This weekend, the Auckland Rainbow Pride Parade and the Ponsonby Street Festival are finally going ahead after a series of postponements due to Covid-19 restrictions. On Saturday, 27th of March, the much-anticipated, all-day event will see folk from all around the city coming together to celebrate the history, courage and diversity of our rainbow communities.
Fun for the whole family, the carnival-style parade will move on its colourful way on foot and un-motorised floats — starting from Tole Street, down Ponsonby Road to Williamson Ave, encompassing dancing, performance and music, and key messaging from the community.
The day’s proceedings will begin from 11am with the Ponsonby Street Festival kicking off with market stalls and pop-ups. Ponsonby Road will be closed to traffic from 4:30pm, and the Parade then begins from 6pm, with live music, dancing, performances and on-street dining from 7pm.
Why not make a day of it, and get out there to support local retailers and hospitality businesses at the same time as our rainbow community? We suggest parking up at one of Ponsonby Road’s many excellent bars and eateries — peruse our list below and we suggest you make a booking quicksharp, or get there early to secure your spot.
SPQR This iconic Ponsonby Road restaurant is bound to be heaving from the get-go, but if you can suss a table it’ll be one of the best places to be. Keep the espresso martinis coming.
Blue Breeze Inn Blue Breeze’s outdoor tables are the perfect vantage point to see all the action, with a side of the fusion eatery’s delicious dumplings and bao buns.
Prego Got hangry children in tow? Pasta or pizza at stalwart Prego is just the ticket, and the vibe is sure to be humming.
Ponsonby Road Bistro Another icon of the strip with excellent outdoor seating, Ponsonby Road Bistro will have you sorted with its comforting menu of bistro fare. We’re particular fans of the chicken liver pâté and the confit duck.
Elmo’s Heading out for the day with a group? Elmo’s will cater to you with its varied menu of sharing dishes and pizzas. We can’t go past the burrata bar, either.
Chapel It’s an institution for a reason — park up at this iconic corner site for drinks in the ample sun. A great option for when you’re in it for the long haul.
Ockhee This Korean cutie will have you sorted with its tasty yet wholesome fare and drinks menu of natural wine, beer and clever twists on classic cocktails. Snag an outside seat and catch the parade near its starting point.
Conch Easy and inviting, Conch is just the place to relax with a beer in hand, and some tacos or other South American-style bites and watch the colourful action go by.
Rainbow Pride Parade & Ponsonby Street Festival Saturday, 27th of March Ponsonby Road
When it comes to massage, there is certainly a time and place for a gentle method that lulls the recipient into a state of soporific bliss. However, sometimes a firmer hand is required, and when this is the case we will be turning to East Day Spa’s brand new Thai massage.
The most recent addition to the world-class spa’s roster of beauty and wellness treatments, this oil free massage is not for the faint-hearted. A firm, strong massage that combines pressure point and acupressure therapy with assisted stretching, the East Thai massage is performed by master therapist Wii, whose experience hails from spa royalty palaces like the Mandarin Oriental and The Four Seasons Hotels.
Designed to relieve tension and improve flexibility, this massage is performed on a fully-clothed recipient (loose, comfortable clothing is encouraged, with East Day Spa providing soft pajama trousers to wear), and is recommended for those who love a strong, deep tissue experience.
To begin with, the body is warmed up through a combination of acupressure and deep compressions, before the therapist begins working through yoga-like stretching exercises that are tailored to each individual need. Whether the problem area is a tense neck and shoulders, sore legs or back, this highly-bespoke massage will be customised to address it, with no two sessions the same.
The effects are almost instantaneous — expect an increased range of motion, better posture and reduced joint pain. Rather than feeling like you need a nap afterwards, the East Thai massage will leave you feeling elongated, invigorated and energised, for far longer than just the duration of the appointment.
A sofa might be somewhere to put your feet up after a long day, and will inevitably end up being the place where you spend most of your time at home, but its merits should extend beyond comfort alone. The best sofas are the ones that weave comfort seamlessly into their inherent design while ensuring that considerations of the latter remain front and centre. In short, they should look as good as they feel. And from experience, finding pieces that fit that criteria is no mean feat.
