Life's beachy
Sharon Grealey30/09/2009 12:00:00 a.m.
Beach Babylon, 232 Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay
WHAT a treat to discover an affordable restaurant amid Wellington’s most expensive real estate.
For one, Beach Babylon is BYO. Secondly, the tapas range from $5 to $12, and none of the mains exceed $29 – all this and a clear view of Oriental Bay beach.
The decor is smart/casual. Bright retro/70s light shades of orange, yellow and brown illuminate the room. One wall features an island scene of blue water and white sand, on another hangs 1950s-style pictures with curvy women on surfboards.
The word Babylon, Greek for “Gateway of the Gods”, incites visions of bikini-clad gals and bronzed boys waltzing in and out sipping cocktails and eating olives. All are possible – summer’s coming.
On the evening we dined, it was filled with couples and tables of friends. We were served quickly, and the waitress was attentive despite being in high demand.
Baby red peppers with French bread were my choice. The tapa of feta stuffed peppers was a fantastic complement to a glass of Wild Rock pinot gris. My date savoured the sautéed chili prawns with lime wedges. The spiciness was offset with the smooth wine.
For mains, I had the fish of the day, while he ordered the rib eye steak with hand-cut chips. My spiced cajun moki was served beautifully on creamy mash potato. A sprinkling of capers added a salty, olive-like flavour and the sautéed courgettes underneath were juicy and infused with lemon sauce. The side of green beans seasoned with rock salt, cracked pepper and pine nuts were crispy and moreish.
His steak, lightly peppered and served with honey glazed pineapple, was succulent and sweet. The beetroot relish gave the illusion of a rare steak and made for a great chip dip.
Three hours later most of the restaurant had emptied. I couldn’t resist the old school banana split and he the sticky date pudding.
The presentation was as impressive as the taste. The classic split banana with cream, vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce was a knock out. And the roasted hazelnuts and two pink wafers added texture to the dish. His spongy pudding drenched with caramel sauce was as good as it sounds.
Life sure is beachy at Beach Babylon.
WHAT a treat to discover an affordable restaurant amid Wellington’s most expensive real estate.
For one, Beach Babylon is BYO. Secondly, the tapas range from $5 to $12, and none of the mains exceed $29 – all this and a clear view of Oriental Bay beach.
The decor is smart/casual. Bright retro/70s light shades of orange, yellow and brown illuminate the room. One wall features an island scene of blue water and white sand, on another hangs 1950s-style pictures with curvy women on surfboards.
The word Babylon, Greek for “Gateway of the Gods”, incites visions of bikini-clad gals and bronzed boys waltzing in and out sipping cocktails and eating olives. All are possible – summer’s coming.
On the evening we dined, it was filled with couples and tables of friends. We were served quickly, and the waitress was attentive despite being in high demand.
Baby red peppers with French bread were my choice. The tapa of feta stuffed peppers was a fantastic complement to a glass of Wild Rock pinot gris. My date savoured the sautéed chili prawns with lime wedges. The spiciness was offset with the smooth wine.
For mains, I had the fish of the day, while he ordered the rib eye steak with hand-cut chips. My spiced cajun moki was served beautifully on creamy mash potato. A sprinkling of capers added a salty, olive-like flavour and the sautéed courgettes underneath were juicy and infused with lemon sauce. The side of green beans seasoned with rock salt, cracked pepper and pine nuts were crispy and moreish.
His steak, lightly peppered and served with honey glazed pineapple, was succulent and sweet. The beetroot relish gave the illusion of a rare steak and made for a great chip dip.
Three hours later most of the restaurant had emptied. I couldn’t resist the old school banana split and he the sticky date pudding.
The presentation was as impressive as the taste. The classic split banana with cream, vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce was a knock out. And the roasted hazelnuts and two pink wafers added texture to the dish. His spongy pudding drenched with caramel sauce was as good as it sounds.
Life sure is beachy at Beach Babylon.
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