There are evenings that promise a good meal, and then there are evenings that demand you clear the diary entirely. The Trivet x Cloudy Bay Winemakers Dinner, happening Thursday, 7th May falls firmly into the latter category. A single-night collaboration between one of Auckland’s most compelling kitchens and the Marlborough winery that arguably started the conversation about New Zealand wine on the global stage.
At the pass is Chef Wallace Mua, whose cooking at Trivet has quietly established the JW Marriott restaurant as one of the city’s most interesting dining rooms. His style, which he calls “elaborately simple,” makes more sense on the plate than on paper: Polynesian roots, French precision, a deep respect for New Zealand produce, and a refusal to over-complicate what doesn’t need complicating.
Chef Wallace Mua,
The menu for the evening reads like a love letter to Aotearoa’s coastline and seasons, matched course-for-course with wines selected and presented by Cloudy Bay’s Winemaking Director Nikolai St George. St George, who grew up on a rural North Island farm before studying viticulture, has spent his career guided by a philosophy that mirrors Trivet’s own: honour the source material, keep it honest, and let quality do the talking.
The evening opens at the raw bar with freshly shucked Te Matuku oysters, sashimi, and Coromandel mussels, the kind of briny, unadorned start that snaps the palate to attention, alongside Cloudy Bay’s NV Pelorus, the méthode traditionnelle was recently shortlisted for New Zealand Sparkling Wine of the Year. From there, things get more playful. A spanakopita cannoli with cucumber, cinnamon, JW garden mint, and Southerly honey rethinks a classic through a distinctly Kiwi lens, paired with Cloudy Bay’s 2025 Sauvignon Blanc.
The second entrée is where Mua’s Polynesian instincts and technical confidence collide: house- made spaghetti with local kina, garlic, chilli, and coriander. A dish that takes the briny richness of New Zealand’s most polarising delicacy and gives it the pasta treatment it frankly deserves. Cloudy Bay’s 2023 Chardonnay, with its Southern Valleys weight and precision, is the pairing here.
For the main course, confit duck breast arrives with orange, rosti, beetroot, and cacao, matched with the 2023 Te Wahi Pinot Noir from Cloudy Bay’s Central Otago vineyards in Bannockburn and Northburn. A wine built on the kind of rocky, glacial soils that produce structure and intensity in equal measure. Dessert closes the evening with a Ghana dark chocolate mousse, tamarillo, chocolate soil, and cherry, alongside Cloudy Bay’s 2023 Marlborough Pinot Noir. It’s the kind of finish designed to make you linger at the table longer than you planned. Between courses, St George will guide the room through the stories behind each wine. Not in the stiff, lecture-hall sense, but in the way that only someone who has spent their life walking vineyards and tasting dirt can. The evening promises warmth, creativity, and the rare pleasure of two people at the top of their craft working in genuine concert.
Tickets are $175 per person, including wine pairing, and seating is limited. If your Thursday, 7th May, is free, this is what you do with it. Book here.
Sunday, 10th May, is the one day of the year when a “thanks for everything” text simply won’t cut it. Fortunately, Auckland’s best restaurants have risen to the occasion with set menus, special offerings, and the kind of considered hospitality that will make you look like the favourite child. Here’s where to book.
The Herne Bay Italian is pulling out all the stops with a three-course set menu for lunch, running from 11am to 3pm. Think entree, main, and dessert, with a glass of G.H.Mumm Grand Cordon Rosé on arrival to set the tone before anyone has even unfolded a napkin. At $99 per person, it’s the kind of afternoon that earns you serious goodwill. A kids menu is available for the little ones, and for those who prefer an evening celebration, the full à la carte menu returns from 5pm.
Offering: 11am–3pm (set menu) | From 5pm (à la carte) | $99pp Book here.
Azabu’s Mission Bay outpost is serving a special all-day set menu for $95 per person, featuring a sharing-style selection of Azabu favourites. It’s the kind of meal designed for reaching across the table, and for convincing your mum that you do, in fact, have excellent taste. A kids menu is available for guests aged 12 and under. Note that all seatings are limited to two hours.
Offering: All day | $95pp sharing set menu | Kids menu available (12 and under) | 2-hour seatings Book here.
