Arbitrageur Wine Room, Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Arbitrageur Wine Room, Restaurant & Oyster Bar Overview

The site of Wellington's first oyster bar, Arbitrageur's is a European restaurant that bills itself as "fine dining without the price tag". Huge wine list, and menus to match wine to dish.

It's not just about food at Arbitrageur, it's about what you drink with it, how you feel around it, what you're thinking while you're eating it...

Owner, and Head Chef, Chris Green, is passionate about giving guests not just what they want, but what he thinks they want. Arbitrageur has over 600 wines in the cellar (85 of those by the glass), and each and every one of them has been hand-picked to complement each individual dish on the menu. As a result, Arbitrageur offers an exclusive "Avec Menu", alongside standard a la carte and set menus, specifically designed to match food, to wine.

Each dish on the Avec Menu comes with an optional grape recommendation - you can choose to just have the food, or pay an inclusive price to have the chosen wine as well. They say you should never mix your drinks, but we think this is a great exception to the rule. With the Avec Menu, you can eat and drink your way through Langoustines with a Clos Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc; Ventricina with a Heron's Flight Il Rosso Sangiovese; and a Comte Fromage with an Ata Rangi Lismore Pinot Gris. And try saying all that before you get to dessert...

The a la carte menu offers up European dishes using New Zealand produce, so expect little French twists on the Mt Cook Salmon Fillet and Ti Kouka Farmed Lamb.

The restaurant itself is just like the menu - both classic and contemporary. Popular with businessman for those deal-making dinners, Arbitrageur's is also a hot-spot for couples wanting a romantic night out (they do a great Valentine's Day dinner), and diners who love the carefree ambience of a European eaterie.