Checking out Karangahape Road and Ponsonby

KARANGAHAPE ROAD
Named for the Māori tohunga Hape, who is reputed to have performed a karanga in this place after riding to Aotearoa on a stingray, Karangahape Road is a much-loved hub of food, drink and good times.

If you’re keen on looking at art, start at Artspace Aotearoa (292 Karangahape Rd), a public gallery focused on emerging artists; just upstairs, Tautai (Level 1, 300 Karangahape Rd) shows the work of Pacific artists. Check out the dealer galleries: Michael Lett (312 Karangahape Rd, entrance on East St); Melanie Roger Gallery, (444 Karangahape Rd); and Tim Melville (4 Winchester Street).

Visit coffee experts Albert Yen and Josh Harvey at Daily Daily (452 Karangahape Rd); Bestie (Shop 13, St Kevin’s Arcade, 183 Karangahape Rd) is a café in a beautiful arcade with views over sun-drenched Myers Park. And Fort Greene (327 Karangahape Rd) does coffee, breakfasts, sourdough and sublime sandwiches.

Among the vintage stores is Strange Goods (281 Karangahape Rd) have great books and ephemera, and vinyl enthusiasts can rejoice at the selection at Flying Out Records (80 Pitt St).

A good place to ease into the evening: Madame George (490 Karangahape Rd) offers cocktails including our favourite pisco sours. A short walk will take you to Flor (366 Karangahape Road), an everyday wine bar with easy-going food. Lebanese Grocer (65 Pitt St) has a considerate selection of specialty Lebanese staples, and Italian flavours also dominate across the road at Coco’s Cantina (376 Karangahape Rd). Apero (280 Karangahape Rd), is an intimate wine bar, and low-fi Celeste (146b Karangahape Rd) does excellent wine and food.

Just across the road, Candela (155 Karangahape Rd) is big, buzzy and focused on Iberian flavours. Try Tempero (352 Karangahape Rd) for perfectly pitched modern Brazilian food, or Sri Pinang (356 Karangahape Rd) for excellent Malaysian. Visit Gemmayze Street (St Kevin’s Arcade, 183 Karangahape Rd) for its impeccable Lebanese fare; if Italian is more your flavour, Pici (St Kevin’s Arcade, 183 Karangahape Rd) does perfect pasta.

GETTING THERE: Rideshare will cost you about 8 dollars. Bus — The red City Link runs from the bottom of Queen St up to Karangahape Rd. Walk — You can walk, either by strolling all the way up Queen St, or diverting at Mayoral Drive through leafy Myers Park. Bike — If you cycle, the hill is steep! But there is a protected cycleway up Nelson St – if you take Te Ara I Whiti, the pink cycle path from there, it’s just a quick diversion left at the end of it to Karangahape Rd.

PONSONBY
Intimate in scale and full of surprises, this special strip has eating and shopping gems aplenty.

Charming Western Park is made up of nearly eight acres of ambling pathways flanked by mature trees. Objectspace Gallery (13 Rose Rd) is a public gallery focused on craft, design and architecture. Otherwise, one of the best things to do is wander the length of Ponsonby Rd itself, a 1.7km strip of cafes, restaurants, bars and boutiques.

Ponsonby does a good line in small, design-oriented stores. We love Everyday Needs’ (270 Ponsonby Rd) curated collection of homewares, the artisanal fragrances at Curionoir (74 Ponsonby Rd), and the beautiful objects from New Zealand and Japan at Public Record (76 Ponsonby Rd). You can also pick up some locally designed threads from The Shelter (78 Mackelvie St), fashion designers Tanya Carlson (120 Ponsonby Rd) or Widdess (143 Ponsonby Rd). There’s also The Women’s Bookshop (105 Ponsonby Rd), an indie store mixing local writing with international releases.

Get coffee from industry stalwarts Allpress (266 Ponsonby Rd) or a silky flat white at Bambina (268 Ponsonby Rd). There are fresh spins on a classic brunch at Orphans Kitchen (183 Ponsonby Rd), and a cluster of crowd-pleasing eateries at Ponsonby Central (cnr Richmond and Ponsonby Rds), including Dante’s Pizzeria, Burger Burger, and Ola’s Arepas. Along the road, the ramen is excellent at Ramen Takara (272 Ponsonby Rd), while Japanese cuisine fuses with Peruvian at Azabu (26 Ponsonby Rd). Khu Khu Eatery (171A Ponsonby Rd) does excellent vegan Thai, while nearby Ockhee (171 Ponsonby Road) contemporary Korean food has a cult following (the same owners run the fusion Korean noodle joint Aigo (168 Ponsonby Rd)). For dessert, Duck Island Ice Cream (1/182 Ponsonby Rd) does dairy and vegan ice creams you won’t forget.

GETTING THERE: Rideshare will cost you about $12. Bus — Catch the green Inner Link bus going west from Customs St East and hop off at either Three Lamps or Ponsonby Central. Walk — If you’ve got strong legs and a spare 45 minutes, it’s more than possible to walk via College Hill. Bike — If you’re cycling, take the protected path up Grafton Gully and along Karangahape Road to Ponsonby.

Shops just off Ponsonby Road on Pollen Street

Gemmayze Street in St Kevin's Arcade

Melanie Roger Gallery on Karangahape Road

Cotto on Karangahape Road

Ponsonby Central

Orphans Kitchen

Sushi and Nigiri at Azabu

Ramen Takara