Curio

The Verdict

Do you know the 1984 film The Gremlins? You know, the one where cute little furry animals turn into terrifying, lizard-like monsters? Have you ever thought it would make a great premise for a bar? No, neither. But, as it turns out, the idea isn’t so left field. It’s the exact inspiration behind Kyle Street’s newly reimagined space opposite his restaurant, Culprit. What was once Little Culprit is now Curio, a little treasure trove of curiosities that pays homage to some of Street’s favourite films from the ‘80s and ‘90s. 

In an era of minimalism and sleek lines, Curio throws those ideas out completely. The day we visit, Street is a little late because he got waylaid across Auckland picking up a mirror. When he rushes in holding it, he happily places it on the wall by the stairs. “Perfect,” he says, admiring his handiwork. “Now you can see the tapestry perfectly.” He points to the tapestry that occupies much of the wall in the entryway. “I went to pick it up from this guy, I’m not sure he knew exactly what he had.” Street tells me. “Anyway, when I got there it turned out he had two. So I got them both.” He points up to where the other towers over the backbar, something I’d completely missed when we arrived. 

You could happily spend a half hour simply perusing the walls and pockets of the space. Every time you think you’ve seen it all, something else pops up—Kermit The Frog stuck in a cage, a Chucky doll that seems to follow you with its eyes, or a framed edition of the iconic VHS boardgame, Nightmare. Street points out little vignettes he has begun creating in a storage space between the bar and main seating area. One is dedicated to Indiana Jones, another is home to a selection of iconic DHS tapes including, of course, The Gremlins. 

So, why the focus on the cult-classic film? “Honestly, I think the idea came from the way I do prep. I’m a gremlin,” beverage director Liam McLennan tells me. “I’ll start things, and keep starting things, and then I get to that midpoint and I’m like, ok, I need to finish this now. And I’ll look around at the chaos I’ve created and be like ‘oh shit’.” 

McLennan joins Street from, most recently, The Palmer bar, but says his knowledge around cocktails largely comes from a unique and borderline obsessive interest in getting to the bottom of the alchemical nature of what makes a good drink. The menu at Curio is, in stark contrast to the interiors, surprisingly refined. “The menu juxtaposes the interior,” he tells me. “The cocktails themselves are quite refined and salient, where the design is very chaotic and there’s a lot to look at. It’s just about playing with that difference.” 

That’s not to say the cocktails are boring, though. Quite the opposite, in fact. Take, for example, the Krump. McLennan has infused bourbon with crumpets, and blended that with maple syrup and marmite to create a refined, toasty, perfectly balanced and almost malty take on the classic old fashioned. The idea, McLennan says, came from “that shit I had for breakfast before school where you’re like, I just need to eat something”. Then there’s the Oddball, an elegant balance of sweet and savoury that sees miso fermented pineapple clarified and mixed with mezcal, fino sherry and a wakame seaweed tincture. 

They will also whip up classics for those who prefer their drinks a little more familiar. There’s a rotating freezer door martini—at the time of visiting it was Tanqueray Ten, fino sherry, and olive brine—and a negroni that my drinking partner professes to be one of the best she’s ever had. They also offer many of their drinks in an exact non-alcoholic version thanks to local team Project Hydrosol who take drinks and remove the ethanol from them, leaving a full-flavour cocktail without the booze. 

Curio may be fun and different and akin to a particularly quirky antiques store, but at its core it’s a great bar serving even better drinks where you can pop in for one, or stay the whole night. And when all of that comes paired with snacks from Culprit across the road, you have the makings of an Auckland institution. Just make sure not to feed them after midnight.