Lucky then, that we have the design maestros at Simon James on hand to help us get that balance right. Recently, the team welcomed the new Collective Modular Sofa by Nonn into their showroom, and it has made a swift and impressive impact. Designed by Cameron Foggo — a New Zealand designer who now calls Australia home, and whose brand is known for its subtle, understated luxury — this sofa pairs soft, generously-proportioned upholstery (made uniquely from feather and foam) with a light, uncomplicated form. Its quality is evident in the fine craftsmanship that went into its creation, from the refined, steel base to the pinched corner technique used to give the sofa its sumptuous appearance.
Available in versatile finishes and configurations to suit a range of requirements and spaces, the Collective Modular sofa is set to be a design asset in any home, and will prove a piece that turns heads as much as it is the perfect place to put your feet up at the end of a long day.
There is a new wave of Kiwi men who want more from their wardrobes. Having transcended the tired combination of jeans-and-a-T-shirt, they instead, want to curate a collection that is purposeful, creatively-inspiring and unique to their individual styles. Accordingly, there has been a growing number of new, locally-designed menswear labels springing up to offer guys the kinds of pieces they want, these are are a few of our favourites.
Fantl Sport Golf wear is (despite being a somewhat niche market) ripe for a reimagining. Which is exactly what this dynamic new label is doing. Brothers Dan and Ezra Fantl create collections that are sleek and practical and able to be worn on and off the golf course. This new brand is delivering a much-needed element of ‘cool’ to a sport whose demographic seems to be trending younger every year.
Inward Goods Ltd
Inward Goods Ltd Born from the idea that to be truly authentic, one must look within, Inward Goods creates clothes that are timeless, pragmatic and carefully realised. Designed and produced in Auckland (via a process that supports a number of other local businesses) every piece is painstakingly made-to-order, which means that collections are selective and refined.
Thom Morison
Thom Morison Creating high-quality menswear with a classical, minimalist bent, Thom Morison not only makes great clothes but is another proponent of slow fashion. In fact, Morison himself works as the pattern maker in his Great North Road studio, sampling every piece in store as he fastidiously builds his collections — all handmade by local ateliers.
Wynn Hamlyn Menswear
Wynn Hamlyn Menswear Off the back of opening his first retail store in Commercial Bay, local designer Wynn Hamlyn is capitalising on his reputation for creating refined, quietly-confident womenswear to launch his first men’s collection, and our wardrobes are all the better for it. With clever knitwear, precise (but relaxed) tailoring and soft, sensual fabrics, this debut capsule heroes pieces that are wearable but unique, and will resonate with guys who care about how they dress but still like to have fun.
I never really thought of myself as an SUV driver. But after spending the last three years with an extremely small car (a relic of the 90s), the thought of investing in something bigger was, I have to say, appealing.
In the spirit of trying new things (and after seeking recommendations from a few people I trusted) I decided to dip my toe into the SUV pond by taking Jaguar’s new 2021 F-PACE for a spin — only to discover that I had, in fact, been an SUV driver all along. All I needed was the right car.
I have to preface my experience with a caveat. The new Jaguar F-PACE is a luxury SUV, which puts it firmly at the higher end of the market. Basically, this car combines the size, comfort and versatility of an SUV with the sleek elegance of a sports car, which gives it massive appeal from the outset.
To set the scene, the exact model of F-PACE I was testing was the P400 R-Dynamic HSE in Yulong White with slick, black wheels. It was high-spec and super powerful, and I was drawn in from the second I was handed the keys.
Boasting a recently enhanced exterior, my 2021 F-PACE carried some serious presence on the road. With its wide front grill, aerodynamically-enhanced front and rear bumpers and super-slim LED head and tail lights, this car was simultaneously streamlined and solid with sophisticated good looks that offered an early indication of what I could expect on the inside.
Sure enough, the F-PACE’s interior lived up to the hype and then some. Sitting in the driver’s seat, I couldn’t remember having ever been in a car that felt safe, luxurious and sporty, all at the same time. And while I was conscious of people’s heads turning as I passed them on the road, I was also distinctly aware of how cocooned and private I felt in the F-PACE’s cabin.
