Charley Noble Eatery Bar.

The restaurant occupies the ground floor of the 90-year-old Huddart Parker Building which, in 2013, was brought up to 100 percent of the new building standard in a major re-strengthening project. With the restaurant’s opening scheduled as that job was completed, it was a tight programme that involved working closely with the architects and consultants.

The restaurant features an open charcoal BBQ so the fitout incorporates a significant ventilation system to expel smoke and odours. Ozone treatment is used to remove the cooking smells and expel clean air at street level.

Another aspect of the job is its nautical theme – Charley Noble, a sailors’ nickname for the chimney which carried heat away from the galley stove, is said to go back to a British merchant service captain, Charles Noble. The building itself is named after a prominent turn-of-the-century shipping company, Huddart Parker.

Commenting on the new restaurant, a Wellington reviewer wrote that the renovation, with its pillars, ceiling beams and feature timber floors, offers “both reassurance and a sense of grandeur to customers. Seating 85, with accommodation for a further 30 at the bar, the restaurant extends the entire depth of the building. It’s magnificent, with every detail considered.”