Bria

The Verdict

If you feel there’s a certain familiarity to Bria in Grey Lynn, that’s because there is. This new all-day eatery is a continuation of much-loved cafe Honey Bones. Not quite a new concept, but also not quite Honey Bones 2.0, Bria takes the, er, bones, of the former, and reimagines them in a new form, with a focus on day to night transitions, and a shiny new liquor license. 

Head chef Reginaldo Richard, who worked at Honey Bones for years but also owns The Butcher Baker in Helensville, has taken the reins, and is expanding his Mediterranean-focused menu to fully utilise this bright corner space in a tight community stretch of shops. 

“It was time to change and update our offering,” Richard tells me. “After so long, it felt right to re-imagine the space for our customers.” His partner, Aisha De Beer Smith, runs design studio Obel, who have breathed new life into the restaurant, utilising earthy tones and curved lines to give a sense of bringing the outside in. 

The menu, meanwhile, pays homage to the impact of Honey Bones (which can be attributed with starting Auckland’s love affair with Cilbir eggs), but allows Richard to fully flex his culinary muscles. The breakfast menu will feel familiar; it still features all of the classic favourites, alongside additions like Istanbul scramble with curried cauliflower, feta and sage on Turkish pide. But it’s over lunch and dinner that things really ramp up. 

At lunchtime, zucchini fritters arrive with pickled cucumber, lime labneh and chilli oil; merguez sausages are served with tzatziki and baharat eggplant. There’s gnocchi with beef cheek ragu, and a nicoise salad with seared tuna loin. Dinners kick off with sourdough and hummus and a plate of The Butcher Baker’s housemade charcuterie, before settling in for sharing plates that draw from a range of influences. Crudo is served with whipped bone marrow and the bright, acidic addition of yuzu gel, while beef tartare is designed to be piled atop potato latkes with horseradish cream. Shimeji donuts come with whipped feta and Thai basil, while grilled pork chop is served with smoked tomato, harissa and skordalia. 

There’s a concise selection of local wines—including low-ABV Deep Down Wines—and cocktails, including mimosas at breakfast time, ice cold gin martinis in the evenings and bitter orange spritzes for aperitivo hour. 

The West Lynn shops have changed and grown a lot over the last few years, and the opening of Bria simply affirms this corner of Richmond Road as one of the city’s best hospitality precincts. Change can be scary; at Bria, it’s a sign of something great.