Neighbourhood Hangs: Your Guide to Karangahape Road

Start your day with a coffee and scone at Fort Greene, or grab a cold brew to take away from Daily Daily. Alternatively, Bestie, housed in the impressive St Kevin’s Arcade building, is a popular spot for leisurely breakfasts, providing remarkable seated views over Myers Park or of the building's stunning interior. For good reason, the cheese toastie with a chilli fried egg is a staple on Bestie’s ever-changing food menu - the quince jelly and fresh spring onion sure make for some perfectly paired garnishes.

K Road is well known for its thrift shops and other funky stores. Conscious consumers will be right at home in Crushes, a vintage store also home to a refillery and plenty of handmade pieces by local artists and designers. Nearby, Smoove is a retro second hand store with plenty of treasures just waiting to be found. Book lovers will enjoy The Green Dolphin Bookshop, and neighbouring Flying Out will keep music enthusiasts occupied. Lastly, consumers of all things fine will want to visit Everyday Wine, an all-organic wine store focusing on wild-fermented, unfiltered and vegan wine.

As far as creativity goes, K Road punches well above its weight. Bergman Gallery is a dealer gallery representing and exhibiting artists from the broader Pacific region, somewhat similar to Tautai, which now showcases works from contemporary Pacific creatives out of its newly expanded premises. Tür Studio is a clothing and homewares store, exhibition space, event hall and, as folklore would have it, occasional makeshift venue of late night parties. Finally, Artspace Aotearoa is a forward thinking, artist led, non-profit contemporary art gallery designed to push the boundaries of the viewer's mind.

If a day of shopping and gallery viewing doesn’t spark an appetite, the multi-fusion smells wafting along K Road undoubtedly will. Happy hour deals at Coco’s Cantina always start the night off right, or cross the road to Otto for a lively, communal style dinner over shared plates with the group. Don’t miss Otto’s spinach, goat’s cheese and sage dumplings, but save some room for their latest spin on a tiramisu for dessert. Alternatively, head back to St Kevin’s Arcade for an abundance of options - try Low Brow for well priced burgers and beer, Gemmayze Street for a Lebanese-inspired feast or Pici for some of the city’s best cacio e pepe, hands-down. 

Finish the night off with a tipple at Bar Celeste or a glass of fine wine at sophisticated yet unpretentious Apero Food and Wine. Check online for the latest gigs playing underground at The Wine Cellar or  Whammy Bar, the latter again being housed in St Kevin’s Arcade. Whatever your vibe, there’s bound to be something along K Road that tickles your fancy.