As the working day gives way to evening and the city’s energy begins to shift, Commercial Bay offers no shortage of reasons to linger a little longer. Whether you’re in the mood for a waterfront margarita, a glass of wine tucked away from the crowds, or a quick post-work cocktail before dinner, these are the happy hour offerings worth knowing about right now.
Offering: $14 cocktails, $10 beers, $12 house wine, bubbles and spirits When: Monday to Sunday, 3pm – 7pm
Advieh’s generous daily happy hour pairs well with the restaurant’s Mediterranean-inspired snacks menu, making it an easy choice for after-work drinks that naturally become dinner. Order seasonal hummus with warm Turkish pide, halloumi drizzled with mānuka honey and pomegranate, or a serving of harissa fries alongside your drink of choice.
Offering: Whisky and Champagne of the Month specials When: Daily, 4pm – 6pm
Part listening bar, part late-afternoon retreat, Kemuri Hi-Fi brings together carefully selected drinks and a soundtrack worth settling into. During Member Happy Hour, guests can enjoy whisky and champagne specials while taking in the venue’s warm, low-lit atmosphere and vinyl-led sound experience.
With its waterfront setting and easy-going atmosphere, Dos Donkeys makes a convincing argument for extending the working day just a little longer. Frozen margaritas lead the charge, while tacos, corn ribs and other share-friendly dishes ensure no one leaves hungry.
Offering: Free corkage in The Cave When: Daily, 11am – 9pm
Tucked away beneath the bustle of the city, Queens Wineshop’s intimate Cave offers a slower pace and a welcome sense of escape. With free corkage, rotating feature pours, warm lighting and an impressive collection of bottles lining the walls, it’s the kind of place where one glass often turns into another.
Offering: $8.50 house beer and wine, plus a $15 cocktail of the month When: Monday to Friday, 12pm – 2pm and daily, 4pm – 7pm
Public keeps things refreshingly straightforward with two daily happy hour windows that cater equally well to midday meetings and evening catch-ups. Alongside house beer and wine, guests can enjoy a rotating cocktail of the month, making each visit feel slightly different from the last.
Kome’s daily happy hour centres on one simple proposition: ice-cold Asahi enjoyed in a relaxed, contemporary setting. Ideal for a quick drink before dinner or a casual catch-up with friends, it’s a straightforward offering that does exactly what it promises.
Jervois Steak House is bringing back one of winter’s most anticipated rituals, this time in a new Sunday lunch format designed for lingering afternoons and generous gatherings.
Available every Sunday throughout June and July, the Sunday Roast Lunch centres around 12-hour slow-cooked Southern Stations wagyu sirloin, served with all the classic accompaniments that have made the experience something of a seasonal institution. Expect pillowy Yorkshire puddings, creamy potato gratin, wagyu fat roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and a rich house-made jus, all arriving on the table ready to be shared.
At $84 per person, with a minimum of two guests, it’s the kind of meal that rewards unhurried conversation, second helpings, and a few hours spent away from the winter chill. Served exclusively between 12pm and 6pm every Sunday, the experience offers a compelling reason to gather friends and family around the table.
Pre-payment is required to secure a reservation, and with limited sittings available throughout the season, early bookings are recommended. Book now.
Salone may still belong to design, but the fashion houses have made themselves entirely at home, and this year it felt less like a takeover and more like a quiet recalibration of how they show up. The excess of mismatched collaborations has eased, replaced by a more confident return to core identity, where those with credible home lines refined their language, and those without leaned into experience rather than product.
Beneath the frescoes of Palazzo Serbelloni, Louis Vuitton returned to Objets Nomades with a considered nod to Pierre Legrain, reissuing his Celeste Coiffeuse alongside a series of pieces that balanced craft with theatre.
Hugo Boss translated its tailoring language into Ligne Roset’s famed Togo, bringing the precision and softness of suiting to contemporary living, while the Gucci Memoria exhibition, curated by Demna at the Chiostri di San Simpliciano, reinterpreted the house’s history through theatrical installations, tapestries, and interactive displays.
