Londo

Located in the Carlton Courts building is Londo, a small 27-seater restaurant and bar run by chef-owner Bob Fairs. It’s relaxed, casual and effortlessly cool—with a menu that speaks of the season, using the very best local produce (plus a spot of foraging) and the kind of flavours that come from a chef who knows a thing or two about great cooking (formerly Head Chef at the now-closed Roots, as well as overseas stints in Dubai and London, and popping up for a collab at Scratch Restaurant in Bourg-en-Bresse, France last year too). He’s so humble about his craft, but trust us, when you’re in Ōtautahi then you need to come here for a drink—and then kick on with dinner.

Enter the small yet cosy restaurant space, and you’ll find seats around the kitchen pass, a prime people-watching table perched by the front window, and tables along the wall lined with sleek black booth seating and an intimate table at the back. It’s got a lovely minimalist feel to it—the clean wooden finishings in the dining space side by side with sleek aluminium shelves in the kitchen thanks to the talents of XYLO and Master Studio. The stacked plates along the back wall is like an art piece in itself, next to a painting popping with colours and textures by the window. 

When Bob isn’t navigating the pans in the compact kitchen space (with a cool and collected calmness about it), he’s also shaking up cocktails on the pass. With just a team of four (two front and two back of house), everyone helps one another around the restaurant. 

Their drinks list is divided into sections—Stirred Down, Mixed and Fortified—as well as a selection of beers (on tap and other beers), seasonal non-alcs, and wine by the glass. Get a glass of their exclusive wine collab with Kindeli from Upper Moutere in Nelson, Londo Blanco. It’s a juicy and refreshing white blend, and a great first sip while you have a snack by the pass (or stick around for dinner for that melted lardo on chicken situation). Next, we got an off-menu ‘Naked and Famous,’ made with the lucky last lime and precious mezcal brought back from Oaxaca. It was bitter and smoky, yet refreshingly sour and sweet, all at once.

We can’t go past their freshly baked sourdough with whipped chive butter—it brings back Le Snak memories, and the flavour of the bread is nutty, warm and fragrant. Save the crunchy crusts to dip into the heirloom tomato and strawberry salad, along with pops of creamy gazpacho emulsion and a bunch of fresh tarragon and basil. If you’re after something lighter, opt for a selection of cold cuts, cheese and pickles. For dinner, we spied the aforementioned chicken—topped with melted slices of lardo, along with a celebration of vegetables of the moment (a medley of courgette, green beans, corn and mushroom). 

Do save room for dessert—even if you’re full, I can guarantee you will regret it if you don’t order it (and I can guarantee you’ll be fighting over the last bite). We finished with Londo’s elderflower pavlova—an often overly sweet pav now magically balanced with salt and elderflower vinegar for seasoning (and structure). A crisp exterior melts away to cloud-soft centre, like a melting marshmallow. Complete with vanilla custard (a very silky crème pâtissière), refreshing rhubarb sorbet, the juiciest fresh cherries and caramelised white chocolate crumb—there was a quiet moment of joy as all the textures and flavours danced around each spoonful. Celebrating the stonefruit of the South at its peak, with the elderflower season just having been, it felt fitting to finish our meal with this (and honestly the only way you’ll want to have pav from now on).

Londo comes from the old English word ‘lond’ meaning ‘land,’ and if you look closely you’ll also see a ‘(3)’ next to the words on the sign out front—referencing the ‘03’ Southland area code. Combining both concepts to create the word Londo, once you visit the space you’ll understand why. There’s something truly special in the way that Londo celebrates the South—whether it’s what ingredients are coming from the land that guide the changing menus, the unique terroir from South Island wines that are celebrated on the wine list, to the restaurant itself, made possible with the talents from the local community. Whether you’re local or visiting from out of town, Londo is definitely a must-visit (and return) on your Ōtautahi eat and drink list.

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