There’s no better way to experience the full scope of the unparalleled selection of eateries at Commercial Bay than in the Harbour Eats food hall. With more than 650 seats available, innovative shared space Harbour Eats is inspired by international food precincts in New York, London and Barcelona.
Encompassing a wide range of local and international cafes, bars and restaurants, it’s sure to satisfy not only the daytime, downtown work crowd and weekend shoppers but also those purely looking to wine and dine. With the hardest part being settling on where to eat, suffice to say every Commercial Bay trip could be supplemented with a different meal and setting.
Wise Boys
Embrace the international atmosphere underneath the eat-in dining area’s soaring ceilings.
At Public, a bar concept by Bedford & Soda’s Matt Nicholls, huge windows take in the downtown ferry building and there’s a bookable area for larger groups. Serving coffee and fresh smoothies during the day and expertly-crafted cocktails after dark, visitors can also expect various pop-ups in the same area. Currently, bluff oysters are on offer, best appreciated when washed down with a glass of champagne.
Fans of Malaysian flavours need look no further than Hawker & Roll which is dishing up Malaysian-inspired street eats centred on the hawker roll – a stuffed roti filled with your favourite flavours.
The ingenious team behind Simon & Lee and Gochu have opened up Good Dog Bad Dog, an American-inspired hotdog shop where Oliver Simon and David Lee’s loaded toppings are irresistible.
Oji Sushi
Sushi lovers need look no further than Oji Sushi, helmed by Yukio Ozeki of beloved Japanese eateries Ebisu and Azabu, with two separate outposts for both eating-in and on-the-go takeaway, and herbivores can relax; Wise Boys is opening its second Auckland location in Commercial Bay, with all the fun and fast plant-based dishes we know and love.
After launching a spectacular flagship store in London last year, global menswear brand Rodd & Gunn returns to its firmly-planted New Zealand roots with its highly-anticipated new opening: a fully immersive retail and dining experience located within Auckland’s Commercial Bay development.
The Lodge Bar & Dining draws on the success of Rodd & Gunn’s previous foray into what it calls ‘experiential retail’. The first iteration – Queenstown’s The Lodge Bar – is an essential visit for travellers to the alpine destination, and now for Auckland-dwellers there’s no need to jump on a flight to enjoy the brand’s incredible new offering.
Encompassing a 90-seat all-day eatery integrated with a flagship Rodd & Gunn retail space, The Lodge Bar & Dining is helmed by globally revered chef Matt Lambert, who has designed a menu that celebrates New Zealand’s unparalleled local produce.
“The Rodd & Gunn experience is a celebration of the best of New Zealand’s products, whether it’s fabric or fennel,” Lambert told Denizen earlier this year. “We source the very best, we treat them simply and with respect, for the ultimate elevated experience.”
Clearly inspired by the new site’s waterfront location, The Lodge Bar & Dining menu captures the essence of the glittering harbour visible from the restaurant’s expansive windows.
Prawns, oysters, clams and scallops are all mainstays on the menu, as is the increasingly popular whole grilled flounder, and a Josper charcoal oven is on site to imbue many of the dishes with a delicious depth of flavour.
A dedicated pasta section boasts traditionally-inspired favourites such as cacio e pepe, lamb shoulder rigatoni and sausage spaghetti, and the Kiwi-centric bar snacks are not to be overlooked, like the ‘meat pie croquette’ or grilled oysters with smoked bone marrow.
Master sommelier Cameron Douglas has selected a diverse curation of both international and New Zealand wines, and Logan Clarke from Bracu will execute Lambert’s menu as head chef.
Providing an elevated escape from the hustle and bustle of downtown Auckland, The Lodge Bar & Dining is an exciting concept pushing the boundaries of a both a traditional retail and dining experience, showcasing the best that New Zealand has to offer.
When Elle Pugh and her mother Yolande Ellis founded cashmere brand Elle + Riley in 2016, their aim was to make timeless, luxurious knitwear available for New Zealanders year-round.
