Bellamys — Restaurant in North Island

I have always wanted to dine at Bellamy’s for a long time and finally did as it is one of Wellington’s choice for fine dining and also that it was in the Beehive.

I would have loved to give a 5 star rating. However the experience tonight (10 July 2024) left me disappointed.

First off, I must say it’s very special to be able to dine in the Beehive. The check in and security process was smooth sailing. The staff in and around the parliament were friendly and helpful. We got our access card and sticker and went up to the restaurant which was on the 3rd floor.

At the counter we were greeted and our coats put away. We were then taken to our seats. We studied the menu and ordered our food and some drinks.

We started with a lovely piece of warm sourdough bread with seasoned whipped butter.

The food came relatively quickly. As we were sharing our meals we were given sharing plates. I enjoyed the nice touch of having warmed plates.

I thoroughly enjoyed both entrees, the tahr & pork terrine and crispy polenta. For mains we had the fish and venison. The pan fried blue cod was cooked perfectly and was nestled on purée and dressed with crispy squid. It is a beautiful in its simplicity. The venison on the other hand is beautifully cooked, rare and tender. It does not taste game-y. The portions for the mains however, are extremely small.

This is where the experience went sideways:- I ordered truffle fries and when they came out they looked lovely but when I tasted some it felt like I was eating ordinary fries. They were crispy but there was no hint of truffle. Like NONE. I had to check with my partner to see if he could taste anything but we both couldn’t. I shuffled through the fries to see if at least one fry would have a hint of truffle but after trying almost half the bowl of fries we couldn’t find a single fry that might have a hint of truffle. I decided to ask the waiter if it was a mistake as the fries we ordered did not have any taste of truffle and he said he would ask the chef. He didn’t even bother to try to smell it or bring it in to check with the chef. He came out and said that the chefs usually put very small amounts of truffle oil on the fries to avoid them getting soggy and that they didn’t want it to overpower the fries. I was surprised as I was saying that maybe they might have forgotten to put the truffle oil in our fries and he just said: “Sorry it was not to your taste.” After hearing that, I thought maybe it was how they made the truffle fries here and if it were the case I would say that it would have been false representation of truffle fries as it tasted like an ordinary bowl of fries and I would not order that in the future nor recommend it to anyone who may want truffle fries. After slowly eating the entire bowl of fries I can honestly say that there was ZERO truffle taste in it. I had to pick up the empty bowl and smell it to confirm that there was no hint or trace of truffle oil in it.

Strangely, after finishing the fries we suddenly were hit by a strong truffle smell and realised it was coming from the table behind us. Then we knew that ours were definitely a mistake as the smell was undeniable. I asked for the waiter again and told him that there was definitely a stark difference between our bowl of fries and the one we could smell far from us. He was apologetic and said that he would ask and see what they could do to fix it. He never came back with an answer. We had our desserts. They were spectacular looking but not tasty. The panna cotta tasted strange. The pear was better but by a smidge. After we finished our meals they cleared our table and asked if we wanted anything else we declined politely and he said that when we are ready we could go to the counter and that they would look after us.

We approached the counter and he asked if everything was as alright and I gave a brief answer and mentioned about the fries. However it seemed that nothing was done to address the issue and I still paid for it. We took our coats and left. So...

UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE

The heirloom tomato starter was divine, all of the ingredients creating a merry medley in the mouth - the most memorable bits being the shaved fennel bulb - which were crispy wisps of freshness, crunchy toasty pine nuts, sprigs of fennel fronds, and a swath of tangy balsamic gracing the edges of the plate - not overpowering, just playing its part in the orchestra. Creamy stratiatella tied it all together and mellowed out the strong flavours. Crispy sourdough shards added yet another layer of flavour and texture. This is probably the best starter/entree I’ve ever had, and I would have happily eaten a larger portion and made it a meal. But then I would have missed out on the…

Agnolotti (stuffed with creamy, gentle goat cheese) swimming in a gorgeous, vibrant herb sauce, topped with generous amounts of charred corn (fresh off the cob) and crispy onions- I could have eaten a bowl full of those onions. The dish was beautifully presented with tiny, delicate lavender flowers dotted around. I’ll be having sweet dreams about that dish for a while. If I’m being extremely picky - and let’s face it: of course I am - the pasta was just a hair too thick. However, it did not take away the extreme pleasure I derived from devouring this dish. It rocked my face off.

My partner had the lamb and enjoyed it very much. I tried the smoky eggplant purée that was dotted on his plate and it was fab. I also absconded with his crispy kale chips and I could have eaten a bowl of those, too.

