AWOL’s Guide To The Real Auckland

Henry Oliver is a freelance writer based in Auckland. He…

The City

Auckland is a bit of a sprawl. More like Sydney or LA than, say, Melbourne or New York. While the inner-city is the focal point, it’s a city of multiple centres of activity. The inner-city is work and retail orientated during the day, but by night has some of Auckland’s best food, drink and nightlife options.

Karangahape Road (‘K Road’) is younger and hipper with dive bars, grimy music venues, and thrift stores. You can get a super strong espresso (Miller’s, 31 Cross Street) and a super cheap curry in the day (Rasoi, 211 Karangahape Road), and super cheap beer at night (Peach Pit, 352 Karangahape Road).

Ponsonby is slightly older and more expensive. More single origin drip coffees and raw cheesecakes (Little Bird, 1 Summer Street), craft beers and boutique wine (Golden Dawn, 134 Ponsonby Road).

Britomart is the new kid on a block – a new development downtown with some of the city’s best shopping (all the best local womenswear brands are there: Karen Walker, Zambesi, Juliette Hogan, Kate Sylvester), eating and drinking (Daikoku Ramen for budget travellers, Ortolana for spenders).

Up next: The Suburbs

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Henry Oliver

Henry Oliver is a freelance writer based in Auckland. He is currently deputy editor at Idealog magazine and is the popular music critic for North & South. In former lives, he has been a musician, a bar proprietor, and an intellectual property lawyer.