Fair to say, the duo has realised this goal and the opening of their third Elle + Riley store in Commercial Bay this week solidifies their position as a go-to destination for cashmere lovers.
Following the success of Elle + Riley’s Ponsonby and Queenstown boutiques, plus a loyal online following, Pugh says opening in the exciting new CBD precinct was a no-brainer.
“We chose Commercial Bay because we truly feel the centre is going to be the hub of Auckland City,” she says. “The time and care that has been put into curating an incredible mix of retail and food brands is unparalleled and we were thrilled to be given the opportunity to be part of it.”
Having previously tapped the skills of Katie Lockhart for their Queenstown store, Pugh and Ellis worked with the renowned interior specialist again for Commercial Bay, to create a similarly luxurious look and feel.
Built-in shelving offers a sense of permanence and solidity, while the restrained palette makes the store a serene destination within the varied and exciting retail offering of Commercial Bay.
“As cashmere is a timeless heritage product, the space needed to feel calm and welcoming,” explains Pugh, “with the warmth that cashmere offers.”
If you’ve ever wondered what a room full of Ecoya would smell like, now’s your chance to find out as the renowned luxury home fragrance brand has opened its very first New Zealand boutique in Commercial Bay this week.
We already know the answer (divine) and are over the moon that there’s now a dedicated space for one of our favourite beauty and lifestyle companies to showcase its excellent products.
A contemporary and intimate store on the ground floor, the Commercial Bay space houses Ecoya’s natural soy wax candles and botanical bodycare.
Having made a very welcome move into the world of kitchen products this year, Ecoya’s new Kitchen Collection will also be available, as well as the sell-out car diffusers and another recent release: the fragranced hand sanitiser and sanitiser spray.
An eye-catching central island is a focal-point for the space, holding new fragrances for customers to peruse and each week will feature a fresh floral installation by Blush Flowers, making Ecoya’s first New Zealand boutique a serene (and beautifully scented) downtown haven.
Leading fashion destination Superette is making it’s first move into Auckland’s CBD as an exciting addition to Commercial Bay’s considered retail offering.
Celebrating 18 years in business this year, it’s an admirable milestone for the beloved boutique which takes up residence in an expansive corner site.
In a bid to cater to discerning city-based shoppers, Superette co-founder Rickie Dee says the Commercial Bay location was expertly curated, as all the Superette stores are, to offer new and hard-to-find labels.
New designers joining the store’s fold include Australian labels Matin and Manning Cartell; minimalist footwear brand A.Emery; menswear from The North Face and more.
They’ll be joining Superette’s existing selection of beloved brands such as Bassike, Camilla & Marc, Anine Bing and P.E Nation.
Visitors to the downtown shopping precinct are also treated to a selection of the boutique’s concept store Superette International, only available in Newmarket before now.
Encompassing coveted designers and labels from further afield, the capsule stocks Alexander Wang, Rough Studios, Maison Kitsune and Silk Laundry, and is yet another reason to make the trip to Superette’s new Commercial Bay outpost – not that we needed one.
Casual and cool is how we’d describe Ockhee, a brand new Korean eatery and welcome addition to Ponsonby Rd.
Owners Paulee and Lisa Lee have been planning their latest venture since 2018, and in opening Ockhee aim to bring authentic Korean food to Kiwis in a relaxed and contemporary setting.
With many years of hospitality experience between them – Paulee previously worked for the now-closed Camper Coffee in Newmarket and Simon & Lee, while Lisa was a chef at Grey Lynn’s Honeybones – Ockhee is the culmination of both their expertise and a desire to offer a fresh take on the cuisine.
“The base of the food is authentic Korean,” says Paulee, “but the toppings and plating-style will be very Kiwi so it harmonises.”
Chef Lisa has created a menu revolving around fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, and the diners will find plenty of enticing options to choose from.