The peach tart had ambitious dreams of being better than it actually turned out. More vanilla custard, fresh peaches and a thinner crust next time? When you eat a peach dessert you want to get punched in the face with peachy flavour, not have it be a side note. My partner had the chocolate cremeux. I tried it and almost passed out from the pleasure.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t give the spent grain sourdough bread a mention. It was so delightfully sour, surely the starter is an heirloom passed down through the generations. This is a truly ‘sour’dough bread and, boy, does it have a gorgeous crust and a moist, chewy inside. Do yourself a favour and buy a loaf and savour it over the weekend - make some cheesy scrambled eggs with fresh chives and serve it on top of buttery slices of toast. Make some lovely grilled cheese sandwiches (toasties) with vintage cheddar and slices of fresh tomato.

As for the decor... look, if it was my restaurant I’d probably do it up a bit, but you know what? She doesn’t really need a makeover. She’s old school, she’s historical, she is what she is and she’s a classy gal. I love how quiet the place is, as I detest noisy restaurants. I also detest hard wooden chairs, so I was delighted with how comfy the chairs are. We had a dreamy corner table with a nice view.

There was a good wait time between courses. The staff clearly loves the food and happily discusses it with you, they’re happy to be there, they’re proud of the restaurant and the food and they want to share that joy with their guests. I was so touched by their hospitality that I almost cried. I’m not even joking. Best service I have EVER received in a restaurant. They are true hospitality professionals. I have to give a nod to our lovely server, Kat. She’s amazing!

Even with the few lows (and they were very mild lows) the highs were so high that the 5 stars is plenty deserved. It takes a lot to impress me, and I was absolutely blown away by the food and the service. Bellamy’s is now my favourite Welly restaurant whose match I have yet to meet. Lest I forget... the superb chocolate truffles they give you at the end is such a lovely touch and a true hallmark of their hospitality. I will be recommending this place to...

This was our first experience at Bellamy's, and we decided to give it a try with a First Table booking.

As Bellamy's is part of Parliament, every guest needs to be registered and checked by security upon entry. I received a wearable restaurant sticker and a visitor card to access the lift that takes you up to the restaurant.

The host was pleasant and took our coats upon arrival, although they don't have a formal coat check system. The restaurant was quite quiet, and the host forgot about our coats. He eventually opened the wardrobe and asked us to retrieve them ourselves, which seemed a bit of a security oversight.

The restaurant has a nice ambiance, offering a view of the city and a quiet atmosphere.

Dinner consisted of a three-course set menu. We started with a Classic Negroni and a Summer Sippin' mocktail (watermelon, lime, cucumber, mint, and soda). Both drinks were average. The Negroni, in particular, sat at the bar for over six minutes before being served, diluting its flavor. For a $22 drink, I expected better attention to detail.

We began with a slice of lovely sesame sourdough bread with whipped horopito and sesame butter, which was very nice.

For the entrees, we chose the Wild Thar & Pork Terrine and the Crisp Truffled Polenta. Both dishes were satisfying, with the polenta being my favorite. It had four bite-sized servings, and while the smoked tomato preserve was a bit overpowering, it suited my palate.

Since we were sharing all our meals, it was a nice touch to be given extra warmed sharing plates.

For the mains, we opted for the pan-fried Blue Cod and the Wild Fiordland Venison Fillet. The Blue Cod was perfectly cooked, but the nuoc cham dressing and turnip puree were underwhelming. The crisp arrow squid was fresh and crispy. The venison was beautifully cooked rare, just as I like it, and paired nicely with beetroot. The artichoke puree didn't add much, but the black pudding and quince were nice additions. I would have liked more than two small pieces of venison, possibly because we booked through First Table.

Concerned about portion sizes, we ordered a side of triple-cooked beef fat, thick-cut truffle fries with Parmesan. This was a good decision as the portions were generally small. However, the truffle flavor in the fries was undetectable. When I pointed this out to the waiter, he explained that the chef uses only a small amount of truffle oil to avoid making the fries soggy. Despite this explanation, the fries had no hint of truffle. The waiter offered a polite apology but didn't resolve the issue. To make matters worse, we later noticed a strong truffle aroma coming from a nearby table's fries, highlighting the inconsistency. When I brought this up again, the waiter promised to address it with the chef but never followed up.

Finally, for dessert, we chose the Citrus Panna Cotta and the White Wine & Saffron Poached Pear. The poached pear was the clear winner, beautifully paired with Nashi sorbet and whipped dulce de leche. The Panna Cotta was unbalanced, with too many conflicting flavors and textures.

Unfortunately, the service was lacking. The waiter did nothing about the fries issue, which we ended up paying for. A restaurant of this caliber should handle guest feedback more effectively and train staff to address concerns with more consideration. Polite evasion isn't enough; they should own up to mistakes and ensure a smooth dining experience.

Despite these issues, I would consider giving Bellamy's another chance in a few months, but my expectations...