The evolution to Bria came after he saw an opportunity to bring the craft and produce-driven approach of The Butcher Baker closer to the city, and expand Honey Bones into an evening service.<\/p>\n
\u201cBria brings the farm-to-table philosophy of The Butcher Baker to the neighbourhood while still keeping that cafe vibe,\u201d says Richard, who has refreshed the cafe\u2019s interior with the help of Obel Studio, and has plans to add more tables and umbrellas to the popular corner spot on Richmond Rd.<\/p>\n
\u201cLunch and dinner is a bit more elevated, but sharing style for people who want to hang out and have a glass of wine in the evening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard will split his time between both venues, working towards his long-term goal of The Butcher Baker being a fully organic farm-to-table restaurant. The team have been busy planting a 1000sq m garden next to the restaurant, which will provide both kitchens with seasonal produce \u2013 \u201cit\u2019s full of tamarillo and yuzu right now\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to have 85 to 90% of produce come from my own farm,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a much longer process, but we want to make everything in-house and not cut corners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bria will also offer cakes, pastries and bread delivered from The Butcher Baker kitchen (which is much larger), plus housemade ferments, marinated olives and hummus.<\/p>\n
To drink, there are local wines from producers including Dicey<\/a>, Deep Down and Greystone, alongside international drops and a handful of classic cocktails. While Honey Bones regulars will appreciate the familiarity, Bria also gives city diners a chance to experience Reginaldo\u2019s Helensville cooking without making the drive.<\/p>\n Curio<\/p>\n The team behind Culprit<\/a> have turned their bar Little Culprit into Curio, a cocktail and wine bar with a collection of curiosities adorning every surface. Old framed photographs, a pinboard covered in Gremlins cards, flickering candles and vintage objects have taken over the space, landing somewhere between an antique store\u2019s back room and a 1980s video shop. But somehow it works.<\/p>\n The concept comes from chef\/owner Kyle Street, who has created a playful spot for cocktails, wine and good snacks.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very proud of the new vibes; it feels like I finally have it the way I always wanted it,\u201d says Street.<\/p>\n Viva recommends the tuna tostadas, fried Brussels sprouts scattered with crinkle-cut chips and the duck liver parfait with buttery toasted brioche.<\/p>\n Culprit\u2019s famous Kaimoana Platter is also available at Curio. The cocktails, or \u201celixirs\u201d, are all unique, from The Gremlin (tequila, Suze, mandarin, thyme and soda) to The Krump (bourbon, maple syrup and Marmite). With hip hop on the speakers, low lighting and booths full, this new addition to Auckland\u2019s bar scene is a good time.<\/p>\n Den Ramen<\/p>\n Den Ramen<\/a> has opened on Cross St, just in time for the nearby Karang-a-hape Station to spring into action, when it\u2019s likely to become even harder to score a table at this great little hole-in-the-wall (meant in the nicest way \u2013 it\u2019s small, dimly lit and has minimal seating).<\/p>\n The walk-in-only spot comes from Taku and Noriko Hida of Miso Ra food truck, Pici and Ooh-Fa co-founder Kaz Suzuki and his partner Isabel Buckley, who was skilfully working the floor when Viva visited.<\/p>\n Specialising in a concise menu of just four ramen styles \u2013 two shoyu, shio and vegetarian miso ramen \u2013 Den Ramen is worth the wait. If there\u2019s no room inside, have your name scrawled on the glass door and perch outside with a cloudy plum wine and a snack (don\u2019t miss the grilled monkfish). To drink alongside your steaming bowl of noodles, there\u2019s Kirin on tap, sake and cocktails including a particularly good yuzu negroni.<\/p>\n The Halligan<\/p>\n The Halligan is a new cocktail bar on the second floor of Hotel Indigo overlooking St Patrick\u2019s Square. It does have the air of a hotel bar to it (club chairs, an elevator music soundtrack), but there\u2019s a lot to like about a good hotel bar, including being mere minutes away from your hotel room.<\/p>\n But hotel general manager Matt Simister says, \u201cThe Halligan has always been envisioned as much more than a hotel bar. We wanted to create somewhere that Aucklanders would genuinely choose to meet for an after-work drink, celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a great cocktail and a glass of wine.\u201d<\/p>\n The cocktail menu features twists on classics, but you can also order a margarita or a martini to your liking. The drinks programme is led by bar manager Dylan Hawkins, whose CV includes overseeing Kemuri Hi-Fi\u2019s opening, and food and beverage manager Joey Hickman, who brings experience from Pasture, Bossi, Ace Hotel New York and Hawksmoor London.