THE TROCADERO.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1196, 1 February 1895, Page 38

THE TROCADERO.

Extensive alterations have now been completed to the Trocadero, the well-known restaurant in Willis street, and the building in its altered state were opened on Monday. The business has recently been taken over by Mr E. Eberle, who has given up a portion of the premises formerly in use, and has utilised the land adjoining for the erection of a building which far surpasses anything that has yet been seen in the same line in Wellington.

Passing through spacious folding doors, the visitor enters a large hall, from which a handsome staircase leads to the upper floor. The walls of the hall have been hand-painted in a very pretty design by Mr Emil Balmuller, whose work of a similar kind in the new Government Life Insurance building has excited so much favourable comment, and the glass surmounting the lofty arch of the roof is also very beautifully stencilled. On the righthand side of the hall is a “ pay ” office, and further down on the same side is a spacious dining-room specially set apart for ladies. This room communicates with a well-ap-pointed lavatory. Further on still there is a spare dining-room, capable of seating about 20 guests, and on the Ic ft fiand side of the hall is the general dinmg-to'om, a spacious apartment well fitted up with tables, and every convenience and comfort for diners. The kitchen and scullery, the employees' dining-room and gentlemen’s lavatory, are at the rear of the building, and every effort has been made to prevent that disagreeable adjunct to most eating-houses, the smell of cooking travelling into the other portions of the premises. lieturning to the hall the visitor mounts the staircase, which is 9ft Gin in width, and is provided with handsome brass railings, made at Messrs Danks’ foundry. At the top is a large room, capable of accommodating about one hundred guests, eminently suitable for large dinner parties. On the left of the staircase is a very nicely-draped room for gentlemen accompanied by ladies. Opposite is a small ladies’ lavatory and two rooms which will be set apart for private supper parties, while facing the street is a lofty and spacious apartment opening on to the verandah, in which afternoon tea will be served. There is also another and smaller room opening on to the verandah which will be found very suitable for supper parties. The alterations have been carried out by Mr J. H. Meyer under the personal superintendence of Mr Eberle, Messrs Smallwood and Gilchrist did the plumbing work, and Messrs It. and E. Tingey the paperli ang i n g. Throughout the establishment every attention has been paid to the comfort and convenience of visitors. The rooms are all commodious and well lighted, the electric light being laid on throughout, while the daily lull of fare comprises, for the modest sum of one shilling, a really marvellous assortment of dishes. Mr Palmer, formerly of the Melbourne Coffee Palace, has been engaged as chef, and is assisted by a large and competent staff of waiters, &c. In the “new Trocadero ” Mr Eberle has provided a restaurant which should prove an immense boon to city men and visitors alike. Public enterprise of this sort deserves recognition, and it is to be hoped that Mr Eberle’s venture will meet with success.