The confidence displayed by this smart inner-city hotel brasserie continues to belie its tender years with a classy but friendly menu.
In an industry grappling with relentless economic headwinds, rising costs, shrinking margins and cautious consumer spending, all paint a sobering picture. While the resilience and creativity of chefs remain remarkable, one way to offset some of these challenges is to entice diners with seasonal menu changes, a measure that Pullman has successfully introduced.
Although it seems like a lifetime since we last dined at one of our favourite city hotel restaurants, on receiving notice of their new menu, we were keen to recapture past experiences. Pullman, is home to Tapestry Bar and Grill with some of the best hotel-based food in town.
Beyond the chatter of the adjacent bar where live sport plays across the big screen lies a cocoon of warm hospitality and understated comfort. When it comes to the menu, the hardest decision is what to order. On offer is appealing contemporary cuisine, call it, meeting of the minds.
A good start from a selection of small plates consists of wagyu sirloin carpaccio with cucumber, scallions and mustard; octopus cassoulet with tomato, garbanzo, pancetta, pork and fennel sausage; pork belly with sake, soy sauce and wasabi slaw; and free range caprese chicken served with prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes.
Large plates are equally strong with snapper fillet served with shitake mushrooms, clams and bimi; bouillabaisse a harvest of the sea with crusty bread; lamb rack with kumara, goats cheese, duck fat tomato, and broccolini; and gnocchi served with mushroom scallops, saffron velvet and parsley.
And if you’re a meat lover and into seriously punchy flavours this a mecca for great steaks where nothing escapes the flame. On any given day six steaks form the centrepiece of the menu and while the menu does not go into too much detail, the meat is well handled and some nicely aged with the user pays practice of serving sides.
Desserts lend truth to ‘save some room for’ — salted caramel affogato, sticky date pudding, biscoff chocolate cake, roasted banana cheesecake and a French cheese board.
While the wine list is not hard hitting, there is a good selection of local and imported varietals by-the-glass and bottle.
And the verdict? Big city hotel restaurants won’t suit all, but Tapestry is proof good food never goes out of style. Service is genial and unpretentious with a menu that rounds of a winning formula. And if you’re an Accor Plus member, 30% off food and 15% off beverages makes the dining experience even more rewarding.