Inside, it seemed like Jaguar had spared no expense in ensuring the 2021’s fit-out left nothing to chance. Sumptuous, simple materials that felt well-made and long-lasting, were rendered in an elegant, monochromatic palette which kept me comfortable but ensured that my primary focus remained on what was important — the drive. And what a drive it was.
Thanks to the F-PACE’s new Drive Selector, I was able to quickly switch the car between zippy modes like ‘dynamic’ and smooth modes like ‘comfort’, all the while enjoying the peace and quiet that came with the car’s Active Noise Cancellation — an innovative system that worked to reduce noise pollution from outside the cabin. That said, I quickly learned not to be fooled by the F-PACE’s comfortable, quiet facade. Once I decided to give this car a little bit of pace, it sprung into action swiftly, drawing on its sporty heritage to morph into something that felt delightfully fun and quick off the mark — certainly not what I expected to find in an SUV.
All of that aside, what really clinched it for me was the F-PACE’s practicality and efficiency. For someone who uses her car to drive to work, run errands that often involve packing clothing bags and boxes into the boot and soon, to transport a baby from A to Z, the F-PACE seemed to tick all the boxes. With its suite of new technology, including Jaguar’s latest PIVI Pro infotainment on an 11.4-inch HD touch screen, voice-activated control, a wireless charging port for my phone and a remote app that allowed me to check up on the car’s temperature and fuel levels, the F-PACE’s systems were easy to decipher and to communicate with. Everything felt integrated in a very simple, uncomplicated way, which, when you’ve got other things on your mind, is a godsend. Other features I loved included the F-PACE’s keyless entry (very handy with frequently-full hands), and its mammoth boot with a 650-litre capacity. My favourite feature, however, had to be the F-PACE’s super-clear 360-degree, 3D surround camera, which made manoeuvring into my narrow driveway a breeze and parallel parking virtually curb-proof. Add to the mix the fact that the F-PACE boasts a Five Star Euro NCAP safety rating (making it one of the safest cars in the market) and I was honestly left wondering if it had any faults at all.
Just like that, I was a convert, inducted into the easy, luxurious lifestyle that came with driving an SUV like this. And while I might have only had a few days with the new Jaguar F-PACE, there was something that stayed with me, even after the car was gone — the realisation that I would probably struggle to find anything else that lived up to my first experience.
It’s clear the Cordis was inspired by the natural beauty of New Zealand in conceiving its new bar space, Our Land Is Alive. Walking in, we were immediately struck by the calm, contemporary palette of natural tones and textures, anchored by an ethereal cloud mural (painted by local artist Ross Lewis) spreading out across the ceiling. In fact, small nods to New Zealand are everywhere, from a bar top made from rescued Kauri to the bar front crafted from Timaru bluestone, to the native plants and artistic menu design, created by local illustrator Erin Forsyth.
Find a range of expertly made cocktails.
Beyond the space itself, Our Land Is Alive captures the essence of New Zealand in its curated food and drinks that shine a light on local. Award-winning local wines and craft beers meet a range of Kiwi-made spirits that have been expertly mixed with unique New Zealand flavours and ingredients to offer a variety of refreshing libations. We only had to glance at the ‘White Cloud,’ for example, a smokey concoction made with Thomson Two-Tone whiskey, or the ‘Karangahape Side,’ crafted with Lighthouse gin, lime juice, cucumber and fresh mint, to know that a drink here would be a delicious affair.
Similarly, the food offering draws on the richness of New Zealand’s culinary landscape to provide classic bar snacks with a twist. Thanks to the vision of Cordis’ Executive Chef, Volker Marecek, Our Land Alive’s menu is a tasty mix of locally-sourced ingredients where charcuterie and cheese boards sit alongside the likes of free range lamb ribs and Cloudy Bay clams. As perfect for a quick, easy bite as it is for something more substantial.
The bar front is crafted from Timaru bluestone.
