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A new eatery that the owners describe as having “a fresh approach to cafe/bistro food, with a relaxed Hibiscus Coast feel” recently opened in Stanmore Bay.
Cove Eatery opened last month in the New World Whangaparaoa development. It is owned by Dan Housley and his wife Ange of Black Pepper Hospitality with a strong team including general manager Jared Smith who has worked with Dan for many years and is a Stanmore Bay local, and also executive chef Alexander Strobach who has a wealth of experience in some of Auckland’s finest kitchens including O’Connell St Bistro and The French Cafe.
The confident start and professional fit out by designers CTRL Space shows that this is an experienced team. Dan has had nearly 20 years in and around hospitality and the management team all have similar experience. Black Pepper Hospitality is building another Eatery in Riverhead, where Dan, Ange and their three young girls live. Dan says his children are growing up as “hospo babies” and are a great help in testing out the kids’ menus.
The light floods into the Eatery through large windows and modern cane furniture and a blue and white theme gives a Coastal feel. A terrace area can be opened on sunny days or closed against the weather and will eventually be extended with the building of a deck.
The Cove Eatery menu has been designed as “a modern take on classic bistro dishes” with a focus on freshly prepared ingredients and an emphasis on seafood.
The Eatery is fully licensed and includes craft beers on tap and wines sourced from boutique suppliers, some of which is also on tap. Dan says purchasing wine in kegs so that it can be offered on tap is relatively new to NZ but is experiencing substantial growth, pioneered by the likes of chef and restaurateur Al Brown. He says not only is it an environmentally friendly option, but also better value for the customer when top wine is sourced from boutique, quality suppliers.
“Cove Eatery operates as a free house and because we’re not tied to any brewery, we can select and offer what we think our customers will enjoy,” Dan says.
Cove Eatery is open from 8am daily and has a breakfast and all day menu as well as cabinet food during the day. It is open for dinner five nights a week and Dan says this is where the food, wine and service will truly shine. “We are taking the time to make sure we get things right,” he says, “We are focused on quality, from what we source, through to how we cook and serve it, so our customers know that they can come and have a great breakfast through to a superb dinner whenever our doors are open.”
