INATI

Step into Te Uriti and through to INATI by the Levy’s. Run by hospitality legends husband and wife duo, Simon and Lisa Levy, INATI is a relaxed fine-dining experience truly unique to Aotearoa. Showcasing the best seasonal produce from Canterbury with their menu of sharing plates based around Earth, Land, Sea, Nectar, as well as larger plates and an à la carte menu—this is a love letter to Aotearoa and their collective passion for the hospitality industry. Having both worked in a number of prestigious venues in London for over a decade (notably Simon as Head Chef at Gordon Ramsay’s The Warrington and Lisa as HR manager for five star luxury hotel The Connaught of Maybourne Hotel Group), they returned to Aotearoa to start their next chapter. Originally they planned to return to Hawkes Bay where Lisa grew up, but found themselves falling in love with Ōtautahi. They opened their dream restaurant INATI in 2017. 

As soon as you walk in, you can immediately see and feel that all the details are well-thought out. The restaurant is modern, elegant and welcoming—an intimate open kitchen, along with a cosy cocktail lounge off to the side transports you away from the busy streets of Ōtautahi, and stepping into a hidden gem in the city. The heart of the restaurant is the chef’s table—a sleek, polished brass table around the open kitchen that seats up to 19 diners at once (as well as additional seating around the restaurant). We watch the front of house team expertly carrying dishes to their allocated tables, saucepans bubbling in the background, pans being seasoned, and dishes plated with finesse and precision. The fast yet controlled energy of service, and seeing it all come together on the pass—it’s a captivating front-seat dining experience unlike anything else. 

We head into their drinks lounge for a drink before we’re seated for dinner, where the bartender is shaking things up (of the cocktail variety). It feels like a different space, being away from the main restaurant, a contrast with warm, moody lighting, and an intimate bar space. With seats by the bar and a plush couch in the corner, it feels like your own private bar. We chat to Josh, who talks about all the interesting combinations while shaking and stirring orders. With creations like waffle-infused milk-washed vodka (inspired by the signature duck liver parfait waffle cone trumpets on Inati’s menu), these are definitely not any ordinary cocktails. The syrups and flavours are carefully thought-out and prepared in-house (we hear there’s a carrot cake-inspired cocktail in the pipeline). I leave the hard decision of choosing what to drink with the bartender, who presents a surprising sip that’s both savoury and refreshing at the same time—the ‘Waikawakawa,’ with a balanced blend of kawakawa and olive oil gin (we hear it’s a favourite on the list).

When it comes to dinner, leave it up to the chef with their “Trust Us” tasting menu—you won’t regret it. The first dish comes out with a wild combination that sets the scene—a soon-to-be addition to the next menu at the time of writing (and we’re a few of the lucky ones to try it first). Oyster ice cream with a refreshing summer granita hits our palette and I’m blown away. The salinity of the sea, along with creaminess you’d normally get in an oyster—reimagined into a wild, savoury ice cream with textures of oyster, tangy horseradish and icy granita all at once. There’s rare food moments like these and this is definitely one of them.

The duck liver parfait in a trumpet cone, an Inati signature, arrives next. With tart blackberry jam to break up the richness, we’re encouraged to dip our trumpets into the “bird feed”—a textural crunch of buckwheat, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, along with a flavoursome duck-floss topping that takes me right back to my childhood for some very touching reason. It’s a playful nod and savoury take on ice cream memories as a kid. Pancakes with textures of king crab follow suit. Topped with an indulgent spoonful of crab butter and honey and enveloped in buttermilk foam—seeing this being built in front of us added to the enjoyment of eating it and savouring all the various textures and flavours with every bite. A comforting smoked creamed corn with fragrant curry oil and tangy lime pickle reinvigorated our appetite right on time for a showstopping main—a study of dry-aged duck across three bites. Showcasing the duck in all its flavoursome glory, I’ve never had duck like this—tender, juicy and with all the best parts of the melt-like-butter skin and trim made into sausage with a sticky reduction of duck jus. Complete with a fragrant dukkah crust, burnt orange and elderberry (currently in season), and matched with an earthy and plummy Clearview ‘Two Pinnacles’ Malbec from Hawkes Bay. 

We finished our tasting menu with Inati’s tribute to one of Chef Simon’s faves from the UK—the Garibaldi biscuit. Straight out of the oven, the waft of buttery sweet pastry fills the room. Served with chocolate ice cream, a whipped Catalan cream, and topped black garlic and sesame crumb, it took me back to the Aotearoa version (that childhood Sultana Pastie) and with a unique savoury twist that makes chocolate and black garlic just make sense together in dessert form. 

INATI is a definite must-dine experience when in Ōtautahi, showcasing the best of Canterbury produce that’s in season. It’s elevated fine-dining that’s relaxed, playful and elegant. Being able to chat to both Lisa and Simon, as well as the wider team throughout dinner and seeing the passion from everyone—you can’t help but feel it as a diner too. 

Words by: Vicki Young | Image credit: Supplied (Photography by Jerome Warburton @jeromewarburton)