Month: May 2026

Gypsy Tea Room’s place in Grey Lynn

What Brett Simeti built at Gypsy Tea Room was never really just a bar.

For more than two decades, the Richmond Road venue has been a constant within Grey Lynn’s hospitality landscape. A place woven into the rhythm of the neighbourhood and the lives of the people who passed through it. Long before Grey Lynn became one of Auckland’s most identifiable inner-city suburbs, Gypsy Tea Room was already building a reputation as somewhere unpretentious, welcoming and deeply community-led.

Now, after more than 20 years in Grey Lynn, the venue is preparing to close its current chapter, with landlord Barfoot & Thompson confirming plans to redevelop the site. The institution is expected to pour its final drinks by the end of August.

But for Brett, who purchased the venue after first falling in love with it as a customer himself, the story has never solely been about hospitality. “It’s always been a place for the people,” he says. “Any gender, age, profession, race - it doesn’t matter. Everyone can feel at home.”

That philosophy is part of what made Gypsy Tea Room resonate so strongly with locals over the years. It wasn’t chasing trends or trying to be Auckland’s next flashy hospitality concept. It stayed grounded in something simpler. People. “Look after people. Host them, not just serve them,” he says. “I think that’s what sets you apart.”

When Brett first took over the venue, Grey Lynn itself was in a different phase of its evolution. “You had bohemian types, the media, working-class, students, home to the first wave of Pacific immigration… the whole spectrum.” 

Video stores and dairies lined parts of the strip. Students, artists, young professionals, working families and Pasifika communities all mixed together in a way Brett says shaped both the suburb and the venue’s identity. While Grey Lynn has evolved over the years, he believes it has retained something many inner-city suburbs struggle to hold onto.

“Its spirit. Its people. It still has heritage, it still has connection. You probably know your neighbour here as opposed to other areas. I truly believe this is probably the last real melting pot place around the inner city” he reflects.

That diversity mattered to him personally too. Brett’s family history in Grey Lynn stretches back generations through his Samoan grandparents, who settled here in the 1950s. Childhood memories of Sunday lunches, family gatherings and community connection all shaping his affinity for the neighbourhood long before he stepped behind the bar. Over time, the venue has quietly become part of Grey Lynn’s identity. Not through spectacle or reinvention, but through consistency, familiarity and care. For many locals, it became an anchor point, somewhere familiar in an area that continued to evolve around it. 

“A lot of people have memories here because life happened here. First dates turned into marriages, regulars grew older together, staff became friends rather than service providers. It’s beyond bricks and mortar. I think it represents people’s being. It’s not pretentious. Celebrities can relax and not be hassled. It’s just an extension of people’s living rooms.”

Following the announcement of the closure, Brett says the response has given him a deeper appreciation for the role the venue came to play within Grey Lynn. “Only recently have I realised the magnitude of what it meant to people” he admits. “I’ve always loved the fact that other people loved it, but I never basked in it.”

For now though, regulars are still gathering around familiar tables, and Grey Lynn is taking a moment to reflect on what one venue contributed to the character of the area for more than two decades. But this may not be the final chapter for the venue. Brett is already exploring future locations and what a “Gypsy Tea Room 2.0” could look like. 

When asked what he hopes Grey Lynn never loses, Brett answers instantly:

“Its soul.”

Asked what he would like to say to those who supported Gypsy Tea Room over the years, Brett reflects on the role people played in shaping the venue.

“Where do I start? Words can’t describe it...Thank you for the generosity and spirit, the patronage and support of the people that have lived here. I’ve done it because I love it. I’ve liked touching people’s lives… and to see that reflected back - it’s cool.”

Whether Gypsy Tea Room reemerges elsewhere or not, its place within Grey Lynn’s hospitality story is already firmly cemented.

by grace

Western Springs Bowl concept approved

Following a strong public consultation process, Auckland Council has endorsed plans for the future development of Western Springs Stadium into the Western Springs Bowl - a flexible-use venue designed to support concerts, festivals, sporting events and continued community activity.

