Mediterranean terrace
WORDS Liam Stretch
Canterbury restaurateurs David and Jennifer Warring’s latest venture continues a legacy of quality.
Now open on level one of The Terrace, overlooking the Avon River, their new restaurant and bar, ROCA, is inspired by the Mediterranean.
“ROCA is Spanish for ‘rock’ and references the main feature of the space, which is a large Italian marble island bar and an open woodfire kitchen where we offer countertop dining and late-night cocktails,” David says.
The husband-and-wife team developed one of the city’s most popular spots: King of Snake.
A hallmark of their spaces is their interiors, creating a sense of luxury, yet still, a place where local and international visitors would feel at home – it’s no different at ROCA.
“My wife Jen and I worked together on the interiors at King of Snake and ROCA. We really wanted ROCA to be unique and international, like you could be anywhere in the world. We wanted a feeling of luxury but also to make it feel welcoming and accessible.”
“We didn’t want a fussy dining room, so we have shown some restraint around formality. ROCA is a restaurant designed to be enjoyed by everyone. You’d feel comfortable in a t-shirt and jandals enjoying a cold Peroni on the deck in the afternoon or dressing up for that special occasion. I think we’ve achieved that balance.”
While spending a year planning and fitting out the space, David and Jen sourced several of the elements internationally, like some of David’s favourites, “the huge cluster of Tom Dixon pendants over the island bar”.
The menu, much like the surroundings, exudes a Mediterranean essence.
“It’s inspired by the flavours of the Mediterranean, from Spain to the Middle East. The woodfire grill adds another layer to both the flavours and the dining experience. It’s quite a unique offering.”
Alongside an eclectic wine menu of some of the best international and local vino, the menu is designed to share, including Sturia vintage caviar on crisp rice paper and their Mediterranean reinterpretation of Peking Duck – confit duck leg, sour cherry relish, crème fraiche, and piadina wraps that you build the same way.
David is proud of the menu, but one dish stands out.
“We put a lot of effort into perfecting our sourdough flatbread, matched with the burrata and fennel jam. It’s delicious.”
Though being inspired by the flavours from halfway across the globe, local produce was paramount to the success of ROCA and something David has long championed.
“New Zealand creates some of the finest produce in the world. I think that’s something to be proud of and something we do everything we can to support. Local means fresh, and local also means less impact on the environment and the opportunity to work with sustainable businesses with the best practices.”
After being open for about one month now, David and Jen are thrilled with the restaurant’s feedback and are excited about its further potential.
“We’re thrilled with the love we’ve received on the food so far, and I think the chefs are all excited about building on that. We are developing dishes constantly, and we’re working on items that are perfect for that afternoon vino or cocktail. We really want people to feel welcome to drop in for drinks and nibbles.”