Auckland Scene

Why this cosy new neighbourhood wine bar is worth a trip to Devonport

News — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 07:14:17 +0000

There’s something about Devonport that just has our heart, from the stunning sundowner outlook it offers of the city to its cute, quaint cottages to the restaurants that inhabit the main street.

For many city-slickers, a trip here feels like a holiday, when it’s really only a short (and beautiful) ferry ride across the harbour.

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Taking cocktail hour to new heights, Palmer is Auckland’s newest rooftop bar

News — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 05:12:57 +0000

After work drinks have never looked so good, as Auckland’s newest bar and dining destination poises to open in the iconic 1 Albert Street building, offering a positively elevated outlook on the city.

The post Taking cocktail hour to new heights, Palmer is Auckland’s newest rooftop bar appeared first on Auckland Scene.

2022 Denizen Hospo Heroes: Auckland’s Best Date Night, as voted by you

News — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 04:51:24 +0000

From low-lit ambience to conversation-starting food, the impressive entries in our Best Date Night category are known for inspiring romance.

That said, it was intimate Karangahape Road restaurant Bar Céleste, that was voted as this year’s winner, thanks to its cosy feel, considered wine list and exceptionally tasty, made-to-share menu.

Not far behind were honourable mentions, including fine-dining institution Cassia, Britomart’s delicious Andalusian eatery Alma, innovative, inner-city foodie haven Culprit and another K’Road go-to for wine-lovers, Apéro.

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Light Up Onehunga

News — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 04:50:25 +0000

A brightly illuminated art display headed to South Auckland will see Onehunga come alive after dark this month, with floodlights and LED displays lighting up two of the suburb’s historic buildings.

Beginning on Matariki and running across six weekends, all-ages event Light Up Onehunga will see rainbows, underwater hues and moving lights projected onto St Peter’s Church and the M.Bray & Sons Building, as well as the surrounding trees.

Run by the Onehunga Business Association, the free, family-friendly event will feature eight projections and installations, running along Onehunga Mall from Princes Street to Church Street. Local store owners can also join in on the action — they’re being encouraged to decorate their shop fronts with fun (and illuminated) window displays.

The light show will run every Friday – Sunday from 6pm–10pm, beginning on Friday, June 24 and running until Sunday, July 31. Wrap up warm, grab some dinner from one of the surrounding eateries, and head south to check it out.

The post Light Up Onehunga appeared first on Concrete Playground.

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Meet the new authentic French bakery charming Ponsonby locals

News — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 04:49:34 +0000

For millennia, humans have found a sense of community in the simple act of breaking bread; in coming together over delicious, simple, authentic food. It’s an idea that Natalie and Romain Le Gal are tapping into with their delightful new French bakery, Copain.

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Tasty burgers and craft beers collide at this new opening drawing us over the bridge

News — Sun, 29 May 2022 06:35:38 +0000

There’s something about a good burger that holds our city captive. While the infatuation with other cuisines ebbs and flows, burgers are a constant and any new opening serving up a healthy chunk of meat between two soft buns is one that we’ll welcome with open arms.

Here’s why Birkenhead is worth the trip.

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GABS Is Bringing Its 2022 Craft Beer, Cider and Food Festival Back to Auckland This June

News — Fri, 27 May 2022 03:00:58 +0000

If you’re the kind of beer lover who feels like they’ve tried every brew ever — or you’ve made it your mission to achieve that yeasty goal — then you’re probably a big fan of the Great Australasian Beer Spectapular.

In 2022, the beer fest is finally returning to Auckland for the first time in two years. Prepare to knock back beers inspired by breakfast foods, savoury snacks, desserts, cocktails and more at Epsom Showgrounds on June 25.

Many Kiwi craft beers have made their humble beginnings at the Australian GABS, including Yeastie Boys’ Gunnamatta earl-grey infused IPA, and Garage Project’s Double Day Of The Dead, a spicy dark lager infused with chipotle, cacao nibs, vanilla and agave. Several fresh faces have signed on to participate at this year’s event, so you might be one of the first in the country to taste this year’s next big brew.

