The Hotel Britomart
Auckland’s first 5-star green-certified hotel is a masterclass in understated luxury. The hand-made brick exterior gives way to timber-lined, cabin-like rooms that smell of native forest. Dump your bags, admire the curated New Zealand art on the walls, and prepare for a brilliant night.
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Walk up the hill to this stunning architectural hybrid, where a soaring canopy of native kauri wood meets heritage Victorian stone. Head straight to the contemporary Māori and Pacific galleries for works that are politically sharp and visually arresting. It’s the perfect intellectual palate cleanser before dinner.
Ahi
Chef Ben Bayly's love letter to New Zealand terroir is served in a sophisticated, wood-toned dining room overlooking the harbor. Skip the à la carte and trust the kitchen with their 'scavenger' tasting menu, featuring hyper-local ingredients like wild red deer and hand-gathered kaimoana (seafood). It’s refined, inventive, and entirely devoid of stuffiness.
Auckland Town Hall
Take your seat in the Great Hall, renowned for its brilliant Edwardian acoustics, to witness Chamber Music NZ present the John Psathas Group. Psathas, one of New Zealand’s preeminent living composers, delivers a thrillingly physical performance where classical precision meets jazz and heavy percussion. It’s an exhilarating, heart-racing performance that redefines chamber music.
Caretaker
Slip down an unassuming staircase in Britomart into this New York-style speakeasy, where jazz vinyl spins and the lighting is kept low. There is no menu; instead, tell the bartender your mood and spirit preference, and watch them mix a bespoke concoction that hits the spot perfectly. The ideal wind-down to an electric evening.
