“I adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex.” Oscar Wilde.

The philosopher Plato once wrote,“Should a philosopher care about the pleasures of eating and drinking?” I would argue that eating and drinking at a seafood restaurant which sources everything locally, it’s not just a pleasure, but a sensible choice. I would further argue that when we dined on the paua ceviche, followed by mains of the Dunedin restaurant PLATO’s hot smoked white fish pie (with leek and bacon sauce creamy mash) and Monk Fish coated in kelp crust, we were loading our bodies and brains with all sorts of omega oils and whateyacallit (technical term) goodness.

And while both statements are true –they’re not why we picked our courses, washed down with PLATO’s own Pinot (for the entrée) and their Pinot Gris. We did it for sheer wanton pleasure. And it was pleasure – not prudence – that guided our choice to share an entrée in order to have room for Plato’s ‘g-spot of the brain’ – their dessert menu!My partner moaned over her crème brûlée while I imitated Homer Simpson dreaming of ‘Magic Doughnut Land’ as I made out with my liquorice homemade ice cream served with a raspberry coulis, strawberries and an almond florentine. Pure pleasure that served a purpose Plato mission is to, “serve great food in unique style…matched with good service, in comfortable surroundings”. For over two decades, Plato has delivered exactly that. And in doing so, have fuelled the imagination and creativity of their diners’ minds with new ways to see the world.

So yes – the serious thinker should pursue the pleasure of food and drink because they are not just fuel for the stomach but stimulus for the brain.

As Plato himself said, “Knowledge is food for the soul.”

Plato Restaurant Open Mon to Sat – 6pm to late
2 Birch St DUNEDIN Ph: 03 477 4235 www.platocafe.co.nz