What's for dinner at Phil's place

What's Phil having for dinner?

Possibly a blow-out $100 Waygu fillet washed down with a bottle of $649 Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne. The restaurant, at the Tauranga Harbour Bridge Marina, is owned by AC/DC drummer and Tauranga local Phil Rudd.

On Friday night the restaurant had a "dry run" with chef Cody Hogg preparing a selection of food from the menu for a private group of local diners celebrating a birthday.

It was a chance for the team, led by general manager Leo Roberts, to make sure everything was running smoothly for the public opening on Tuesday.

The wine list includes a wide selection of international and local wines, with bottle prices ranging from $45 for local Lake Chalice, to $114 Man O War from Waiheke Island and a French Rhone Valley Chateau de Beau Chateauneuf du Pape at $327.

The restaurant will be open from 11.30am to 1am.

Tapas include a seafood antipasto platter of marinated prawns, baby octopus, white anchovies, caper berries, olives, and grilled vegetables. Snacks include spiced almonds, risotto balls and Cloudy Bay oysters.

Main dishes range from under $20 for the house squid ink linguini to $96 for local crayfish.

There are various cuts of prime beef steak with a selection of sauces from bearnaise to horseradish.

Desserts - a speciality of the chef's - include an intriguing sounding chocolate fondant comprised of cherries, edible soil and sour cream ice cream.

There are also set plated menus for two and three courses.

There are two Christmas menus including sous-vide prawns, and turkey or hapuka followed by Christmas pudding with vanilla anglaise and brandy ice-cream.

There will be also be a selection of specials including one of Rudd's favourite desserts, bread and butter pudding.

The restaurant has already taken a number of bookings with locals keen to sample the fare.