On the lunch menu is a range of Deopbap or Dubbap which translates to “stir-fry on rice” — a satisfying one-bowl dish featuring a protein on rice.
Gochujung Pork
With options ranging from premium beef marinated in the traditional Korean style with pickled radishes or Gochujung (Korean chilli paste) pork and bean sprouts to fresh tofu or either soy or spicy marinaded chicken, midday goers will find plenty of choice for a filling and healthy lunch meal at Ockhee.
The flavourful Gochujung pork is particularly delicious; rather than arriving with white rice, it came served on a bed of Korean black rice which has a lovely nutty and slightly earthy flavour. Garnished with bean sprouts, spring onion, sesame leaves and sesame oil, the freshness of the ingredients makes for a satisfying yet not heavy dish.
The Chun Sa Chae noodle salad
For dinner, there’s a variety of hot and cold dishes and sides. Winter is the perfect time to order the Jeon Gol, a piping hot stew served bubbling over a flame in a mini hotpot.
The beef Jeon Gol is served with dangmyeon or kumara noodles, which have a similar texture to vermicelli, enoki mushrooms, onion, carrot and incredibly tender cuts of beef in a flavourful broth.
The Chun Sa Chae noodle salad is a must-try: comprising steamed seaweed noodles – a glass-clear noodle with a moreish and unusual texture – and thinly-sliced raw vegetables, it’s the dressing that packs a punch of fresh, vinegary flavour. We think it’s the perfect side to pair with the salty and savoury notes found in many of the main dishes.
There are, of course, plenty of vegetarian options including a Korean-style potato pancake dish called Potato Jeon, and a “Tofu Steak” which comes as a sort of fritter of tofu mixed with carrot, mushroom, zucchini and turmeric served under a mixed salad – if you haven’t tried a chocolate tomato before, we can confirm they are delicious.
Fully licensed, the drinks menu features Cass, a Korean lager, plus beers from Sawmill and Garage Project. There is a house-blended soju and a cocktail of the month – right now, it’s a Korean take on a classic negroni called a Seoul Yuja which is 20% Soju, Aperol and Sweet Vermouth.
Ultimately, Paulee wants visitors to Ockhee to become regulars for the whole package it offers – atmosphere, music, service and, of course, the food. We’re already looking forward to our next visit.
The saying goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, and while Mark Wallbank is aware his pumping Parnell eatery Woodpecker Hill was far from broken, he was ready for a change.
Six weeks of rumination provided the spark to give Woodpecker Hill a makeover, five years after its doors opened for the first time, once again bringing a new offering to Parnell.
The Golden Nest at Woodpecker Hill, as the site is now known, is a “new incarnation” of the previous restaurant, with eye-catching chartreuse upholstery, a versatile and convertible space and an exciting new menu.
Wallbank’s longtime chef and collaborator Che Barrington embraces the fun and fresh influence of Japanese and Korean food within The Golden Nest’s extensive offering.
Toasted Rock Lobster & Prawn Roll
Moving away from the restaurant’s previous Thai-infused American BBQ style, the innovative new dishes are a little less spicy and a little more shareable thanks to smaller, snacky-style portions.
“We just wanted a more cost-effective menu, so people can come twice a week as opposed to twice a year,” says Wallbank. “Even if you’ve got 50 bucks in your pocket, you can still have a couple of baskets of dumplings and a couple of drinks.”
Cheese Burger Bao
There are so many appealing dishes on the menu, you’re going to want to come with a group. A dedicated dumpling and steamed bun section espouses some of the best morsels in town thanks to the kitchen’s expert dumpling chefs who make everything to order.
As well as more traditionally-inspired favourites, Barrington brings new meaning to the term ‘fusion’ with a particular dish: the cheese burger bao. A stuffed steamed bun with a side of dipping mayo that tastes uncannily like a cheeseburger, we can already tell it will be a must-order dish for every table.
