St. Marg’s

St Marg's has emerged from the ashes of the ol’ Thirsty Dog, complete with lush olive-green banquette seating lining sun-facing windows, pops of indoor greenery, organic cotton and rice paper lamp shades. At dusk, St. Marg's transforms into golden hour—with floor to ceiling sheer curtains and brushed gold lamps at every table to match the glistening gold St Marg's logo out front. It's the perfect spot to chase the evening sun while you sip on a cocktail or two.

Fran Mazza and Aaron Carson are the pastry and brains behind St. Marg's. Together, they make the art of hospitality seem like a piece of cake (literally) with an immense lineup of food icons to their name including Winona Forever, Fang and Barbarino’s (RIP), Queenies, Sugar at Chelsea Bay, Major Tom, Just Like Martha, Rude Boy, Friday I’m in Love, and Hello Friends + Allies as well as a reimagining of Ada with Chef-owner Kia Kanuta’s modern Māori cuisine, and pastry sensation Pie Rolla’s. St. Marg's is their newest addition, named after Fran’s late mum Margaret (an incredible cook) and another Karangahape Road local Margaret, fondly remembered as the face of K'Road.

WIth Executive Chef Patrick Markus at the helm, the dishes that come out of St. Marg's pass are beautifully presented with finesse from his extensive Michelin background. Local oysters are dressed in a green mignonette with pops of coriander, cucumber and shallot, and the house-made liver parfait is wrapped in lardo (Italian cured pig fat) on perfectly toasted brioche. Forks at the ready for the most buttery and luxurious velvet-smooth bite to start. 

Familiar flavours are taken to the next level, and a thoughtful nod to family recipes passed down generations. One bite of their ricotta and potato dumplings will take you to Fran’s childhood days in her nonna’s kitchen. Dressed in brown butter and a scattering of pine nuts and crispy sage, these potato pillows are the perfect comfort bites you didn’t know you needed—until now.

Classics like fish n chips are on the menu but not as you know it. Complete with deep fried snapper tail and refreshing pea purée, you’ll find us here every FNC Friday. Move over tomato sauce, because we’re now on the remoulade buzz. The lighter cousin to mayonnaise with all the trimmings of tartare, but better. Don’t forget the side of fried potato skins for good measure (a clever nod to repurposing the potato skins from making nonna’s dumplings).

Other mains include crowd favourites like chicken and steak, but elevated in St Marg’s' classy style. Their homemade barbecue sauce is glazed over the juiciest and most succulent chicken breast. With added chilli oil and sesame-celeriac purée, this will transport you straight to summer BBQs. The T-bone steak arrives covered in herbaceous butter and with a healthy jug of Béarnaise sauce—plus just the right amount of lemon to cut through.

The family pie recipe also makes an appearance at St. Marg's, but with a traditional suet-based pastry lid. Those in the pastry world who know how to make these details the original way are few and far between, and this one really is a knock-out. The pie is cooked in a small cast-iron pan giving this slow-cooked melt-like-butter venison another unimaginable level of savoury flakey goodness with the pastry top (top tip: use it to scoop the innards, trust us). Garnished with indulgently unctuous bone marrow, and a tangy cranberry sauce on top, it all magically balances out somehow, so you don’t feel guilty about sharing (or not sharing) this one with the table.

Dessert and dreamy cocktails steal our hearts, with the showstopper meringue dressed in a medley of tangy berries and the most refreshing rosemary milk ice cream—you’ll be coming back for seconds, and with a beautiful cocktail to finish. Thoughtfully executed alongside the food, the torched rosemary on St Marg's' namesake cocktail will take you through a floral garden of rose and elderflower with a summery Campari twist. The Thirsty Dog, an elderflower and cucumber infused gin tinted with purple ombré hues of butterfly pea, is a tribute to the previous space (and the perfect sip with oysters in tow). St. Marg's' negroni is St. Marg's' Bar Manager (and mixologist creative) Justin Ydia’s favourite, with creamy kumara and coconut infused into whisky and a touch of bitter orange. You’ll find us seated by the bar. 

Open from 5pm today for their first dinner service tonight (but from 11am every other day except Monday after that), you’ll find that St. Marg's' will quickly be one of the iconic faves of K’Road.

Words: Vicki Young | Image credit: Wono Kim

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