The Blue Breeze Inn. Picture / Babiche Martens
Ruby brand manager Anna-Lise Sharma likes to make the most of her weekends. "I love to fill my weekends with as many activities as possible to help me unwind from my week and make the most of the two days off."
Her weekends usually revolve around food and drink, "trying out new cafes/restaurants, going out with friends for drinks and spending time in the kitchen baking and cooking". Sharma shares some of her favourite spots, from where to grab a great goats' cheese souffle to a killer G&T.
Mornings ... Orphans Kitchen would be my pick for breakfast. Tom and Josh have created an amazing menu that pushes the boundaries in the breakfast department. I'm guilty of often getting a few courses there; starting with the homemade crumpets or grapefruit and ending with their mushrooms with smoked quark and a poached egg. On Saturdays and Sundays a few of my friends play records there, so you're always guaranteed great tunes and of course, great food.
Relaxing ... During busy times of the year I love to treat myself to an afternoon at my go-to spa Acajou for a manicure, pedicure and facial. I also love going for long walks with friends, which I find is the perfect download session.
Shopping ... If I do go shopping, it's generally trawling online - I love the ease of online shopping, the choice and the excitement you get when your package arrives. I'm eyeing up a pair of Adidas Superstars for festival season - I should have held onto my original ones from the 90s. For Christmas I was given a pair of See by Chloe sandals, that haven't come off my feet all summer.
Trying ... I've been meaning to book a weekend to Hawkes Bay for too long. I've heard it's beautiful down there and there are lots of great restaurants to visit and places to stay. It's definitely on my list of things to do in 2015.
Road tripping ... We have a family bach at Whiritoa which I try and head to once a month, in the summer and winter time. As soon as I get there I immediately relax and switch off and it's a great place to spend time with my family away from the business. When I'm in Auckland, I like adventuring to Waiheke and Matakana. It's nice to try and get out of the city as much as possible and not get too caught up in the city "bubble". The Saturday markets at Matakana are always great and you can't go past a long lunch on Waiheke - The Oyster Inn is a favourite of mine.
Drinking... Golden Dawn, hands down. They always have such a great vibe there, I love their outdoor area and they do a killer gin and tonic with Quina Fina - my summer drink of choice. I've heard there may be a rooftop bar opening there soon, so I'm sure once that has opened, I'll never leave. We need more rooftop bars in Auckland. I've also recently discovered that The Botanist is open for drinks and have enjoyed going down there on a Friday evening for a drink in the sunshine.
Dining... My firm favourite for a night out is The Engine Room. They continue to get it so right and no new restaurant has quite been able to top their delicious but uncomplicated food, service and relaxed bistro atmosphere. I'm a creature of habit, so I generally have to order their goats' cheese souffle, churros con chocolate for dessert and their lychee and ginger fizz cocktail - they're the best.
City side and slightly closer to home, I like heading to Coco's Cantina and The Blue Breeze Inn. When I go out I like to feel like we live in a vibrant and bustling city and both of these restaurants tick that box - you struggle to get a table at Coco's even on a Tuesday night.