The Saucy Chef Restaurant & Bar

About The Saucy Chef Restaurant & Bar

The Saucy Chef Restaurant & Bar sits on the corner of St Andrew and Sydney Streets in Invercargill, offering a gastronomic experience built around a Murihiku/Southland inspired, game-led menu, paired with finely curated wines and beers. The venue, part of the Invercargill Licensing Trust, spans a chic Heineken bar, a sunny conservatory suited to bites and bubbles, and a warm, sophisticated restaurant space.

The kitchen's dinner menu ranges from entrées like a pull-apart loaf and duck ravioli with king prawn, through to Southland classics such as beer battered Blue Cod fresh from Foveaux Strait, a grass-fed porterhouse called The Southlander, and Saucy's Famous Braised Beef Cheeks. An 'Only by Saucy's' section features more distinctive dishes including Beef Wellington, Wild Venison Loin, Duck Confit and a vegan Stuffed Chickpea Capsicum, with extensive gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan options marked throughout.

The Saucy Chef also serves a dedicated kids menu, a full range of sides and sauces, and a dessert menu including a Lime + Lemongrass Crème Brûlée and an Affogato to finish. The restaurant has recently opened for brunch on Sunday mornings, alongside its regular dinner service.

The Saucy Chef Restaurant & Bar: A Southland Game-Led Dining Experience in Invercargill

On the corner of St Andrew and Sydney Streets in Invercargill, The Saucy Chef Restaurant & Bar offers what it calls a gastronomic experience like no other, built around a Murihiku/Southland inspired, game-led menu paired with finely curated wines and beers. Part of the Invercargill Licensing Trust, the venue prides itself on a warm welcome and service that matches the ambition of its food.

Three Distinct Spaces

The Saucy Chef offers guests a choice of settings depending on the occasion. There's the chic Heineken bar for a casual drink, a sunny conservatory perfect for bites and bubbles, and a warm, sophisticated restaurant space for a proper sit-down meal. The philosophy behind it all is simple: delicious southern flavours paired with complementary beverages are best enjoyed with company.

Entrées and Southland Classics

The dinner menu opens with entrées like a pull-apart loaf for the table, The Saucy Chowder packed with seafood, and a Duck Ravioli + King Prawn dish finished with orange jus. From there, The Saucy Chef Classics lean into distinctly Southland ingredients — beer battered Blue Cod fresh from Foveaux Strait, a Southland grass-fed porterhouse called The Southlander, and Saucy's Famous Braised Beef Cheeks, slow braised with red currant jelly and tawny port wine.

Only by Saucy's

For something more adventurous, the 'Only by Saucy's' section pushes further into the kitchen's range: a classic Beef Wellington, Wild Venison Loin on a caramelised onion and goat cheese tart, Duck Confit with a sour cherry sauce, and Stewart Island Salmon Papillote baked with pickled ginger and lemon. A vegan Stuffed Chickpea Capsicum, built on a potato and lentil rosti, ensures plant-based diners aren't left out of the more elaborate offerings.

Sides, Sauces and Dessert

A full range of Saucy Sides and Saucy Sauces lets guests build their meal exactly how they like it, from beer battered fries to a creamy mushroom and bacon sauce. To finish, the dessert menu includes a Lime + Lemongrass Crème Brûlée, a Gingerbread Jar layered with ginger-infused cream cheese and chocolate ganache, and an Affogato pairing vanilla ice cream with a double shot of espresso and a liqueur of choice. Extensive gluten free, dairy free and vegan options run throughout both the mains and dessert menus.

Families and New Sunday Brunch

The Saucy Chef also runs a dedicated kids menu, making it a workable choice for family dinners as well as date nights and special occasions. The restaurant has recently expanded its hours, now opening for brunch on Sunday mornings from 11:30am, alongside its regular evening dinner service through the rest of the week.

Visiting The Saucy Chef

The Saucy Chef is open from 4:30pm to 9:30pm Monday to Thursday, and from 3pm to 10pm on Friday and Saturday, with Sunday now open from 11:30am for brunch. Table bookings can be made directly through the website. Whether it's a shared cheese plate in the conservatory, a beef cheek dinner in the restaurant, or a drink at the Heineken bar, The Saucy Chef brings a genuinely elevated take on Southland dining to the heart of Invercargill.

Signature items

• Saucy's Famous Braised Beef Cheeks
• Beer Battered Blue Cod
• Beef Wellington
• The Ribeye Steak
• Duck Ravioli + King Prawn
• Affogato

Menu

Desserts

• Lime + Lemongrass Crème Brûlée — Infused with lime and lemongrass, served with Chantilly cream, berry compote and pistachio biscotti, can be GF
• Gingerbread Jar — Layered with crushed ginger nuts, ginger infused cream cheese, chocolate ganache and Chantilly cream, topped with vanilla bean ice cream
• Raspberry & White Chocolate Mud Cake — Served warm with white chocolate ganache, raspberry sorbet and Chantilly cream
• Chocolate Pecan Pie — Buttery pastry filled with dark chocolate and pecans, served with deep fried vanilla bean ice cream and toffee sauce
• Meringue Stack — Baked meringue layers with berry compote, mascarpone and berry sorbet, GF
• Spiced & Roasted Pineapple — Chargrilled and roasted with maple, ginger and coconut oil, served with macadamia toffee crunch and vegan ice cream, GF, DF, Vegan
• Affogato — Vanilla bean ice cream with a double shot of espresso and a liqueur of choice; dairy free ice cream available, can be vegan
• Ice Cream Berry Parfait / Sundae — Vanilla ice cream with a choice of chocolate, caramel or strawberry, topped with Chantilly cream; dairy free ice cream available
• Cheese, Bread & Cracker Plate — A selection of three cheeses (hard, soft and blue) with fruit chutney and crackers, for two to share

