La Mexicana recognised by the Embassy of Mexico
Grey Lynn’s La Mexicana has received a special recognition from the Embassy of Mexico in New Zealand and the Mexican Academy of Gastronomy, celebrating the restaurant’s work in promoting Mexican gastronomy through its expression, quality and authenticity.
The award was presented to owner (and previous GLBA Chairman) Marco Muñiz Mugica by H.E. Alfredo Pérez Bravo, Mexico’s Ambassador to New Zealand, at a recent gathering at La Mexicana.
For a local restaurant, this is more than a certificate on the wall. It is formal recognition from Mexico’s own diplomatic and gastronomic representatives that La Mexicana is helping share Mexican food culture here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Located in the heart of Grey Lynn, La Mexicana has become known for its bold flavours, warm hospitality, and connection to Mexican tradition. The recognition reflects the care Marco and his team bring to the food, drinks, and atmosphere they create for locals and visitors alike.
The award forms part of “México: Viaje a través de los sabores” - Mexico: a journey through flavours - a fitting description for a restaurant that brings a taste of Mexico into the Grey Lynn community.
For Grey Lynn, the recognition is also a reminder of the role local hospitality businesses play in shaping the character of the neighbourhood. Restaurants like La Mexicana do more than serve food; they create gathering places, introduce culture, support local vibrancy, and help make the area a destination.
Chair Update: Progress You Can See
Winter has officially arrived, but things are heating up at the GLBA. Last month I promised some big news, and I’m stoked to finally deliver on it. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes, and June is all about executing those plans and welcoming some fresh energy to the neighbourhood.
Here is the latest from the ground:
I am absolutely hyped to announce Caroline Tauevihi as our new General Manager! Caroline has hit the ground running and is already out there doing the mahi, advocating fiercely for our local community. She brings an awesome energy to the role and truly understands what makes Grey Lynn a great place to do business. If you see her out and about, make sure to say hi and welcome her to the crew.
While we were temporarily without a GM, the team didn't sit idle. We’ve been busy building and refining our brand-new website, and it’s finally live.
This isn't just a shiny new coat of paint, it’s a tool for us to connect, trade, and back each other.
So here’s my challenge for the month: Next time you need a service, whether it’s accounting, printing, creative work, or a trade, hit the new portal first and check out the local options. The cool thing about Grey Lynn is its sheer diversity. We have some of the most creative, unique businesses in the country right on our doorstep, and there is a local solution for almost anything you can think of.
Let's keep buying local, supporting local, and looking out for one another.
Robin McDonnell
Chairman, Grey Lynn Business Association
Cassia announces Grey Lynn Residency at Ozone
One of New Zealand’s most acclaimed restaurants is set to call Grey Lynn home for the coming months, with award-winning modern Indian restaurant Cassia announcing a residency within Ozone Coffee Roasters from 17 June.
The temporary move comes ahead of the opening of Cassia’s new permanent home in Auckland’s CBD later this year, giving diners the opportunity to experience the restaurant in Grey Lynn while construction of its future flagship site is completed.
A New Chapter for Cassia
Since opening on Fort Lane in 2014, Cassia has established itself as one of New Zealand’s most celebrated dining destinations, known for its contemporary take on Indian cuisine.
Following the 2023 Anniversary Weekend floods, the restaurant temporarily relocated to SkyCity, where it continued to operate while plans for its next permanent chapter took shape.
The Grey Lynn residency marks the next step in that journey, providing a home for Cassia while its new CBD venue is completed.
A Collaboration Between Two Hospitality Teams
The residency will see Cassia operate from Ozone Coffee Roasters in the evenings, bringing together two respected names in Auckland hospitality.
The collaboration also has a strong local connection. Ozone Head Chef Karol Troncoso previously worked at Cassia, describing her time there as one of the most influential periods of her culinary career.
The residency has been designed as a genuine collaboration between the two teams, with both venues contributing to the menu and overall dining experience.
What's on the Menu?
Guests can expect a selection of Cassia favourites alongside several special collaboration dishes created specifically for the residency.
Highlights include Cassia's popular Pani Puri, Mughlai lamb chops and Delhi-style butter chicken, alongside new offerings such as a chocolate kulfi dessert featuring Ozone coffee ganache and a special Ozone x Cassia chicken kebab.
Cassia Head Chef Ketan Joshi will lead the kitchen alongside the team as the restaurant enters this next phase.
A Welcome Addition to Grey Lynn
The residency brings one of New Zealand's most recognised dining brands into Grey Lynn and further strengthens the area's reputation as a destination for food, hospitality and local experiences.
As visitors travel into the neighbourhood to experience the collaboration, the residency is also expected to contribute to the vibrancy of the wider precinct, supporting surrounding hospitality and retail businesses throughout the area.
Cassia at Ozone opens Wednesday 17 June and will operate Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm until late.
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We’ll be catching up with the Cassia team soon to learn more about what attracted them to Grey Lynn and their thoughts on the role hospitality plays in shaping local communities.
Photography courtesy of: Rise & Shine PR
Chair Update: Building What's Next for Grey Lynn
Autumn is now well upon us, and while the days are getting shorter, the momentum at the GLBA is only picking up. Grey Lynn has never been about business as usual; we’ve got a specific kind of magic here, a mix of heritage, hustle, and culture that you just don't find anywhere else in Tāmaki Makaurau.
I’m stoked to announce that we’ve officially kicked off a new scope of work with Fresh Concept. As one of the city's leading placemaking agencies, they get the Grey Lynn vibe. We’re working together to celebrate our unique identity and ensure our district remains a place people want to linger, not just pass through. I can’t wait to share the progress as this evolves... it’s going to be big for our local character.
Recruitment for our new General Manager is well underway, and the caliber of talent we’ve seen has been exceptional. It’s a testament to Grey Lynn’s reputation that so many heavy hitters are keen to represent us. We’re in the final stages and hope to make an announcement very soon. Watch this space.
Let’s keep it real: things are a bit lean for some of us right now. The economic climate is throwing some punches, but if there’s one thing Grey Lynn businesses have, it’s grit. You’re a resilient bunch, and there is a massive amount of optimism on the horizon if we stick together.
We want to hear from you: If you have ideas on how the GLBA can make your life even a little bit easier or help drive more eyes to your door, reach out. We aren't a polished corporate entity; we’re here to work for you.
Let’s keep the energy high and the support local.
Robin McDonnell
Interim Chair, Grey Lynn Business Association
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.
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.
Meet Your Neighbour: La Buvette
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)