We are still processing our recent trip back to Aotearoa. After four years between visits there were a lot of changes on the dining scene of our original homeland.
Auckland CBD is currently a tangle of construction sites, which make it difficult to enjoy the centre of town. But there are still pockets of beautifully restored early century buildings with well-designed streetscapes - such as Britomart downtown and the hip, fun venues in the lovingly restored 19th Century St Kevin's Arcade on K'Rd giving us hope for a bright and innovative future for dining in Aotearoa.
Small bar culture is alive and well at places like 1930’s salon Tomfoolery in St Kevin’s Arcade. With a wonderful mix of old and new fixtures including a beautiful handcrafted wood-paneled wall that mirrors the shapes in the leadlight windows throughout the arcade, cleverly providing a link between the new and old architecture. Serving up classic and innovative cocktail creations with their own spin, the bar staff are all distinct characters that you can well imagine spending a long, fun night as you chat and flirt with each other over the leadlight bar under the last-century chandelier.
Tomfoolery Bar, St Kevin’s Arcade, Auckland
Pop Uptown to the corner of Mt Eden Road and Symonds Street and decade long restaurant French Cafe is still popular but now shares the precinct with funky wine bar The Corner Store, a handsome room that welcomes the locals with a short but good wine list and friendly personal service.
We were fortunate enough to get into steward Lilian for a stunning mid-week dinner in a softly lite dining room serving-up great tasting rustic fare, on Richmond Road in Grey Lynn. After following the restaurant on Insta’ for years it was delight to experience their food firsthand and enjoy the care and knowledge of their servers whilst catching-up with a dear friend.
Wrap-up warm and pop over for some good kai and discover what your Kiwi cousins are up too this winter.