Overview
Last year we revealed that Auckland's new transportation hub, Commercial Bay, will arrive with the addition of an 800-seat food hall, three floors of retail outlets, a restaurant named after two prize-winning racehorses and five "buzzing restaurants" that include another Burger Burger outpost and openings from chef celebs Al Brown and Josh Emett.
Two international bars have now been added to the list. From AvroKO, the same company that is bringing New York-born restaurant Saxon + Parole — an equestrian-themed opening with a core focus of meat-centric eats and housemade whiskey — will come Ghost Donkey and Genuine Liquorette.
Ghost Donkey is labelled as a Mexican-influenced tequila and mezcal bar. New York bartender Ignacio "Nacho" Jimenez has been charged with leading the cocktail program. Taking cues from siblings bars in the Big Apple and Las Vegas, he is set to serve over 40 styles of mezcal, tequila-laced bottled sodas, mini Mexican popsicles served in prosecco, mole negronis and mushroom margaritas.
Genuine Liquorette is an off-license cocktail bar inspired by American liquor stores and bodegas of the 1970s. At the new opening guests have the option of sipping cocktails on tap while soaking up views across the Waitematā Harbour or taking away bottled cocktails to enjoy at home. Another feature of the Auckland location will be a contraption named the Cha-Chunker that widens the hole of any can to fit a mini bottle of alcohol, creating a canned cocktail.
The food program across the venues will be led by AvroKO's executive chef, Brad Farmerie, who spent a decade working under Peter Gordon in London. For Ghost Donkey he will deliver a food menu focused on nachos especiales, a highbrow version of the classic dish with ingredients like mole and truffles.
The loose opening date for Commercial Bay is spring 2019. Find more information here.