You can’t help but fall in love with Customhouse.

The restaurant makes the most of being located in one of Dunedin’s iconic heritage buildings near the city’s waterfront. It’s suitable for any occasion - from a bowl of chips and a beer, while the kids grab the fishing reels from behind the bar, to a special family dinner.

The manager Kent Twaites shows me around, and once again I’m seeing another Dunedin restaurant making everything from scratch, and I love that. The Customhouse team care about their customers, the food they use and where they source their ingredients – using local produce as much as possible.

A stand out for me was the versatility of Customhouse. It’s a place where anyone at any time can grab a coffee and freshly baked treats - made in the Customhouse kitchen - and stroll along waterfront or sit inside and enjoy the comfort.

I also see the appeal of the place as a location to catch up with friends over an antipasto platter and a bottle of Central Otago wine. Kent tells me the antipasto platter is a popular dish for just that reason.

The food at Customhouse is a mix of New Zealand cuisine with a hint of kiwiana flavour. The signature dish is beef fillet mignon royale. That’s a prime-aged steak, wrapped in maple smoked, streaky bacon, three beer battered oysters, and butter fried Portobello mushrooms and red wine jus. When I saw this on the menu, I knew it was the dish for me.

What impressed me on the dessert menu was the raspberry and white chocolate ice cream with vanilla coconut crust. What I didn’t expect was for it to be set on fire in front of me with a shot of flavoured vodka! I had a smile from ear to ear.