Cashmere Lounge Restaurant & Bar brings full-service dining to a characterful 85-year-old brick building in Khandallah. Exposed masonry gives the room warmth, while the restaurant shifts easily from a bright neighbourhood setting into a cosier evening space. Its suburban location makes it feel removed from central Wellington's bustle without asking diners to sacrifice the polish of a dedicated dinner service. Reservations, a complete menu and a serious adjoining bar make it equally well suited to a planned meal or a relaxed drink that develops into dinner.
The starters combine familiar ingredients in composed, contemporary ways. Vodka-cured salmon is paired with pickled onion and crème fraîche, while prawns, duck parfait and a smoked chicken salad offer contrasting routes into the meal. A plate of figs with prosciutto and mozzarella leans toward sweet-savoury simplicity, and an antipasto selection gives a group an easy sharing option. Clear dietary notation points toward several meat-free and gluten-free possibilities, helping mixed tables assemble a meal without narrowing the kitchen's range.
Main courses are substantial and classically structured. Porchetta comes with parmesan polenta and broccolini, beef tenderloin is matched with dauphinoise potatoes, and the market fish changes the emphasis toward the day's seafood. Mushroom risotto provides a meat-free centrepiece, while twice-cooked lamb shoulder with kūmara offers the deepest, slow-cooked option. Desserts keep the choice broad, moving from crème brûlée and pecan pie to chocolate cake, apple and boysenberry crumble, sorbet and cheese.
The bar has its own identity, pairing Victorian ash and concrete with a drinks list designed for more than a quick pre-dinner pour. International labels and craft beer sit alongside cocktails, premium spirits, single malts and port. Wine receives particular attention, including older and less commonly encountered bottles for diners who enjoy exploring beyond familiar vintages. That depth complements the dining room's approachable food, allowing an evening to be shaped around a bottle, a sequence of courses or a quiet after-dinner drink in one well-integrated neighbourhood venue.
Address: 4 Cashmere Avenue, Khandallah, Wellington 6035, New Zealand
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