If you’re looking to treat your mum to something a little bit luxurious this uear then look no further than Ingrid Starnes and Tessuti in Herne Bay. The shop, which is a collaborative store has a great selection of NZ made jewellerry, quirky homeware qnd high end New Zealand made women’s fashion. Go on, treat Mum, she deserves it.

I don't have a huge range of knowledge when it comes to women's fashion but I do know that every time I'm with my girlfriend and we pass Karen Walker in Britomart we have to stop in. The store is light filled and spacious, with the ever present scent of Viktor and Rolf in the air. Over the years Karen has put out consistent, quality ranges of clothes that make an impact worldwide. Quirky prints, intricate pattern designs and great cuts make for desirable clothes. In store you can grab some new threads and also pick up sunglasses or jewellery from her highly popular ranges.

I’m a guy, so therefore I tend not to wear women’s clothes. This being said, if I did, I would be sure to shop at Miss Crabb. The designer doesn’t put a foot wrong and the local brands she stocks in store are also well worth investigating. Pictured is some of a new range of knits by Areez Katki which would be perfect for winter. The knitwear is bold and the introduction of hand embroided botanical motifs is perfect for this winter.

Are you looking to find some new pieces for Winter or perhaps sell a few quality items of your own? Tatty’s is the perfect place to do both. You can take your wardrobe rejects to the store where the knowledgable staff will select items to sell on your behalf but do be prepared to leave with an armful of someone else’s trash turned treasure. The shop stocks mostly local and international designers with a few vintage pieces thrown in the mix. Definitely worth a browse, you don’t know what you might find!

If you’re looking to spruce up your wardrobe Black Box boutique in Grey Lynn has you covered. The store stocks a wide array of mid - high priced brands including Vanishing Elephant, Commoners, Bassike, Lonely Hearts and Stolen Girlfriends Club. They also have a great range of sunglasses, candles, beauty products and jewellerry. The service was super helpful in helping pick out a pair of Dr.Denim chinos. The shops well worth a look!

The rooftop of Tyler Street Garage is the perfect place to kick back on a sunny Sunday afternoon and enjoy a couple of beers. DJs play laidback tunes and the views are great. If you’re hungry the sliders looked like they are a safe bet. I had the pizza which was tasty and the shoestring fries which were just right. 

Citizen Park is a large bar located in the heart of Kingsland. The menu has a diner vibe and the interior is a mix-match of industrial and kitsch. The bar's big pull is a massive courtyard which is ideal for the warmer months. I ordered a Double Brown which cost $8 and my compadre had an Export Gold which put him $11 out of pocket. A good addition to the Kingsland scene, but the beverages seem a tad expensive.

Brother Beer is a relatively new addition to the Shed 5 revamp. Located just around the corner from Ugly Bagel it is a ramshackle bar specialising in craft beers. We sampled a red ale and a Yeastie Boys wheat beer. Both were tasty and the accompanying toastie was also a good time. Definitely worth checking out!

The Golden Dawn is one of Ponsonby’s most popular bars. Something about the simple decor, the limited drinks menu and the uncomplicated but delicious food has captured the imagination of Auckland’s influencers. In the evenings it’s known to get pretty wild as bands and DJs change the vibe completely. Rumour has it that it’s not going to be around too much longer so try it out while it’s still here!

1885 Britomart plays host to some great live music events, including a new weekly night by the name of Music & People. The format is simple, each week a different local band will sit down and spin some yarns before playing a stripped back set. Later local djs and electronic artists will kick off an ‘after party of sorts’. This unique concept is coupled with great food and beverage specials. Defenitely worth a look.

Mexicali Fresh is far from authentic Mexican but it is definitely tasty. I ordered the taco salad with pulled beef. The edible taco bowl was piled high with salad, sour cream, cheese, beef and guacamole. The meat was tender and seasoned well and the rest of the salad was tasty. At $14.50 it is pretty affordable and the service was quick and professional! It didn’t export me to Mexico but it certainly was tasty.

