The Wine Chambers, Auckland CBD

The food has a Mediterranean influence and the atmosphere is refined at the Wine Chambers. Picture / Babiche Martens

Herald rating: * * * * 1/2

Tempura battered huhu grub, smoked kina and sea-lettuce dumplings. The meals have been somewhat eclectic of late, for your correspondent has been a judge in the Monteith's Beer and Wild Food Challenge.

Tempura fugit when you're having fun. Challenge over, it was high time for more familiar fare.

Three of us convened at The Wine Chambers. Good reasons: more than 150 wines on the list by John Ingle, sommelier at Number 5. Can I say, without being impolite, that after two weeks of hops-matched meals I craved a simple - or even complex - red wine? Food with the highest recommendation. No, not mine. Dick and Stuart. They'd been, eaten and enjoyed and I hadn't.

This was an unforgivable oversight. This is the latest venture of Martina Lutz. Finalist in the Lewisham Awards outstanding restaurateur, she's journeyed from the kitchens of Merlot to Number 5 and the Wine Loft. Not so much a journey as a round trip: her new establishment is right across the narrow lane of O'Connell St from Merlot.

At a corner table next to one of the huge, arched windows, Dick and Stuart were warming up with glasses of Lamont Pinot Gris 05 when I arrived around 6.15pm. This is another joy of the place. It's open almost all hours, from 10am on weekdays for morning tea, lunch, afternoon drinks and dinner until late.

At Merlot and then Number 5 Lutz specialised in a stylish take on familiar dishes that some (okay, it was me) called upmarket comfort food: spicy pork belly on creamy mash or beef Wellington. She has brought Mathew Horne, who worked with her in the Number 5 kitchen, in as head chef. He is working with Med-styled cuisines, generous servings of lighter food - a classic Caesar or smoked salmon salad, maybe a pasta.

We were interested in more substantial options. At entree time Dick was charmed with the evening's special, scallops in white wine and cream, while Stuart had his heart set on a colourful, elegant and decidedly upmarket presentation of that rare delicacy, black pudding. Mine was an Italian classic, fettuccine with the irresistible partnership of chicken, walnuts and blue cheese.

Sampling from each other's plates, we agreed that the chef was working to a clear and consistent brief: three clear, strong yet complementary flavours to a dish, cleanly and simply executed.

The theme carried into our mains. An old favourite for me, lamb fillets just past rare, minted potato puree mopping up the juices of roasted tomato and mint pesto; for Dick, steak kebabs. Stuart chose the evening's triumph, following his blood pudding with the gutsy, sharp tastes of chorizo and capsicum risotto set off with shaved pecorino.

On Dick's call we hopped over to Spain for the wine, Pesquera Crianza 02 in the hearty, fruity Ribera de Duero style based on tempranillo grapes.

We passed over desserts - plum and almond tart or pears poached in merlot. There is no rush: we will certainly be going back. Another 148 wines, roast pork with grilled figs, the refined atmosphere and a charming hostess ensure it.

Address: 33 Shortland St CBD
Phone: (09) 309 8191
Web: www.winechambers.co.nz
Open: Mon-Fri 10am-late, Sat 5.30pm-late
Cuisine: Med-influenced
From the menu: Prawns wrapped in prosciutto, sauce tartare, lemon dressing $17.50
Roast pork piccata, sauteed rosemary potatoes, grilled figs $25
Merlot poached pears, raspberry sorbet, almond praline $12.50
Vegetarian: Choices on menu
Wine: 150 choices from Downunder, Upover; 60 by the glass