Another essential is the karaage fried chicken with kimchi hot sauce: gluten free thanks to a coating of potato starch and impossible to stop at just one piece.
“There are a lot of fermented aspects to the menu, and we make all our own kimchi and hot sauces,” says Barrington. “Making the sauce with the kimchi juice imparts flavours that are more alive and adds a bit more of freshness to it.”
For some fresh to offset the fried, look no further than the beloved kombu-cured salmon salad, a favourite brought over from The Blue Breeze Inn and tweaked for the new venture.
Pork Ramen
Parnell locals will also be delighted to learn that ramen hotspot Chop Chop has been set up as a second outpost within The Golden Nest, so it’s essentially two restaurants in one with patrons being presented with both menus on arrival.
The drinks menu is suitably extensive, and when it comes to cocktails we can’t go past the Elwood: The Golden Nest’s take on an Old Fashioned served in a beeswax-coated bottle that imparts a delicious honey-tinted infusion into the drink.
The refurbishment includes a revamp of either side of the restaurant’s front section, which larger bookings have the option to close off for a private party all of their own.
“Basically, I want to have a very versatile space to break up into lots of different areas,” says Wallbank.
Having come through Covid, Wallbank and Barrington are keen to inject some colour and irreverence into The Golden Nest at Woodpecker Hill and now’s the perfect time to pay them a visit.
And if you were looking for three words describe the spirit of the place, Mark Wallbank’s about keeping it simple. “It’s fresh, fun and uncomplicated.”
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 12 noon until late. Monday: Closed
The Golden Nest at Woodpecker Hill 196 Parnell Road, Auckland
The brilliant minds at Cheshire Architects are to thank for some of central Auckland’s most significant spaces, including Britomart, City Works Depot and many other high-profile commercial and residential sites. For 16 years, co-founder Nat Cheshire has channelled his passion and versatility into the firm’s various offerings, moving effortlessly across development strategy and architecture, branding and product design on a day-to-day basis. With Cheshire’s latest project Hotel Britomart set to open later this year, the award-winning creative delves into what makes him tick.
My personal style can be defined by: Pre-lockdown: Slimane without the sparkly bits. Lockdown: Frozen II’s Ana to my daughter’s Elsa, with all the sparkly bits. Post-lockdown: Confused. Missing Elsa.
The last things I bought and loved were: From friends: A pair of deep indigo linen pyjamas from Greta at General Sleep and a diver pendant by Maeve at Hera Saabi – both for my wife. I already have special things.
An object I would never part with is: A decade ago my wife and parents bought me a folded steel Cité chair by Jean Prouve. I would fight for it and the generosity it embodies.
Cité chair by Jean Prouve
An unforgettable place I visited was: The razorback crossing on the Kepler Track in a snowstorm. For a few hours we ran on whiteness, through whiteness, into whiteness. The drop either side vanished into whiteness, white crystals clouded eyelashes, snatches of the surrounding alps gleamed bright white through swirling dull white. Every sound muffled except the filling and emptying of lungs, the whistling of wind through rocky crags. I am a beach person. Being up here was like being on another planet. And I was a little bit scared. It was perfect.
Next place I’d like to travel to: What a country to be trapped in. So now to explore it with the awe of our visitor; to find someplace special made by people who care, and help them keep it alive. For me, a small old shepherd’s hut in the fold of a hill in the high country. A little fire, a heavy pot and a safe filled with ice and food. Perhaps a tiny creek for water. Some mountains to run in. I’m sure there’s such a thing to be found.
An indulgence I would never forgo is: I can live without all of them, but a small shard of darkest chocolate has become a ritual – Miann’s, made of beans from Tokiala in Papua New Guinea, is all smoke and tobacco and really, really good. I also get to eat Bo’s dumplings in the lane next door whenever I need to restock, and watch our little Morningside hum and grow.
