Summer at Grasmere
Dining at New Zealand lodges is a key part of the whole experience. We know produce from our clean, green country is amongst the best in the world, and we want you to be able to taste it and appreciate it.
At Grasmere Lodge, we aim to provide the best of New Zealand produce, seasonal and preferably locally grown. The chefs check what fruit and vegetables are available in the markets and order accordingly, rather than bringing in exotic ingredients to try to impress.
We want to present honest food elegantly, to make it easier for you to enjoy the flavours, without confusing the palate or disguising the taste.
The meal might be elegant but we want you to relax. The dress code is smart casual – gentlemen, you do not need a jacket and tie.
The table d’hôte dinner menus at Grasmere Lodge change daily to reflect the best seasonal available produce and the individual needs of guests.
Five courses sounds daunting, but our portions are smaller than normally served in a hotel restaurant, so that you don’t feel over-fed. This format means we can serve a wider range of flavours and cuisine styles in one meal, while keeping it balanced and healthy.
Because there are no choices offered, please let us know if there is anything you can’t eat or don’t like. With advance notice, the chefs can design the menu around any diet restrictions.
Usually all our guests sit together at one table, like a dinner party with friends, rather than at tables of two away from each other. The conversation is as much a part of the experience as the food, and something guests enjoy very much.
However, for families, or couples who want some private time together, we have other dining options, such as the fireside Hawdon room, or the glass-topped Conservatory beside the rose garden – perfect on late summer evenings.
Pre-dinner drinks, often in the form of a premium New Zealand wine-tasting, are complimentary, and a chance to meet the other guests and enjoy some delicious canapés.
Later, coffee, tea and handmade chocolates are served in the lounge, with port, whisky and other digestifs available. We have one of the best selections of single malt Scotches in New Zealand.
In the mornings, breakfast is served in the Verandah Restaurant of the Lodge building.The breakfast includes a full contiental breakfast and a selection of a la carte dishes that give you all energy for a full action packed day of fishing or horse treks or a relaxing day at the spa or reading a book by the pool.
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