AUCKLAND

By the causeway at Omaha Beach, THE FARMERS DAUGHTER is serving coffee and bagels with the promise of food and cocktails to come.

Bring-your-own-packaging wholefoods refillery GOODFOR has a new store on St George’s Bay Road, beside the La Cigale French markets.

A sixth FARRO store is set to open in May on Dominion Road, Mt Eden.

Uber-cool, Wellington-based craft beer aficionados, GARAGE PROJECT have opened a cellar door in Kingsland. Styled as a re-imagined bottle shop there will be 12 rotating Garage Project beers on tap to fill a flagon, or for minitasters and flight paddles, and a little something to nibble on as you quaff.

Situated in Wynyard Central Apartments WILLIAMS EATERY is a daytime spot focussing on organic and free-range produce alongside coffee, natural wine and craft beer.

Boasting sake sipping trays & Asian-influenced cocktails to complement Asian fusion food, WU & YOU is a glitzy new hang out in Mt Eden with a cool courtyard and colourful murals. Chutima Polvit (known as Say) has been appointed head chef at Ponsonby’s SAAN restaurant after being sous chef since the restaurant opened.

New on the Ponsonby Road strip, THE GYOZA BAR specializes in, yes, gyoza, and other izakaya-style tapas, beer and cocktails.

GREYTOWN

La Pancetta, a popular Greytown restaurant, has rebranded to become THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER, with the addition of a deli so its owner Rachel Priestley can share her love of Italy and Wairarapa’s artisan food products.

WELLINGTON

MONTE CERVINO is chef Sean Marshall’s new all-day eatery on Tory Street, serving up simple, Italian fare including handmade pasta, breads and pizzettas.

After many months of outfitting, the WHISTLING SISTER FERMENTARY (micro-brewery/ bar/eatery) is open on the corner of Ghuznee Street and Taranaki St, Wellington. Owned by Russel, Elwyn and Lisa Scott it’s serving Whistling Sister beers plus a selection of craft beer from Wellington’s best breweries, and beer-matched food too.

QUEENSTOWN

The new executive chef at SOFITEL QUEENSTOWN HOTEL & SPA is Jorg Penneke. His 32-year career has seen him cook in luxury hotels, ocean liners and river cruise ships before landing lakeside. Brazilian-born ex-firefighter and self-defense instructor, Sandro Lobao, has been appointed as the new executive chef at luxury hotel HERITAGE QUEENSTOWN.

CUBA COOL

Cementing Wellington’s rep as the craft beer capital of NZ, Black Dog Brewery has opened in an Edwardian 1920s building on Cuba St. It’s a mix of industrial style in the ground-floor brewery and antique charm in the 16-tap bar upstairs. Black Dog Brewery’s Adrian Klemp says, “The new brewery will be a space that really complements the area’s creative soul.” To connect the new space with the community, Black Dog commissioned a large mural from three local Wellington artists, Kelly Spencer (left), Mica Still and Sean Duffell, whose work mixes three styles, featuring hand-crafted lettering, bold dog characters, abstract shapes and symmetrical patterns. blackdogbrewery.co.nz