Bo’s dumplings
The last things I added to my wardrobe were: They were gifts: Murray Crane made me a special shirt with a rolled club collar; Eddie von Dadelszen give me a pair of dark waxed boots after George Gregory and I finished his atelier, and most recently my tattooist brother Hal gave me a black, reaper-emblazoned ‘Cheshire Tattoos’ tee. I treasure Hal’s entire back catalogue.
The person who inspires me is: I look into my daughter’s tiny slumbering face each night, nestled between blanket and teddy. Often I see my grandfather in the curl of her lip, sometimes some memory of my infant self. I see something continuous passing through us – a thing that precedes us and outlasts us. Something like the baton in a relay race, only we get to run alongside each other for a while, sharing it, handing it over carefully, preparing for the time when one day our children will run without us. I want to run so fast for that little girl.
Also: my father, who sees having one leg as a perfectly good reason to live only in places accessible by climbing steep hills, and to pursue the balance-intensive art of surfing. His is a good model for life.
I can’t miss an episode of: Country Calendar…Rick and Morty…
Rick and Morty
My favourite app is: Sunseeker. It is old, and good.
If I had to limit my shopping to one neighbourhood in one city it would be: I love the Marais and I love Omotesando and so on but right now fuck the Marais, you know? I will shop instead wherever our own sisters and brothers are working and fighting to hold together a dream, to keep each other employed, to create something where once there was nothing, to keep the culture moving forward. We do extraordinary things here. We are capable of so much more. Repurposing a fraction of our expenditure on generic global luxuries would supercharge so many parts of this little culture and its economies.
In my fridge you’ll always find: Lewis Road butter, Cathedral Cove yoghurt, Batchwell Kombucha and a bunch of East Imperial tonics to go with the Scapegrace Gin.
Hotel Britomart
I recently discovered: What our little clay brick and glass Hotel Britomart looks like naked. And that it is satisfying to make tall buildings that have the qualities of tiny buildings. In the next couple of months we’ll finish the rest of the city block and unfurl what we hope to be a delight full chaos. Dajiang Tai – its architect and my collaborator – says it is all of the things he wanted to grow up and do.
My favourite room in my house is: It’s a fight between my bathroom and my library. The bathroom is dark roasted oak and a little creamy stone. It smells like cedarwood, and the light is soft and pooled. It is peaceful. But in my heart I still think the best room on earth is a room made of books. When I work really hard there is, in ours, a little felt daybed to sleep on every now and then; a saffron niche cut into a wall of words and pictures and little momentos. So I guess the library wins.
The people I rely on for my wellbeing are: Many. Our studio for their extraordinary energy and care. Katie Lockhart and Rufus Knight for their camaraderie of all kinds. Maggie Carroll and her partner Jessica Walker, who is somehow the best at every part of being a human. Nick McCaw for convincing me that we are lucky to have found more stairs to climb. Mimi Gilmour for the nakedness of her heart and the fervour of her husband. The Cheshire family for so many reasons. I am just a person in a thousand pieces held together like a rock by these people.
The one artist whose work I would collect is:Kate Newby. She and a group of extraordinary young women gently adopted me when I was 16 and a late arrival to their art class; her work carries that gentle, observant generosity still. After that, my art obsessions start getting heavy.
Kate Newby
My favourite website is: Our friends Andy Campbell Design and Blake Ramage of The Artistry Online just finished collaborating with us on our own, so that’s my new love right now. They took such care.
The last meal out I had that truly impressed me was: Han. Careful, intelligent, unfamiliar, dark, generous, crunchy, slurpy, unctuous, fucking delicious. Also my last Burger Burger chocolate thickshake was just as impressive as my first. It might be perfect. Like any drink I ever have at Caretaker, and the dumplings at Xuxu, or Bo’s in Morningside.
The grooming product I can’t live without is: DDMMYY made a beautiful tin for Triumph and Disaster, and called the sticky grey earth inside Coltrane Clay – a basic hair product. I can live just fine without it, but you’d look at me funny.
