To feast at Paris Butter is to experience food cooked by a team of chefs with an insatiable curiosity (bordering on obsession) for the ingredients, techniques and trends prevalent in the fine-dining scenes of much larger cities than ours. And yet this deceptively serene outpost on Jervois Rd also does an admirable job of translating that meticulousness into a more local culinary vernacular. The result is a kind of eclectic edible language that blends the best of New Zealand produce with classic French techniques, a dose of Japanese and regional Chinese seasonings, and often a hint of playful nostalgia to boot. 

Since its opening in 2016, Paris Butter has evolved under the guidance of chefs and co-owners Nick Honeyman and Zennon Wijlens, along with recently appointed head chef Zach Duxfield, from a rustic neighbourhood bistro into a sophisticated, dégustation-focused experience. Bistro comfort meets fine dining. 

With as many quenelles, jellies, foams, gels, emulsions, ferments and foraged ingredients as we’ve come to expect from this style of cooking, the Paris Butter food is as thought provoking as it is tasty. Dishes arrive on beds of stones or dried spices or straw, the components of the dish displayed in artfully gravity-defying ways — there’s no question as to whether tweezers are being used in this kitchen. 

For a special occasion, we highly recommend splurging on the extended version of the menu with its wine pairing. On recent visits, highlights included the signature potato velouté served charmingly in an egg cup as part of an opening quartet of snacks, and a blush-coloured seasonal dessert to close. Here, rhubarb appeared transformed in four forms: marmalade, jelly, sorbet and ice cream, alongside malt biscuit and cheesecake foam — a sweet, sensory delight.