Garnet Station Cafe has been around for around five or six years now. It’s the type of place you enter and feel instantly relaxed, kinda like heading to a friend’s place who knows a thing or two about working in a kitchen. There are quite a few options in terms of rooms of where to sit and the staff were fantastic. I had a gourmet mince and cheese pie which was served with a delicious chunky relish and a coffee, which was the best I’d had in a while. The girlfriend had something vegetarian which she gave a double thumbs up. Definitely worth a look!

If you're in the Britomart area and are looking for something to warm you up to the very core you can't go past Daikoku Ramen. It would be easy to go past this small poky Japanese establishment but it would be a foolish mistake. When I go there I tend to choose the ramen soup combo that comes served with a side of gyoza dumplngs and of course a Japanese beer. The soup, chicken based with home made egg noodles is served with bamboo and generous hunks of pork, is delicious and the dumplings are always tasty and fresh.  

We grabbed some sushi fron St Pierre’s before heading down to the water front and sitting on the steps outside the rowing club. Perhaps it was the setting but for some reason the sushi tasted especially good today. We got a salmon and avocado six pack, the fish was fresh and the sushi well made. Tasty.

Taqueria is basically a Mexican version of Subway. You choose from either tacos or burritos and what goes into your option. I had a pork burrito, the meat was tender and the vegetables crispy and fresh. My compadre had the kid’s sized burrito (vegetarian) “it was perfect for a quick dinner and I felt like I could fit in dessert afterwards”. The only thing lacking was spice, the hot sauce turned out to be pretty mild.

Kokako is my pick of the bunch when it comes to caffine kicks in Grey Lynn. It’s interior reminds me of Cafe Supreme, and the similarity doesn’t stop there as they also roast their own beans. I haven’t indulged in breakfast yet but have had good reports! The coffee is always consistent and the cold filter coffee is a soft, refreshing drop well worth investigating.

Harvest Wholefoods is a great little store in the heart of Grey Lynn that specialises in natural, organic and gluten free foods. My girlfriend suffers from a number of food allergies so we often pop in here to pick up supplies, The Little Bird gluten free treats being a specific weakness of hers. The store stocks a whole range of other products including gluten free pastries, a large bulk bin section, eco-friendly cleaning products and organic fruit and vegetables. The staff are all extremely helpful and full of good advice on what products contain.

Dead Man Vintage in Grey Lynn is my favourite vintage shop in Auckland. Regular trips to America means that the owner has a small but quality assortment of vintage tees, jackets and other items. I bought a Hanson tee there yesterday. The ironic/iconic tee, from 1991, is in great worn condition and was reasonable at $30. Go get your hipster on.

I live literally 200 meters away from Dear Reader but I'd never set foot inside til last week. I was on a mission to find a present for my sister's birthday and time was running low. It was just what I was looking for. The shop isn't huge but there is a great selection of quality fiction and non fiction. The shop assistant was helpful and help me find exactly what i was after. I picked up a cook book that I'm sure she will love.

Tart bakery is run by what might be the friendliest baker in Auckland and her children. She's loud, friendly and some might find her a little too much in the mornings but I like her and what she's doing. Her kids (i presume they all belong to her) seem to be home schooled, and schooled in the art of baking. Generally some are out front serving while others are busy kneading dough in the back. The bread is delicious. The loaves light and fluffy, the pies full of tasty meat and the treats sweet in all the right places. My only question is what on earth happened to the croque monsieur that was once in the warmer?  That was my happy place.

Over the past three or four years I Love Ugly has become quite fashion force to be reckoned with. Every second ‘cool’ kid is rocking one of their five panel caps, they stock around the nation and their infamous Zespy bands even made it into an A$AP ROCKY video clip. Their shop is Mt Eden is what you’d expect from a world class brand. The fit out is sharp and the clothes falling somewhere between dapper gentleman and street. When I went in, the shop assistant was genuinely helpful and friendly. If you’re looking to pick something new up for your winter wardrobe the shop is well worth checking out.

