Dining at Blisslume
Seasonal Otago produce, a charcoal grill that never really cools down, and plates built for sharing — or not sharing, we don't judge. Dinner runs till late, and it flows straight into our hosted poker nights if you fancy staying.
Start here, thank us later
The menu shifts with the seasons — this is what the kitchen is proudest of right now.
Whipped ricotta & hot honey
$16Grilled sourdough, thyme, chilli oil. Order two — the table always fights over the first one.
Charred octopus, romesco
$24Smoked paprika, crushed potatoes, salsa verde. The dish that convinced half the kitchen to stay.
Roasted bone marrow
$19Parsley salad, flaky salt, more grilled bread. Gloriously messy — we bring extra napkins without asking.
12-hour lamb shoulder
$38Otago lamb, smoked garlic, charred lemon. Our signature — feeds two, impresses everyone.
Dry-aged ribeye, 45 days
$54Charcoal crust, bone marrow jus, watercress. Ordered most by people celebrating a good hand.
Burnt basque cheesecake
$15Caramelised top, molten middle, poached rhubarb. The correct way to end any evening here.
Cooking built for a long evening
Everything on our menu is designed around how nights actually unfold here — plates arrive when you want them, sharing is encouraged, and nothing is too precious to eat with your hands between poker rounds.
Charcoal first
The grill does the heavy lifting — smoke, char, patience.
Otago sourcing
Lamb from the high country, fish off the coast, veg from farms we can name.
Sharing formats
Most mains come in solo or table-size. Your call.
Late service
Kitchen runs till 11 — mid-poker snack runs are a tradition.
Chef Mira Lawson keeps it honest
Fifteen years across Melbourne, Copenhagen and Queenstown kitchens taught Mira one thing: the best dish is the one people come back for on a random Tuesday. Her menu at Blisslume is short on tricks and long on flavour.
"If it needs a paragraph to explain, it doesn't go on the menu."
A cellar worth getting lost in
Central Otago pinot leads the charge, backed by natural wines, local craft beer and a whisky shelf that keeps growing because our regulars keep making requests.
By the glass
- Prophet's Rock pinot noir '21$18
- Amisfield brut méthode$15
- Te Kano chardonnay '22$14
- Natural skin-contact white$13
House cocktails
- Cumberland Old Fashioned$19
- Felt & Fizz (gin, elderflower)$18
- Smoked plum sour$18
- Zero-proof spritz of the week$12
Whisky library
60+ bottles — Highland Park to obscure Japanese single malts. Ask the bar for the current "secret pour".
Feed the whole table, skip the deciding
Three ways to let the kitchen drive — from a quick pre-theatre feed to a long table feast that ends at the card room.
Pre-show, $55pp
Two courses in 60 minutes, guaranteed. For theatre crowds and people who hate being late.
- Shared starter + any main
- Glass of house wine included
- Available Tue–Thu, 5–6:30 pm
The Long Table, $85pp
Four courses of sharing plates for groups of six-plus. The kitchen picks, you relax.
- Snacks, two shared mains, sides, dessert
- Dietary swaps handled quietly
- Add a hosted poker table for +$25pp
The Back Room
Our private dining room seats 14 — your own menu, your own pace, your own playlist.
- Custom menus from $95pp
- AV setup for speeches
- Minimum 10 guests, Thu–Sat
The best dessert menu is the one that comes with poker
Plenty of tables start as "just dinner" and end at the felt. When the poker room opens at 8, your server can usually find you a seat — or book the dinner + poker package and it's guaranteed.
Dinner plans? Sorted.
Book ahead for weekends — Dunedin works out pretty quickly when a kitchen's doing something right.
Reserve your table