<\/p>\n The Halligan\u2019s food menu benefits from sharing a kitchen with Bistro Saine<\/a> downstairs, with executive chef Yutak Son crafting the small plates offering.<\/p>\n Matchbox<\/p>\n Continuing the theme of reinventing well-known hospitality addresses, Matchbox has opened in the former Deadshot space on Ponsonby Rd. The new late-night bar comes from Kamal Haggerty and Milenta<\/a> co-owner and head chef Alejandro Vasquez, serving cocktails, tacos and snacks until 2am.<\/p>\n Why does Auckland need a Matchbox?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s inspired by a personal need and what I see as an evolution in drinking culture \u2013 moving away from \u2018hard and fast\u2019 drinking toward spending meaningful, valuable time with friends over high-quality offerings,\u201d says Haggerty.<\/p>\n Rather than stripping the venue back and starting again, the team have retained much of the original fit-out.<\/p>\n \u201cNot everything needs to be wasted. Honestly, even if I wanted to build it this way from scratch, a brand-new space would look too manufactured. What we are doing isn\u2019t entirely new, and this design respects both the history and the future of the space. We have recycled banquettes in the front yard and hustled the rest of the fit-out together using excess materials from friends.\u201d<\/p>\n The drinks list draws on the team\u2019s travels and the changing seasons, and the menu will rotate depending on what\u2019s been batched that week, or day. What\u2019s the ideal drink and snack combo?<\/p>\n \u201cThe Cafe Blanc cocktail is a great representation of our effort to create a full cycle: we make a hydrosol with rare coffee and use the coffee pulp, usually discarded, as a tea to infuse and coat the rice paper. Pair that with our pork belly taco, and you are experiencing the true essence of Matchbox.\u201d<\/p>\n More new openings at a glance \u2026<\/p>\n Aka Rooftop is a huge new rooftop bar located 15 floors above Lorne St at the top of the Radisson Hotel. It serves a \u201cpan Asian\u201d menu (bao buns, sashimi, dim sum) and inventive cocktails, with views across the city. 33 Lorne St, central city. Akarooftop.co.nz<\/a><\/p>\n La Buvette is a new cafe and wine bar from the Bare Wine team on Richmond Rd in Grey Lynn. While the closure of Bare Wine because of a licensing issue was a blow to Auckland\u2019s hospo scene, this new spot serves coffee and pastries by day and cheese plates, beef tartare and baked scallops by night. As the nighttime offering evolves, diners can expect a top-notch edit of local and international wines. 104 Richmond Rd, Grey Lynn. Barewine.co.nz<\/a><\/p>\n Salad superstars Bowler, creators of salads you actually want to eat, have a new spot in Takapuna\u2019s Hurstmere Rd and are looking to open a second in the city to complement the Wynyard Quarter location. Unit 12\/40 Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna. Bowlerbowler.com<\/a><\/p>\n Another Takapuna opening, Goldie\u2019s Bar & Yard specialises in Southern American food (wings, ribs, mac \u2018n\u2019 cheese), live music and line dancing. 138 Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna. Stargroup.nz\/venues\/goldies-bar-and-yard<\/a><\/p>\n Gui is a Korean barbecue restaurant in Newmarket from the Olle<\/a> team, with quality cuts cooked over charcoal, sizzling skillets and highball cocktails. 49 Nuffied St, Newmarket.Instagram.com\/gui.newmarket<\/a><\/p>\n Coming soon \u2026<\/p>\n The Cassia team are hard at work on the fitout of their new modern Indian restaurant at 58 Albert St, due to open later this year. In the meantime, you can find them at Ozone in Grey Lynn for a temporary residency, serving dinner from Wednesday to Sunday.<\/p>\n From the team behind fine dining restaurant The Grove (which closed in 2025), Italian-American eatery Perfetto is due to open at Smales Farm on the North Shore later this year.<\/p>\n Faradays luxury department store is due to open at 131 Queen St in September with an all-day restaurant on level one overlooking Vulcan Lane. Led by some hospitality heavyweights, this is one to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n Yola is a new restaurant taking shape in Ponsonby Central from the team behind The Lebanese Grocer. Described as a sister restaurant to their Pitt St eatery, which specialises in shawarmas and a deli section of take-home goodies like hummus and tabouli, Yola will bring Lebanese flavours, and drinks, to Ponsonby. You can watch the renovation and build progressing on their Instagram page<\/a>.<\/p>\n More Auckland food & drink<\/p>\nCurio Lounge is just across the road from its parent restaurant, Culprit, in Auckland central.<\/p>\n
New restaurant Den Ramen in Cross St. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Hotel Indigo’s new cocktail bar, The Halligan.<\/p>\n
Matchbox in Ponsonby. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Aka, the new rooftop bar and restaurant on top of the Radisson Red hotel.<\/p>\n