Trivet is going big for Mother’s Day with a Kai-Moana-Pasifika buffet lunch that draws on the flavours of Aotearoa and the Pacific. The spread includes a fresh raw seafood bar, umu-style meats, and comforting staples like pauasami, roasted lamb leg, and kumara, the kind of food that feels like home whether you grew up with it or you’re discovering it for the first time. Mum gets a complimentary cocktail on arrival, which is a strong start to any Sunday. Gather the whanau and settle in.
Offering: 12.30pm–1.30pm | $95pp | Complimentary cocktail for Mum on arrival Book here.
Somm is offering a three-course set menu across both lunch and dinner at $80 per person, a price point that leaves plenty of room to add a glass of G.H.Mumm Marlborough Brut Cuvée at a special $13 per glass. The à la carte menu runs alongside the set offering, though pizzas won’t be available on the day, so plan your orders accordingly. A kids menu is on hand for younger guests.
This is the one to watch. Named after chef Michael Meredith’s mother, Metita is bringing back a very special Toana’i, a Pacific Sunday feast steeped in family, memory, and the flavours of home. The menu draws inspiration from her profound influence on Michael’s upbringing and honours her legacy through each dish. The offering includes bubbles or a non-alcoholic drink on arrival, followed by a three-course sharing menu. At $110 per person with a minimum of two guests, this is Mother’s Day dining with genuine meaning behind it.
Offering: 12pm–5pm (last booking 4pm) | $110pp, minimum 2 guests | Includes bubbles on arrival Book here.
If your mum is the type who appreciates a properly cooked steak and a glass of something celebratory, JSH Auckland has you covered for lunch service this Mother’s Day. G.H.Mumm Grand Cordon Rouge will be poured at a special price of $20 per glass, which is as good an excuse as any to raise a toast to the woman who raised you.
Offering: Lunch service | G.H.Mumm Grand Cordon Rouge $20/glass Book here.
Soul is open all day, from 11am through to 10pm, with its full à la carte menu available for both lunch and dinner. The standout offer here is a champagne upgrade: order a bottle of G.H.Mumm Grand Cordon and it will be upgraded to a G.H.Mumm Cordon Rosé, which is the kind of gesture that pairs well with the warm, impeccable Soul service the Viaduct institution is known for. A kids menu is available at $25.
Offering: 11am–10pm | Full à la carte | Kids menu $25 Book here.
Advieh is offering two ways to celebrate, and both are worth your attention. The first is a Mother’s Day High Tea from 2pm to 4pm, a refined spread of delicate savouries, seasonal sweets, and signature Advieh touches paired with a glass of Ruinart Champagne. At $89 per person, it’s a limited-time debut designed specifically for the occasion.
For those after something more substantial, a specially curated three-course banquet menu is available for both lunch and dinner at $119 per person, with a glass of Monmousseau Crémant Rosé on arrival. The menu moves through yellow split pea hummus, John Dory on the bone, and a spiced artichoke cake, the kind of dishes that feel generous and considered without trying too hard. Book one or book both, your mum won’t complain either way.
Offering: High Tea: 2pm–4pm | $89pp (includes Ruinart Champagne) | Banquet: Lunch & dinner | $119pp (includes Crémant Rosé on arrival) Book here:
If Mother’s Day with young children sounds like it requires military-grade logistics, Bravo at Cracker Bay is the venue that makes it easy. The waterfront setting does most of the heavy lifting, with a fenced play area and an arcade room keeping the kids occupied while the adults settle into a long, unhurried meal by the water. The everyday menu is available all day, from breakfast through to a relaxed lunch or dinner, with a dedicated kids menu to keep everyone happy. No special set menu here, just a genuinely family-friendly spot where your mum can actually sit down, enjoy her food, and feel celebrated without anyone having a meltdown.
Offering: Breakfast, lunch & dinner | Everyday menu | Kids menu available Book here.
The Ponsonby original is running the same $95 per person all-day sharing set menu as its Mission Bay sibling, with the same two-hour seating window and kids menu for guests 12 and under. When booking, specify the number of children in the booking notes.
Offering: All day | $95pp sharing set menu | Kids menu available (12 and under) | 2-hour seatings Book here.
