It’s Souped-Up Scotch Eggs and Knickerbocker Glories As the Aosta Team Takes Over The Bathhouse, Queenstown

The restaurant in one of Queenstown’s most distinctive heritage lakeside buildings has been taken over by a nationally recognised team, reopening this week with a new look and new menu.

The Bathhouse, built in 1911 to commemorate the coronation of King George V, is now helmed by renowned restaurateur and chef Ben Bayly (Origine, Ahi, Aosta, Little Aosta), executive chef Steven Sepsy (Aosta, Little Aosta) and food and beverage industry veteran Vicki Onions. The trio is joined by operations manager James Worthington on the ground, who will be running the venue day-to-day along with Sepsy.

It was Onions who led the vision for taking over The Bathhouse, which sits right on the sandy shores of Lake Wakatipu, beside the botanic gardens and scenic walking paths.
The site has undergone many different evolutions since the early 1900s; after starting as a bathhouse, it was a summer teahouse, a rowing club, and even fell into disrepair at one point before being restored and opened as a restaurant in the ‘90s.

Now, the architecture and fit-out are a blend of old and new, with the team enlisting Queenstown-based architect Anna Marie Chin (who also did Aosta and Little Aosta) to restore the original 40-seat octagonal-shaped restaurant and its surroundings.

Previously painted in earthier shades of forest green, brown, burgundy and cream, the building now stands out against the trees in crisp white. The central crown is now striking in red, and the same shade is accented on window frames and red wooden floors inside. There’s seating for a further 70 to 100 people outdoors.

On the all-day menu, Bayly and Sepsy have run with the British theme in keeping with the building’s origins, tapping into a trend favouring nostalgic dishes that’s been prominent over the past couple of years.

They’re serving classics such as the scotch egg, coronation chicken and shrimp cocktail, all interpreted in the modern and produce-forward way that they have become known for. The scotch egg, for example, is made with lamb mince and comes with white anchovy mayo on the side and a confit egg yolk on top. The coronation chicken is served in house-made Turkish bread with new season cos lettuce and sweet and spicy pickles.

Old-timey desserts have been given a similarly contemporary spin. There’s a Knickerbocker Glory ice cream sundae that’s layered with berries, and the Trifle is made with Pedro Ximenez sherry, strawberry jelly, nectarines and a syllabub custard with vanilla and whipped cream.

The Bathhouse
28 Marine Parade, Queenstown

Hours
Mon to Fri: Sunrise to sunset

bathhouse.co.nz
@bathhousequeenstown