The Feed | The New Zealand Food News You Need To Know

It's that time of the week again. Get ready to feast your eyes on all the hottest food news from around Aotearoa. We’ve got the inside scoop on all the latest and greatest openings, collabs, events, products and more so you can spend less time researching and more time munching (because priorities, people).

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Roll Up Roll Up, Bowler Are Opening On Ponsonby Road

Image Credit: Bowler | Instagram

You literally cannot beat Bowler when it comes to your workday (or weekend) lunch fuel. First launched in the foyer of Les Mills Victoria Street by Patrick and Charles Williams, the brothers behind much-loved Wynyard Quarter cafe Williams, Bowler's expansion has been rapid; Wynyard Quarter opened in early 2025, and their third site in Takapuna opened just a few months ago. Well, things are getting even better; Bowler are officially opening their fourth location in the former Mecca space on Ponsonby Road in January. Lunchtimes just got a whole lot better. 

Takapuna Beach Cafe's Fish & Chip Shop Is Reopening For The Summer

Image Credit: Takapuna Beach Cafe | Supplied

Everyone's favourite beachfront cafe is reopening their fish and chips pop-up for the summer months once again. Running from 15 October until 7 June (a remarkably long summer season we might add), Takapuna Beach Cafe's Fish & Chip Shop will continue to source its fish from from sustainable fishers Kiwifish. This year though they're taking things one step further, highlighting lesser known species like Gemfish and Porae. Diversifying the fish we eat lessens pressure on the populations of more popular species, and helps contribute to a healthy marine ecosystem. Fish will come crumbed, battered, or pan-fried, and will be served alongside crumbed buffalo halloumi, fish sliders, sustainably caught calamari and the now-famous Fish & Chip Shop chip butty. 

Dante's Pizzeria Has Just Been Named In The World's Top 100 Pizzerias

Image Credit: Dante's Pizzeria | Instagram

With three locations across Tāmaki Makaurau—Takapuna, Ponsonby Central, and Mission Bay—Dante's Pizzeria has been a local favourite for a while. But they've just received an international cap to really cement that status, officially being named the 77th best pizzeria in the world. Judging mentioned the pizzeria's "Neapolitan heart", and referenced the provola and pepper pizza as a "must-try". Founded in 2003 by Kevin Morris, Dante's was the first pizzeria in New Zealand to be formally certified by Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, and has a long history of both local and international awards. This is your sign to order a pie for dinner. 

Your Game Day Feed Kicks Off At Sports & Rec Auckland

It’s peak league season, and Sports & Rec is serving up game-day energy, making it the perfect spot to catch the big game while keeping the fun going long after the final whistle. This new Sylvia Park sports bar has screens in every direction, plenty of games and a menu of nostalgic eats to share with mates.

The City Ale Link Is The CRL Brewery Crawl To End All Brewery Crawls

Image Credit: City Ale Link | Supplied

Want to know how to best celebrate the CRL officially opening on Sunday 13 September? Round up some friends and set off on on the City Ale Link. This DIY brewery crawl takes full advantage of the new stations (and some already existing ones too) to take you past some of the city's finest breweries. Sip saison at Small Gods, neck nitros at Northern Line Bar & Social, and savour session IPAs at Saint Leonards. You can pick up a passport from each venue and once you've collected a stamp for every location (you can retrieve a stamp for non-alc beverages too) you unlock 12 months of perks—think special pricing and food discounts. Kicking off at Te Waihorotiu station at The Brewers Collective, move onto Northern Line Bar & Social at Karanga-a-hape Station, then Small Gods Taproom at Maungawhau Station, and Saint Leonards Brewing at Kingsland, before finishing off at The Beer Spot by Morningside station. There is simply no better way to celebrate this wonderful new infrastructure project in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

Ragtag Are Opening A Second Site 

Hot off the press, everyone's favourite neighbourhood restaurant and authentically inauthentic Mexican joint is opening a second site. Consistently fully booked, included in the inaugural Michelin Guide and just generally one of the city's most-loved spots, it's unsurprising that they've decided to expand into a second space. While details are still light and leases are only recently signed, we have it on good authority that they're taking over the old Madame George site at 490 Karangahape Road which puts it spitting distance from the new CRL Station and makes it a million times more accessible to Aucklanders living a little further from Westmere. Safe to say it's set to be a Ragtag summer. 

Jolene Is Officially Opening In Christchurch

Western bar Jolene took Auckland by storm when it opened in Ponsonby in 2025. After a few initial licensing issues, the bar is now functioning as it was always intended to, with line dancing lessons, live music and more bringing a real slice of Americana to Tāmaki Makaurau complete with a grand mural of Dolly Parton on the wall. And on the week that we all mourn the country music legend and genuine, real life angel, Jolene will open its second location in Christchurch on Friday 28 August at 172 St Asaph Street. Expect cowboy boots, cold beer, strong bourbon, live music and a whole lotta line dancing. Nights out have never been so fun. 

Josh Emett Is Opening A New Restaurant In Central Auckland In September

Image Credit: Josh Emett | Supplied 

Not content with the restaurant triple threat that is Onslow, Gilt, and The Oyster Inn, Josh Emett is adding another string to Tāmaki Makaurau's dining bow with Lottie's which is set to open inside the Faradays department store on Queen Street in September. Named after Charlotte Milne, one of the founding sisters behind Auckland's iconic Milne & Choyce department store, the restaurant will pay homage to the building's history, while creating an all-day dining space that serves the needs of the present day diner. Lottie's will pull inspiration from restaurants in iconic global department stores like Selfridges, and Zach Meads will head the kitchen, joining off the back of four years at Onslow. There will be a chablis bar, afternoon tea, and more, and the opening date is set for 2 October. 

Master Kong’s Street-Food Menu Is The Perfect Midweek Warm-Up

Master Kong is serving up bold flavours and seriously fun cocktails, making it the perfect joint to warm up your weeknights. This Asian-twisted Sylvia Park gem brings a street-food-inspired menu made for sharing, with table non-negotiables including cheeseburger wontons with pickles, tōgarashi and smoky burger sauce, Korean prawn toastie with gochujang and yuzu, and sweet and sour pork with caramelised pineapple and Chinese sausage. Save room for dessert, too; the chocolate molten lava bun comes with Vietnamese coffee mousse, vanilla ice cream and coffee malt biscuit. 

Schweppes Are Bringing Refreshed Mixers To Your Summer Seshes

The spritz specialists are shaking up your spring-to-summer seshes with a refreshed line-up launching in October. From pre-drinks with mates to spontaneous nights in and long-weekend catch-ups, Schweppes is helping make every social moment special. With a new look across its full range of mixers, they're delivering the goods for your next perfectly mixed G&T, refreshing mocktail or something in between.

Bargain Box Is Celebrating 10 Years Of Making Weeknight Dinners Easier

There's something pretty satisfying about opening the fridge and already knowing what's for dinner. As Bargain Box celebrates its 10th birthday, it's marking a decade of helping Kiwi households take the guesswork out of weeknights with quality ingredients, family-friendly recipes and one less supermarket trip to think about. At a time when those sneaky top-up shops and last-minute takeaways can quietly send the weekly food budget off track, having dinner sorted ahead of time feels like a smarter move than ever. Here's to 10 years of making the 6pm scramble a little less chaotic. Find out more here.

Hungry for more? Check out the hottest new openings you need to know about here. 

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