Consider this your edit of the series worth pressing play on now, from dark, psychologically driven dramas to slow-burn thrillers and quietly compelling character studies. Bringing together the latest releases and returning favourites already generating conversation, these are the shows setting the tone for what to watch now.
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.
Dining out doesn’t always have to mean going all out. Across the city, a handful of exceptional eateries are serving food that punches well above its price point: from hand-pulled noodles and birria tacos to Korean fried chicken and toasties built on house-made sourdough. These are the places worth knowing.
A delicious deli on Pitt Street serving shawarma, falafel, and traditional pantry staples, Lebanese Grocer is one of our go-to spots in the city centre for exceptional grab-and-go food. The menu shifts with the seasons and whatever Elie Assaf has his hands on that day, which means it’s always worth a look, and always worth eating. A courtyard space at the back gives you somewhere to sit and take your time with it.
From the trio behind Parade and Rosalita’s, Bodega on Ponsonby Road is a New York-style deli that runs at a different pace from most of the city. Mornings bring Italian pastries baked in house — cannoli, lobster tails, maritozzi — alongside build-your-own Kaiser rolls until 10.30am. From 11am the sandwiches take over: made to order, concise, and built with the kind of care that makes a $19 lunch feel like considerably more. The French Dip, with slow-braised beef and onion jus, is the one people come back for. Come Thursday to Saturday afternoon, the room shifts again into aperitivo mode, with focaccia, stracciatella, charcuterie, and wine. Open Wednesday to Sunday, and sells out early most days — plan accordingly.
This Thai eatery was designed for big group gatherings, with spacious seating, colourful lighting, and a fit-out that puts you in the mood before the food arrives. Kiss Kiss is a firm favourite for a relaxed, casual dinner with friends and family, and on weekend nights, the place is heaving. The pricing is as generous as the portions: baos at $12, a mountain of pad Thai just over $20.
Only open Thursday to Saturday on France Street in Eden Terrace, Carmel runs its own hours on its own terms — and the falafel is good enough that you work around them. Founded by Carmel Davidovitch, who grew up in Israel and returned to New Zealand with partner Tomer Shabo, the shop began as a market stall and found its permanent home in a blue-fronted Eden Terrace shopfront. The pita is handmade and cloud-soft, stuffed with fillings that change with the season but always anchor around crispy falafel, hummus, pickled cucumbers, and tahini. The baked goods cabinet — rugelach, babka, kouign-amann — is its own reason to visit. One of those places where the simplicity of the concept is exactly the point.
Baby G is widely credited with serving some of the best burgers in Auckland, and the case is hard to argue with. The signature American-style smash patties are crispy-edged, thick-centred, layered with American cheese, pickles, mustard, and hot sauce between pillowy soft buns. Exactly what a burger should be and rarely is. The permanent Avondale spot keeps things concise: a tight edit of burgers and a few sides, all of which have our full endorsement.
Umu’s sourdough pizzas hit the spot every time. Petite enough to eat solo, though sharing a few between friends is the better move, since the exceptional dough and fresh toppings mean you want to try more than one. A few pizzas between friends makes for an easy, inexpensive evening that never feels like a compromise.
From the team behind Pici, Ooh-Fa occupies a 22-seat space on Dominion Road with a wood-fired oven that takes up more room than the tables, and a menu that earns every inch of it. The sourdough base undergoes more than 70 hours of fermentation before a 60-second cook in the oven produces something blistered, tangy, and light in all the right places. Toppings are seasonal and change regularly, but the nduja with ricotta, mozzarella, and garlic honey has become something of a signature, and the woodfired carrots with whipped ricotta and pistachios on the side are not to be overlooked. The wine list leans natural and organic. Book ahead — tables go quickly and the room is small by design.
For a proper hot dog craving, Good Dog Bad Dog remains the answer. The team behind Gochu started with a Newmarket pop-up and now runs four locations: Point Chevalier, Onehunga, Ormiston, and Commercial Bay’s Harbour Eats food hall. The menu works its way through the classics, including the Chilli Cheese Dog, Good Dog, Pepperoni Pizza Dog, and Mac n’ Cheese Dog, and the hoagies are worth serious attention too.
