New mouth-watering winter menu at Queenstown's Lombardi restaurant

Award-winning restaurant Lombardi in Queenstown’s premier boutique hotel, Hotel St Moritz, has launched a mouth-watering new winter menu.

Designed and created by executive chef Avi Yochay, the menu boasts fresh, locally-sourced produce, complemented by a variety of diverse cultural influences aimed to warm and tantalise during these cold winter months.

The winter menu includes brand new dishes and returning Lombardi favourites.

New additions to the entrée menu include crusted Otago hare loin, an extremely tender dish when cooked medium-rare and the potato and herbed gnocchi, rich with the taste of the Mediterranean.

Lombardi classics include Atlantic scallops and pork belly – a match made in heaven with the sensational combination of textures and flavours - and duck rillettes, a quintessential countryside dish originally introduced to the menu by a French chef.

For mains, it’s all about local fare with the Central Otago lamb – cooked for 48 hours at 70C - and the premium grade Silver Fern Southland beef fillet, deliciously tender no matter how it’s chosen to be cooked.

Lombardi wood-fired pizzas are somewhat legendary amongst guests and locals. They only take a few minutes to cook from dough lovingly prepared in-house and are the perfect winter re-fuel option after a day on the slopes. New for this season are honey roast winter vegetable or spicy chorizo pizzas.

Demand for this classic sweet treat was so high that chef had no other choice but to add it back onto the menu -- the brulée and banoffi pizza dessert is to die for and Lombardi regulars always make sure they’ve saved some space to finish off every last spoonful.

A warm ginger pudding is a sensory experience as not only does it have the taste buds jumping for joy, but the smell is so aromatic and warming its winter perfection on a plate.
Chef Avi Yochay said he’s “very proud” of the new menu and is enjoying hearing positive feedback from guests as they sample new additions.

“It’s always fantastic to introduce new winter dishes as there’s something so heart-warming about coming in from the cold and tucking into delicious, flavoursome and comforting food,” he said.

“I also like to bring back old Lombardi favourites, as it’s a nice surprise to many of our regulars and also gives first-timers the chance to sample some of our classic dishes.”

Chef Avi is Lombardi’s key ingredient. Born in Israel, his culinary style is heavily influenced by a range of cultures and cuisines, brought into his country by travelling Jews who settled from all over the world.

With a father from Yemen and a mother from Libya, his cultural background influenced his passion for food from a young age when he first trained to be a chef, ahead of compulsory military service which set him off on his travels.

Like many before and after, chef Avi fell in love with Queenstown and settled in the resort town, enrolling at Otago Polytech’s Cromwell campus to resume his chef’s training.

Hotel St Moritz opened 17 years ago and chef Avi first walked through the door a year later. With 16 years of service under his belt, he’s single-handedly lead the way in Lombardi’s success, developing it into the award-winning, stylish, and charismatic restaurant that it is today.

“Chef Avi’s fascinating cultural background is reflected wonderfully in the new winter menu,” said acting general manager Jo Finnigan.

“We hope guests enjoy the scrumptious new dishes and perfect all-round winter experience”.

Home-made cheeses and sustainable lunches

As well as its alluring food, fantastic views, exquisite wine selections and distinctive dining space, Lombardi continues to innovate and raise standards by reducing waste, on a daily basis.

Chef Avi’s ingenious idea of using unused milk from the breakfast buffet to produce a range of curd-based cheeses, is a unique and sustainable way of adding further authenticity and taste sensation to Lombardi’s offering. The delicious cheeses, feta and mozzarella, are used on the wood-fired pizzas.

Not much is wasted after breakfast is served, as for just $15 guests can pack their own lunch-in-a-box from the buffet, perfect for people on the go and with tight itineraries.

“We’re finding many guests are skiing or sightseeing for most of the day and want quick and healthy options for lunch,” said Ms Finnigan.

“They want to have food already in their backpacks, which is sometimes tricky to prepare when you’re staying in a hotel.

“With our lunch-to-go offer, they have a quick and inexpensive option with them to enjoy.”

Hotel St Moritz has won numerous accolades for its fare including Best Restaurant in Queenstown, Chef of the Year in the Monteiths’ Wild Food Challenge and most recently it won Best Lamb Dish in Central Otago at the New Zealand Beef and Lamb Awards.

For more information about Lombardi and to view the full winter menu please visit www.stmoritz.co.nz/dining


Chef Avi – Lombardi’s key ingredient




The crusted Otago hare loin with carrot puree, broad beans and pea tendrils



The Akaroa salmon fillet with smoked fish chowder, vegetable parisienne, bok choy and fried quail egg


Remarkable views from Lombardi across the lake and mountain range