The Hotel Britomart

Worth getting out of bed for

The Britomart neighbourhood is named after the British navy gunship that first carried out a survey of Waitematā Harbour in 1841. It’s fair to say the neighbourhood has changed drastically over the years, especially during the last decade or so as derelict warehouses have been restored and repurposed and gritty laneways cleared up and brightened with plants. And, the nine-block neighbourhood has become an expansive community hub with more than 65 boutiques, wellness centres, bars and restaurants. The hotel is at the centre of it all, so be prepared to give in to temptation: pick up lamb’s wool blankets and sculptural candles at Ama La Vita; bold sustainable dresses from Maggie Marilyn; sunnies with character from Karen Walker; look-at-me leather goods from Deadly Ponies; sharp bespoke suits from RJB Design; and luxe curios and cult scents at World – with perhaps a little refresh at the Face Space spa to chase. If that’s not enough to quell your cash-splashing needs, Commercial Bay next door has more than 120 shops and eateries. For something with a bit more substance, head to Queens Wharf to contemplate Michael Parekōwhai’s large-scale, neon-lit art installation The Lighthouse / Tū Whenua-a-Kura, which addresses wide-ranging issues such as colonialism’s legacy and the country’s housing shortage. And stroll back in time along Princes Street, where there are merchant houses from the late 1800s, Roy Lippincott’s 1926 Old Arts Building and other elegant monuments. Getting out and about in the city brings huge rewards too – the hotel can advise on walking, running and cycling routes (and lend you a bike free of charge). Get your pulse pumping with a vertiginous jog up Mount Eden (Maungawhau) for the city-wide views on top; walk through native bush and past palm-lined Lover’s Walk to see the War Memorial Museum in the Auckland Domain; or get acquainted with the city on a spin through the Cycle Loop, along hot-pink Lightpath Te Ara I Whiti (you’ll even find a bottle-filling station along the way). And there are fascinating neighbourhoods to explore around the hotel; along Karangahape Road, you’ll find champion of emerging creatives Artspace Aotearoa and a crop of new Pacific artists at Tautai. Pick up art tomes and zines at Strange Goods and indie vinyl at Flying Out Records. Suburb Ponsonby has expansive green space Western Park, which has a playground and engaging sculptures, and shops where you can pick up simple yet beautiful homewares (Everyday Needs) and radical chick-lit at the Women’s Bookshop. But first, get your mitts on a vegan ice cream sandwich at Duck Island. And in Devonport, catch an indie flick at Art Deco theatre, the Vic. All this exploring is thirsty work, so hop on the 40-minute ferry to Waiheke Island and you can drink to your heart’s content – this wine haven has many vineyards across its 92 square kilometres. You could spend days swilling and sipping, but good places to start this oenophile odyssey are Man O’ War, whose syrahs and chardonnays go down easy, and Kennedy Point, the only certified organic vineyard on the island. When you start to feel tipsy, head to Palm Beach to snooze it off on the sand (note: next-door Little Palm is clothes-optional, so best for if you really overdo it).

Local restaurants

Britomart’s culinary offerings skip blithely from country to country and run from casual to fine. You could eat for days on end here, but as time is limited, here are some of our favourites. Mr Morris ticks all the ethical-eating boxes (local, sustainable, seasonal…), so dining here is the most delicious way to safeguard the Earth. Get stuck into cheddar pão with honey and goat curd, quail with mandarin and onion or white chocolate with kiwi and elderflower. Alma’s Andalusian cuisine is elegantly plated, and arrives flamed, charred or smouldering from fire cooking. In the Spanish tiled space, order up hogget empanadas, vermouth-splashed oysters, and harissa-spiked ceviche, with a pairing from the gin list or Spanish varietals. Sushi in sultry surrounds is what Japanese eatery Ebisu brings to the table, alongside dishes such as salmon with caramelised grapefruit and miso mascarpone and soft-shelled crab with wasabi tartare and orange ponzu. The food at Ostro Bistro is very good indeed, with crayfish brioche sandwiches with a slick of lemon curd, garlicky lobster and snapper pie and Trevally ceviche with lime and coconut cream – but, the view is even more impressive. Through window walls, Waitemata Harbour and the North Shore put on an engaging panorama that’s best seen after dark. And Cafe Hanoi brings vivid Vietnamese flavours to Britomart, with wagyu drizzled in caramelised fish sauce, octopus with kaffir lime and green tea and red bean strudel.

Local cafés

If you’re keen on the action in Kingi restaurant, try chef Tom Hishon’s other venture Daily Bread, a bakery where he proves himself a dab hand at carbs too. Croissants crafted from hundreds of layers of butter and dough, artisan sourdough loaves, cardamom buns and other pastries are the café’s bread and butter – ahem – but they ace the savouries too, with lunchables such as a roasted cauliflower sandwich with hummus, feijoa chutney and dukkah, and a baguette filled with cinnamon, clove and mustard glazed ham and cheese. La Petite Fourchette, owned by a French-Kiwi couple, is for bon vivants who know that joy comes encased in choux. There are Paris brests, mille-feuilles, madeleines, caneles and some Pacific takes on pâtissière. This is the only one of their three locations that offers brunch too, so you can rise and shine to galettes, pain-perdu brioche and oeufs any-way.

Local bars

Italian-inspired Bar Non Solo brings a bit of ‘the boot’ to Auckland, piggy-backing off the success of the beloved Non Solo Pizza. Slide into one of the intimate olive-green-leather banquettes or cluster around a high table for rounds of negroni variants (our favourite might be the punchy mezcalito take) and small bites of salumi and crostini or slices of pizza. Caretaker’s entrance might feel dive-y, but within there’s a well-groomed space inspired by classic New York cocktail lounges. Drinks replete with juices squeezed onsite and hand-carved ice showcase the mixologists’ skills – we rather like the Bees’ Knees with gin honey and lemon or the Handyman, with rum, vermouth, chocolate liqueur and Campari. If the objets and art books in Strange Goods appeal, then you might be interested to know that the owner (and head of publishing house Dead Bird Books) also runs Soap Dancehall, a space that fills a gap between sit-down bars and dance-till-dawn clubs. In between boogieing sip on Korean beers and organic wines.