Cheese on Toast has been making a convincing case for the humble toastie since its market-stall days, and now with three outposts in Three Kings, Birkenhead, and Newmarket, the argument is harder than ever to ignore. Built on house-made sourdough, with a core menu starting at $10, it’s the kind of place you find yourself returning to with suspicious regularity. The specials board keeps things interesting.
From cult pop-up to a three-location operation with queues that show no sign of thinning, Broke Boy Taco has become one of the city’s most talked-about cheap eats. Kentucky-born Sean Yarbrough’s birria empire now runs out of Mount Albert, Birkenhead, and Papakura, the latter housed in the Broadway Food Company hall on Broadway, open Tuesday through Sunday. The menu is admirably concise: slow-cooked birria tacos, birria ramen made with the consommé as broth and thick Shin Ramyun noodles, loaded quesadillas, and chips with Yarbrough’s house salsa. No frills, faultlessly executed.
If queues are any measure of a restaurant’s standing, Eden Noodles is doing very well indeed. The 2023 Hospo Heroes Cheap & Cheerful winner and 2025 Iconic Auckland Eats award recipient for its dumplings in spicy sauce has become a household name across the city for its hand-pulled noodles and dumplings, with chefs reportedly handcrafting upwards of 3,000 of the latter every day. With outposts on Dominion Road, the city centre, Newmarket, Albany, and Commercial Bay, the excuse not to have tried it is running thin.
If you haven’t eaten the Korean way, Pocha is a good place to start. It’s been doing this for over a decade and knows how to set the tone. The dishes are large and designed to share, because in Korean drinking culture, eating and drinking are firmly the same occasion. Order soju, exercise some caution since it earns its reputation, and work your way around the table.
Self-described as “100% not authentic,” Ragtag in Westmere is doing something entirely its own with the taco. Chef Dan Freeman hand-makes over 400 duck fat flour tortillas daily: rich, light, and impossibly fluffy, serving not just as a vessel but as the main event. The fillings draw from Taiwan, American BBQ, and British pub culture rather than anything remotely Mexican, with the confit duck tacos and raw fish tostada earning near-universal praise. Natural wines on the list, a private dining room upstairs: proof that cheap and cheerful can also be clever and considered.
A permanent food truck on Takapuna’s main street, Lil Ragù serves pasta “just like Nonna makes it” and largely delivers on the promise. Fresh pappardelle, tagliatelle, bucatino, and rigatoni grace the menu; some are smothered in a three-hour slow-cooked ragù, others doused in cacio e pepe with guanciale on top. The details, namely handmade pasta and a commitment to good ingredients, are what set it apart.
What started as a cult food truck has settled into a permanent home on Ponsonby Road, and the move suits it. Founded by Jiaxin Qi and VeeShen Teoh, the team behind Phat Philly’s in Morningside, The Sando Guy crafts Japanese and Korean-inspired sandwiches daily on authentic Japanese milk bread sourced from local artisan bakeries. The Premium Beef Sando and Philly Cheese Sando are the bestsellers. Save room for the seasonal fruit sandos if that’s your inclination.
This faithful Ponsonby institution has been feeding hungry Aucklanders since 1995, and the formula hasn’t needed much adjustment. Pitas, shawarmas, salads, and easy bites that are filling, flavoursome, and reliably good. The flagship store has been refreshed in recent years, with additional locations in Takapuna and Commercial Bay’s Harbour Eats. The kind of spot you stop thinking about until you’re standing in front of it, then wonder why you waited so long.
Left: Fatima’s Chawarma Right: Chop Chop’s Cobra Kai
A Denizen Hospo Heroes Cheap & Cheerful stalwart for years running, Ponsonby Central’s Chop Chop Noodle House earns its reputation. The ramen and rice bowls are solid across the board, but the Cobra Kai is the one to order: BBQ pork, pork belly, kimchi, vegetables, a jammy boiled egg, and a flourish of fried chicken, all in one bowl. It’s a lot, in the best possible way.