Ultimately, Our Land Alive is just about offering simple, straightforward Kiwi hospitality. Having cultivated an environment that is relaxed and sophisticated but (thanks to its sprawling outdoor area and generous space) is also conducive to a good time, this new, local gem is set to be our go-to next time we’re looking for somewhere to whet our whistles.
In an effort to tackle our “make-take-waste” culture, a group of consciously-minded local brands have banded together to draw attention to the vital need for action with Auckland’s inaugural refill event.
Taking place this Friday, 26th of March, and organised by Ecostore, along with Lewis Road Creamery, Chia Sisters, Again Again, Kōkako, The Food Truck Collective and Batchwell, the event will see each business set up in Britomart’s Takutai Square from 11AM until 2:30PM.
Visitors are encouraged to bring their own containers for special offers from each business — from a free Kōkako coffee if you bring your own reusable cup, to free Ecostore refills with purchase of a $3 limited edition aluminium refill bottle. The Food Truck Collective will also be providing tasty eats by Double Dutch Fries, Grownup Donuts, and more.
“Waste is a very large problem that can’t be fixed with just one solution, so businesses need to have many different options,” wrote representatives from the brands in an article for Stuff. With this refill event, they are aiming to reduce plastic waste by educating others about the incredibly important circular economy, through reuse and refilling. “We want to showcase how a business can take transformative action and inspire system-wide change.”
The circular economy is the future of effective waste management, better even than chucking our used packaging and items in the recycling bin, and ensuring they stay out of landfill by reusing and repurposing. Each year, says the group, 295 million single-use cups are sent to landfill in Aotearoa, all producing methane as they degrade.
While reuse systems are new and still take some working out, they are our best hope for combatting our emissions and staying true to our clean, green reputation. So, why not start by grabbing some of your containers from home, and heading down to Britomart on your lunch break, where these inspiring businesses will give you all the incentive you need to kick off some great new habits.
Refill Event by Ecostore Friday, 26th March 11AM — 2:30PM Takutai Square, Britomart
Despite myriad challenges over the past year, the local culinary industry has continued to evolve and expand with all the flair and ingenuity we have come to expect from our world-class chefs and eateries. Over 40 new restaurants, bars and cafes opened in 2020 in Auckland alone, jostling to find their place among an already well established scene.
While overarching shifts within the plethora of varied offerings can be tricky to pinpoint, we’ve spotted some interesting trends that have cropped up across the board. From normcore eating to Spanish flavours, here are the food trends taking 2021 by the taste buds.
Take Comfort We’re collectively craving sustenance that acts like a soothing balm to the soul and the belly, and it’s no wonder given the last year. Remember normcore? The term was widely popularised in 2013 by trend-forecasting agency K-Hole as fashion shorthand for ‘finding liberation in being nothing special’. The concept crept gently into gastronomy as well, and we’re seeing it as an apt term to describe the renewed appetite for humble dishes done well, a la Hotel Ponsonby’s scotch egg, or the creamed corn toastie from Culprit.
Left to right: Meatball with tare and yolk from Omni, Black tiger prawns from Nook and the Scampi corndogs from Ahi.
Stick It There’s a specific joy that comes from gnawing a skewer fresh off the grill. It’s hot and immediate, and anything we can eat with our hands is good by us. Yakitori is not a new concept to this city, but it has been brought once more to the fore by eateries like Omni and Nook. At the former, co-owned by chef John Yip who honed his grill skills at Yardbird in Hong Kong, don’t miss the meatball with tare and yolk for dipping, and at St Kevins Arcade spot Nook (opened by the Lowbrow duo) why not branch out with the chicken hearts or black tiger prawns? Speaking of things on sticks, it’d be remiss of us not to mention one of our other favourite dishes in this category: Ahi’s scampi corndogs and that addictive dipping sauce.
Left: Pāua from Amisfield Restaurant. Right: Kingfish and apples from The Lodge Bar & Dining.
Homeward Bound Just what is defined as New Zealand cuisine? This is the question several local chefs have been attempting to answer with increasing fervour. Last year, some of our most revered and established culinary heavyweights opened new restaurants in Auckland, but instead of taking inspiration from Europe or Asia, many are aiming to hone in on Aotearoa’s food legacy.
