Vangionis Trattoria & Bar, Akaroa

When it gets dark out, Vangionis is one of the few places still open in Akaroa. It is a cozy restaurant and bar serving Mediterranean style dishes. They use only fresh ingredients available in New Zealand, and they have an extensive menu ranging from tapas to large plates to pizza. CK and I stopped in one dark, rainy night and enjoyed a lovely dinner together.

I ordered the rabbit in prunes and bacon. It was New Zealand rabbit slow cooked in a thin red wine, thyme, bacon, and prune sauce. The word 'slow cooked' misled me to believe that it was fall off the bone rabbit meat. Unfortunately, you had to work for it.

Rabbit in Prunes and Bacon

My main didn't come with any sides so I ordered the sauteed beetroot to go with my rabbit. This was fresh beetroot sauteed with horseradish and cream. Although different, I can't say I loved it. I liked the horseradish but I didn't care for the cream.

Beetroot Sauteed in Horseradish and Cream

CK ordered their spinaci pizza with spinach, basil paste, garlic, and mozzarella cheese. I really liked their pizza.

Spinaci Pizza

For dessert, we shared the baked Belgian chocolate pudding cake. This was a chocolate cake with a soft centre in the middle. The cake was served with vanilla ice cream.

Baked Belgian Chocolate Pudding Cake

This was a quaint little restaurant and it was nice to have comfort food on a rainy night.

Vangionis Trattoria & Bar
40F Rue Lavaud
Akaroa, Canterbury, New Zealand
Telephone: 03 304 7714

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Akaroa Fish & Chips, Akaroa

This week will be a New Zealand week. I spent some time catching up on my New Zealand posts, and I'm so glad I did because it was nice looking back at the pictures from my awesome trip. I will start this wonderful week with a post about Akoroa.

Akaroa is an unimaginably beautiful little town that is very French influenced. It's a town completely different from the rest of New Zealand. The street signs are in French, the architecture is French, and the overall feel of this place is very French. This is all thanks to Captain Jean François L'Anglois, who bought a piece of the land in 1838.

The drive to Akaroa is breathtaking. There is only one way to get in and one way to get out. The town itself is a beautiful harbour overlooking rugged volcanic hills. Akaroa is also known for their Hector dolphins, the smallest and rarest breed of dolphins there is. They can only be found off the coast of New Zealand, and I was scheduled to swim with them.

Drive to Akaroa

Drive to Akaroa

Unfortunately, it was incredibly rainy and windy on the day of the dolphin swim, and it got cancelled due to bad weather. I was part sad, but part relieved. As much as I wanted to partake in such a thrilling activity, I wasn't prepared to catch a cold over it.

With the entire morning and afternoon free, CK and I decided to head to Akaroa Fish and Chips for brunch. This place was recommended to us by a local in Marlborough Sounds.

Akaroa Fish and Chips

It was a pleasant little fast food joint that served very fresh fish. I ordered their fish burger.  

Fish Burger

Massive pieces of battered blue cod wedged in between a fresh bun with beets, tomato, red onion, lettuce, and tartar sauce. It was delicious!!!

Fish Burger

I honestly fell in love. The fish was fresh, and the condiments were just perfect. It was a beautiful sandwich! CK took a bite and agreed.

CK ordered the regular fish and chips. He was quite indifferent with his meal. He thought the chips were too dry, and the batter of the fish a bit too orangey.

 

We scarfed our food in our compact rental car, and set off for our next adventure.

Akaroa Fish & Chips
59 Beach Road
Akaroa, Canterbury, New Zealand
Telephone: 03 304 7464

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