Ebisu is going all in with an unlimited sushi, sashimi, and Japanese-inspired buffet from 11am to 4pm. At $85 per person (half price for kids), the offering spans market-fresh sushi and sashimi, a noodle station with soba and poached prawn cocktail, a rotating selection of hot dishes including Big Glory Bay salmon, market fish with yuzu miso, and teriyaki roasted beef, plus desserts like honey coconut custard and chocolate brownie. Last sitting is at 2pm, so book accordingly.
Offering: 11am–4pm | $85pp (half price for kids) | Last sitting 2pm Book here.
Gilt is open for lunch this Mother’s Day, serving its all-day menu of favourites, think King Crab Pappardelle, Sicilian Crudo, and Chocolate Torte, alongside a few specials created for the occasion, including a Tortellini en brodo with mortadella and Parmesan. Secure your place in the good books while you’re at it.
Offering: Lunch | All-day menu plus Mother’s Day specials Book here.
Huami is offering two ways to celebrate. For lunch, a bottomless yum cha from 11.30am to 2pm, where the whole family gathers around the lazy susan for an afternoon of endless dim sum and dumplings, from prawn dumplings with wild bamboo shoot to the signature Tabasco prawn toast and Shanghai xiao long bao. Each guest starts with a soup on arrival, plus a crispy duck salad and fruit platter for the table. Bookings are required, with a 1.5-hour dining window.
For dinner, a four-course set menu at $99 per person moves through dim sum, Buddha jump wall soup, crispy duck salad, charcoal-grilled beef ribs with Manuka honey, and a citrus dessert of lemon confit, mascarpone cheesecake, and mint sorbet. À la carte is also available.
Offering: Lunch: 11.30am–2pm (bottomless yum cha, bookings required, 1.5 hours) | Dinner: 5.30pm–9.30pm ($99pp set menu or à la carte) Book here.
Non Solo Pizza’s Italian Long Lunch is back for Mother’s Day, and at $55 per person it’s one of the most approachable ways to treat your mum to a proper Italian spread in Parnell. For those who’d rather order their own way, the full à la carte menu is also available for both lunch and dinner. Either way, it’s the kind of afternoon where the table gets loud, the wine keeps flowing, and everyone leaves a little happier than they arrived.
Offering: Italian Long Lunch $55pp | À la carte also available for lunch & dinner Book here.
MASU is welcoming families for Mother’s Day with its full à la carte menu of Japanese favourites, from maki rolls and crispy tempura to fresh sashimi and beyond. If your mum’s idea of a perfect Sunday involves exceptional Japanese food in a striking dining room, this is the booking to make.
Origine’s Mother’s Day set menu is built for sharing and priced at $69 per person, which, for what you’re getting, is quietly one of the strongest value propositions on this list. The menu opens with a duck liver parfait with Hawke’s Bay apricots, manuka honey, and hazelnut alongside a lamb and cheese pie with Mahoe Farm mature gouda and truffle oil. The main is a slow-cooked Greenstone Creek beef cheek bourguignon with potato puree, homemade mustard, and buttered leeks, the kind of dish that earns a long silence at the table. To finish, Origine’s chocolate mousse is served tableside with EVOO and pistachios. French comfort food with New Zealand provenance, shared across a table with the people who matter.
If you really want to earn favourite-child status, skip the city altogether and take your mum to Waiheke for the day. Oyster Inn is open for a long lunch or a relaxed dinner, with the full à la carte menu running alongside a few Mother’s Day specials, the standout being Skull Island Tiger Prawns with nam jim sauce. The kind of dish she absolutely will not want to share with the rest of the table, and honestly, who could blame her.
Offering: Lunch & dinner | Full à la carte plus specials Book here.
If your mum deserves more than the city can offer on a Sunday, Cable Bay makes a compelling case for the ferry. Head Chef Tim Lumsden has designed a five-course seasonal menu available throughout the day, moving from delicate canapés through vibrant seasonal dishes, line-caught seafood, and premium cuts to a shared dessert course. Mum gets a complimentary glass of Nautilus Estate Marlborough Cuvée Brut on arrival, Antipodes water lands on the table, and the ocean views and living sculpture gardens do the rest. At $95 per person, five courses with this setting and this level of cooking is quietly one of the best-value Mother’s Day offerings on the list. A children’s menu is available at $35. Seating is limited, so book ahead.