Dior leaned into the atmosphere at Palazzo Landriani, where Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance’s light pieces echoed the silhouette of the Corolle skirt within a raffia-lined setting that felt both nostalgic and precise.
Meanwhile, at 10 Corso Como, Moncler opted for spectacle, installing an enormous octopus across the façade and into the interior, which was impossible to ignore and, predictably, very effective.
Together, the week suggested that fashion’s relationship with design is finally maturing, though, as Moncler’s octopus reminded us, a little theatre still goes a long way.
Winter has officially arrived; however, this month’s cultural calendar is giving us every reason to leave the house anyway. This month brings a K-pop arena spectacle, Professor Brian Cox live, a cult musical at The Civic, a free glowing cathedral in Aotea Square and one of the year’s best gallery shows at Sanderson. Rug up and get out.
Where:Spark Arena, Auckland When:Thursday 4 June 2026
After performing his smash-hit show Horizons to nearly half a million people around the world, Professor Brian Cox returns with Emergence, his most ambitious live production yet. Bringing together cosmology, biology, philosophy and history on arena-scale LED screens with a full sound and lighting design, it is less a lecture and more an immersive experience. Cox describes the show as an attempt to leave every audience member, whether they love science, music, history, or simply contemplate the beauty of nature, with something new to think about. A rare evening that makes you feel genuinely smarter for having been there. Book tickets
Where:Various locations across Auckland When:29 May – 14 June 2026
Now in its 23rd year, New Zealand’s leading international photography festival transforms familiar streets, galleries and public spaces into a city-wide celebration of visual storytelling. The 2026 theme is Movement [Kori], explored through a programme of free outdoor exhibitions, gallery shows, talks and online activations featuring both emerging and established artists from New Zealand and abroad. Highlights include an exclusive suite of works from Taipei-based award-winning artist Shen Chao-Liang, Japanese photographer Mayumi Suzuki’s long-term project The Tide’s Gift II, and Cathy Carter’s underwater environmental series Zones of Immanence. The outdoor exhibitions are woven through the city centre (Te Komititanga Square, Queens Wharf and beyond), making it easy to stumble across something striking wherever you wander. Free and open to everyone.
Grammy-winning Brooklyn artist Leon Thomas brings his MUTTS DON’T HEEL Tour to Auckland for his first-ever New Zealand performance. If you don’t know the name yet, you almost certainly know the work: Thomas co-wrote and produced SZA’s “Snooze,” earning a Grammy in 2024, and his sophomore album MUTT was named Billboard’s number one R&B album of that year with over 315 million streams globally. His sound sits at the intersection of classic R&B warmth and sharp modern production, and the Town Hall is the perfect room for it. One to watch closely. Book tickets
Mickey Smith, Untitled Vol. XII, Strahov, 2026, Archival pigment print on Ilford Fine Art Canvas Galicia, 1600 x 1095 mm
Where:Sanderson Contemporary, Newmarket When:27 May – 21 June 2026
For more than two decades, American-born, Aotearoa-based artist Mickey Smith has closely examined libraries in the US, New Zealand and the Pacific, drawn to the fragility of knowledge systems and the way they survive, decay and transform. With Sacrosanct, she turns her gaze to libraries cloistered in monasteries, expanding on her award-winning photographic series Volume. The work is deeply contemplative and formally beautiful, concerned with the physical and social significance of texts and archives in an age increasingly defined by their absence. A quiet, intelligent show that rewards careful looking. Free entry.