Building on the site’s natural amphitheatre, the Western Springs Bowl concept will strengthen Auckland’s offering for mid-sized events, while improving year-round use.

Boosting Events and Local Business

As part of the decision, venue owner Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) will invest up to $2.5 million into venue enhancements, including semi-permanent summer staging infrastructure and an upgraded broadcast-quality sports configuration. The venue will accommodate concerts and festivals of up to 30,000 people, alongside sporting events for crowds of up to 5,000.

Importantly for Grey Lynn businesses, increased activity at Western Springs will create a positive flow-on effect across the wider area. Major events often bring visitors into surrounding neighbourhoods before and after concerts, supporting local hospitality, retail and accommodation providers throughout Grey Lynn, Westmere and Ponsonby.

Long-Term Benefits for the Community

The flexible-use model is projected to improve the long-term financial sustainability of the venue through increased activity, while maintaining community access and extending Ponsonby Rugby Club’s lease for a further five years.

The Western Springs Bowl signals a significant investment into the city’s cultural and visitor economy and one that could bring increased energy and foot traffic into surrounding local business communities.

by grace

Meet Your Neighbour: La Buvette

104 Richmond Road

A new café has opened its doors on Richmond Road, bringing with it a distinctly local approach to hospitality.

La Buvette is the latest venture from Romain & Bertrand, who together launched Bare Wines located on Brown Street in Ponsonby during the Covid years. What began as importing wine from a Kingsland garage gradually evolved into Brown Street's much-loved wine space. As that chapter approaches its conclusion in July, the duo saw an opportunity to create something new while staying true to the neighbourhood that had supported them from the beginning.

Enter La Buvette

The name La Buvette references the kind of neighbourhood where people might stop for a morning coffee, read the paper, catch up with friends, enjoy a glass of wine after work, or simply spend time together.

That sense of locality is a recurring theme throughout our conversation. Having moved to Auckland from Lyon in 2014, Romain quickly fell in love with the area's community spirit. He believes Grey Lynn offers something increasingly rare in a growing city: a genuine neighbourhood feel. "Other suburbs can have high expectations. Grey Lynn is full of families that have been here for generations." Then, laughing, he offers an analogy: "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and the tree isn’t on top of the hill, so the apple doesn't fall far."

In other words, people tend to stay. They grow up here, move a few streets away, raise families of their own and remain connected to the area. "It's a village in a city." That local focus has shaped almost every decision at La Buvette. From the operating hours to the atmosphere, the goal is not to become a late-night destination, but a neighbourhood gathering place. "We're here for early mornings and early dinners. At 10pm, merci and à bientôt." Romain says with a smile.

Built Around Community

The café is currently operating Wednesday to Saturday from 7am - 2:30pm, with plans to extend into evening service once its liquor licence is approved. Even then, Romain & Bertrand are determined to keep the focus on being a family-friendly local venue that respects the surrounding neighbourhood. "We want to be the new local."

Inside, visitors will find more than coffee and pastries. Carefully curated throughout the space are works from the personal collection of local artist Chris Corson-Scott, featuring photographs of Grey Lynn and Ponsonby spanning the decades. The artwork, alongside the lighting and interior details, will continue to evolve over time. For the duo, that's intentional. They want La Buvette to feel alive. "A place of life, a place where people are happy to stay."

Now in Richmond Road

Already, the venue is beginning to settle into its role within the neighbourhood. Parents stop in for coffee before the school run. Locals linger over croissants. Friends gather around tables to play cards and catch up. It's these everyday moments that Romain & Bertrand hope will define La Buvette in the years ahead. As for the future? Romain is excited by the opportunity to continue growing alongside the community. His long-term ambition is simple. "To become a Grey Lynner."

Follow La Buvette

Instagram: @labuvettebybarewine
Photography by: Eugene In and Yuki (@7.30_y)

by grace