Interior of Gusto, in Sky City. Photo / Babiche Martens.
Interior of Gusto, in Sky City. Photo / Babiche Martens.
PROMOTION: There’s always somewhere to go and something fabulous to do in the Heart of the City.
Petula Clark had it nailed when she sang the merits of Downtown in 1964. Sure, she was talking about grand ol' New York, but we find the sentiment translates to Auckland's Heart of the City just as well. Even "when you're alone and life is making you lonely" there's always a buzz to catch you and absorb you in Auckland. Even on quiet weeknights, there's a fabulous bar or intimate restaurant to wrap its arms around you and take you in.
With so many pockets of culture, from the arts precinct around the Auckland Art Gallery, to the enticing Federal St dining district, to the sparkling waterfront, there's a destination for every mood.
When we're on a mad food-hunt, we head to the City Works Depot. In just a few short years, this industrial space has become a haven for boutique breweries and specialist cafes. We grab a freshly roasted coffee at Three Beans, pick up some craft beer at Brothers Beer, and get our fill of tarts at Scratch Bakers. For lunch we can't go past a Redergize salad from the Food Truck Garage or a king bagel at Best Ugly Bagels, specialists at their own games.
Although the custom approach reigns at City Works, the other trend is for contrasts - we love picking up fresh flowers and food at The Botanist or having cake with our cut at Dry and Tea, and over summer we played ping-pong while munching on Vietnamese street food at pop-up Miss Pings. We're excited for the team behind Takapuna's Zomer all-day eatery, and formerly Zus & Zo to unveil their new concept in this space in October.
Interior from Scratch Bakers. Photo / Babiche Martens.
Once we've had our fill of new and hip, it's time to get lost in an older part of town. Craving peace or inspiration, we head up Queen St, gazing at the beautiful old facades, having a New York moment. Our mid-winter highlight is the International Film Festival, which offers the rare chance to see stellar cinema in a true Art Deco masterpiece - the starry-ceilinged Civic Theatre.
To further the old world glamour we head to the Art Gallery, where we ponder Fragile Beauty, an exhibition of historic Japanese graphic art, then enjoy a snack in the cafe or browse the gorgeous books in the shop. To complete our inspirational tour, we carry on to the Auckland Domain, to dream of European courtyards in the Wintergarden, and take in ancient masterpieces at the Auckland Museum.
If it's a livelier mood and bright lights we're looking for, we opt for an evening in Britomart.
This downtown hub provides the perfect ambience, whether it's admiring the lights of the port from Tyler Street Garage or sipping a house Negroni under the stars at Ostro's City Terrace; dining under the vines and fairy lights at Ortolana or going Vietnamese at Cafe Hanoi.
Big nights start with margaritas at Mexico before continuing into the small hours at The Roxy, only stopping to catch our breath with a late-night Better Burger.
The Roxy restaurant. Photo / Getty Images.
Sometimes, a Sunday calls for getting out of the city - even while city-bound. Here, the waterfront provides the ultimate escape, simply wandering Queens Wharf, or boat-gazing in the Viaduct, with a sun-filled drink on the deck at Soul or the terrace at Harbourside.
We love how easy it is now to continue along to Wynyard Quarter, where Baduzzi's meatballs fill the hole in our stomachs, and Silo Park plays host to events such as the Matariki on the Waterfront celebrations at the end of this month.
If we want to impress our friends while indulging our appetites, our favourite ever-expanding hub is SkyCity, with its mouthwatering selection of eateries.
Make a night of it, heading to Depot for succulent oysters, Masu for sake and sashimi, Gusto at the Grand for fish cooked in "crazy water" and Federal Delicatessen for lemon meringue pie. With Federal St in the process of being paved this area is only going to get better.
Auckland Art Gallery. Photo / John Mclver.
Lastly, when we need a hideaway for a business meeting, we favour the lesser-known lanes and courtyards in the city.
We like The Imperial Lane for a city-chic breakfast surrounded by designer suits, the courtyard at Chuffed for a lunch that feels far from the CBD, or Mezze Bar for a drink after work, people-watching the street below. These off-the-street locales provide oases of calm in a hectic day, before we head back into the city to find our next adventure.
THE SHOW NEVER STOPS
Fill your calendar with inspiring shows and events in the Heart of the City.
• Visit the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 exhibition, at the Auckland Museum until August 3.
