Sovereign of sound
WORDS Liam Stretch PHOTOS Aaron Lee Photography
Behind secret wooden doors, before you enter Christchurch’s award-winning restaurant, King of Snake, you’ll find its sister bar, Monarch.
Setting out to provide a unique cocktail bar adjacent to King of Snake, owner David Warring had a clear picture of some of the things he wanted to provide to patrons.
“I wanted to offer the people of Christchurch a place of beauty. A beautiful environment, beautiful cocktails, and somewhere to luxuriate and relax. I also wanted to provide the city’s first genuine luxury audio experience. My father wasn’t a wealthy man, but he had a great passion for music and audio, and I grew up around it. I wanted to share that with others.”
This ‘luxury audio experience’ is achieved thanks to a state-of-the-art hi-fi system, making the space a ‘listening bar’.
“The sound system is driven by three 300- watt McIntosh audio power amplifiers. We display them through the centre of the back bar. Each amplifier drives an individual pair of high-end speakers in genuine left-right configuration. Crighton and the team at The Listening Post interpreted what I was trying to achieve beautifully.”
McIntosh amps have a legacy of their own. Founded in 1949, they are still hand built in New York state and have been at the centre of some of the world’s most iconic audio experiences.
“McIntosh were the creators of stadium sound technology; they amplified Woodstock and created Grateful Dead’s ‘Wall of Sound’. Until you’ve heard their gear, it’s hard to explain,” David says.
What’s in a name? To David, the namesake not only evokes a sense of royal connection to ‘King’ of Snake, with even the original logo reinterpreted into “a butterfly surrounded by snakes”, but it also signifies efforts taken to use repurposed materials, giving them new life.
“We used a lot of recycled antiques, some recovered after the earthquakes,” David says.
Some of these pieces are seen even before you enter the space, with the entranceway doors evoking a sense of Christchurch’s past and the Warring family’s connection to the city.
“They were recovered from the Church of St John the Baptist on the corner of Latimer Square where the Cardboard Cathedral is now. They were one of the few things that remained intact after the earthquakes. My family has a history with that Church, and the doors are beautiful. I wanted them to be available to the people of Christchurch and our visitors.”
Complementing the luxurious space and the unmatched audio experience is a refined menu.
“We focus heavily on cocktails and making sure that they truly meet international standards. I think we’ve achieved that, and we are constantly pushing toward a greater ideal. The food is provided by the incredible kitchen team at King of Snake, which makes it a complete package. It makes a great option for a less formal dining experience.”
For David, these elements are all part of his hospitality philosophy in developing spaces designed to be enjoyed and experiences he is delighted to share.