AUCKLAND

Making the most of the heritage building, Platform 8 is newly opened in the grandiose lobby of Auckland’s old railway station – think arched windows, granite pillars and shiny marble. Breakfast and lunch in Newmarket just got more interesting with Newbie, bursting with colour on Broadway. And staying in Newmarket, Khao San Eatery & Bar on Davis Cres is the very welcome second branch of this longstanding Eden Terrace favourite. Look for the easy-to-spot red caravan beside LynnMall’s main entrance – you’ll find Mesob, a new Ethiopian cuisine and coffee caravan. Captain Crêpes has a new permanent home at Victoria Park Market, where chef Ronan Guilloux will serve you either a sweet or savoury version of Britanny’s best. Wise Boys Burgers are also putting down roots with permanent digs in Grey Lynn. Scoot along there for plant-based vegan takeaways. Farewell Mea Culpa. After 20 years this Ponsonby cocktail favourite takes its final bow and in its place we usher in Clipper, a bar inspired by the days when long haul travel had glamour. If you love Winona Forever, Major Tom, Rude Boy, FANG, Friday I’m In Love and Sugar at Chelsea Bay, then arms open wide for Just Like Martha on Mt Eden Rd. Smales Farm gets yet another new opening with fried-chicken favourite Kai Eatery heading over the bridge. What a treat – a new wine bar in Milford, Cave à Vin, that specialises in natural wines and a menu from former Orphans Kitchen head chef, Conor Wiremu Mertens.

MOUNT MAUNGANUI

Māori meets Japanese at Izakai Bar and Eatery at Bayfair. Get ready for the likes of hāngī pork and puha ramen or pāua and prawn gyoza.

HAWKE’S BAY

Esk Valley Cellar Shop in Bay View, Hawke’s Bay, is set to relocate to the premises of the Te Awa Cellar Door at Roys Hill.

WHANGANUI

SourBros Bakery now has a retail operation so you can stock up. Spanakopita, strudel, bagels, baguettes, doughnuts and toasties and spot on sourdough, of course.

WELLINGTON

Latin style comes to Dixon St, with El Barrio amping up the tempo with Kiwi-Latino fusion tapas and top Latino bands. New Featherston St bar Honey Badger offers 28 different types of tequila – just don’t try them all at once! Highwater is a sustainable eatery on Cuba St promising that almost everything will be made from scratch. So get along to try out their butchering, pickling, churning, preserving, fermenting, smoking and curing. Market stall Oriental Blue has grown up into Seoul Salon, cooking Korean with a touch of Japanese all on Willis St.

CHRISTCHURCH

We wave a sad farewell to award-winning restaurant, Roots. Good luck to Giulio Sturla for your future plans. The folk behind Grater Good bring us Pinot Cave, styled as a Parisian wine cave. As the name suggests it will offer a huge range of pinot noir with a focus on vegan and natural wines. Riccarton favourite Park Ranger has opened a new, central city location on Walker St. They’ll have the yummy baked goods you know and fresh salads and sandwiches. Boxed Quarter welcomes a tiny new bar, Boxed Inn. It has local craft beers, wines, ciders and nibbles and plans weekly jam sessions. Dig into specialty hāngī pies, burgers, pāua-bombs, fried bread, mānuka fried chicken and mutton bird boil-up as Kai Run food truck joins the central city food collective. Pescatore has appointed a new chef de cuisine, Andy Tranter, currently the restaurant’s sous chef – congratulations, Andy