Kindred
The newest offering from the Wiley Bros, the family behind Miss Clawdy and Sausalito Cafe, is Kindred, a modern and sophisticated all-day eatery at Wynyard Quarter. Family matriach Belinda is on board as creative director and has treated the restaurant's light and airy space as an extension of her home, with greenery from the garden and art from the family collection on rotation on the walls. They've kept the food philosophy fairly simple, with a focus on seasonal produce and plenty of health-conscious options: think tuna poke with avocado, wakame seaweed, brown rice and a chia cracker (pictured); or blueberry and lemon raw cashew cheesecake.
— 7/12 Jellicoe St, Wynyard Quarter
Culprit
From Kyle Street (ex-Depot) and Jordan MacDonald comes Culprit which opens to the public on Tuesday. The restaurant is based on the pair's interpretation of a Yum Cha-style service, with shared plates, and is born from their travel in the US and Europe. There'll be a menu of signature dishes, interspersed with seasonal bites from the kitchen.
— 12 Wyndham St, City
Curator Espresso Bar
Drop by Kitchener St's new coffee bar, Curator Espresso, for one of its Nitro-charged cold brew coffees on tap. Curator's owners, Jay Denton and Ewan Kim, also serve gourmet sandwiches and fresh baking, including an excellent carrot cake. Open seven days.
— 2 Kitchener St, City
The Raw Kitchen
Good news for Raw Kitchen fans, with a new expanded set-up at City Works Depot. Besides founder Olivia Scott's signature plant-based food (salads, wraps, raw sweets, smoothies, coffee and milkshakes), the eatery is offering bespoke wedding cakes and catering, and those dining in can spread out and relax on the couches in its upstairs lounge. The Raw Kitchen opens next Friday.
— City Works Depot, 90 Wellesley St
Tantalus Estate
If the food and wine at Waiheke winery Tantalus Estate is as beautiful and well-crafted as its newly renovated premises by Cheshire Architects, we can't wait to sample it. The 8.4ha Onetangi estate, which produces small batch Bordeaux and Rhone style blends, will release its inaugural vintage later this year. Also on site is the Alibi Brewing Co, producing quality hand-crafted ales.
— 70-72 Onetangi Rd, Waiheke Island