Tucked along Garnet Road in Westmere, Esarn Rocket has quickly established itself as one of the most authentic Thai eateries in Auckland. Drawing on the bold, punchy flavours of Thailand’s Isan region, the menu moves from fiery som tum and larb to fragrant curries and smoky charcoal-grilled meats, all executed with a precision that has regulars declaring they no longer need to fly to Bangkok. The prices are refreshingly accessible given the quality, and the laid-back, street-food energy of the space makes it the kind of place where a casual midweek dinner turns into a full tour of the menu. Takeaways are handled well, too.
From the outside, you wouldn’t pick Sri Pinang as one of the better BYO spots in the city, but on weekend evenings it turns into something of a party, and those who know it have the good sense to show Aunty Angie the respect she’s due. Order the beef rendang: fragrant, deeply flavoured, and precisely the right texture. Finish with the signature creamy sago coconut pudding, and don’t skip it.
Fast, fun, and a cut above what the category usually suggests, Lowbrow has cracked the code on serving fried chicken and hot sandos as genuinely good food by insisting on genuinely good ingredients. The prices sit above regular fast food, but the gap in quality more than accounts for the difference. St Kevin’s Arcade is a fine place to be on a Tuesday afternoon.
A Herne Bay stalwart that becomes one of Jervois Road’s busiest spots through summer, Fishsmith has built a loyal following on the strength of its fish and chips: classic, properly done, and worth the walk. The fish burger is among the best in the city, and the spicy fish tacos with slaw are worth ordering alongside. Simple food, executed without compromise.
Sammy Akuthota is a well-loved figure on the Auckland hospo scene, and his Satya restaurants, rooted in the South Indian street food his parents Swamy and Padmaja Akuthota began serving in 1999, have remained firm favourites. Satya Chai Lounge specialises in South Indian street food alongside craft beer, with a warmth and sociability to the space that makes it hard to leave. The dosa and idli are reliably excellent, and the dahi puri is the side you don’t skip.
Brew’d Hawt does one thing and does it well: fried chicken. Now with two locations, the original and a second outpost on Victoria Street in the city centre, the offering spans wings, burgers, and boneless chicken alongside a concise list of salads and fries. The kitchen has taken particular care with the crust, which holds up impressively even as a takeaway eaten 20 minutes later.
Starting from a Titirangi taqueria and now with a second outpost in Commercial Bay, Loco Bro’s pays genuine homage to Central American flavours: everything made from scratch, the ingredients doing the talking. Tacos, burritos, nachos, and fried chicken, all at prices that feel almost unreasonable given the quality and portion size.
A night of pasta and wine sounds like a treat; at Otto, it’s also an affordable one. Nothing on the Italian-inspired menu exceeds $28, and plenty sits around $18, including the handmade pasta. The smoked ricotta beetroot ravioli and kumara gnocchi are crowd favourites, the lamb ribs a strong opening move, and the burnt orange panna cotta a fitting close.
Burger Burger takes the classic burger and executes it at its best: quality meat, a properly considered patty, buns that earn their place. The beef and cheese burger is the benchmark. The cocktail list is worth a look, since pairing one with your order is a small upgrade that makes an already good meal feel like more of an occasion.
Since opening in Ponsonby Central in 2019, My Fried Chicken has grown into one of Auckland’s most recognisable Korean fried chicken operations. Now with five locations across Ponsonby, Newmarket, Mission Bay, Takapuna, and Britomart, the menu extends well beyond chicken into Korean street food, vegan options, natural wines, and inventive cocktails. The recent addition of Endless Chicken, offering 90 minutes of endless free-range drumsticks across all locations, is the kind of offer that makes a midweek dinner feel like a proper event.
Born from a couple’s longing for the Taiwanese street food of home, Kai Eatery has grown from a market stall into one of the city’s most sought-after operations, with locations in Albany, Takapuna, the city centre, Commercial Bay, and Ellerslie. The fried chicken is some of the best in Auckland: distinctive, Taiwanese in character, and consistently good, alongside crispy kumara fries, bao buns, and boba tea.
If Korean fried chicken has become a staple of your dining rotation, and given what Auckland now has to offer it’s hard to blame you, Henderson’s Munch is worth the trip west. High-quality chicken at accessible prices, across a range of flavours from spicy to more restrained. A neighbourhood spot that quietly holds its own.