One of my friends at high school wore a Crane Brother's suit to our school ball. Another of my friends recently got married wearing Crane Brother's threads. What did these guys have in common? They looked pretty dam suave. Crane Brother's is known as Auckland's premier tailor, the cuts are sleek and well fitted. The suits are rather pricey hence why I wasn't wearing one at my school ball but I'm pretty sure if the time comes I'll commit to the investment so I can look ridiculously dapper at the end of the aisle.

If you want to get some new threads you should head to Superette soon. The stylish store holds a good selection of designer clothing, shoes, lifestyle pieces and accessories. The store stocks a rad selection of brands The Academy Brand, I Love Ugly, Just Another Fisherman hats, Bassike and Mr Simple. Currently there’s a great sale on, which is worth having a browse through. The service was efficient and helpful and I picked up a few bargains. Well worth a look.

Area 51 on High Street is the perfect shop for the style conscious young person who has a decent disposable income and doesn’t want to look like they are trying too hard. They stock a great selection of brands ranging from Nike, Jeremy Scott for Adidas, Fred Perry and hometown favourites such as Huffer. All the clothes are nicely cut and they have a great selection of jeans. If you’re in the market for some new threads the shop’s well worth checking out.

If you’re looking to spruce up your wardrobe Black Box boutique in Grey Lynn has you covered. The store stocks a wide array of mid - high priced brands including Vanishing Elephant, Commoners, Bassike, Lonely Hearts and Stolen Girlfriends Club. They also have a great range of sunglasses, candles, beauty products and jewellerry. The service was super helpful in helping pick out a pair of Dr.Denim chinos. The shops well worth a look!

Dead Man Vintage in Grey Lynn is my favourite vintage shop in Auckland. Regular trips to America means that the owner has a small but quality assortment of vintage tees, jackets and other items. I bought a Hanson tee there yesterday. The ironic/iconic tee, from 1991, is in great worn condition and was reasonable at $30. Go get your hipster on.

We were heading to the Hard to Find book shop in Onehunga and figured it would be worthwhile checking out the Onehunga SaveMart on the way. It plays the role of a slightly smaller, less organised version of the New Lynn op shop. In saying that I think the price point in general was a bit lower than the other monster second hand stores. It’s not quite as well catalogued but there are still some diamonds to be found among the mountains of coal. I picked up a retro pair of Adidas sneakers and a Keith Harring tee for an absolute steal.

Are you looking to find some new pieces for Winter or perhaps sell a few quality items of your own? Tatty’s is the perfect place to do both. You can take your wardrobe rejects to the store where the knowledgable staff will select items to sell on your behalf but do be prepared to leave with an armful of someone else’s trash turned treasure. The shop stocks mostly local and international designers with a few vintage pieces thrown in the mix. Definitely worth a browse, you don’t know what you might find!

The traditional op shop is dying. I'm talking about the church op shop that is run by retired old ladies who split their time between water walking, playing bridge, drinking gin and tonics in the afternoon and putting in a few hours at their local charity shop. I'm not saying they don't exist but increasingly in their place we have vintage shops, carefully chosen selections of retro threads with towering price tags. The Paperbag Princess fits somewhere between these two stores. Their nothing over $20 policy means that choosing clothes is affordable and due to that price tag you still have to go for a good rummage to find the treasure (which I enjoy). The staff are young and friendly, and the clothes are constantly being rotated so you know there will be some fresh finds in the mix. Definitely worth checking out.   Definitely worth a rummage!

If your a fan of op-shopping then it’s hard to go past Savemart. This Auckland staple for bargain foragers is warehouse sized and brimming with treasures. There are A LOT of clothes to look through. It may take a while to find something you love but it’s worth a look. The stock is constantly being topped up so you know you’re not going to be constantly rummaging through the same stuff.