What’s New in Dunedin October 2020 Eat and drink Kind Company Stunning plant-based food and botanical cocktails with a kick - what a combo. The awesome team from the Kind Grocer have opened a bright new, airy café featuring a menu of delicious and indulgent vegan and vegetarian dishes that are all crowd- pleasers. By night the space transforms into a bar, serving botanical cocktails that are as beautiful to look at as they are to drink. www.facebook.com/kindcomapnynz Ramen Takeichi International franchise Tokyo Ramen Takeichi has opened its doors and is now serving up its signature steaming hot bowls of Japanese ramen in Dunedin. The local response has been emphatic – it keeps booking out. The trendy ramen-ya is the first Takeichi store in New Zealand and the lines of eager Japanophiles are queuing for their daily dose. https://www.facebook.com/dunedinramen/ Patti’s and Cream Scoop Shop The very excellent Patti’s and Cream food truck folks have made a permanent home for their cult-status hand-made ice cream in the thriving suburb of Mornington. Swing by for a mega-scoop of their regular and seasonal flavours, including tasty temptations such as beer and nuts, pear and blue cheese and London fog. The chilled-out food truck is still appearing at its usual spots around the city to serve ice-cream and delicious burgers. www.pattisandcream.co No 8 Distillery Bohemian Dunedin bar and music venue, Dog with Two Tails have launched the No.8 Distillery, which produces a line of delicious craft gins and other spirits made on premises. Pick your blend from the ever-growing selection which currently includes No. 8 Dunners Dry Gin, No. 8 Hibiscus gin, and the No. 8 Horopito gin, which is smooth and slightly spicy. The boutique distillery currently offers tastings and will soon offer bottle refills to take home. www.no8distillery.com Jooni’s Crepes Hot off the pancake press, Jooni’s Crepes opened on George Street in late September, serving up decadent stuffed crepes in handy paper cones. Chow down on Oreo explosion, caramel crunch, Jooni’s special and more. It’s often a sold-out crepe stampede. www.facebook.com/jooniscrepes The Dish A groovy new Mexican-inspired eatery and bar on the ground floor of Dunedin’s vibrant shared working space, Petridish. The breakfast burritos are the stuff of legends and the tasty menu selection has aficionados clamouring for more. www.petridish.co.nz/spaces/the-dish Mela Eatery Opening just prior to lockdown, Mela is a cosy little eatery serving Indo Nepalese and Tibetan street food that has quickly gained a loyal following in Dunedin. Be transported to the Himalayas with the delicious momos, chaat and other tasty delicacies. www.melaeatery.co.nz Al Sultan A new authentic Middle Eastern restaurant, Al Sultan has opened its doors in Dunedin serving an enticing selection of grilled dishes, shawarma and other regional classics such as khabsa, all in generous portions. Traditional shisha pipes are also available. www.facebook.com/AlsultanDunedin Island Fresh A little slice of the Pacific Islands has arrived in South Dunedin. Island Fresh sells all manner of foodstuffs, clothing and other accessories to recreate your favourite regional dish or deck out your home island-style. www.facebook.com/Island-Fresh-Dunedin-108563800949369 Burger Plant This entirely plant-based burger joint opened its doors in early February and already has legions of loyal customers. The mouth-watering menu doesn’t skimp on flavour, with tasty tempters such as the Mexi Burger and Big Boi delivering attitude in pure plant form and equally enticing sides dishes to match. www.burgerplantnz.com Beam Me Up Bagels Central The Dunedin masters of all things bagel have opened a larger central city location. The legendary Beam Me Up Bagels have achieved an almost cult-like following for their amazing selection of fillings and flavours, and now that joy is being spread even further with a spacious new eatery on Great King Street. www.beammeupbagels.co.nz Attractions and shopping Insiders Dunedin Discover a Dunedin you won’t find in the guide books. with its small business startups and larger-than-life characters, Dunedin is a city that’s constantly evolving with new tastes and experiences. The Insiders Dunedin platform is the place to share and explore the city’s untold tales. www.insidersdunedin.co.nz Hereweka Garden and Retreat Not new, but little known. An oasis of tranquillity on the Otago Peninsula, Hereweka Garden Retreat is both an eco-lodge and a garden of regional significance. Stop by and wander the walking tracks through lush native forest and beautifully planted ‘Gondwana Garden’ in this secret Shangri-la, which features one of the last remaining stands of native rimu on the Peninsula. www.hereweka.co.nz Ocean Beach Railway The much-loved Ocean