NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Craft

17 Jun, 2003 02:12 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

By EWAN McDONALD for viva

This is one of the most interesting new eateries we've tried in a while. It's one that has its act together from opening day (all of two weeks ago); one that is trying something with food and tweaking traditions; one that has a superb, experienced
professional in the kitchen.

Phew. That's quite a rave, and we haven't even told you where to find Craft yet. It's at the top of Richmond Rd, where it meets Surrey Cres, in Grey Lynn. From the city, you drive past such icons of West Lynn life as the Listener office, Mamata bakery (now in the deserted Bayou cafe) and the organic butchery.

Craft is on the ground floor of one of the former factories now home to new industries like Uno, the furniture designers; and an architect company. You can see a new suburb growing here in the next few years, just as soon as the church and school and community groups are over-ridden in their objections to having several hundred apartments overlooking playgrounds and backyards.

Decor in the split-level bar and dining room is relentlessly industrial, the walls stripped back to the grey building blocks and the floor concrete.

Those hard surfaces are complemented by a bleak choice in music (Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, even Rod Stewart's cover of Handbags And Gladrags) and warmed by the conversation of everyone from toddlers and grandparents who've quickly settled into the place. Few look out-of-place anywhere in this most bohemian of suburbs, though the six Asian suits seemed a touch uncomfortable.

An enthusiastic waitress (and how long is it since you've seen those words in close proximity?) brought menus and a savvy winelist and explained the house style.

"It's unstructured," she said. "Unstructured eating. You can share a series of plates, like tapas, or you can order a starter and a main."

Whetted by more than 20 suggestions, we went the tapas route, plunging into exotic combinations like lime polenta fries with sumac aioli (yes, I, who sneer at the pointlessness of polenta, was wowed); strips of seared chorizo in a light artichoke and celery salad; pork rillette (shreds, really) smeared on flatbread and eaten with relish. In both senses of the word.

And we had to pass up the vego treat of aubergine, red peppers and onions, vanilla and saffron, the tandoori marinated fish with black rice and cucumber salad ... maybe next time.

No mains for us, though the suggestions of lamb in tamarind and coconut cream on tumeric noodles or oven-roasted snapper with creme fraiche, porcini, artichokes, gremolata and chili did tempt. On to the desserts: a light touch with rhubarb and pistachio tart, and chocolate mousse with minted cream, the only bum notes being that it was rather too cold, a large unmelted chocolate lump at the centre.

A glass or two of red, Craig Miller's excellent espresso and plenty of conversation, all for less than $100. It was like a night in a Barcelona tapas bar except that the food was considerably better.

As it should be. The chef behind these subtle, passionate inspirations of flavour and texture is Pip Wylie, a protege of Peter Gordon at the Sugar Club (Wellington branch), later resident at the River Cafe in London (cue: "where Jamie Oliver used to cook"), and in her own restaurants, Tabac in London and the superlative, innovative Point 5 Nine, a few stops along the 045 bus route in Pt Chev.

After hunting out the best of ingredients, she fuses Mediterranean and Asian influences with her typically light touch into the sorts of delights described above.

Craft has been stitched up by Ponsonby residents Rob Roughan, who engineered Beresford's and the Waterloo Bar out of the defunct gentlemen's conveniences just off Pitt St in the mid-90s, and Liz Garneau, better known as a filmmaker. It'll be worth watching this one to see how it comes out.

Open: Dinner Tue-Sun, Lunch Thu-Sun

Owners: Rob Roughan, Liz Garneau

Chef: Pip Wylie

Food: Tapas, bistro

On the menu:

Lime polenta fries and sumac aioli $6.50

Spicy coconut and lentil soup with chicken dumplings $12

Lamb in tamarind and coconut cream on tumeric noodles with autumn vegetables $24

Poached warm feijoas with rosewater and cardamom icecream $10

Vegetarian: In Grey Lynn? Absolutely

Wine: Shortish but far from ordinary list

Noise: Dylan, Nick Cave

Bottom line: Relentlessly industrial decor, bleak choice in music, warmed by enthusiastic service, a savvy winelist and extraordinary choice of tapas or more substantial fare. Subtle, passionate inspirations of flavour and texture by Pip Wylie, once of the Sugar Club, River Cafe and Point 5 Nine in a relaxed, chatty and bohemian atmosphere.

* Read more about what's happening in the world of food, wine, fashion and beauty in viva, part of your Herald print edition every Wednesday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

I wore a glucose tracker to monitor my holiday weight gain – here's what happened

Royals

Harry and William's 20-year-old cousin found dead

Premium
Lifestyle

Advice: Should I see a sex therapist? I don’t know how to satisfy my wife


Sponsored

Sponsored: 50 shades of beige

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Premium
I wore a glucose tracker to monitor my holiday weight gain – here's what happened
Lifestyle

I wore a glucose tracker to monitor my holiday weight gain – here's what happened

Telegraph: What does a week of holiday indulging do to your health in the long run?

22 Jul 12:38 AM
Harry and William's 20-year-old cousin found dead
Royals

Harry and William's 20-year-old cousin found dead

21 Jul 11:04 PM
Premium
Premium
Advice: Should I see a sex therapist? I don’t know how to satisfy my wife
Lifestyle

Advice: Should I see a sex therapist? I don’t know how to satisfy my wife

21 Jul 06:00 PM


Sponsored: 50 shades of beige
Sponsored

Sponsored: 50 shades of beige

21 Jul 07:08 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP