Café de la gare

May 10

Bon appétit by Kate Preece

With an empty expanse of gravel, a rough old fence and a pile of railway sleepers in sight, first impressions of Café de la Gare weren't of a fine-dining restaurant. Fortunately, a step inside and all was rectified; the 100-year-old railway station has been reincarnated.

We were seated by rich red and cream walls adorned by wrought-iron light fixtures and French paintings, and menus were soon placed on our damask tablecloth. The racket of a train passing our window transported us to the Paris Métro. Or perhaps it was Edith Piaf's sultry purring in the background that did it.

The wine list wasn't as extensive as some, and it was disappointing not to be able to order French wine by the glass. Our waitress, owner Nelly Bekritskaia, says the cork wines simply don't keep, but was knowledgeable enough to suggest a local red equivalent - a Northfield pinot noir - which was greatly enjoyed.

Our entrées were green seas of baby leaves, with buried treasure a fork toss away. We tried a petit rack of lamb with pear and parmesan salad, and scallops with fennel and pernod sauce ($18.50 each). The pernod sauce provided extra colour and flavour and another talking point for our waitress, who told us the aniseed liqueur, or pastis, is a popular French drink. The combination of pear, parmesan and lamb was delicious, but if we had to be critical, we both felt there was a touch too much greenery on our dishes. 

The main affairs comprised a 300g scotch fillet with green beans, sautéed potatoes and béarnaise sauce ($34), and duck breast with caramelised shallots, fig sauce, kumara gratin and wilted spinach ($35). We opted for a side of seasonal vegetables with brioche crumble ($6) too, which was probably where we starting tipping the scales. The broccoli and beans, sans brioche for some reason, were cooked nicely so the beans still had a bit of crunch to them.

The final push to finish the menu involved a bitter-sweet chocolate mousse with brandy and crème fraiche ($14). It filled an entire martini glass and was a truly decadent end to a delectable dinner.

Despite eating a considerable amount of food, we did not leave feeling we'd overdone it. Impressed by the quality, presentation and freshness of the ingredients, we instead felt we had treated ourselves.

Where: The old railway station, 2 Blackett St, Rangiora.

Hours: Open seven days from 8am. Late nights Thurs, Fri & Sat.

Prices: Breads $8-$12, entrées $12-$18.50, mains $29-$35, sides $6, desserts $14.

Wine: Bottles start at $30, with about three choices per varietal. French wine by the bottle only.

Service: Attentive.

Ambience: Delightful.

Amenities: In need of an update.