Arden + Porta Via

A visit to Arden is a culinary experience you shouldn’t leave Nelson without enjoying. This intimate bar and kitchen offers some of the most interesting fare to taste in this little seaside city. Simplistic and unpretentious, yet beautiful and sophisticated, are both the space and food at Arden.

Old wooden floors and leadlight windows are complemented by pure white walls, classic black chairs and the dark hues of the bar.  The compact menu offers imaginative seasonal dishes in various sizes that are designed to share. That being said, the solo diner has also been thought of, with a tasting menu for one a delightful rarity.

Arden’s owner-operators Lisa Penketh and Logan Ursell spent a decade in Melbourne honing their hospitality skills and have put their expertise to use upon returning to sunny Nelson. Unique in more ways than one, another special touch at Arden is dining off handmade dinnerware made by Lisa herself.

Celebrating the produce and wine of the Nelson Tasman region is at the heart of it all at Arden. The menu and cocktail list both roll through the seasons, making use of excellent local produce and small producers with detail and care. The wine list introduces a fresh set of wines by the glass weekly, including natural wines and international and local drops.

Right next door, Arden’s younger sibling Porta Via takes the wine side a step further with an off licence and an impressive array of rare and natural wines. Functioning predominantly as a lunchtime eatery and speciality wine shop, Porta Via also seats a number of Arden diners or group bookings in the evenings.