Beach Railway is back after a four-year hiatus. Departing from Dunedin’s iconic ‘Dinosaur’ (Marlow) Park, the steam and electric locomotives take passengers on a short but sweet jaunt along the beachside track, which has been in use since it’s launch as New Zealand’s first heritage railway in 1963. Geotourism NZ tours Dunedin and wider Otago are full of fascinating geological formations. A new specialised tour company, Geotourism NZ, will unlock the story of the regions history by examining the many and varied landscapes we inhabit. From the volcanic rock layers beneath Dunedin’s hills to the sea arches and basalt columns found throughout the area. Walls Plant Land maze – coming soon A one-stop family entertainment destination in Mosgiel, Wal’s Plant Land is an easy place to spend an entire day between the mini-golf, mini-train (on Sundays), real fruit ice-creams, cafe and nursery. An exciting new attraction is soon set to open - a hedge maze modelled off the famed example at Leeds Castle, UK. www.walsplantland.co.nz Otago Peninsula shared pathway extended Cyclists and walkers are flocking to the new $26 million section of the Otago Peninsula shared pathway that formally opened in early October, following completion of a 4.4 km stretch between Vauxhall and Macandrew Bay. It’s the second section in the Peninsula Connection project to open, the first being between Portobello and Broad Bay villages. The path allows for safe cycling all the way to the city and back. Work has already begun on the next section from Broad Bay to Company Bay. www.dunedin.govt.nz/news-and-events/news/september-2020/peninsula-connection- section-two-completed Otago Blue Apothecary botanical hand sanitizer With hand sanitiser being a necessity in 2020, our hands have suffered from the excessive use of strong products. Enter Otago Blue Apothecary, the sustainably sourced botanical hand and surface sanitizer that’s kinder to skin and the planet. Bolstered with essential oils and distilled from sugar cane alcohol, this made-in- Dunedin gem is heading to a shelf near you soon. www.otagobluehandsanitizer.co.nz Emerson’s endangered series beers What could be better than beer with philanthropic benefits? Legendary Dunedin craft brewers, Emerson’s are giving back to the city’s unique wildlife by donating the profits of it’s endangered series brews to local wildlife charities. The latest in the limited- edition range (no.2 of 3) is the Green-Eyed Penguin, a hoppy west coast IPA inspired by the love of Hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins) The story goes like this: recently, three patients at The Wildlife Hospital formed something of a love triangle. They shouted sweet nothings in each other’s ears, all day, every day. The clamouring for attention of one female, caused the two boys to become rather green-eyed. While their injuries were successfully treated, the hospital doesn’t perform broken heart surgery. www.emersons.co.nz/shop/product/green-eyed-penguin GUILD goes online Continuing its not-for-profit promotion and sale of amazing local Dunedin designer goods, GUILD has launched an online store complementing its classy city centre base. Boasting fine jewellery, bold fashion, homewares, furniture, art and more, the site and store will also have exclusive one-off designs added daily. http://www.guilddunedin.co.nz Stay Coming soon – Ebb Hotel A striking new 27-room property, Ebb Dunedin is hoping to become New Zealand’s first modernist boutique hotel when it opens in early 2021. A striking glass façade covered in a semi-transparent artwork by nationally acclaimed Dunedin artist, Simon Kaan, is already in place. The overall design, materials and colour schemes are inspired by Dunedin’s Scottish and Maori heritage. Its spacious rooms are spread out over four floors and will include a two-bedroom penthouse suite and each floor will boast a private guest lounge. The ground floor entrance will lead into an airy, art-filled atrium that will house a café and bar surrounded by lush greenery. The hotel is being overseen by Dunedin-based Property Investment Group, CL Hotels, in collaboration with architect Gary Todd and Sydney-based Indyk Architects. www.facebook.com/ebbdunedin What’s On After Dark – the Superstition Edition 13 November The Otago Museum’s popular After Dark series is a seriously cool event for grown-ups and a chance to party in one of Dunedin’s coolest settings. The Friday 13th Superstition Edition promises live interactions in an enchanted forest, devil’s potions, and cult cuisines. Think fortune-telling, interactive food experiences curated by the Otago Polytechnic’s Food Design and Culinary Arts students, karaoke under the planetarium stars, exploring the Animal Attic with its Victorian taxidermy by torchlight and dancing to the DJ-spun tunes.