Direct from London and New York, the wickedly funny stage adaptation of the 1988 Winona Ryder and Christian Slater cult classic arrives at The Civic. Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death and the soundtrack is a killer. Based on the iconic film, Heathers is deliciously dark, sharp and full of big, unapologetic fun. Tickets from $64 to $163, and the run is short (five nights only), so don’t sleep on it. Book tickets
Where:Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall When:Friday 12 June 2026, 7.30pm
Australian conductor Benjamin Northey leads the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in a programme built around the intimate power of love itself, with Chinese-Australian virtuoso cellist Li-Wei Qin as soloist. Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet is one of the most emotionally overwhelming orchestral scores ever written, and the Auckland Town Hall’s Great Hall is one of the best rooms in the country to hear it performed live. An evening for anyone who wants to feel something, performed at the highest level. Tickets from $35. Book tickets
Where:Spark Arena, Auckland When:Saturday 20 June 2026
Six-member K-pop group IVE (Anyujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jangwonyoung, Liz and Leeseo) bring their second world tour to Auckland, marking a new chapter for the group as they move beyond the first three years of the “IVE Syndrome” into something more mature and individually driven. Their debut era delivered some of the biggest K-pop tracks of recent years, and the live show is a full-scale arena production with the choreography, visuals and energy the format demands. For fans of the genre, this is a major get for Auckland. Premium lounge upgrades are available. Book tickets
Where:Ayrburn, Arrowtown, Queenstown When:26 June – 31 July 2026
Not in Auckland, but very much on the Denizen radar. If you’re heading south this winter, Ayrburn’s Winter Wonderland is back for 2026 and well worth building a Queenstown trip around. The sprawling hospitality precinct on the outskirts of Arrowtown transforms into a spectacular midwinter Christmas from late June, with festive light displays, ice skating under the southern night sky, oversized decorations and plenty of mulled wine and seasonal treats across its collection of restaurants and bars. Entry to wander through the lights is free; booking is recommended for ice skating and dining. We covered the inaugural edition last year, and by all accounts the 2026 version goes bigger still.
Where:The Civic, Queen Street, Auckland CBD When:24 June – 5 July 2026
The most exciting time of the year at The Civic is back. The Auckland Live Cabaret Festival transforms the city’s most iconic venue into a playground of music, comedy, theatre, circus and burlesque, with free pop-up performances spilling through the foyers, cocktails flowing, and artists and audiences mingling in an atmosphere where anything feels possible. The Champagne Lounge, Piano Bar and Foyer Follies anchor the programme, alongside a rotating lineup of ticketed shows that run the full spectrum from the hilarious to the breathtaking. If you only do one winter evening out, make it this.
Where:Aotea Square, Auckland CBD When:30 May – 5 July 2026
Created by award-winning international lighting firm Mandylights, Winter Light Cathedral is a dazzling walk-through installation made from tens of thousands of tiny LED lights, inspired by the sweeping arches of grand church windows. From the outside it shines like a beacon in Aotea Square. Inside, it is a sparkling, golden world that manages to feel both cosy and spectacular. Free entry, no booking required, open day and night. The kind of five-minute detour that makes a midwinter evening in the city feel genuinely magical, whether you’re passing through on the way to dinner or making a special trip with the family.
There is a danger, with crystal jewellery, of allowing brilliance to do all the talking. Millenia avoids that trap by giving light a disciplined structure, building its language around the octagon cut and, in this latest Swarovski release, softening that geometry with champagne, cognac and honeyed topaz tones set against rose and yellow gold finishes.
The effect feels richer, more grounded and considerably more grown-up. Millenia has always occupied a more architectural corner of Swarovski’s universe, where sharp geometry and disciplined lines take precedence over overt embellishment, though this latest evolution introduces something warmer beneath the surface. Earlier, cooler palettes give way to stones that shift subtly with the light, bringing the collection closer to a jewellery wardrobe than a single evening gesture.
What Swarovski understands particularly well here is proportion. Jewellery designed for regular wear requires a different sort of intelligence from pieces intended solely for after-dark spectacle, because it must hold presence in daylight without looking as though it has arrived at the wrong appointment. The graduated choker necklaces move carefully between bold emerald-cut collets and finer pavé lines, allowing them to layer naturally without collapsing into visual noise. Cocktail rings arrive with enough scale to stand independently, while slimmer stacking bands encourage accumulation across the hand in a way that feels instinctive rather than overly styled. Drop earrings echo the same disciplined geometry, and pendant necklaces offer a quieter interpretation of the collection’s codes for those less inclined towards full glamour before midday.
