Emberz

Walking into the traditional, elegant dining room of Emberz, tucked inside the Ascot Park Hotel, feels like a personal invite to linger over a long dinner. The tables are topped with long taper candles, the lights are dim and the wine glasses are already ready and waiting for you as you slide into the velvet booths.

What you wouldn’t know from first glance, is that just a hop, skip and a jump away resides the restaurant’s on-site garden, where a vast majority of the menu’s fruits and veggies are harvested, aligning with their “Farm-to-Fork” philosophy. In fact, using fresh, local ingredients is a cornerstone of the restaurant's menu and ethos. They even have a local honey supplier, Munro Honey Co., who makes an on-site visit each week to check on their beehives in the garden! Their meat and fish all come from sustainable, local suppliers, like Melrose Station Lamb, Hereford Prime Rib, Chatham Island Food Co. and Fare Game.

When it comes to the mains, chargrilled steaks and Blue Cod reign supreme, but you can also find seasonal vegetarian-friendly dishes like a roasted pumpkin and black bean casserole served with a candied walnut pesto. Of course, a dining room this luxurious begs for a great glass of wine to wash it all down, and Emberz’s well-rounded wine list won’t disappoint. If you’d prefer to have the decision made for you, just opt for their “Wine of the Week”.