EntréEs

• Pull-Apart Loaf — Oven-baked pull-apart loaf for 2 to 4 people, served with natural or garlic butter; extra dips of the day available
• The Saucy Chowder — Rich, creamy chowder full of seafood, served with warm buttered toast
• Soup of the Day — A daily changing soup, served with warm buttered toast, can be GF
• Mushroom Arancini — Grey and pink oyster mushrooms rolled with risotto and breadcrumb, served on garlic and chive cream reduction with truffle-infused olive oil
• Baby Back Pork Rib — Spice rubbed, char grilled and basted with rustic BBQ sauce, topped with sesame seeds and spring onions, GF, DF
• Crumbed Mozzarella — Panko crumbed mozzarella, fried, served with homemade apricot chutney and focaccia
• Duck Ravioli + King Prawn — Confit duck leg in pastry with grilled prawns on wilted bok choy, nut-brown butter, feta and crispy shallots, finished with orange jus
• Prawn & Champagne Vol-au-Vents — Seared prawns braised in a champagne and cream sauce, served in a pastry case with fennel and caramelised lemon

Saucy Sides

• Garlic or Chilli Prawns — Side option
• Beer Battered Fries — Side option
• Golden Fries — Side option
• Creamy Parmesan Mashed Potato — Side option
• Medley of Vegetables — Side option
• Fresh Garden Salad — Side option
• Sautéed Mushrooms — Side option
• Side of Eggs — Side option
• Battered Onion Rings — Side option

Saucy Sauces

• Creamy Mushroom + Bacon — GF
• Green Peppercorn + Brandy — GF
• Red Wine Jus — GF
• Garlic + Herb Butter — GF

Only By Saucy'S

• Lamb Rump & Crumbed Sweetbread — Seared and oven baked, served with Reform sauce, pea puree, fondant potatoes and a herb crumbed sweetbread, GF
• Chicken Pappardelle Pasta — Diced chicken breast with pappardelle in a creamy basil pesto sauce, baby spinach and feta, GF version available
• Slow Braised Pork Belly — Slow cooked with honey, spices and herbs, served with roasted kale on spiced pumpkin puree, GF
• Chicken Fricassee — Chicken breast seared and baked with buttercream, white wine, mushrooms and vegetables, served with broccolini and fondant potatoes, GF
• Salmon Papillote — Stewart Island salmon baked in a papillote with white wine, pickled ginger and lemon, served with bok choy and chilli butter, GF
• Beef Wellington — Beef fillet in mushroom duxelles and puff pastry wrapped in bacon, served with port wine beef reduction and chicken liver pate
• Duck Confit — Confit duck leg cooked in seasoned duck fat, served with potato gratin, fried green beans and a sour cherry sauce, GF
• Wild Venison Loin — Seared venison loin on a caramelised onion and goat cheese tart with dark chocolate jus and crispy kumara chips, GF
• Stuffed Chickpea Capsicum — Baked capsicum stuffed with chickpea and cauliflower curry on a potato lentil rosti, GF, DF, Vegan

The Saucy Chef Classics

• Crispy Chicken Salad — Buttermilk marinated fried chicken on salad greens with brie, crispy bacon and cashews, finished with house-made vinaigrette; vegetarian and GF options available
• Beer Battered Blue Cod (Fish & Chips) — Blue Cod from Foveaux Strait in a light beer batter, served with tartare sauce, garden salad and golden fries; can be pan fried GF
• The Southlander — Southland grass fed porterhouse, farm fresh egg, garden salad and potato hash sticks, GF
• Feature Fish of the Day — The best seafood sourced that day, GF
• Southern Style Fried Chicken — Two pieces of American style crispy spiced chicken breast on parmesan mashed potatoes with side salad and secret gravy
• Saucy's Famous Braised Beef Cheeks — Beef cheeks braised with red currant jelly, tawny port and beef jus, served on parmesan mash with baby carrots, beetroot, broccoli and kumara crisps, GF
• The Ribeye Steak — Chargrilled ribeye served on potato gratin and wilted spinach with a choice of sauce; can be made surf and turf, GF

Frequently asked questions

What are The Saucy Chef's opening hours?

4:30pm to 9:30pm Monday to Thursday, 3pm to 10pm Friday and Saturday, and open from 11:30am on Sunday for brunch.

Does The Saucy Chef offer dietary options?

Yes, extensive gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan options are marked throughout the dinner and dessert menus.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, a dedicated kids menu is available.

What is The Saucy Chef known for?

A Murihiku/Southland inspired, game-led menu featuring dishes like braised beef cheeks, beer battered Blue Cod and venison loin.

Can I book a table?

Yes, table bookings can be made directly through the website.

What kind of spaces does the venue have?

A chic Heineken bar, a sunny conservatory, and a warm, sophisticated restaurant dining room.

Is Sunday brunch new?

Yes, The Saucy Chef has recently opened for brunch on Sunday mornings from 11:30am.

Tips

• {"body":"Reserve a table online, especially for weekend evenings.","title":"Book ahead"}
• {"body":"A signature dish braised with red currant jelly and tawny port.","title":"Try Saucy's Famous Braised Beef Cheeks"}
• {"body":"Many dishes have marked alternatives available.","title":"Ask about GF, DF and vegan swaps"}
• {"body":"Vanilla ice cream, espresso and a liqueur of your choice.","title":"Finish with the Affogato"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids menu available","dietary":"Extensive gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan options across the menu"}