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A new Queenstown dining experience is merging the flavours and culinary techniques of South Africa and Spain.
Solid-fuel cooking is a prominent trend in overseas dining and the just-opened Sunfire restaurant – located on the shores of Lake Whakatipu – is the first restaurant in the Southern Lakes to serve cuisine cooked in a charcoal oven.
Sunfire is the latest venture by well-known food entrepreneurs and restaurateurs Jonathan Bisley and Lou McDowell, who also own the highly successful Flame Bar & Grill in Queenstown.
“We are very excited to introduce Sunfire,” Jonathan says. “Cooking on solid fuel is hugely popular overseas right now. We imported the charcoal grill oven from Barcelona because the food it produces is just extraordinary – it elegantly sears, smokes and grills simultaneously to create irresistible, crisp flavours while retaining the moisture and integrity of the ingredients.”
Sunfire is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a menu of innovative dishes and contemporary interpretations of classic cuisine. Quality, local ingredients are highlighted throughout the menu, from Royalburn Station eggs to Southland 55-day-aged beef.
Jonathan found inspiration for Sunfire on a culinary scouting trip to Europe last year. Bringing his ideas home to New Zealand, the inventive menu was created by Bisley and executive chef Shane Avant after many months of experimentation.
“We’ve had Flame for eight years and, after acquiring a space downstairs, we decided to evolve our offering and include breakfast and lunch, and embrace that connection to the outdoors we have being on the ground floor,” Jonathan says.
Designed by interior architect Nikki Wilson, the décor of the restaurant is reminiscent of long evenings in the savanna, with a rich colour palette of warm tones, exquisite tiles and designer furniture.
The Sunfire drinks list is substantial, with stellar signature cocktails, nods to the finest wine-producing regions in the world, more than 15 gins and a carefully curated whiskey menu. Non-alcoholic options are also abundant, with a selection of 0 per cent wine and unexpected mocktails.
“Sunfire is complementary to Flame in terms of its exceptional food and service, but it has a vibe that’s slightly more refined,” Lou says. “We see it an expression of amazing new flavours in an elegant and warm lakeside setting.”
