Logan Brown serves up a tasty three decades

Saturday, 28 June 2025

The photo is black and white, although it’s only from 1996. Pictured are a bunch of smiling faces.

The staff at Logan Brown are standing in front of the iconic red door at the even more iconic Cuba St heritage building the restaurant occupies, and boy, do they look happy to be there.

Of those in the photo, one is a teacher now, while another works for Wētā Workshop. Sam Pope is a personal chef. Hannah Smith owns an AirBnb on the Kāpiti Coast and Paul Lester owns the restaurant at Begonia House.

There’s more. Al Brown - the Brown in the Logan Brown name - co-founded the restaurant with now standalone owner Steve Logan.

After leaving the partnership amicably in 2010, Brown has gone on to become a successful celebrity chef. He’s done a lot of TV, owns Auckland restaurants Depot and Federal Delicatessen, and sandwich chain Best Ugly Bagels.

Also in the photo is François Febvre, who now owns La Cloche’s four cafes throughout central Wellington. He worked as a restaurant manager when Logan Brown first opened.

Chef Shaun Clouston is a partner in the restaurant - alongside Logan and financial controller Debbie Jones - and continues to act as the eatery’s executive chef.

Former Concord owner and restaurateur Shepherd Elliott also got his start at the eatery.

Clouston, Febvre, Elliot and Logan will reunite at this year’s Wellington on a Plate for a 96 Originals lunch event.

Logan says the early momentum from that group’s energy built the restaurant into the Wellington institution it is today.

It has won multiple awards, including being named the supreme winner of the Cuisine NZ Restaurant of the Year Awards in 2009, and has been hailed at the Cuisine Food Awards for its long-serving consistency and quality.

Febvre says he joined Logan Brown after seeing a newspaper ad for the role, having moved from France several months earlier.

Working for the esteemed eatery had been an incredible experience, he said. Back then, the long corporate lunch was at its height, with some lasting for 10 hours and well into the night.

The restaurant’s sommelier was also in charge of offering cigars to guests. Before the law changed, customers were allowed to smoke them inside.

“It was a really good time … I've got lots of very fond memories about Logan Brown.”

Clouston’s first shift at Logan Brown was New Year’s Eve, 1996. The service was probably his favourite ‒ a huge night that saw a piper play in the new year.

Wellington had a wild party atmosphere back in the mid-1990s, he said. Logan Brown had been a turning point in the city’s culinary culture, representing the potential of what New Zealand food could be ‒ and the restaurant had been well received by locals.

Al Brown had been giving Clouston a lot of stick that night, saying the scallops were over-cooked … but it turned out the chef was just yanking his chain.

“It was a massive night, absolutely massive night. I think we did about 130 odd people … it was very, very memorable,” Clouston says.

From bank to restaurant

Logan Brown is known for being situated on the ground floor of the heritage building at the corner of Vivian St and Cuba St.

The space was formerly home to the National Bank. It built in 1917 and designed by Canadian architect Claude Plumer-Jones.

Logan stresses he never wanted the eatery to be known as a fine dining restaurant.

“We just wanted to be good quality. We didn't want people to feel like they have to be concerned about what they dressed. We didn't want them to be worried about not being able to read the menu. We didn't want them to worry about what cutlery to use.”

Premium, but no pretension or formality: that is the Logan Brown way, he says. The food they offer is classic Kiwi food with a twist. The paua ravioli ‒ on the menu since 1996 ‒ remains the most popular dish.

Logan started the restaurant with Brown after running the Western Park Tavern in Tinakori Rd.

At the time, there weren’t many restaurants straddling the line between tavern and restaurant. He wanted to go more the latter.

The real estate agent mentioned a beautiful new space had come up ‒ the old bank on Vivian St.

Logan said he fell in love with the building. A lease was signed in October and the restaurant opened December.

They’ve had many famous names pass through their doors. Logan recalls late All Blacks star Jonah Lomu ordering a large mixed platter, then promptly ordering a second one. Politicians, celebrities, actors, and prime ministers have all dined.

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Febvre believes the secret of Logan Brown’s longevity is the commitment to quality.

“Once you've established yourself, you need just to keep control of the service you provide … [Logan Brown] is quite an old identity in Wellington. It's got a very good name, and it's got some very loyal customers.”

Clouston says the secret is really no secret, just “a lot of very very hard work”.

“You can't put it down to one person. It's been a massive effort, and I guess, having an ethos of, ‘don't give up’.”