A subtle floral motif softens the sharper edges of the collection, with petals rendered in pale morganite and citrine surrounding warm yellow centres. It is one of the few moments where Millenia allows itself something overtly decorative, though even here the symmetry remains controlled. Watches extend the language further still, their bezels framed with octagonal stones that blur the distinction between jewellery and timepiece with surprising ease.
The collection’s strength lies in its versatility. These are not pieces reserved exclusively for evening events. Millenia feels most convincing worn against tailoring at eleven in the morning, rather than under chandeliers at midnight.
There’s a reason the dining chair is the most unforgiving piece of furniture to design. It has to be comfortable enough for a three-hour dinner, light enough to pull back with one hand, strong enough to withstand years of daily use, and, ideally, worth looking at from every angle. The Otway Armchair by Kett manages all four with a kind of quiet confidence that doesn’t announce itself.
Defined by a gently curving solid ash frame, the Otway’s structure is both sculptural and purposeful. Rounded legs intersect to cradle the seat in a gesture that feels intuitively supportive, the kind of detail you notice the second time you sit down, when you realise you haven’t shifted once. Fine woodworking meets contemporary production here, resulting in a chair that is as enduring as it is elegant.
Upholstered in leather or fabric, it invites comfort without fuss. Stackable yet refined, it’s the rare dining chair that works equally well around a long oak table or pulled into a corner as a reading seat. This is a piece designed for unhurried evenings, the ones where conversation stretches well past dessert and nobody wants to be the first to stand up.
Auckland’s downtown retail precinct has secured a major international name, with Arc’teryx set to open its first New Zealand store at Commercial Bay in Spring 2026. Founded in North Vancouver and shaped by the demands of British Columbia’s Coast Mountains, the Canadian performance brand has built a global following for technical outerwear, precision design and alpine-grade functionality that now travels well beyond the mountain.
The arrival marks a notable moment for Commercial Bay, which has continued to draw premium international retailers into the heart of the city since opening in 2020. For New Zealand, where outdoor culture sits close to national identity and the weather has a habit of making amateurs of us all, Arc’teryx feels like a particularly appropriate addition.
The new store will bring the brand’s full premium offer to the local market, housed within a retail environment designed to reflect Arc’teryx’s rigorous approach to performance and material intelligence. “New Zealand has a strong outdoor culture and an increasingly engaged customer base seeking premium technical apparel,” says Bianca Bernadi, Arc’teryx Country Director ANZ. Commercial Bay, she adds, is “a natural fit” as the brand expands its global retail presence.
Scheduled to open later this year, the store adds further weight to Commercial Bay’s position as Auckland’s most desirable downtown retail address, and gives local devotees of the brand something far more satisfying than the usual online chase.
With the last of the autumn sun still upon us and a long weekend ahead, the most appropriate call to make is to secure plans before the weekend gets underway. With the forecast for sunshine, we suggest setting your sights on Ki Māha for a much-deserved Saturday lunch.
Just a 35-minute ferry ride will transport you to our celebrated island paradise, Waiheke, and there’s no place offering the sort of sensory transportive dining experience like Ki Māha. Located on Onetangi Beach, where a long stretch of white sand and crystal-clear water is the same exacting destination brief that many globetrotters request from their long-suffering travel agents. Except this one is right on our doorstep.
For those in the know, this slice of heaven is less arduous to access and decidedly more elevated and enjoyable than any Caribbean isle.
Positioned with a picture-perfect outlook of the sand and water beyond. But the restaurant itself is where your aesthetic and gastronomic needs will be completely fulfilled.
