A recent zip-zap across the Tasman was all about celebrating the joy of togetherness with family and friends. One particularly delightful dining occasion was hosted at Daphne’s Taverna, conveniently nestled in the vibrant heart of Ponsonby Road. We also took the opportunity to check out the fabulous Bar Magda, a Filippo cuisine restaurant located below street level on Cross Street, just behind bustling Karangahape Road.
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. There are 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 of dining in Aotearoa.
On our recent trip to Auckland we were pleasantly surprised to find that the city is now divided into 'precincts' resulting in a lot of new additions to the dining out mix. Such as the former industrial area of Morningside which now features several warehouse space cafes including Crave, KIND and even a bar The Morningside Tavern , amidst the new apartment developments. Feels a lot like Alexandria in Sydney but on a smaller scale.
Re-discovering Ponsonby Rd on this trip back to our hometown of Auckland.. One2One Cafe is where the original Atomic cafe used to be and next door to our favourite Magazino store. Co-owner Chris Priestly has put the focus back on the beans and the food - with his former chef from Kerouac days the gifted Mark Nicholson in the kitchen.