Chef Kenta Kawano spent years in fine dining kitchens across New Zealand before opening this intimate Japanese eatery on West End Road in Westmere, right alongside Esarn Rocket, and the two together have quietly made this stretch one of the more interesting dining destinations in the city. The focus at Hocho is simple, precise Japanese food at accessible prices: a clear chicken broth ramen topped with oyster mushrooms, beef tataki, miso eggplant, agedashi tofu, and the dish that has people coming back, a chilled salmon ramen at $26 topped with fish roe and shiso granita that is one of the better summer bowls in Auckland. The space is minimal and the atmosphere is calm. Order carefully, eat slowly.
Tucked into Freemans Bay, Nishiki satisfies Japanese cravings with the added pleasure of an iPad ordering system that makes the whole experience feel slightly more enjoyable than it has any right to. The must-order dish is the miso and cheese eggplant: tender, indulgent, and a reminder that a vegetable can be the best thing on the table. Cold Asahi alongside.
Even if you haven’t tried Parade, and if you haven’t this is the nudge, you’ll have seen the burgers. Served in house-made pretzel buns with fillings that have included fried chicken with macaroni and cheese, or smashed beef with nacho chips and cheese sauce, they are the definition of committed eating. The team on Ponsonby Road is never afraid to push the concept further. Pull up with friends and commit to at least two.
Nobody wants the token vege burger, and that’s precisely the problem Wise Boys set out to solve. Starting as a food truck before opening in Grey Lynn in 2019, and now operating a second spot at Commercial Bay’s Harbour Eats, Wise Boys makes plant-based burgers that don’t ask you to lower your standards. They’re just good burgers.
Clean, well-executed burgers without the fuss: Shake Out, with locations at The Goodside on the North Shore and Commercial Bay, does what it says. Quality ingredients, properly cooked fries with cheesy sauce if you want them, house-made sodas, and a few sweet things to finish. The kind of takeaway that still feels good an hour later.
Tianze’s dumplings are excellent, but stopping there would be a mistake. At this Sandringham Chinese eatery, the mapo tofu is deeply good, the green beans are a revelation (both can be made without pork mince), and the crispy fried chicken in hot chilli sauce is the kind of thing you keep picking at long after you’re full. The jellyfish and Chinese cabbage salad is worth ordering if you’re feeling exploratory. Portions are generous; leaving without leftovers would be an achievement.
For Jon Tootill, painting begins outside the studio door. The Karaka-based artist has spent the past decade and a half living among the rhythms of rural Aotearoa, observing how colour moves through the landscape as the seasons turn. Moss deepens after rain, kōwhai erupts into sudden gold, and the sculptural blades of harakeke shift tone with the light. These subtle transformations have become the foundation of a visual language that is unmistakably his own.
Jon Tootill, HARAKEKE XIII, 2025, acrylic on linen canvas, 1300 x 1300 x 35 mm
Tootill’s latest exhibition at Sanderson celebrates his 75th year and continues this quietly rigorous exploration. At the centre of the new body of work sits the harakeke plant, whose distinctive forms and graphic silhouettes have long fascinated the artist. First appearing in a series he exhibited in 2020, the motif returns here with renewed clarity, its architectural leaves translated into geometric compositions that feel both contemporary and deeply rooted in place.
While the shapes in Tootill’s paintings often appear minimal, their references are rich with cultural and personal memory. Drawing on his Ngāi Tahu heritage, the works echo the visual language of traditional toi Māori practices such as raranga weaving, whakairo carving and tukutuku panelling. These influences are never literal. Instead, they surface through structure and rhythm, with compositions built around grid-like frameworks that quietly nod to the architectural logic of tukutuku panels.
Jon Tootill, Study for Harakeke III, 2025, Watercolour on paper, 430 x 430 mm
Before returning to painting full-time, Tootill spent many years as a designer and advertising executive at Saatchi & Saatchi. That experience left its imprint. The crisp linearity and graphic precision that define his work today carry the discipline of commercial design, while the colour palettes remain rooted in the organic world around him.