The podcast I am listening to is:13 Minutes to The Moon. A story about, amongst other things, little donuts of iron. Metal beads woven into a tapestry of filament wire by unemployed textile workers. Each thread of the weave delineating a one or a zero. Coding when it was a tangible thing. Coding you could feel with your fingertips; that you could physically wrap around a little capsule atop a thirty-storey high gas tank; that would set fire to that gas with such force and precision that it would fling three of we humans out of our heavy planet to land softly in the Sea of Tranquility, three hundred and eighty four thousand kilometres away. Then we get out and walk about on another planet. And then we do it all backwards and go home for a hug and dinner with the kids. All driven by a tapestry of beads, the coordinated endeavours of four hundred thousand people and a mission control whose average age was…27. It’s devastating.
It’s also a story of what this species is capable of when it fights not for land or resources or cultural imposition, but for the expansion of what it is to be human. So now we need an Apollo programme for the ecological resurrection of our own planet…and the dismantling of all mechanisms and drivers of systemic prejudice, both passive and active. Ours is an extraordinary responsibility in a time of unprecedented, but asymmetrically distributed, empowerment.
The last music I listened to was: Terribly noisy and angry sounding. My favourite.
If I wasn’t doing what I am, I would be: Trying to.
I have a collection of: Unrequited but not yet impossible dreams.
The saying decrees that fair-haired folk have more fun, but living life as a blonde bombshell doesn’t come without its tribulations. Getting your exact ideal shade is the challenge, but luckily with the right colourist in your corner, the flaxen holy grail is well within your reach. For an outcome that is anything but brassy, you’d be wise to leave your locks in the hands of the best in the blonde-obsessed biz.
Kristle Sullivan at M11 in Newmarket M11’s resident blonde expert, there’s not much that Kristle can’t lend her colouring know-how to, whether you’re bold and bleached or natural and golden. Not only will she have you sporting a new, glossy hue, but her more-than eight years of styling experience leave your hair serving looks as soon as you leave the salon. She’s the one you’ll need on speed-dial, pre-event.
Shannon Lee Johnson at D&M in Ponsonby Switching from brunette to full blonde isn’t for the faintest of hearts, but if there’s anyone that can restore our faith in such a monumental shift it’s the likes of Miss Johnson — her colour wizardry has garnered a serious cult following.
Amiee Marieat Amiee Marie Hair Studio in Beach Haven
There has been no shortage of bouncy blonde beauties streaming from this Olaplex boutique salon. Specialising in balayage, it should come as no surprise that Amiee is booked out well in advance… but to the early ‘blonde’ birds go the spoils right?
Josh Angellat French Revolver Studio in the CBD
With over eight years of hairdressing experience under his belt, Josh won the Keune Tinta Colour Trophy Award (and completed a Master Colour Course in Amsterdam) for good reason. With a passion for beautiful sun-kissed colours to complement strands of every style and cut, it’s no surprise that the mane maestro is in high demand.
Adrian Dengat Anco Studio in The Viaduct
With over ten years experience in colouring and styling — including a long stint at M11 — Adrian now resides at Anco Studio as the firm favourite for blondes or those with darker hair wanting to lighten up. Tapping into bespoke modern techniques, his application is seamless and his results are beautiful.
Amanda Preston atStephen Marr in Ponsonby Not only a stellar stylist and colour specialist for Stephen Marr, but also a National Educator for Original & Mineral too, you can rest assured you’re in good hands if it’s Preston in charge. Her unwavering attention to detail has her hitting the nail on the head every time, consistently obtaining smooth, blended, natural-looking results on every one of her clients.
Kylie Dyersat Servilles in Newmarket With exceptional skill at reading her clients, Kylie manages to match the shade of blonde superbly following nothing more than a brief chinwag — not only to your overall look but to your personality too. Her playfulness with tinting and colouring leads to the creation of a fresh new ‘do that you never knew you needed.
