Jos Ruffell, along with brothers Pete and Ian Gillespie started craft brewery Garage Project (68 Aro St, Aro Valley) in the site of a derelict petrol station in 2011. Initially brewing out of a tiny 50 litre tank, the award-winning brewery now includes over 60 beers, all of which feature different graphic artworks on the labels. The drops, which include Aro Noir, a black full-flavoured stout; Artful Dodger, an English pale ale with a twist; and the aptly named Beer, a simple pilsner with saaz hops; can be sampled over the road at Taproom (left – 91 Aro St), where you’ll find a selection of beers on tap, plus cans, bottles and food bites.

When brothers Jesse and Sheppe of Ti Kouka cafe fame announced they were opening Leeds Street Bakery (14 Leeds Street) fans of their famous salted caramel cookies were thrilled. The pair have helped transform Hannah’s laneway into a culinary hub with their fresh pastries and sandwiches. Add a single-origin coffee from Onsite Red Rabbit Coffee Co. and mornings are set.

Tiny Hillside Kitchen & Cellar (241 Tinakori Rd) delivers cold brew coffee and a concise, yet delicious blackboard breakfast and lunch menu by day, before chef and owner Asher Boote (of The Ramen Shop fame) ramps up to his constantly changing and effortlessly clever three and four course menus by night. Dishes such as hapuka, butternut, cauliflower and mandarin (above) are all matched with co-owner and sommelier Jules van Cruysen’s well-curated beer and wine selection.

Brothers Enzo and Nardi Breslin grew up with hospitality in their blood and it shows at The Bresolin (278 Willis St, Te Aro), just a stone’s throw from The Garage Project. Housed in a restored villa with a courtyard to settle into, it’s the kind of place to head to on weekends for a long brunch or lunch made for sharing among friends. Current favourites being sent out from chef Lucas Tock’s kitchen are tender 12-hour slow-roasted lamb shoulder with salsa verde and braised beef short rib served with house-made kimchi and burnt pineapple where the sweet and heat combo alongside the beef is pure genius.

If the peanut butter flag is out, poke your head into the hole-in-the-wall ‘nut buttery’ where the team behind Fix and Fogg (Eva St) produce their delicious spreads. Making just four varieties of PB – smooth, extra crunchy, smoke & fire, as well as a new dark chocolate blend – they’re dedicated to producing high-quality products with no additives or preservatives. “My go-to? Hands down the smoke and fire,” says Ruffell. “Inventive, an unusual combo, and it just works.”

Once a basement carpark, Egmont St. Eatery (11 Egmont St), features a regularly changing seasonal menu in a sleek industrial-chic space filled with dark woods and ambient pendant lighting. The winner here (quite literally) is the aged Angus burger with smoked beet relish, pickled onions and jack cheese all served on a freshly steamed bun (above) – it took out the gong for Visa Wellington On a Plate 2015’s Burger Wellington competition. Delish!

London chef Laura Greenfield and partner Raechal Ferguson’s daytime venue Field and Green (262 Wakefield Street) is a hit for robust euro soul food flavors in a whitewashed dining room – think beetroot gravlax, potted salmon and welsh rarebit. Don’t forget to order dessert, Greenfield’s ice cream is legendary.

Bustling, intimate, and housed in an Art Deco era boot factory, WBC (Lv 1, 107 Victoria St) is a go-to option for lunch or dinner, where a spot at the bar gives prime views straight into the energetic little kitchen. Seafood is the specialty with an array of oysters and clams always on hand to kick things off, with the rest of the menu adding global touches, from green papaya sambal with market fish, chermoula with lamb chops, or an Ecuadorian ceviche for the summer time. Sommelier Matt Bocock’s wine list is heavy on NZ whites to pair with seafood, or beers to try with food.

Six Barrel Soda (Lvl, 33-35 Dixon St), has fast become a mainstay for locals, with its boutique soda blends available from many local cafes, bars and grocery stores. Six Barrel have created unique flavours such as feijoa, celery tonic and hibiscus, all with fresh ingredients. The brand’s HQ also serves snacks and meals in an upstairs space with a great view for people watching.

Tucked down Leeds Street is Golding’s Free Dive (14 Leeds St), a zany little craft beer bar with buckets for lampshades and awnings made from old skis. “There’s always a great line up of local and international beers,” says Ruffell. “It’s a relatively small selection which makes it highly curated and in good rotation,