From Matt Lambert’s Lodge Bar & Dining, Peter Gordon’s Homeland eatery and cooking school, to Mr Morris helmed by Michael Meredith, and Ben Bayly’s Ahi restaurant, these chefs are highlighting native ingredients, indigenous cooking techniques and practises like foraging, accelerating the exploration of our gastronomical story. The likes of Monique Fiso of Wellington restaurant Hiakai, and Vaughan Mabee of Queenstown’s Amisfield have been tuned into this sensibility for some time now, but it’s exciting to see more chefs crafting the narrative even further in 2021.
Sustainable Seafood Gone are the days when a fillet of snapper was the only fish you’d find on a menu. Any restaurant worth its salt is now prioritising suppliers that use more sustainable fishing practises in an effort to prevent the already severely depleted ocean from being overfished. This includes crafting dishes that use other parts of the fish, not just the fillet, and making more use of different types of seafood altogether.
Owned by Nate Smith, Gravity Fishing is an industry leader when it comes to fishing sustainably. The Invercargill-based company started as a commercial fishery 10 years ago, and now supplies restaurants country-wide, including The Lodge Bar & Dining, Tantalus Estate and Paris Butter in Auckland. It has reverted its methods to only using hook and line — and only fishing what quantities chefs have pre-ordered. This prevents excess fish from being taken from the ocean, and as Smith supplies whole fish rather than pre-filleted, he encourages restaurants to utilise the entire animal. Native delicacies like kina that previously would have been largely exported have also found renewed favour on local menus, joining the likes of blue cod, kingfish and albacore tuna.
Left: Charcoal grilled Wairarapa oyster mushrooms with stinging nettle sour cream from Euro. Right: Steamed dumplings from East
Garden Variety In the not-too-distant past, any non-carnivore would be faced with a severely limited selection of plant-based dishes when dining out. This couldn’t be further from the truth now, as the tired mushroom risotto is shelved in favour of a far more varied offering of vegan and vegetarian food than ever before — and it’s only increasing. Whether adopted for health, ethical or environmental reasons, the ever-growing population of plant-based eaters is spurring eateries to catch up, with ample space on their menus dedicated to dishes that don’t include meat.
One of our recent favourites is Euro’s charcoal grilled Wairarapa oyster mushroom dish with stinging nettle and sour cream (banishing memories of the aforementioned risotto for good), and we’re impressed by innovative new modern Asian eatery East, that’s not only vegetarian but boasts a menu that is 75 percent vegan.
Left: Octopus with saffron whipped potato and paprika crumb from Candela. Right: Rabbit empanada from Alma.
A Taste of Spain For some time now the preponderance of Italian-inspired eateries in this town has been steadily climbing towards what is surely a saturation point, so it seems only natural that the focus should shift to another European city with an equally rich cuisine and history. Spanish flavours have arguably not yet been given their full day in the sun, but a series of new openings are promising to change this.
Karangahape Road newcomer Candela harnesses the irreverent spirit of late night Spanish tapas bars, offering small plates that celebrate both Spanish flavours and New Zealand produce, while Alma is the latest addition to the Hip Group family, heading further south to hone in on Andalusian cuisine. Park Hyatt Auckland’s Captain’s Bar also offers Spanish-inspired bites that pair nicely with its impressive selection of rum, like empanadas and spicy chorizo patatas bravas.
Left: Pāua Risotto, miso butter, shiitake mushroom, onsen egg from Onemata Restaurant. Right: Creamed Chatham Islands pāua on toast from Homeland.
Pāua Power While pāua fritters have long been a beloved fish ‘n’ chip shop favourite, a spate of recently-opened restaurants are elevating the iconic mollusc in new ways that celebrate its unique flavour and texture. Find an entrée of pāua with okra, corn and rice gnocchi at Michael Meredith’s eatery Mr Morris, while at Park Hyatt Auckland’s Onemata restaurant it is speckled through an umami risotto, swirling with shiitake mushrooms, miso butter and finished with an onsen egg. Peter Gordon’s Homeland dining room showcases pāua both shaved with fennel and lime, and creamed on toast, and at Ahi find it on the snack menu, fittingly cooked using the hangi method and paired with smoked kahawai and sour cream.