The process behind each work is contemplative. Studies begin as drawings, photographs and watercolours pinned across the studio wall. From these observations, Tootill distils motifs into structured grids before experimenting with colour relationships, often referencing the original plant forms as he works.
Jon Tootill, Harakeke XV, 2025 Acrylic on linen canvas 1300 x 1300 mm
The result is paintings that balance stillness with vitality. Structured yet instinctive, minimal yet richly referential. Works that capture not simply the appearance of Aotearoa’s landscape, but the deeper cadence of its seasons.
HARAKEKE by Jon Tootill Exhibition dates: 1st -26th April 2026
Whether you’re heading away or staying put, this long weekend calls for a considered listening edit. Japanese Breakfast’s For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) and Thundercat’s Distracted lead the new releases, alongside Arlo Parks’ latest. For something more conversational, Search Engine, Articles of Interest, Empire City and The Telepathy Tapes offer plenty to get into. Rounded out with classics from Fleetwood Mac, Lauryn Hill and David Bowie, this is a soundtrack to dip in and out of all weekend long.
New Albums
Ambiguous Desire Arlo Parks
Arlo Parks continues her evolution as one of Britain’s most perceptive young songwriters. Her latest work leans further into atmospheric production while preserving the emotional clarity that made her debut so beloved. Parks writes about vulnerability and connection with rare sensitivity, creating songs that feel intimate, observant, and quietly universal.
Song to start with: 2 Sided
For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) Japanese Breakfast
Michelle Zauner returns with a record that leans into lush arrangements and reflective songwriting. Expanding her indie pop palette with orchestral touches and atmospheric textures, the album balances introspection with moments of surprising warmth and melodic clarity.
Song to start with: Orlando in Love
Thundercat Distracted
Jazz virtuosity meets cosmic funk in Thundercat’s wonderfully strange musical universe. The bassist’s latest work blends dazzling musicianship with introspection and moments of surprising tenderness. Few artists make technical brilliance feel this relaxed, proving that music and imagination still go hand in hand.
Song to start with: No More Lies (feat. Tame Impala)
Classics to revisit
Rumours Fleetwood Mac
Recorded amid breakups and spectacular interpersonal drama, Rumours transformed emotional chaos into immaculate pop craftsmanship. Nearly five decades later, its songwriting remains flawless.
Song to start with: The Chain
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill
A singular masterpiece blending soul, hip hop, and gospel with remarkable lyrical honesty.
Song to start with: Doo Wop (That Thing)
Let’s Dance David Bowie
Bowie’s collaboration with Nile Rodgers fused art rock with irresistible dance-floor grooves.
Song to start with: Modern Love
Intriguing Podcasts
Search Engine
PJ Vogt investigates curious questions about the internet and modern life, turning digital mysteries into thoughtful explorations of contemporary culture. Each episode begins with a seemingly trivial puzzle before unfolding into something far more revealing about the strange ways technology shapes everyday experience.
Articles of Interest
Clothing becomes cultural anthropology in this endlessly fascinating podcast hosted by Avery Trufelman. Each episode unpacks the hidden histories behind everyday garments, revealing how fashion intersects with politics, identity, and design. Even listeners who claim little interest in clothing may find themselves unexpectedly captivated.
Empire City
This investigative series examines how power actually operates inside modern cities. From political manoeuvring to the influence of technology billionaires, the podcast reveals the networks shaping urban life today. Smart, sharply reported listening for anyone curious about how decisions affecting millions are really made.
The Telepathy Tapes
Blending rigorous research with open curiosity, The Telepathy Tapes explores controversial questions surrounding consciousness and human perception. Through interviews with scientists and researchers, the series examines claims about non-verbal communication and cognitive connection. Fascinating territory where science and mystery quietly overlap.
There are certain Auckland institutions that don’t just survive the seasons; they define them. And as autumn settles over the Waitematā, casting that particular golden light across the harbour, there is really only one place we want to be.
Soul Bar & Bistro has been quietly evolving its menu through 2026, and if you haven’t visited recently, consider this your official notice: it is very, very good.
