter. Although not everyone had been told it was my birthday, it was a celebratory atmosphere, and we ordered Hunter’s excellent Rhine riesling, at $l5 a bottle. (Sadly, Ernie Hunter, from whose vineyard the wine had come, had died in a car accident only a couple of days before while returning from Christchurch to Blenheim.) One of our group decided to start with the broccoli and potato soup ($3.50), which was served with cream and a sprig of dill on top. The flavour was found to be very good, with the two vegetables blended together well. Tlie rest of us went straight on to the entrees, the favourite being the mixed hors d’oeuvres platter ($10.50), comprising a selection of locally smoked seafood, cured meats and marinated vegetables. This included quail eggs, smoked salmon, mussels, pate, salami, various cold meats and anchovies. My friend

and I decided to share one plate, between us and were served smaller helpings at half price. Also well received were the Crofters oysters ($7), wrapped in bacon and served on a bed of rice with tomato concasse. The two-layer wrapping of bacon was crisp and gave each mouthful a nuttysweet flavour. Other entrees include Provincial chicken-liver pate, containing herbs and spices (“fine flavour”), served with hot toast ($6.60); seafood and pineapple salad ($7.50); savoury beef pancake, glazed with mornay sauce ($7.50); seafood and spinach crepe ($9.50). For the main course,

two of us ordered venison vol-au-vont ($18.90), marinated in red wine and herbs, cooked with mushrooms and shallots, served in a pastry case with black cherries.

For me, this was the highlight of the evening. The pastry was of an Intriguing star shape, revealing the venison and cherries when the round, centre section was lifted off. It .was delicious. My friend ordered medallions of pork fillet ($16.50), sauteed with mushrooms, tarragon and diced tomatoes, finished with cream and Pernod, and served on a bed of noodles. This was also enthusiastically received. The Toumedos Rossini

($18.40) comprised an eye fillet served on a crouton topped with pate, a large, turned mushroom, and coated with a Madeira sauce. The tender meat was somewhat bland, and the whole dish depended more on the pate for flavour.

From the grill, someone else ordered the kebab ($10.50). This consisted of two skewers holding one cube each of pork, beef and lamb, Interspersed with capsicum, mushrooms and onion. Each portion of meat was equally tender and succulent. This was served on a bed of rice. Also ordered were lamb medallions ($13.80), sauteed with finely chopped rosemary and finished with a red current and port wine sauce.

The main course was served with a choice of salad, including alfalfa, tomato, cucumber and lettuce; or carrots cooked in orange, zucchini, baked potatoes or French fries. We did not get to order from the desserts list for, unbeknown to me, my friend had ordered a birthday cake. This was a

Ihrge, delicious chocolate gateau (about $25, I am not sure of the price), which was greeted — and eaten — with sounds of delight by evetyone. The coffee ($l5 for six people) was served with complimentary after-din-ner mints. Not surprisingly, it was rather late in the evening when we totalled our bill and said our final farewells to the unobtrusive, but ever-present, courteous waiter. The cost of food and coffee came to $159.80; plus $60.60 for pre-dinner drinks and three bottles of New Zealand riesling; and $25 for the birthday cake. This came to a grand total of $245.40 for six people, or a remarkably cheap $40.90 per person. I have mentioned the availability of this suite service at the Cotswold Inn to people in the past, but nobody seemed to believe that such a thing could be found in Christchurch!

Find ou< for yourself, and keep in mind that a reasonable cost for hiring a suite for an evening can easily be negotiated.