Hallertau

Details

Based in Riverhead, West Auckland, this landscape blurs the boundaries between garden, architecture and restaurant to create a distinctive setting for dining and hospitality.

The new outdoor bar is enclosed by tall in-situ poured concrete walls, forming an intimate courtyard at the heart of the property. From the outset, it was important that visitors experience the garden before arriving at the bar, creating a sense of anticipation as the architecture is gradually revealed through the planting.

Beyond the courtyard, the roadside gardens have been reimagined with predominantly native planting, complemented by a considered mix of hardy perennials selected to perform in the exposed conditions. The planting gives the restaurant a strong connection to its rural West Auckland setting while providing softness and seasonal interest around the built elements.

Tall hop frames define the car parking areas and introduce visitors to one of the key ingredients in the brewing process. Through summer, the frames become living walls of hops, creating a lush green threshold before being cut back in autumn. Their seasonal cycle provides a subtle reminder of the rhythms of brewing and reinforces the relationship between the landscape and what happens inside the restaurant.

The garden is therefore not simply a setting for the restaurant, but part of the experience – guiding movement, revealing the architecture and connecting visitors to the place, its produce and its seasonal rhythms.