Yes, the stalwarts remain. The ham-off-the-bone macaroni cheese, with its truffle-parmesan crust, still does what it has always done (arguably even better now, when the evenings call for something deeply comforting). But Executive Chef Gavin Doyle’s latest additions feel perfectly calibrated for this moment in the calendar, when the pace slows, red wine replaces rosé, and the waterfront demands a long lunch that slides effortlessly into an early dinner.
grilled fig toast with ricotta and cherry mostarda
It begins with restraint, as all good autumn afternoons should. Grilled fig toast with ricotta and cherry mostarda is sweet, savoury and unapologetically indulgent, the kind of dish that feels written for the season. Tuna tartare arrives bright with mango, makrut lime, chilli and calamansi vinegar, lifted with coconut for a warmth that lingers. Seared scallops with preserved lemon butter and citrus oil are the sort of dish that makes you pause mid-conversation.
potato gnocchi with yellow zucchini, almond and salted buffalo curd
Then come the mains that anchor you to your seat a little longer. Potato gnocchi with yellow zucchini, almond and salted buffalo curd is generous and comforting, the kind of plate autumn was made for. Grilled chicken with harissa, apricot, sugar snaps and toum brings heat and sweetness into perfect balance. And the crumbed pork chop with sweetcorn, garlic shoots and green tomato chutney is the kind of dish that turns a casual booking into a weekly ritual.
left: crumbed pork chop with sweetcorn & garlic shoots and green tomato chutney. Back right: sweetcorn & zucchini salad with pickled jalapeños and dill mayo
Even the sweetcorn and zucchini salad with pickled jalapeños and dill mayo feels like a fitting farewell to the warmer produce before winter sets in.
But beyond the plates, here is the real reason to go now. The Viaduct takes on a different character in autumn. It is quieter, more intimate. The light is softer and the crowds thinner. There is a particular alchemy that happens when good food meets that late-afternoon harbour glow, and Soul has mastered it across more than two decades.
The season is turning. And if you are going to make the most of it, this is the table to book.
There’s a reason Bivacco’s Sunday Feast has become one of Auckland’s most reliable weekend rituals. The waterfront setting, the sprawling Italian-inspired spread, the unhurried pace of an afternoon that refuses to end too soon. On Easter Sunday, the 5th of April, that ritual gets a seasonal twist, with the kitchen turning its weekly feast into a dedicated Easter celebration designed to bring the whole family to the table.
The format will be familiar to Feast regulars: an expansive buffet running from 11am to 4pm, anchored by Bivacco’s carvery, seafood station, woodfired pizzas, and the much-loved pasta wheel, where pipe rigate alla vodka is served to order from an aged parmesan wheel, a moment of theatre that alone justifies the trip to the Viaduct. Alongside these, expect the kind of antipasti spread that rewards multiple visits to the table. Cured meats, bocconcini, marinated artichokes, seasonal bruschetta. And a dessert station that leans hard into indulgence, from tiramisu and pavlova to a chocolate fountain with all the trimmings.
For Easter, the kitchen is adding a few seasonal highlights to the spread. A slow-cooked lamb shoulder with mint salsa verde and ricotta salata joins the carvery, alongside roasted Akaroa salmon at the seafood station. Freshly baked hot cross buns will be warm and ready throughout the afternoon, a new selection of cocktails has been crafted for the occasion, and Easter eggs will be scattered across the dessert offering for good measure.
What makes the Easter edition worth a special booking is what’s happening beyond the plates. While the adults settle into a long, unhurried lunch, ideally with one of Bivacco’s seasonal cocktails in hand, the younger members of the party can burn off energy with a dedicated Easter egg hunt, turning the afternoon into the kind of occasion that keeps everyone happy, from the five-year-olds to the grandparents.
At $85 per adult and $35 for under-12s, it’s priced for a proper family gathering. And with Bivacco’s DJs providing the soundtrack and the harbour as the backdrop, this is Easter Sunday lunch without the kitchen chaos or the coordination it usually demands. Easter Sunday sittings are limited, so gather the family and secure your spot sooner rather than later.
Jervois Steak House has built its reputation on knowing exactly what to do with a prime cut. So when JSH announces a lunch dedicated entirely to endless Lake Ōhau Wagyu, it warrants attention.