The stylish interiors evoke the beach clubs and atmosphere of Pampelonne, with the added comfort of an outdoor fire when the temperature calls for it. The service is always impeccable, and the eternally captivating vantage point offers a visual and conversational distraction that, let’s be honest, some lunch companions can require.
The menu is built around modern international flavours and the country’s best produce. Sustainably harvested seafood, ethically farmed meats, fruit and vegetables sourced as close to the island as the season allows.
Start with the Crayfish and Prawn Rolls and Yellow Fin Tuna Tartlet, suitable for pairing with a glass of something crisp and effervescent. After all, we are celebrating the King, and it is customary to do so in a regally resplendent manner.
Follow with an equally monarchical feast of Dry Aged Duck Breast served with oyster mushroom, dates, and a Marmite and cashew cream, then for a table prepared to eat like Kings, the 350g grass-fed Wagyu sirloin, long-fed for 360 days at WX5 plus, arrives with the kind of mineral depth that is revolutionary. Add some truffle fries, and several bottles of Burgundy for good measure.
Rather than letting them eat cake, we suggest a round of affogato for dessert to keep the celebrations alive.
Let the afternoon get away from you, knowing that, unlike some members of the royal family, you’ve made very good decisions. Decisions that don’t involve planes, private or commercial.
After a career as an international fashion model, Viktoria Rader settled in Munich to raise a family, but her love for fashion and innate style have remained a passion. Balancing family life with four young children, Viky Rader, has evolved her career to become a stylist, brand consultant and creator of her own namesake fashion label. A regular attendee on the global fashion circuit, Rader’s style has been well documented and analysed by the fashion cognoscenti largely because of her seamless aesthetic, which resists trend cycles in favour of a classically chic approach.
Viky Rader with her daughters at Sa Punta de S’Àguila, Mallorca.
Building a wardrobe around longevity rather than novelty, compiling day-to-night looks that are effortless, paired with accessories that are considered, Rader shows restraint while still stepping out in looks that are both luxurious and head-turning.
With a travel schedule that sees her either holidaying with her family in exotic locales or attending high-profile galas and fashion shows, she has a wardrobe divided into two registers. In the city, she dresses with fashion precision: a navy blazer over a poplin shirt, wide trousers and loafers, with the finishing touch of a Hermès scarf knotted at the neck without ceremony. While a mountain escape sees her in shearling, après-ski knitwear, fur-trimmed parkas, and ski suits that look genuinely worn rather than styled for a shoot.
As an avid skier, she carries the easy authority of someone who knows the difference between looking the part and acting the part. Goldbergh, Toni Sailer, and Fusalp appear regularly, layered with vintage finds and the occasional Loro Piana cashmere.
But ultimately, what separates Rader is her editorial sensibility. After years spent on shoots, she has carried what she learned and created her own stylistic template that continues to evolve each season.
She has parlayed her style into a consultancy that works with fashion and lifestyle brands on creative direction and styling. Collaborating with brands such as FOPE, Brunello Cucinelli, and Molteni&C, each sitting comfortably within the world she has built rather than interrupting it.
Some shows steal the spotlight, while others quietly deliver brilliance in the background. This round-up dives into the most underrated comedy series — sharp, offbeat gems that deserve a place on your watchlist. From unconventional love stories to workplace absurdity and the chaotic joys of modern parenthood, these shows balance wit with heart, offering fresh takes on humour that might have slipped under the radar. Whether you’re after clever dialogue, unexpected satire, or pure feel-good escapism, these sometimes overlooked series are sure to become your next binge-worthy obsession.
Brought together by a car accident and an injured dog who they name Colin, two flawed, funny strangers — Ashley and Gordon — form an unexpected bond. As they navigate personal chaos and awkward encounters, their unlikely friendship slowly blossoms into something more. Colin from Accounts, with its offbeat humour and heartfelt plot line, offers a witty, refreshing take on life, love, and second chances.