Heisenberg's Equation, 2020, cast acrylic edition of 1 + AP, 500mm x 1200mm
Twofold, 2020, cast acrylic, edition of 3, 300mm x 600mm
From left: Square Circle Square (green), 2020, cast acrylic, edition of 3, 600mm x 600mm x 45mm;Circle in Red, 2020, cast acrylic, edition of 3, 400mm x 400mm
A current exhibition from light and installation-based artist Kāryn Taylor displays pleasingly tonal contours of layered and spliced geometric shapes, to highly impactful effect. Showing at Sanderson Contemporary, the exhibition is named An Implicate Order, and hinges on a concept by the late theoretical physicist David Bohm. He stated that there is a deeper and more fundamental order of reality (the implicate order), which transcends humans’ perceived order of reality, or the “explicate order”.
Taylor’s practice is often informed by concepts like this. Through manipulating light, form and shadow, and challenging the viewer’s perception, she investigates metaphysics, regarding the existence and nature of things, and quantum physics, the behaviour of matter and energy.
Likening geometry to a language, Taylor aims to communicate these complicated, sometimes illogical-seeming ideas through what, on the surface, might be viewed as relatively simplistic forms. They are, however, always extremely precise — never rough or wobbly. Many of the lines themselves appear to glow, resulting in an almost three-dimensional effect. Complex concepts aside, Taylor’s use of colour is sublime, and the mesmerising quality of her works will have you visually tracing their forms in a new way with every change of angle.
While many of us use the way we dress to express the various moods and movements of our day-to-day lives, this reflection of our multifaceted natures needn’t stop at clothing. Just as we select a particular outfit to suit a certain occasion, so too does fragrance have the ability to evoke different feelings, adding that elusive multi-dimensional element to any outing.
Endorsing firmly this concept of a ‘fragrance wardrobe’ is Tom Ford. The luxury fashion and beauty house’s scents are famed the world over for their heady, complex and concentrated quality. Some of the brands most iconic and outrageous scents include the addictive Oud Wood, intoxicating Bitter Peach, juicy Lost Cherry and unforgettable F*cking Fabulous.
Whether worn to imbue confidence and vitality on a first date, or to capture a golden sunset at an unforgettable party, here we explore four occasions and an enchanting Tom Ford fragrance for each.
A candlelit dinner: Oud Wood Mesmerising and exotic, Tom Ford’s pioneering Oud Wood scent makes for a sultry complement to an intimate meal, enhancing a moody and atmospheric setting. From the earthy and woody fragrance family, key notes of rare oud wood, rosewood and sandalwood combine with Eastern spices and amber for a rich, dark blend of sensuality.
A lavish lunch: Lost Cherry Another from the warm, spicy olfactory category, this undeniably feminine, juicy fragrance is an expression of contrast. Embracing a dichotomy of sweet and tart; bright and dark, Lost Cherry has key notes of black cherry and bitter almond oil, layered with a further concentration of liquor-laced cherry from griotte syrup. Turkish rose and jasmine sambac round off for an earthy depth, and notes of roasted tonka bean, Peru balsam, sandalwood, vetiver and cedar ensure this scent is anything but one-dimensional.
A first date: F*cking Fabulous Put your best foot forward with a scent that makes an instant statement. Spicy and warm, the name says it all, with its vibrant opening of clary sage and fresh lavender giving way to notes of bitter almond and vanilla-tinged tonka bean. Anchored with a texturally rich leather heart, this incredible fragrance will certainly have you leaving an impression.
A sunset soirée: Bitter Peach A fragrance for when the night ahead sparkles with possibility, Bitter Peach harnesses the intoxicating spirit of a full-flavoured fruit at its most ripe. Lusciously sweet, notes of heady Pêche de Vigne liqueur and Sicilian blood orange oil are lifted with spiciness from cardamom oil. Adding depth and complexity is the bitterness of heliotrope and floral, woody Davana oil, infused with rum absolute and cognac oil.
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