On Thursday, the 2nd of April, the Herne Bay stalwart is hosting a one-afternoon-only Endless Wagyu Lunch. For $100 per person across a 1.5-hour sitting, diners will be served plate after plate of wagyu, accompanied by golden French fries, crisp green leaf salad, and JSH’s signature sauces. For those wanting to make an afternoon of it, specially priced wines will be available to pair alongside.
Three sittings are on offer: 11.30am, 1pm, and 2.30pm. Given what’s on the table and the fact that this is a single-day event, we’d recommend securing a reservation promptly. Book here.
Endless Wagyu Lunch When: Thursday, 2nd April Sittings: 11:30am, 1pm & 2:30pm Price: $100pp* for 1.5 hours
There is a quiet confidence to Jean-Marie Massaud’s new Owen collection for Poliform, and it is particularly apparent in the armchair. Resting on a refined timber base, its architectural foundation grounds a composition of fluid, cocooning curves. The low-slung form is beautifully presented in bouclé, though equally compelling in supple leather that accentuates its sculptural clarity.
Mid-century references are evident in the disciplined proportions and honest expression of structure, while a subtle Brazilian inflection emerges in the softened silhouette and tactile warmth of the materials. The backrest folds gently into the arm, creating a continuous line that feels both resolved and instinctive. Across the broader collection, the timber base elevates each piece, lending a sense of air and intention while reinforcing the dialogue between craft and contemporary production.
This is seating that does not rely on excess to impress. Instead, it offers considered detail, material integrity and an elegance that deepens over time. In a living room, Owen is both a statement and a sanctuary, inviting long conversations, unhurried evenings and a daily appreciation of form meeting function at its most refined.
The full Owen collection is now available in New Zealand at Studio Italia.
Under Demna’s direction, Gucci’s latest handbag releases signal recalibration rather than reinvention. The Giglio and the Borsetto do not attempt to eclipse the archive. Instead, they mine it with precision, extracting emblem, proportion and attitude, then returning them to the present with sharpened intent.
Emily Ratajkowski wears Giglio large tote bag from Gucci
The Gucci Giglio takes its name from the Florentine lily, a direct invocation of origin. Its tote inspired silhouette feels deceptively simple, but the balance of volume and structure is deliberate. Spacious enough for the choreography of daily life, it retains a composed elegance that resists slouch. Crafted in GG Monogram canvas, suede and leather, the materials carry historic weight, yet they feel cleaner, more assertive. The Giglio reads as a bag for women who move between roles without announcing the shift.
The Borsetto offers a different register. A rectangular shoulder bag scaled closer to a tote, it merges borsa and morsetto, placing the horsebit front and centre as both hardware and statement. The tri stripe motif and bold overlay lend graphic clarity, while its generous proportions make it more than decorative. Available in GG canvas, black leather and brown suede, it leans into retro chic without lapsing into nostalgia.
Kate Moss wears Borsetto medium boston bag from Gucci
Already adopted by Vittoria Ceretti, the Borsetto channels a Milanese polish that feels instinctively cinematic. Together, these silhouettes mark a Gucci in transition, confident enough to revisit its codes and disciplined enough to redefine them with intention.
Kate Moss wears Borsetto large boston bag from Gucci
What distinguishes both designs is their refusal to over explain themselves. There is no heavy handed branding exercise here, no attempt to manufacture instant cult status. Instead, Demna relies on proportion, material and cultural memory to do the work. The effect is subtle but strategic, positioning these bags as future classics rather than fleeting It pieces.
In an industry addicted to disruption, this feels almost radical. By refining rather than rebelling, Demna proposes a Gucci that values longevity over noise. The Giglio and Borsetto do not shout for attention. They assume it. The Borsetto embodies the kind of old world glamour Demna is intent on reframing. Together, these two silhouettes suggest a Gucci confident enough to honour its past while asserting a newly defined present.
The best coffee table books strike a balance between form and function, offering something to return to while elevating the spaces they inhabit. Equal parts inspiration and everyday indulgence, these beautifully made volumes are designed to be lived with, picked up, shared and returned to over time. From sun-soaked escapes and iconic fashion imagery to horology, photography and the art of cooking over fire, this selection spans subjects that feel both aspirational and deeply personal.
