Oak & Ivy is an evening restaurant upstairs at 42 Alfred Street in central Blenheim, open from 4pm until late. Set in the heart of Marlborough wine country, it takes its cue from a question the team likes to ask: what grows when we look beyond the vines? The answer plays out across a seasonal menu built on local produce, charcoal fire and generous hospitality.
Menus change with the seasons and daily availability. Snacks run from Marlborough oysters — Rockefeller, natural with chardonnay vinegar or Kilpatrick — to house rosemary focaccia and baked 'Little River' camembert. Small plates include fire-roasted beetroot, French onion soup, steak tartare and ceviche, while large plates bring the signature rendang, Troy's hapuku, a charcoal-fired celeriac steak, glazed lamb shank and charcoal steaks with black garlic butter and tallow fries. House-made pastas cover everything from 'Salubre' osso buco ragù tagliatelle to spaghetti alle vongole with Cloudy Bay clams.
Local provenance matters here: Little River cheeses, Bush's honey, Cloudy Bay clams and local porcini all make appearances, and even the fries do good — 'Imaginary Fries' swap potatoes for a donation to Crossroads. To finish there's sticky toffee pudding, Bush's honey brûlée and a cheese plate with Tasman Blue.
For those who'd rather hand over the reins, the Trust The Chef sharing menu lets the kitchen curate five or seven courses for the table — the recommended route for groups of ten or more. Supper Club events explore Marlborough through food and wine; Series Five paired five courses with matched wines from Clos Henri of the Loire Valley. Children are looked after too, with a kids menu of their own. Reservations are made through the online booking system, and the team can be reached on 03 577 2581 or res@oakandivy.co.nz.
In a region the world knows for its vines, one Blenheim restaurant keeps asking what else Marlborough can grow. Oak & Ivy, perched upstairs at 42 Alfred Street in the town's centre, is an evening destination — open from 4pm until late — built around seasonal produce, charcoal fire and a streak of generosity that runs from the kitchen to the community.
There's a line the team returns to that captures the idea: "What grows when we look beyond the vines?" Their Supper Club series is built on exactly that question. For Series Five they welcomed Clos Henri to explore the Loire Valley — long known as the Garden of France — and what that idea could mean here in Marlborough, across five courses with matched wines. It's a fitting frame for a restaurant that treats its home patch as a larder first and a backdrop second.
The menus change with the seasons and daily availability, so no two visits are quite the same. The printed sample gives a sense of the territory. Snacks open the evening: Marlborough oysters three ways — Rockefeller, natural with chardonnay vinegar, or Kilpatrick — house-roasted nuts, Sicilian olives with orange and fennel, rosemary focaccia with roasted garlic butter, a smoked fish croquette, and baked 'Little River' camembert with warm focaccia and roasted grapes.
Small plates bridge towards the mains: fire-roasted beetroot with goat's cheese, Bush's honey and pinoli pine nuts; French onion soup with gruyère and toasted focaccia; steak tartare with smoked bone marrow and a 63° yolk; and ceviche with passionfruit, leche de tigre and kumara crisps.
Large plates are where the charcoal really shows. The signature rendang — beef short rib, or charred eggplant for a meat-free take — comes with coconut rice and roti. Troy's hapuku arrives with fennel, grenobloise sauce and croutons; a glazed lamb shank sits on mashed potato with winter greens; and a charcoal-fired celeriac steak with ajo blanco and chimichurri proves the grill isn't only for carnivores. Steak lovers choose between a 55-day aged ribeye and a handpicked bavette, both served with wild mushrooms, black garlic butter and tallow fries.
Pasta is made in-house: tagliatelle with 'Salubre' osso buco ragù, pappardelle with local porcini, and — when available — spaghetti alle vongole with Cloudy Bay clams, garlic, chilli and parsley. Desserts run from sticky toffee pudding with whisky butterscotch to Bush's honey brûlée and a chocolate terrine with hazelnut granola and vanilla mascarpone, with a Carajillo 43 for those who like their coffee with a kick.
For diners who'd rather not choose, there's Trust The Chef: a sharing menu where the kitchen curates a selection for the whole table, at five or seven courses per person. For groups of ten or more it's strongly recommended — it lets the team host seamlessly and deliver the full Oak & Ivy experience. À la carte is still possible for large groups provided all meals are pre-ordered, and confirmed Trust The Chef bookings of ten or more are amended by contacting the restaurant directly rather than online.
Anyone with dietary requirements is asked to flag them early. Most common needs and allergies can be worked with, though new or customised dishes can't be guaranteed for extreme restrictions.
The local thread runs deep. Cheese comes from Little River — Tasman Blue appears on the cheese plate with Bush's honeycomb and lavosh — while Bush's honey sweetens the brûlée and the beetroot, Cloudy Bay lends its clams, and the porcini are picked locally. Then there's the menu's gentlest joke: 'Imaginary Fries', which promise no fries at all, just kindness and a donation to Crossroads.
Children aren't an afterthought either. The kids menu covers fish and chips, buttered pappardelle and a little beef burger with fries and tomato sauce, printed with word searches, spot-the-spoon games and tic-tac-toe. Curious little eaters can also ask for kid-sized versions of selected main-menu dishes.
All table reservations are handled through Oak & Ivy's online booking system. The restaurant opens from 4pm until late at 42 Alfred Street, Blenheim, and can be reached on 03 577 2581 or at res@oakandivy.co.nz for events, pre-orders and enquiries. Whether it's a long dinner over the charcoal grill or a supper club tracing a river valley on the other side of the world, the invitation is the same: come upstairs and see what grows.