Offering: All day | Five-course set menu | $95pp | Kids menu $35 Book here.
For something a little different, Bar Albert is hosting a one-off Mother’s Day High Tea in collaboration with New Zealand skincare icon Antipodes. Perched high above the city with sweeping harbour views and skyline backdrops, the afternoon includes beautifully crafted sweet and savoury high tea bites paired with a signature honey cocktail inspired by Antipodes’ Manuka Honey range, while live music and a roaming bar cart (with additional beverages available for purchase) set the mood. The parting gift alone is worth the visit: each guest takes home a curated Antipodes gift bag featuring full-size Manuka Honey & Orange Blossom Shampoo and Conditioner, plus a mini Manuka Honey Face Mask. At $149 per person, it’s an afternoon that covers all the bases, food, drinks, live music, a view, and something lovely to take home. Tickets are limited.
Offering: Sunday 10th May | Seatings at 2pm & 3pm | $149pp | Tickets limited Book here.
Onslow is keeping things elegantly simple: join for a long lunch or dinner on Sunday 10th May and let the kitchen take care of everything while you focus on what actually matters, spending time together. Whether you’re celebrating your mum, a grandmother, or someone who has always shown up, this is a meal worth sitting down for.
Offering: Lunch & dinner | Sunday 10th May Book here.
Bar Magda is leaning into the long, unhurried afternoon with a three-course sharing menu designed for that sweet spot between late lunch and early dinner. Bubbles on arrival set the pace, and at $75 per person with a minimum party of three, this is the kind of relaxed, communal meal that suits a table of generations. For those who’d rather keep the evening going, the regular à la carte menu is also available from 5.30pm.
Offering: Sunday 10th May | 2pm–7pm (sharing menu) | From 5.30pm (à la carte) | $75pp | Minimum 3 guests | Welcome bubbles included Book here.
Esther is doing high tea its own way this Mother’s Day, which is to say, less doily, more Parisian dessert trolley. The afternoon begins with a glass of G.H.Mumm Champagne on arrival, followed by a spread of sweet and savoury bites that lean Mediterranean in spirit, with unexpected flavour pairings alongside the nostalgic notes you’d expect. The dessert trolley is the centrepiece, piled high and delivered with a touch of theatre that will have your mum reaching for seconds before she’s finished her first. Tea and coffee are included, but the real move is upgrading to bottomless Prosecco for $20 or bottomless G.H.Mumm Champagne for $45, because one welcome glass is lovely, but a free-flowing afternoon is how you properly say thank you.
Offering: Sunday 10th May | 12pm–2pm | $89pp | Upgrade to bottomless Prosecco +$20 or bottomless Champagne +$45 Book here.
Stanmore Bay still keeps the easy rhythm of a classic New Zealand seaside settlement. Creosote-stained baches sit alongside newer interventions, and the streetscape feels agreeably removed from the city, a few bends of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula away from Auckland’s gravitational pull.
It is the kind of place you arrive at slowly, which is precisely the point of the house Jessop Architects has quietly evolved here. The project, known simply as Stanmore, began as a young couple’s first home together, bought not long after university. The brief, when it came, was not to erase what they had fallen for, but to let it grow up.
Jessop’s response is a study in restraint. Rather than overwrite the original cottage, additions thread through the site with deference to the mature pōhutukawa, their canopy left to shape both the approach and the outlook. Arrival is deliberately unhurried: you cross the lawn, pass beneath the trees, and only once you are inside does the water reveal itself.
A sheltered courtyard on the inland side is the project’s quiet masterstroke. Where many coastal houses commit entirely to the sea, Stanmore gives itself two considered aspects: the water on one side, a protected, north-facing garden room on the other. It is an unshowy way of doubling the house’s usable life through shoulder-season afternoons and early evenings.