The event surveys both Australian and New Zealand breweries, with more than 40 set to be pouring their wares. Local breweries on the lineup this year include Bootleg Brewery, Deep Creek Brewing Company, Fortune Favours, Scoundrels and Rogues, Morningcider and Little Creatures.

Also on the bill: other types of tipples, including non-alcoholic beers, seltzers, gin and wines.

This year the festival will be held over two five-hour sessions, which gives you plenty of time to sip or chug, depending on preference. Session one will be held from 11.30am-4.30pm, while session two is more of a late night affair, running from 6.30-11.30pm.

GABS takes place at Auckland’s Epsom Showgrounds on June 25 — head to the event’s website for tickets and further details.

The post GABS Is Bringing Its 2022 Craft Beer, Cider and Food Festival Back to Auckland This June appeared first on Concrete Playground.

The post GABS Is Bringing Its 2022 Craft Beer, Cider and Food Festival Back to Auckland This June appeared first on Auckland Scene.

Queen's Birthday High Tea at the Park Hyatt

News — Fri, 27 May 2022 02:58:38 +0000

You might not be in the thick of the UK’s jubilee celebrations, but here in Auckland you can mark 70 since the Coronation in a right Royal fashion, with the Park Hyatt‘s special Queen’s Birthday and Jubilee high tea.

The hotel’s pastry chef Callum Liddicoat has created a five-course feast inspired by his own time in London, with a mix of sweet and savoury morsels.

Of course, classic club sandwiches are on the lineup, including a ham hock and green pea on sour dough and cucumber, as well as an English crumpet topped with salmon, roe and crème fraiche.

For the sweet tooths, you’ll want to save room for a strawberry and cream roulade, a seven-layer opera cake glazed with chocolate and candied hazelnuts, and a petit tart filled with salted caramel and banana compote.

And of course, there will be scones, served with a house made strawberry champagne jam, whipped mascarpone and butter.

Running from Thursday, June 2 until Sunday, June 12, the afternoon of English delights will set you back $65 per person.

The post Queen’s Birthday High Tea at the Park Hyatt appeared first on Concrete Playground.

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Discover Mount Eden’s newest cafe, slinging epic toasties, burgers and waffles

News — Wed, 25 May 2022 07:23:18 +0000

The next cab off the rank in exciting hospitality venues to open in Mount Eden Village is Superfly — a new cafe putting a vivid spin on the classic coffee spot.

Here, the menu doesn’t shy away from anything indulgent, offering a combination of toasties, bagels, burgers and waffles — an ode to American dining — accompanied by some of the best milkshakes you’ll find in the area.

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Auckland's Huge French Festival Is Returning for 2022

News — Mon, 23 May 2022 23:39:53 +0000

It first took over Auckland’s waterfront in 2017, attracting 14,000 visitors for one day of Champagne, cheese, croissants and pétanque. In subsequent years Auckland’s beloved French Festival only got bigger and better — until the fateful years of 2020 and 2021 which saw the festival cancelled amid the COVID outbreak.

Now the festival, the brainchild of the team from local French bistro Le Chef, is finally returning for its fourth edition. Set to once again take over Shed 10 for two days in June, the 2022 edition of the festival promises delicious eats and drinks, language classes, music, pétanque, and short film screenings.

Running from Saturday, June 11 until Sunday, June 12, the festival is sure to provide you with plenty of joie de vivre, whether you’re a French ex-pat wanting a taste of all things home or just a lover of the chic European city.

Have your breakfast ‘à la française’ with coffee and a croissant, enjoy a glass of wine from the motherland while stocking up on bottles for home, discover the world’s less tiring sport, soak up an ever-rotating collection of French short films, or sit back and listen to local music — they really have it all covered. Food offerings from previous years have included pastries, crêpes, fresh baguettes, escargot, macarons and all sorts of other French delicacies.

More information on vendors and entertainment is still to come, but food lovers and epicureans should put this rendezvous in their diary now.

Auckland’s French Festival will take over Shed 10 on Saturday, June 11 from 9am-10pm and Sunday, June 12 from 9am-4pm, with the One Night in France dinner taking place on the evening of Friday, June 9. Entry tickets to the festival cost $10 each, with more information available here.

The post Auckland’s Huge French Festival Is Returning for 2022 appeared first on Concrete Playground.

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