Jano Bistro

From the onset we knew we were in for an experience. I had been highly recommended the restaurant by friend's step daughters, and for me recommendations are a great place to start. This quaint tiny two story cottage is nestled between wellingtons towering buildings, reminding us of an almost forgotten era. On entering the front door you are instantly transported back to an atmosphere of warmth with its brick fireplaces and warm glow, and I couldn't help cheekily yelling 'honey we're home' as I entered. We were greeted by the friendliest of faces and they offered to take our coats. We were then led upstairs to the main dining area where we were seated in another cozy environment, for what we thought would make it perfect for that special date night. I had requested gluten-free options for myself and gluten-free and dairy free options for my friend, so when our server ran through the menu they pointed out where these ingredients were hiding and how they could be left off or substituted. Our server was warm in nature with a big genuine hearty smile, she was attentive, knowledgeable, and made excellent recommendations which were only to happy to try. We had three small sharing plates and two large sharing plates, followed by two more dessert plates. Every dish was a flavorful masterpiece. It's hard to describe the amount of oohs and ahhs we produced, as each new dish opened our eyes further. Each dish was balanced, fresh and full of surprise! Everything was cooked perfectly. Every plate accompanied by the staff came with a breakdown of the highlights of the dish and where it was locally sourced. I loved that they were delivered and explained by the chefs (including head) with such enthusiasm and respect for their local area. The standout dish for me is usually a main and always something savory, but to my own surprise it was a dessert. For me the flavor experience grew for me as the night progressed, finishing with an absolute hero dish 'Organic Blueberry Pitachio Black Garlic Meringue' which you will just have to try for yourself. These guys truly deserve some hype for thier mouth-watering dishes, that have been constructed with creativity and respect of thier locally sourced ingredients, and served by genuinely warm passionate staff. In summary (incase you haven't already picked it) the food quality, service and atmosphere made for a 5 star experience. Hats off to the Chef and his team! I will most definitely be back when in wellington next.