Inside, the palette does its work without raising its voice. Sandy stone tones run through the interiors, grounded and durable rather than decorative, paired with warm timbers and the kind of deft joinery that rewards a second look. Cabinetry is fitted with Powersurge’sEntrada Round Bar Handle and Beam Handle, discreet, well-weighted, the sort of detail you register with your hand before your eye.
Above the island, Powersurge’sLateral Pendant draws a single clean horizontal line through the main living space, a quiet echo of the sea beyond the windows. It is specification rather than feature, which feels right for a house that never tries to perform.
What Jessop has built here is, in the end, a family home that still reads as a first home loved into its second chapter. The pōhutukawa remain, the bach-era rhythm of the bay is intact, and the interiors feel patinated rather than polished. It is a renovation that understands the difference between evolving a house and replacing it.
The space that once housed Ghost Donkey in Commercial Bay has been reborn. Dos Donkeys, a modern Mexican restaurant and bar built on the philosophy that food and drinks are better shared, has opened with a menu that makes a strong case for heading downtown.
The name nods to its two founders: one led with energy, the other with effort. They discovered that vibrancy and discipline make for a better table when they sit side by side. It’s a venue built on connection, where dinner turns into late night, and grit meets good times.
The frozen margaritas are already proving to be their calling card. At $10 during happy hour (4 pm to 6 pm daily, alongside $10 wines and $8 Coronas), they’re sharp, icy and dangerously easy to justify. The food matches the energy, with birria tacos delivering the kind of slow-cooked depth that earns the wait. Then there’s the corn ribs, loaded with colour and crunch, and Enchiladas Borrachas with slow-cooked al pastor, mozzarella, salsa borracha, pickled onion and sour cream, which make a persuasive argument for ordering more.
Corn Ribs
Birria Tacos
Dos Donkeys’ room is warm, low-lit, with neon accents, making it the kind of spot built for lingering. Whether you’re after a post-work margarita or an evening fuelled by tacos and tequila, Dos Donkeys is the downtown Mexican you didn’t know you were waiting for.
What mum actually wants for Mother’s Day (beyond the breakfast-in-bed attempt that leaves the kitchen looking like a crime scene) is a moment of genuine, uninterrupted stillness. SkyCity has built exactly that into one very generous package, and we’re giving it away to a lucky mother this May.
Grand Deluxe Room at The Grand by SkyCity
East Day Spa
The prize begins with a night in a Grand Deluxe Room at The Grand by SkyCity, parking included, because the last thing mum needs is to circle a building three times before her evening of calm begins. From there, East Day Spa’s two-hour Moment of Stillness treatment takes over. A full body Shanti massage designed around slow, rhythmic movement eases tension from places she didn’t know she was holding it, followed by the East Day Spa x Augustinus Bader Methode Facial, a pairing of advanced skincare, sculpting massage, LED therapy, and formulas that leave the skin looking genuinely restored rather than just temporarily dewy.
Left: Metita. Right: Cassia
Masu
Then there’s dinner (for two). A $250 dining credit at one of the award-winning restaurants located within The Grand by SkyCity, with the option to choose from Michael Meredith’s Metita, Sid Sahrawat’s Cassia, or long-time favourite MASU by Nic Watt. No kids’ menu negotiations, no compromises, just a properly good meal with good company in a room that matches the occasion. The following morning, breakfast for two, because even the most deserving solo escape benefits from someone to share the coffee with.
The total prize is worth over $1,000 and must be redeemed in full, Monday to Thursday. Which, frankly, only makes it better. A midweek night in a hotel with nowhere to be the next morning is the kind of luxury that money can’t quite replicate.
This Mother’s Day, treat mum to truly unforgettable experience combining rest, relaxation, and a necessary spot of indulgence. This giveaway ends on Wednesday, 6th May. Enter here.
Consider this your edit of the series and movies worth pressing play on now, from dark, psychologically driven dramas to slow-burn thrillers and quietly compelling character studies. From the iconic The Devil Wears Prada 2 to The Drama, alongside the latest releases and returning favourites already generating conversation, these are the shows setting the tone for what to watch now.
Movies
The Devil Wears Prada 2
When & Where to Watch: In NZ cinemas from 30 April Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci
Twenty years after the original, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci all return to the offices of Runway magazine — joined by Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu and Lady Gaga, who contributes an original song. This time, Miranda Priestly faces a more existential crisis: keeping legacy media alive in a digital-first world. The teaser trailer broke records as the most-viewed comedy trailer in 15 years.