Wing Xiaat SNOW Hairsalon in Milford
An old hand in the industry, Wing recently marked her 19th year as a hairstylist and touts her specialities as colour corrections and extreme colour transformations. So, if you’re keen to make the switch to blonde for the first time, she’s the one to see.
Abbey McInnes at McInnes and Co. in Mt Eden Is your hair in need of some serious shine and gloss? Abbey, owner and head stylist at Mt Eden salon McInnes and Co, comes highly recommended. Quite likely where Rapunzel would go to get her tresses tended to, all it takes is a quick glance at the ‘after’ results on the salon’s Facebook page to see that Abbey uses her power for good and for the good of the perfectly platinum.
Since 2006, Natalia Schamroth and her husband Carl Koppenhagen have provided regulars and first-time visitors alike with outstanding food and service as the owners and operators of beloved Northcote Point bistro The Engine Room. Passionate about her community and a woman of many inspirations, Natalia shares some of her favourite memories, indulgences, objects and places.
My personal style can be defined by: Understated.
The last thing I bought and loved was: A bottle of Bell Hill Chardonnay.
An unforgettable place I visited was: There are many but the highlights would be: Petra in Jordan, The Souks in Damascus, diving deep under the Red Sea; Piazza del Campo in Siena watching il Palio from an apartment right above the start/finish line; Vietnam, on a motorbike, speeding through the paddy fields and tiny villages contrasting with dashes across 6 lane highways into oncoming traffic; six months travelling throughout India — the colour, the people, the food, the simplicity — magical.
Petra, Jordan
On my wish list is: The vaccine.
A book I recently read and loved is: I recently re-read the biography of fabulously inspirational Jane Digby called A Scandalous Life.
An object I would never part with is: A ring designed by Vivianna Torun for Georg Jensen. It is a Moonstone ‘Snail’ ring, that belonged to my grandmother.
The design (building, person, item) that inspires me is: I loved the style of my late Polish grandmother. She had such an eye for design that was apparent throughout her home and her wardrobe and her kitchen. Arriving at her Melbourne apartment was like walking into a European design store but with the warmth and comfort of a Jewish grandmother’s home.
An indulgence I would never forgo is: Line dried, sunkissed, ironed Frette sheets and pillowslips.
If I had to limit my shopping to one neighbourhood in one city it would be: Although not the ultimate shopping neighbourhood, I had the best shopping spree of my life in Siena.
Next place I’d like to travel to: Sicily and Croatia.
My favourite room in my house is: Mornings in my sun-filled bedroom.
I recently discovered: A stunning six-metre waterfall only 10 minutes bike ride from my home in Point Chevalier. It is Auckland’s only natural inner-city waterfall.
The people I rely on for my wellbeing are: There are many for all sorts of different reasons. But it is close girlfriends who keep me on track.
My favourite website is: Right now there is not much time for anything besides work-related websites: ResDiary for our restaurant bookings, Xero, IRD and Westpac. Sad but true.
The last meal out I had that truly impressed me was: At Pasture. Six of us dined there and had a fantastic meal and a lot of fun.
The podcasts I listen to are: Deep in the Weeds with Anthony Huckstep
The one artist whose work I would collect is: A designer of fashion, not an artist. I’ve always been obsessed with the fabrics from Emilio Pucci. I’d love a full wardrobe to look at, not necessarily wear.
Fabric by Emilio Pucci
Music I’m currently listening to: There’s a lot of hardcore rock going on in our house -— our six-year-old thinks he’s a DJ, we have no chance of taking over the sound system.
If I wasn’t doing what I am, I would be: Writing — it’s been a while but I’m ready to start again. Helping other hospitality businesses — I’d like to pass on the insight I’ve gained in a lifetime of working in hospitality. I don’t have all the answers but I have a few that might help others from making some of the same mistakes we have in this highly challenging, low margin industry.
I have a collection of: My grandmother’s (mostly Dior) ’60s and ’70s sunglasses.
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