Blue

When Roses Dining Room closed earlier this year, the hospitality and wider community were shook. Roses was my regular go-to for a solo-dinner, or a place to bring friends old and new for drinks and snacks. Meeting Ophelia, Karl and Joe felt like chatting with old friends. Since moving from Te-Whanganui-a-Tara—the feeling of a hospitality community was something I had really missed, and Roses was filled with the warmth of community—regulars coming and going, suppliers and producers dropping off things to taste and try, bartenders and chefs swinging by after service for a drink and a chat. I don’t think there is anywhere else that quite did it like Roses, with that textural purple-caved wall and candlelit vibe. But it wasn’t long until they announced there was another venture in the works—and along came Blue. 

With a bigger space and the addition of daytime offerings, as well as snacks and dinner at night—Blue feels like an extension of Roses in some ways. As co-owner Ophelia Harradine Bayly says, “Blue is about slowing down, staying a while, and finding moments of joy in the everyday. It’s a place for neighbours, for friends, for community. And of course a lovely place for us to work.” Blue is led by a collective of seasoned hospitality legends—Karl Bayly, Katie Riley, Joe Dale Dickson, Ophelia Harradine Bayly and Eve Armstrong-Coop—you’ll spot their friendly faces dawn til dusk in both the front and back of house, with everyone getting stuck in.

This bunch are no strangers to the art of hospitality. Karl, having worked in kitchens like Candela, Celeste, Bestie and Coffee Pen, and Katie having previously been the Head Chef at Williams Eatery (as well as Alta, Annabels and Brae in Australia) lead the menu—with a produce-driven focus and contemporary twist on breakfast, lunch and wine-bar classics. You might recognise Joe and Eve at the Front of House too (from managing Honey Bones and Orphans Kitchen). Tāmaki is in for a real treat with this hospitality collective coming together to create Blue. 

By day, the space is a light-filled and cosy nook—whether you’re in the mood for a spot of Beabea’s pastries amongst the cabinet offerings, a Saturday maritozzi bun (currently a very decadent feijoa edition), the signature Blue plate, or dreamy rice pudding with a Supreme organic coffee in hand. By night, the space transforms again—dripping candles, a flickering fire, and diners spilling out into the courtyard.

Blue hums with chatter, clinking pours by the glass and snacks for one, two, or a feast of shared plates with friends. Step through the courtyard and make your way to the Blue Room out back—once a storage space, now transformed into a space that can stand on its own. Chairs hang on the wall, their placement like an art piece in itself—and a clever use of space and functionality, providing additional seating for larger groups, and more intimate, private events.

The menu is not defined by a set cuisine, but a collaborative snapshot of chef-owners Karl and Katie’s cooking styles and their shared ethos in creating a local food economy—complete with punchy flavours, preserved and pickled. Karl tells me that they just do their best to find things locally grown. Their produce-driven menu speaks volumes about what Blue is about. Components on dishes are guided by what’s grown on local soil at the moment—their spray-free greens are sourced from both Maca’s Green Farm out in Riverhead, and a community-led school garden project, Te Maara Kai o Wirihana/Maara Fresh at Manurewa High School with Delicious Revolution. I’m a huge admirer of chefs who use their culinary voice to really make an effort to support local and promote a circular food economy through their dishes—Blue’s menu does exactly that.

By day, the menu is simply divided into things on toast, and things that aren’t. Toast things include the signature Blue Plate—complete with beet-pickled egg, generous slices of local NZ Maasdam, salty olives, pickles and preserves, fruit, whipped butter and sourdough. It’s the best kind of build-your-own breakfast plate for a different bite each time. Check the chalkboard for menu specials too—their smoked kahawai rillette with fennel, pickled chillies and fresh herbs is a nod to wild and sustainable fishing from Awatoru Wildfood down in the Kāpiti coast. 

Every dish utilises the most of what the produce has to offer and Blue’s treacle tart isn’t just any ordinary tart. With a crispy pastry shell made from Minchins’ stone-ground flour in Canterbury, the filling is a pillow-soft dark rye and caramel vibe—all made from leftover Floret’s sourdough (which totally counts as breakfast). For those after something a bit more savoury, opt for Blue’s take on Turkish Eggs—soft, jammy eggs are draped over a layer of wilted greens on a bed of labneh. Paired with spicy pops of charred shishito peppers, fragrant strips of zest, a zhush of za’atar and olive oil to tie it all together (and if you like a bit of added saltiness in the form of torched Woody’s pancetta and anchovies, you can opt for these add-on’s, too). 

Not-toast things include Karl’s signature rice pud—a warming spiced number with Raglan’s Dreamview cream, seasonal fruit and toppings of the moment. With bay leaf, charred mandarin and a good glug of olive oil, it’s not too sweet—the perfect almost-dessert kind of porridge to ease into those cooler mornings. Plus, it’s gluten-free—as is pretty much everything else on the menu (they also make their own gluten-free bread in-house which can be swapped in on request). For the wee ones, there’s even a mini rice pud on the menu (and an eggy marmite soldier dip). 

At night, Blue feels romantic, moodier with the warm lighting from the fire—it sets the vibe for date nights or drinks and snacks with friends. From smaller, snacking plates like their house kiwi onion with crisps and roe (for an elevated chip n’ dip number), to a crunchy persimmon, stracciatella and smoky jalapeño number with fragrant deep-fried curry leaves. There’s Florets sourdough by the wedge—with whipped butter, of course—and specials on the board like a venison tartare that tasted like a deconstructed pickle-dotted burger of dreams.

Larger plates include grilled market fish with burnt butter, Dreamview cream, crispy sage and toasted New Zealand grown hazelnuts (from Uncle Joe’s in Marlborough)—there’s something really special about sharing a buttery flounder with friends over a glass or two of wine by candlelight. Natural, low-intervention and local glass pours are listed on the chalkboard, along with dessert on rotation—lately in the form of a silky, velvet-smooth chocolate cremeux finished with olive oil and za’atar. 

Whatever the mood, it’ll definitely be a mood for Blue. Stepping into Blue gave me the same feeling as when I stepped into Roses all those years ago—an unexplainable feeling like you’re home. It’s that sense of community, from the people, for the people, and that resonates right down to the food. As Joe puts it—“We’ve always believed that the best things come from community—when people you love and trust bring their talents to the table. That’s what Blue is. It’s a place made by and for people.”

Words: Vicki Young | Image credit: Patty Lagera
 

---