SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

You mess with a much-loved and long-standing café at your peril, so Yu Group, the owners of Wellington institution Astoria, copped a lot of flack when they announced plans to close the café in 2020 and reopen as an Italian restaurant. James Pask, executive chef for Yu Group, said the project has been to revitalise Astoria and put it back together with a different accent and new appeal. The newly opened all-day venue has a bustling vibe during the day, with a new takeout window opening to the park, eliminating inside queues. Things turn a little more laid back when the evening crowd can linger, relaxing on comfortable banquettes or gathering around the centrepiece of the industrial modern fit-out, a 13-metre-long bar skimmed by a huge wooden architectural feature that takes full advantage of the high stud. astoria.co.nz