Few hotels capture the spirit of a place quite like Maçakizi, the fabled hideaway on Bodrum’s turquoise coast that has quietly become a pilgrimage for the global gypset. In Maçakizi: Everlasting Summer, Assouline chronicles the world of founder Sahir Erozan and his singular vision of Mediterranean hospitality. Through evocative photography and intimate storytelling, the book reveals a hotel shaped by sun, sea, music, art and exceptional food. This is an enduring portrait of a destination where effortless glamour meets soulful simplicity.
Few photographer-muse pairings have shaped fashion imagery as profoundly as Steven Meisel and Linda Evangelista. This sumptuous monograph features more than 180 images shot over the course of their twenty-five years of collaborating. From high drama to quiet elegance, Meisel’s endlessly inventive lens captures Evangelista in a kaleidoscope of characters, each image reinforcing their rare creative alchemy and the enduring influence they still have on the fashion industry today.
A love letter to haute horlogerie, Ultimate Collector Watches surveys a century of the world’s most extraordinary timepieces with the eye of a true connoisseur. Across two lavish volumes, one hundred grail watches are examined in exquisite detail, from rare early minute repeaters to legendary vintage chronographs by Patek Philippe, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin, alongside masterpieces by independent greats such as Philippe Dufour and F.P. Journe. Rich photography, archival material and expert commentary reveal the artistry, precision and obsession that define the highest echelon of watchmaking.
Fire, smoke and a world of flavour converge in this globe-spanning ode to barbecue. Pitmaster Hugh Mangum gathers 280 recipes from more than 80 countries, charting the rich traditions of live-fire cooking from American brisket to Mexican barbacoa and Indonesian satay. With vivid photography and clear guidance, it is both a travelogue of taste and a masterclass in cooking over flame.
Few architects have pursued the poetry of space with the discipline of Tadao Ando. This extraordinary volume gathers more than 750 sketches, models and technical drawings, offering a rare glimpse into the quiet process behind his most celebrated works. From early pencil studies to fully realised architectural plans, the book traces five decades of creativity, revealing how memory, travel, light and landscape shaped the concrete-and-glass masterpieces that define Ando’s enduring architectural language.
When Carl Barks took Donald Duck from the screen to the comic page in 1942, he quietly reshaped popular culture. This meticulously restored first volume gathers the duck’s globe-trotting adventures, where humour, mischief and remarkable craftsmanship transformed the famously hot-headed duck into a literary icon. Limited to 1,000 numbered collector’s editions, the book is handsomely produced with an aluminium print cover, leatherette spine, foil embossing and slipcase — a serious object for serious Disney devotees.
Marking two decades of design excellence, Moments in Time: Limited Edition, charts the creative evolution of Auckland studio Studio South, tracing twenty years of work produced for some of New Zealand’s most recognisable brands. Structured across twenty chapters, one for each year, the book reflects not only the studio’s output but the culture, collaboration and curiosity that have shaped its practice. The limited edition is lavishly presented in fluoro-orange cloth with de-bossed detailing, chrome and black foiling, Swiss-bound exposed binding and a striking chrome die-cut dust jacket. A collector’s piece for design obsessives everywhere.
Few marques command the same reverence as Ferrari. Produced with rare access to the Ferrari Archives and private collections, this monumental volume chronicles the marque’s extraordinary story from Enzo Ferrari’s founding vision in 1947 to its modern-day dominance. Edited by renowned motorsport journalist Pino Allievi, it brings together unseen photographs, sketches and archival documents alongside a complete record of every Ferrari victory. A fitting tribute to the Cavallino Rampante’s enduring myth and mechanical brilliance.
Ambitious in scope and beautifully democratic in spirit, The American Art Book surveys more than three centuries of artistic expression through the work of 500 influential artists. Fully revised and updated, this landmark volume moves fluidly from early colonial portraiture to the seismic shifts of Modernism and the provocations of contemporary art. Each artist is represented by a defining work and expert commentary, creating a vivid, cross-referenced portrait of America’s restless and ever-evolving creative imagination.
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