Project Hail Mary
When & Where to Watch:In cinemas now Starring: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, Milana Vayntrub, Ken Leung
Ryan Gosling stars as a schoolteacher who wakes alone on a spaceship with no memory and a mission to save Earth, in Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s beloved novel. Smart, funny, visually dazzling and surprisingly moving, it has the rare quality of making a cinema full of strangers feel something at the same time. Gosling has rarely been better, and the interstellar friendship at the film’s heart is one you won’t forget quickly. See it on the biggest screen you can find.
The Drama
When & Where to Watch: In cinemas now Starring: Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star as a Boston couple whose wedding week is derailed by an unexpected confession during a drunken party game — one that neither can easily move past. Part dark comedy, part relationship thriller, part provocation, with two career-highlight performances and the kind of central dilemma that will follow you out of the cinema and straight into an argument with whoever you saw it with. You’ve been warned.
Lorne
When & Where to Watch: In cinemas now Featuring: Lorne Michaels, Tina Fey, Chris Rock, John Mulaney
Morgan Neville, the Oscar-winning director behind Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and 20 Feet from Stardom turns his lens on Lorne Michaels, the enigmatic creator of Saturday Night Live. Featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and candid interviews with Tina Fey, Chris Rock, Conan O’Brien, John Mulaney, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig and Paul Simon, the film is less a revealing portrait than an immensely entertaining one — funnier than most comedies in cinemas right now, and a must for anyone who cares about how comedy gets made.
No Other Choice
When & Where to Watch: Rent or buy on Apple TV & Prime Video Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Cha Seung-won
If you missed Park Chan-wook’s latest in cinemas, now is the time. A paper industry expert is fired after 25 years and, in a state of escalating desperation, begins eliminating his job competition — literally. Based on Donald Westlake’s novel The Ax, it holds a staggering 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, earned a standing ovation at Venice, and is somehow both one of the funniest and most unsettling films of the past twelve months. Lee Byung-hun is extraordinary. Essential viewing for anyone who has ever fantasised, even briefly, about dismantling the corporate ladder.
Mother Mary
When & Where to Watch: In NZ cinemas from 14 May Starring: Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer, FKA Twigs
David Lowery’s psychosexual pop thriller stars Anne Hathaway as an iconic pop star reuniting with her estranged best friend and former costume designer, played by Michaela Coel, on the eve of a comeback performance. With Hunter Schafer, FKA Twigs and Kaia Gerber rounding out a magnetic cast, and original music by Jack Antonoff and Charli XCX, it’s a strange, bewitching piece of filmmaking — the kind of A24 release you either surrender to completely or argue about for weeks. Already playing in the US; arrives in New Zealand cinemas in May.
Apex
When & Where to Watch: Netflix from 24 April Starring: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana
A survival thriller set in the Australian wilderness. A grieving woman on a solo adventure is ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a ruthless killer who thinks she’s prey. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, who knows how to shoot landscapes and escalating tension in equal measure (Everest, Adrift). It’s the kind of taut, star-powered Netflix drop that justifies keeping the subscription — perfect for a rainy Auckland evening.
Michael
When & Where to Watch: In NZ cinemas from 22 April Starring: Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller
Antoine Fuqua’s musical biopic of Michael Jackson, starring the King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in his film debut. The film traces Jackson’s journey from the Jackson 5 through the creation of Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad, with Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine, and Miles Teller as entertainment lawyer John Branca. Tracking suggests a record-breaking opening for a musical biopic — and regardless of where you stand on the man, the spectacle of the performances alone should be worth the ticket. Yellowstone.
Outcome
When & Where to Watch: Apple TV Starring: Keanu Reeves, Jonah Hill, Cameron Diaz, Matt Bomer
Keanu Reeves plays a beloved Hollywood star, five years sober, whose carefully rebuilt life is upended when a blackmailer surfaces with a career-ending video. Directed by Jonah Hill, who also co-stars as Reef’s crisis lawyer, it’s a dark comedy that’s sharply divided critics — but at a brisk 83 minutes and with Reeves turning in some of his most quietly affecting work, it’s worth a watch on a quiet evening.
