Carlo Buenaventura, contemporary Filipino eatery Bar Magda’s co-owner, has long been passionate about food and the connective quality it holds. “Food was a big part of my culture growing up in the Philippines,” he tells me. “It’s a means for us to gather and celebrate, whether it’s harvest season or Christmas, there’s always an excuse to have a fiesta of some sort, so that is where my love for hosting people and cooking for others started.”
Upon opening Bar Madga, Buenaventura set out to bring this same sense of celebration and community to Auckland’s hospitality scene, and the dining destination has quietly solidified itself as a go-to for everything from convivial gatherings to date nights and corporate dinners in a laid-back setting.
At Bar Madga, a hard-to-achieve balance of warm and personal hospitality (Carlo himself is often on the floor, greeting diners and guiding guests through the inventive yet approachable menu), excellent food, pitch-perfect drinks, and a laid-back yet elevated ambience has resulted in those who step through the doors instantly adding it to their list of go-to eateries. This, according to Buenaventura, is what has kept Bar Magda ticking over during the past few years when the industry has been anything but buoyant. “We all still have to live and socialise, and I think there’s a heavy focus on supporting local. We’re an owner-operated venue, and it’s great to see our loyal patrons choosing to come back frequently, choosing us for functions, and sending their networks to us too.”
No stranger to hard work, and unafraid of moving with the times, Buenaventura has reimagined the eatery’s new wave Filipino offering to place a heavier emphasis on small plates for sharing. “Filipino cuisine is still quite niche and new to the majority in our local community, so these little bites give people a opportunity to try something different without having to commit to a full dish. It also works perfectly as snacks for guests just coming in for drinks.”
These dishes still showcase the best of Buenaventura and his clever culinary team’s creativity, with a host of things you may not have tried before but still feel familiar. “The lumpia of crab and prawn (spring roll) and the pork & duck albondigas (meatballs) were both new to the menu earlier this year, and have quickly become crowd-pleasers — they’re both a riff on my grandmas recipes,” he tells me. “Here at Bar Magda, the food is not just contemporary Filipino, its rooted in childhood nostalgia, family traditions, and recipes that champion the best of New Zealand’s local produce, making us the perfect blend of Kiwi and Filipino cuisine.”
With a host of must-try new dishes and creative cocktails, and Carlo and his team always on-hand to cater to each and every guest’s unique requirements, Bar Magda is the ultimate inner-city eatery that delivers both an exceptional meal and an exceptional experience, every time.
