Lottie’s, Josh Emett’s New Restaurant In Faradays, Has Officially Opened
Molly Codyre
New Zealand Editor | Urban List
If the concept of ladies who lunch was embodied in a restaurant, it would be Lottie's. Josh and Helen Emett's newest opening inside much-awaited Queen Street department store Faradays pulls its references from places like Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, and Bergdorf Goodman.
The space is full of red marble, maroon banquettes and fringe-trimmed velvet seating, and it very much settles into the wider Faradays space rather than operating as a silo. This is a place to take respite during a heavy shopping session, yes, but it's also the kind of space you could just pop into while in town, for a martini perhaps, or a scotch egg and a glass of chablis.
Image Credit: Lottie's | Supplied
From 1909 until 1976, this space at 131 Queen Street was home to Milne & Choyce, undeniably one of Auckland's most high-end department stores. It was, in many ways, its own ecosystem, home to six elevators, myriad brands, a rooftop garden and semi-regular fashion shows. One of the founding sisters of Milne & Choyce was Charlotte Milne, the namesake of Lottie's and a tribute to the intention behind both Faradays and the restaurant; if not a return to the country's golden age, then certainly an enthusiastic push towards a new one.
Open from 10am until 6pm most days, the menu at Lottie's is designed to travel seamlessly from morning until late afternoon. There are eggs, there is a ploughman's sandwich, there is crab cakes and gougeres, and prawn agnolotti and, of course, the burger which is set to become an Auckland favourite, with lyonnaise onions, stacks of pickles, and cheese. It has echoes of the burgers that have been sweeping London recently off the back of chef Jackson Boxer's burger that had people queueing up to order it when it first landed on the menu at Notting Hill restaurant Dove; unexpectedly decadent and surprising for the setting, a little like a fast food burger has had a makeover and a shopping spree. It is exactly the kind of high/low balance Lottie's seems to so perfectly strike, and is a testament to head chef Zach Meads' understanding of the intention behind the restaurant, but also his four and a half years working with the Emett's at Onslow.
Image Credit: Lottie's | Supplied
To wash it all down there is a dedicated Chablis bar, a breakfast Martini, Saison aperitifs, Dom Perignon by the glass, or sparkling tea for those not quite ready to up their ABV consumption in the middle of the day. It's the kind of drinks list that will inspire enthusiastic post-lunch purposes so, for the safety of your bank account, we recommend leaving credit cards at home.
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