Tv Series
Your Friends & Neighbours Season 2
When & Where to Watch: 3rd April, Apple TV Starring: Jon Hamm, Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn
Andrew Cooper (Hamm) doubles down on his life as an unlikely suburban thief, until the arrival of a new neighbour threatens to expose his secrets and place his family at risk.
Euphoria Season 3
When & Where to Watch: 13th April, Neon Starring: Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, Jacob Elordi
The long-awaited return after a four-year hiatus. Five years have passed for the former students of East Highland High, with Rue now in Mexico, Cassie and Nate engaged in the suburbs, and Jules navigating art school. Creator Sam Levinson has conceived the third season as a film noir.
The Boys Season 5
When & Where to Watch: 8th April, Prime Video Starring: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr
The long-awaited return after a four-year hiatus. Five years have passed for the former students of East Highland High, with Rue now in Mexico, Cassie and Nate engaged in the suburbs, and Jules navigating art school. Creator Sam Levinson has conceived the third season as a film noir.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
When & Where to Watch: 15th April, AppleTV Starring: Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nicole Kidman, Nick Offerman
Based on Rufi Thorpe’s bestselling novel, this bold comedy-drama follows Margo, a college dropout and new mum — the daughter of an ex-Hooters waitress and ex-pro wrestler — who turns to OnlyFans to pay the bills. When her estranged father re-enters her life, his advice from the wrestling world proves unexpectedly useful. From David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, The Undoing) and A24.
Beef Season 2
When & Where to Watch: 17th April, Netflix Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton, Cailee Spaeny
Set at an elite country club, two young employees film an alarming fight between their boss and his wife — and ignite a blackmail war neither side can win. Fresh cast, same sharp writing.
Running Point Season 2
When & Where to Watch: 23rd April, Netflix Starring: Kate Hudson, Justin Theroux, Brenda Song
Isla Gordon is no longer the surprise choice to lead the Los Angeles Waves — she’s the one everyone is watching. With the franchise rebounding after last year’s scandal, Isla is determined to prove she’s not just keeping the seat warm for her brother Cam.
Young Sherlock
When & Where to Watch: Prime Video Starring: Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Dónal Finn, Zine Tseng
A fresh take on a familiar figure, Young Sherlock revisits the world’s most famous detective in his formative years. Less about polished deduction and more about curiosity and instinct, the series traces the early experiences that begin to shape the mind behind the legend.
The Madison
When & Where to Watch: Neon Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell, Matthew Fox
he series follows the Clyburn family, originally from New York City, who relocate to the Madison River valley of southwest Montana for emotional recovery following a life-changing tragedy. From Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Yellowstone.
Scarpetta
When & Where to Watch: Prime Video Starring: Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Simon Baker
A sleek, psychologically driven crime drama, Scarpetta follows a brilliant forensic pathologist navigating a series of complex cases where science and instinct collide. Dark, atmospheric and quietly gripping, it leans into the intricacies of investigation while exploring the personal cost of living so close to death.
DTF St. Louis
When & Where to Watch: Neon Starring: Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini
Provocative and unfiltered, DTF St. Louis dives into the complexities of modern relationships, intimacy and identity. Set against the backdrop of midwestern America, it’s a candid, often confronting exploration of connection in an era where nothing feels entirely straightforward.
Rooster
When & Where to Watch: Neon Starring:Steve Carell, Charly Clive, Scott MacArthur
Grounded and character-led, Rooster centres on a small-town figure navigating shifting loyalties and quiet tensions beneath the surface. With a slow, deliberate pace, it leans into mood and nuance, revealing the weight of community, reputation and personal history.
Paradise Season 2
When & Where to Watch: Disney+ Starring: Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, Julianne Nicholson
Returning with greater scale and sharper stakes, Paradise builds on its first season with a deeper dive into power, control and the illusion of perfection. Sun-drenched on the surface but simmering underneath, it’s a continuation that promises more intrigue, tension and unexpected turns.
