The name refers to the eatery and bar’s location just steps from the shoreline on the beachside strip beloved by residents of Tāmaki Makaurau, especially when the sun is shining.
Water Boy’s contemporary dishes and relaxed vibe aims to bring modern, easy-going pub culture to the city’s eastern suburbs. Rest assured, locals won’t find the approach too-far from the familiar. Open lunch-til-late it’s intended to be the perfect place to soak up live sport, casual music, and the kind of leisurely, Aperol-soaked afternoons that stretch into evening.
The interiors are created by experienced hospitality specialists CTRL Space, which means the vibe is nice, but not too sharp for a space meant for kicking-back.
Locals and hospo entrepreneurs Patrick Kean and Victoria Blake, also behind Remuera’s The Corner, are those responsible for the new establishment, so they know their audience.
“St. Heliers Bay is an incredible location, and we saw an opportunity to add something new to the area – a beachside pub where everyone feels at home,” says Kean.
“Whether it’s a burger and a pint after work or oysters and cocktails on a Sunday afternoon, we want Water Boy to feel like your own,” Kean notes. “Relaxed, approachable, and never too serious.”
It means the drinks menu includes everything from champagne and oysters to pitchers of Lion Red on game night. Cocktails to sip while taking in the seaside view out front include a Water Boy Spritz, Popcorn Old Fashioned, and plenty of the classics.
Jono Lewington, formerly of Parnell’s Barulho, with stints in Scotland and Australia’s luxury resorts brings together the menu, where the standouts include a wild venison and kawakawa sausage pizza topped with smoked feta and olives; a long line kingfish tiradito, bright with citrus and spiced with Peruvian accents; and West Coast whitebait fritters, served with preserved lemon and caper aioli.
Water Boy is open now at 413 Tamaki Drive, St Heliers, Auckland.
