Father’s Day is just around the corner (1 September if you’re wondering) and while not all of us have a father we almost certainly all have someone who’s unabashedly cracked dad jokes with reckless abandon.
Whether it’s your Work Dad, your House Dad, your Chosen Dad, your uncle, grandad or friend, or the one whose blood runs in your veins, Father’s Day is the perfect time to show your appreciation.
Here are the best things to do with your dad this Father’s Day.
Feed The Beast
Ester, QT Auckland, 4 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Esther | supplied
Esther is busting out the stops to serve dad the Father Of All Feasts this Father’s Day. The four-course menu kicks off with an ice-cold Heineken on arrival chased by puff bread and taramasalata, and Kingfish crudo. Next, you’ll dig into roasted butternut pumpkin with hummus and orange chilli oil, and Sean’s steak tartare, and that’s even before you’ve got to the mains. Speaking of, that’ll be roast beef with gravy, roasted duck fat potatoes, carrots and, of course, Yorkshire pudding. Dessert will take the form of the delectably dramatic flaming crêpes suzette.
Other superb eateries hosting special Father's Day dining include Jervois Steak House, Somm, and Andiamo.
Laugh Out Loud
Basement Theatre, Greys Avenue Carpark, Lower Greys Avenue, Auckland CBD
Ok, so this one isn’t on Father’s Day (it’s the Friday before) but if your dad’s into theatre or just having a good laugh, he’ll be stoked with tickets to Bull Rush. Kicking off at 10pm and hosted by one of Aotearoa’s best improv comedy groups, the choose-what-you-pay gig is sure to be a total hoot. You might just want to treat dad to an espresso martini first.
Give Dad A Glow-Up
Rooftop at QT, 4 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland CBD
Dads who like to look spiffy might dig a visit to the Heineken Barbershop which is taking up residence at Rooftop at QT on 31 August and 1 September. Head up to level six, order a beer and bite combo, and add dad to the clip list. It’s first in, first trimmed but in the interim you can kick back in style to freshly-spun DJ beats, revelling in Heineken specials and stellar kai.
Unleash Dad’s Inner Pirate
Captain’s Bar, Park Hyatt, 99 Halsey Street, Auckland
Image credit: Captain's Bar | Instagram
The fine folks at Captain’s Bar can whip up a rum-tasting experience for you and your dad which will see you taste a trio of rums matched with flavoured ice and top-tier tapas. And for just $60 per person, that’s a pretty good time. Also worth keeping on the radar are their two limited-edition Father’s Day cocktails (priced at just $14 each): a Refined Old Fashion where rum meets demerara, chocolate, and orange bitters; and a Tropical Negroni spiked with caramelised banana.
Make Your Old Man A Mug
12 Harrison Road, Unit 15, Mount Wellington, Auckland
Don’t gift your dad a mug this year, have him make it instead. Falcon Grey Ceramics is hosting a Father’s Day Pottery Workshop and it’s the perfect opportunity for you and dad to flex your artistry (or lack thereof). This beginner-friendly workshop will guide you through using slab technique to sculpt the mug to end all mugs or just something to giggle over next time dad treats himself to a hot chocolate.
Help Dad Channel That Thor Energy
Sweet Axe, 5 Galatos Street, Auckland CBD
For the dads who love a bit of that lumberjack aesthetic, and even the ones who don’t. After all, there’s just about nothing sweeter than hurling an axe at a wall, provided you can actually hit the target that is. Luckily, the highly-trained axe-perts at Sweet Axe will have dad schooled up in no time and you both take a shine to it, you could join their axe-throwing league and battle it out for the crown in a cute doubles tournament like the badass vikings that you are. Cute.
Toast Your Dad
Various
If dad loves a drinking sesh, we’ve got you (and him) covered. Tāmaki’s blessed with a treasure trove of happy hours in bars that’ll no doubt prove a bit of an upgrade from dad’s local. Or, if dad’s keen to watch the game, you might like to take a gander at Auckland’s best sports bars.
Brunch It Up
Various
Image credit: Williams | Instagram
Is there a better pairing than toast and avocado, pancakes and fairy floss, or bacon and eggs? We think not. Treat your dad to the finer things in life with brunch at one of Tāmaki’s best cafes. Pair a feed at Williams Eatery—we love their sando (pictured)—with a roam through Silo Park, or feast up large at Hill House then kick a ball around Monte Cecilia.
Crack All The Codes
Various
If you and dad make a great team, why not combine forces and see if you can beat the clock in an escape room? A classic teamwork activity, you’ll get to see how you gel under pressure which could be totally magical or a bit of a trainwreck (both of which are sure to be highly entertaining). Pick your poison from five themed rooms—The Galactic Cantina, The Bach, The Boathouse, The Tavern or Old School—and get ready to solve a mystery in record time.
Get Inked Together
Various
If you’ve got yourself an illustrated dad, one of the best things to do with him this Father’s Day is get matching tattoos because let’s be real, that would be adorable. Tāmaki Makaurau has a treasure trove of tattoo studios, each with an array of artists specialising in unique styles. We’ve rounded up the best local tattoo studios so you can find the perfect match for your dad’s style, or pop into Dad’s local and make a sneaky arrangement.
Cook Up A Storm
Home
Going to fancy events and restaurants can be a great way to celebrate your dad but you can also have just as much fun, DIY-style, like cooking a meal together. Get inspired by what’s in season at your local market, throw on a bangin’ playlist and cook all the things.
It might go so well that you decide to enter the next season of MasterChef together or it might all turn to custard and you end up ordering takeaways. Regardless of the outcome, you’re sure to have a helluva time together and that’s what Father’s Day is all about. Dinner and a dance party with dad in the comfort of your own home? That’s got to be one of the best things to do this Father’s Day.
Need prezzie ideas? Here's our ultimate Father's Day gift guide.
Main image credit: Esther | supplied.
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