The Dinosaurs
When & Where to Watch: Netflix Starring: Morgan Freeman
Blending nostalgia with contemporary storytelling, The Dinosaurs reimagines prehistoric life through a modern lens. With sharp humour and unexpected emotional depth, it offers a playful yet thoughtful take on family, survival and the rhythms of everyday life, just set several million years earlier.
56 Days
When & Where to Watch: Prime Video Starring: Dove Cameron, Avan Jogia, Megan Peta Hill
Taut and twist-laden, 56 Days unfolds within the confines of a pandemic lockdown, where a seemingly chance romance quickly unravels into something far more sinister. What begins as an intimate two-hander evolves into a slow-burn thriller, peeling back layers of deception with each episode.
Imperfect Women
When & Where to Watch: Apple TV+ Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, Kate Mara
Glossy on the surface but quietly unraveling beneath, Imperfect Women centres on three lifelong friends whose seemingly perfect lives are disrupted by a shocking crime. What follows is a slow-burn unpicking of friendship, loyalty and long-held secrets, where every revelation feels more personal than the last. Polished, tense and character-driven, it’s the kind of series that lingers well beyond its final episode.
High-contrast, monochromatic polka dots had their moment last summer, and rather than retreating with the warm weather, they’ve walked straight onto the AW26 runways. Carolina Herrera layered them into dropped-waist silhouettes, Dior rendered them in soft wool, and the print turned up across resort collections with a distinctly cooler-weather sensibility. Silk chiffon over tights, polka-dot trousers under tailored coats, a bow clip as the finishing note. The formula still holds: whimsy meets classic tailoring, Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, Claudia Schiffer circa ’95. What’s shifted is the styling. Think less sundress, more considered layering. Connect the dots, and wear them through the season.
For a decade, Chef Tam Tung has held a Michelin star at Yat Tung Heen, the acclaimed Cantonese restaurant at Eaton HK whose moody, 1920s Shanghai-inspired dining room has become one of Hong Kong’s most revered culinary destinations. His cooking draws on generations of Cantonese wisdom, balancing restraint with depth in a style that has earned recognition across the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau, the South China Morning Post’s 100 Top Tables, and a string of coveted industry accolades. Now, for four nights only, he is bringing that kitchen to Auckland.
From 29 April to 2 May, The Nightcar on Queen Street will host an exclusive pop-up dinner series in collaboration with Cathay Pacific, with Chef Tam Tung’s multicourse menu served across six intimate sittings. The Nightcar’s sophisticated, Chinese-inspired setting provides a fitting stage for the occasion, with dishes presented on signature Cathay Pacific trays as a nod to the airline’s long-standing culinary partnership with Yat Tung Heen.
left: Horopito Vodka and Pōhutukawa-aged curaçao cocktail Cumulus
The evening opens with a choice of signature drinks, from the Horopito Vodka and Pōhutukawa-aged curaçao cocktail Cumulus, to Cathay’s kiwifruit, coconut and fresh mint mocktail Cathay Delight. Then comes a Hot and Sour Seafood Soup, Chef Tam Tung’s Hong Kong-style interpretation of the Sichuan classic, followed by a Preserved Plum-Infused Three Treasures starter that balances sweet, tangy and fresh in equal measure. Mains present the kind of decision nobody wants to make: Stir-fried Seafood and Jade Melon with Yat Tung Heen’s iconic XO sauce, or Braised Beef Brisket and Tendon slow-cooked in rich, aromatic Chu Hou sauce. A golden Cantonese Sugar Puff and a selection of premium JING teas close the experience, with handcrafted Devonport Chocolates offering one final, welcome indulgence.
It is rare for a chef of this calibre to bring a menu of this pedigree to Auckland, rarer still at $60 per person. Book your tickets here.
Please note, this is a curated set menu featuring seafood and meat, and dietary requirements cannot be accommodated.
In case you missed the memo, 40 is the new 30, and as such, deserves a celebration that is equal parts revelrous and refined, with a wardrobe to match.
From dazzling diamonds to statement pieces with presence, glamorous gowns, and sophisticated suiting, here, we share an edit of what to wear to mark 40 with conviction.
What To Wear
Own the milestone — or celebrate someone else’s — in effortlessly polished looks that tread the line between bold, modern, and timeless.
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.
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