Fleur’s Place  – a must-do dining destination

Don’t be surprised if the name rings a bell, even if you’ve never been there. Moeraki’s already famed seafood restaurant on the lower east coast of the South Island rose to even greater heights when acclaimed British television personality Rick Stein chose Fleur’s as the place to head to for a foodie story he’d been asked to write for the Daily Mail.

Housed in an eccentric building if ever there was one, Fleur’s Place hugs the sea edge much as a limpet clings to a rock. On a short promontory, the site of an early whaling station just 15 minutes south of Oamaru, and down a rumpty unsealed road, the rustic, corrugated-clad shed is surrounded by old slipways, fishing buoys, the occasional discarded net and washing tubs repurposed into planters.

Turns out that Fleur Sullivan, the restaurant’s owner (who first rose to fame with her Central Otago eatery ‘Olivers’), is a bit of a magpie which is why the building’s interior is just as eclectic as its grounds. In the golden natural light which bounces off the establishment’s plain wood walls, and a staircase which Fleur ‘found somewhere’ and had installed, a collection of old china cups and saucers vies for space with shabby chic bits and bobs and the kind of shell-decorated boxes that most would consign to the skip – yet here, work magic! Simple wooden chairs and tables and a graffiti wall do their best to belie what’s on the menu, yet the mouth-watering aromas emanating from the kitchen, and the discreet yet attentive wait-staff tell another story; in this crème-de la crème of eateries, incongruity reigns.

This is a seriously ‘book-ahead’ restaurant, and foodies wanting to imbibe not only the local Otago wines but also the ambience, will want to check out the weather forecast in advance and secure a table on the upper deck if the sun plans on making an appearance. While savouring potted eel served on the crispiest toast, mouth-watering chowder, and catch-of the day fish served with locally sourced organic vegetables, the balcony offers up-close views of passing fishing boats, dallying seals and birds galore.

And, while many of us now eschew desert, this is not recommended at Fleur’s where diners are enticed by tender chocolate puddings and delicate coconut tarts. Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, it’s worth lingering long enough to catch a glimpse of Fleur, in jeans and casual jumper, chatting on her mobile while she flicks a cloth over one of the outdoor tables – there are no airs and graces with this restaurateur!

Nearby:

• Moeraki boulders, the famed spherical concretions which line the beach just 5 minutes drive from Fleur’s (time your visit for low tide).
• Historic Oamaru: the provincial town’s revived 1880s limestone precinct housing second had book stores, artisans’ workshops and cafes.