Lovesick
A hidden gem in Netflix’s catalogue, Lovesick is a sharp, heartfelt British comedy that certainly deserves more attention than it got. Following Dylan as he retraces past relationships after a chlamydia diagnosis, the show blends witty humour with genuine emotional depth as he explores past relationships. With charming performances and a refreshingly honest take on love and friendship, it’s a must-watch for rom-com fans seeking something smart and endearing.
Hilarious and heartwarming, Catastrophe follows an American man, Rob, and an Irish woman, Sharon, whose brief fling results in an unplanned pregnancy — leading them to navigate a fast-tracked relationship. As they fumble through marriage, parenting, and cultural clashes, the series captures the chaos and absurdity of modern love with brilliant chemistry and biting wit.
After losing his wife, therapist Jimmy Laird (Jason Segel) ditches professional boundaries and starts giving his patients unfiltered, sometimes reckless advice. His new approach causes ripple effects in their lives — and forces him to confront his own grief. Backed by a stellar cast, including Harrison Ford, Shrinking, with its clever humour and heartfelt storytelling, proves that sometimes, following the heart over the head is the right approach.
In LOVE, Gus, a sweet (yet neurotic) guy, crosses paths with Mickey, a free-spirited but emotionally damaged woman. Their unpredictable romance unfolds in Los Angeles, where they grapple with personal baggage, commitment issues, and awkward moments. This witty series dives into the messiness of relationships, offering a raw, relatable portrayal of love, flaws, and growth.
Nikki and Jason want a baby, but with natural conception off the table, they turn to adoption. As they navigate endless obstacles, well-meaning but chaotic loved ones, and their own insecurities, Trying delivers a heartfelt, hilarious look at modern parenthood. With charming performances and sharp writing, it’s a warm, witty exploration of love, resilience, and what it really means to be ready.
Not necessarily underrated, but worthy of a shout-out to push it to the top of your watchlist, Ted Lasso is a heartfelt comedy which follows an optimistic American football coach who’s hired to manage a struggling English soccer team — despite having no experience with the sport. What begins as a setup for failure turns into a heartwarming journey as Ted’s relentless positivity, unconventional coaching, and deep empathy transform the team, winning over skeptical players, staff, and fans in unexpected ways.
Two socially awkward roommates, Mark and Jez, navigate their dysfunctional lives filled with cringe-worthy decisions, selfishness, and strange humour. Peep Show takes you inside their minds with first-person perspective, offering brutally honest internal monologues that reveal their deepest insecurities and bizarre ambitions. A darkly comedic, yet surprisingly heartfelt, exploration of friendship and self-doubt.
At the fictional Blue Mountain State University, a group of rowdy college athletes navigate over-the-top parties, wild antics, and their hectic sports careers. The show follows newcomer Alex Moran as he joins the team, balancing fame, mischief, and a chaotic life on and off the field. It’s a raucous, irreverent comedy about college life, friendship, and everything in between.
Gina Riley as Kim, Peter Rowsthorn as Brett, Jane Turner as Kath, Glenn Robbins as Kel and Magda Szubanski as Sharon in Kath & Kim
And oldie bit a goldie. Kath and Kim are a mother-daughter duo living in suburban Melbourne, where their hilariously dysfunctional relationship and outrageous personalities take center stage. The show follows Kath’s search for love and Kim’s self-absorbed antics, offering a wildly entertaining, often absurd look at family dynamics, with a unique Aussie twist.
Rev.
Rev follows the life of Adam, an inner-city Anglican priest struggling to balance his faith, personal life, and the demands of his parish. As he deals with eccentric parishioners, his own moral dilemmas, and a series of increasingly ridiculous situations, the show presents both a humorous and a heartfelt exploration of spirituality, responsibility, and life’s unpredictability.
In a sleepy British seaside town, Wicked Little Letters follows two women whose escalating feud involves sending increasingly outrageous letters to the local paper. As their rivalry intensifies, the town’s eccentricities begin to emerge. The show offers a clever and entertaining exploration of small-town drama and the impact of words, filled with wit and absurd humour.
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