Overview
The City Rail Link may still be a decade away from completion but there are a few looming developments to get excited about that will inhabit the precinct surrounding Auckland's new transportation line.
Named after the original 1840s trading post, Commercial Bay is a development that aims to completely reshape the area bounded by Britomart, Viaduct and CBD — or what you may recognise as the spot formerly occupied by Westfield Downtown. Come 2019, the development will welcome a laneway shopping experience, a new dining hall and a restaurant named after two prize-winning racehorses.
Food will account for 25% of the three-floor retail space and will include two foundation restaurants, an 800-seat food hall called Harbour Eats, and five "buzzing restaurants".
New York restaurant Saxon + Parole will be the cornerstone of the dining options. Owned by AvroKO Hospitality Group, the equestrian-themed eatery's core focus is "meat-centric eats" (thankfully not horse) and housemade whiskey. Not strictly limited to carnivores, the menu also features the Impossible Burger — the infamous plant-based patty that looks, smells and bleeds like beef.
The cocktail list is one of the main attractions to Saxon + Parole — the bar has previously been awarded 'Best Restaurant Bar in the World' at Tales of the Cocktail and coined one of the 'Best Bars in America' by Esquire magazine.
American chef and AvroKO partner Brad Farmerie will oversee the food at Saxon + Parole Auckland — adding to his résumé of five acclaimed restaurants. Farmerie is no stranger to the produce of New Zealand, he worked under Peter Gordon at the original Sugar Club before claiming a Michelin star for his own restaurant, PUBLIC.
The Auckland branch of Saxon + Parole follows locations on the Bowery in New York and Moscow, Russia.
Image: Melissa Hom