Havin' A Bite At Havana - Havana Bar's New Restaurant

And I can tell you, as far as faces go, Havana has a lovely mug. Located on Wigan St (off Taranaki), the bar has existed for quite a few years now, but the restaurant has only lately filled the vacuum left by the relocation of the Havana Coffee Works to Tory Street. As the name suggests, there is a strong Cuban influence and the Latin American music was especially optimistic on the evening I visited, perfectly suiting the gigantic high that sat across the country last week.

We decided to make use of the deck, which gets the mid-November sun at a good angle to suit a 4-7pm sitting. We noticed with a quick peer over the railing that there were another couple of tables down at street level for those who want to prolong their sun exposure even longer. Pottie started us off with a Renaissance Perfection Pale Ale, which was a wonderful palate sharpener with its rich burnt toffee notes and clean hops. Fittingly for a wine lover like me, we got to drink out of Riedel red wine glasses, which focus the aromas and encourage the thorough contemplation of the beverage at hand. For me that was a big tick even before the food arrived. The décor is stylish but unassuming, and I know many more pretentious restaurants that still refuse to acknowledge the importance of glassware, or at least think it’s OK to save a few dinero by skimping on it. While it might hurt a little when the odd pricey stem bites the dust, the type of crowd you attract by paying attention to the details will make breakages not only less frequent, but hopefully offset by steadier revenue.

After eyeing the tapas menu hungrily, the only option was to go for the ‘Chef’s Plate for 2’, which was the culinary equivalent of picking ‘all of the above’ in a multi-choice exam (always a good sign for a restaurant menu, never a good sign for an exam). For the record, the platter contained: Crisp potatoes with paprika salt and lemon aioli; Big Olives - donkey greens, volou super mammouth, kalamata; Small Olives - nicoise, arbequina, pickled garlic; Marcona Almonds toasted in olive oil and sea salt; Warm balsamic onions and artichoke hearts; Roasted Thyme Mushrooms finished with sherry vinegar; White anchovies with parsley, lemon and caperberries; Hot red pepperdews stuffed with Persian feta, toasted hazelnuts, Manchego cheese with quince paste; Grilled bread with Jamón Serrano gran reserve and scorched cherry tomatoes; Mojo criollo pork skewers with spiked anchiote oil; and a Cured meat plate - wagyu, sopressa nonna, campagnolo, pickles….

And yes it was as good as it sounds. By the time the food had arrived we were enjoying it with a Founders Tall Blonde. So often with tapas, the idea is good but the execution is lacking. Pottie spoke of trying to break down the Anglo-Saxon way of eating – the notion of one big plate for each diner and ne’er the twain shall meet – but it seems obvious why it can be a tough sell. Many less scrupulous restaurateurs seized on the tapas craze as an opportunity to fleece their diners under a guise of sophistication, with small plates of generic European cuisine. Thankfully most diners saw through it and only the chefs doing it for love not money are thriving.

Havana is without doubt one of those. The tapas was unequivocally some of the best I’ve had, giving Auckland’s much-vaunted Bellota a run for its money on quality. The olives were quite simply a revelation – fat, juicy and varied; while the balsamic pickled onions worked beautifully with our final beer of the evening, the 8 Wired Rewired Brown Ale, with the malty breadth and the focused hops.

The new dining room to the left (as you enter through the new entrance) seats around 35 people, but you can eat in any number of places, from the deck (as we did) to the funky courtyard out the back. It’s a flexibility that makes a diner feel right at home and is in keeping with the laidback Latin vibe. The wine list is broad and considered and the beer is also geared towards food, with the bottle-conditioned Coopers range on tap, as well as Tuatara and a rotating guest tap.