BLISS OUT AT POOLHOUSE
Exciting news, foodies. The doors of Poolhouse Bar & Kitchen have officially flung open – the latest jewel placed in the crown of Darwin Airport Resorts.
WORDS TIERNEY WHITE
POOLHOUSE BAR & Kitchen is the freshest addition to a range of exciting updates at Darwin Airport Resorts, offering hotel guests and visitors a Californian-style fine dining experience.
Under the expert curation and leadership of head chef Laurence Lochouarn – aka Loulou – the menu boasts fresh, healthy meals, Aussie classics, and Indigenous ingredients to showcase local produce. The Californian-style concept was acquired to capture the essence of life in Darwin.
“We were looking for something fresh and vibrant that could also reflect the lifestyle in Darwin, whilst trying to demarcate ourselves from other restaurants. We still offer the usual [dishes] that Territorians enjoy, like a nice steak and fresh local fish – we have some great products here that we're going to work with,” Loulou says.
“With Californian style, think fresh and colourful and crisp – food that you would enjoy in a hot climate, with not a lot of transformation in terms of product. We try to keep the product as pure and lean as we can but enhance it with some vibrant additions.”
Loulou earned her stripes in the kitchen of her home of France, cutting her teeth in a Michelin Star restaurant before going on to work on private yachts. Formerly head chef at Char Restaurant, and recently owning her own food truck biz, La Cantinette, she’s proudly called Darwin home for seven years.
General Manager of Darwin Airport Resorts Raymond Bragg says the process of choosing the head chef was a lengthy one, but that it was important to get it right.
“Having someone that has experience in the market, I think it's extremely important, particularly if you’re wanting to attract Territorians, she already has a name in the market,” he says.
“The fact that she's worked in freestanding restaurants, private restaurants, is another reason why we chose her. Hotel chefs tend to be very structured in doing breakfast, lunch and dinner, and perhaps, they're not as creative as, let's say, a chef that has worked in a private restaurant before, and owned her own food truck. So, all of those elements, I think, have sort of faded to what we'd love to have … Just by the forces that be, she actually fell into our lap, and we fell into her lap.”
The all-day dining menu offers light bites, and small and large plates throughout the day, featuring dishes like snapper ceviche, charcuterie boards, poké bowls, salads, and pizza. These can also be ordered poolside, if you fancy a dip, because, when in Darwin, right?
The dinner menu includes the all-day menu plus steak cooked-to-your-liking, fresh barramundi, a wide range of sides, and a sweet selection of desserts. Both menus feature Indigenous ingredients, like bush tomato and lemon myrtle, and cater to any food requirements. If you fancy a nice drop, the curated wine and cocktail lists have a wide selection of beverages to whet your whistle.
There’s also a simple kid’s menu, the restaurant designed to be a family-orientated space. In fact, it’s so family-friendly, there’s a playground in the works – perfect for the little ones to enjoy as they wait for mains to arrive, whilst the grown-ups enjoy a crisp glass of wine and take in the tropical surroundings. Bragg says it was important the restaurant catered for families.
“We have a very much a family concept here, with the aquatic kids play area, and with the extension having the kids playground. And then we have a little beer garden … It really makes Novotel very much a family hotel.”
Poolhouse Bar & Kitchen can seat up to 170 diners, with both indoor and poolside seating, and overlooks the stunning central pool and whirlpool.
Darwin Airport Resorts is owned by Airport Development Group, managed by Accor, and underwent extensive works in 2023 to transform the Novotel, Mercure & Ibis hotels where existing rooms were refurbished, and new pool villas, suites, and bungalows were built.
The huge outdoor transformation placed a 65-metre lagoon style pool – one of the largest metropolitan pools in Australia – smack-bang on the road that once ran between the hotels, and Splash Café was also built alongside the new integrated reception area.
The whole space is adorned by tropical plants and surrounded by art murals by Larrakia artists, with soft music playing over the speakers and regular live music by the pool, making it a sweet space to bliss out and enjoy Darwin’s tropical lifestyle. There are also plans in the works to engage local musicians in Poolhouse Bar & Kitchen, upping the ante on the whole experience.
Whether a corporate or leisure guest, or a visitor or local keen to pop in for a delicious feed, Loulou hopes Poolhouse Bar & Kitchen provides all a bit of escapism.
“I hope they feel like they are disconnecting from their day-to-day life. I hope that it's a place where people can come, even during the week, after work, to hang out, have a drink, have a bite. Just like a little piece of heaven for them.”
