The Grove restaurant is like an institution of food for New Zealand. Since its inception in 2004, the Auckland fine dining eatery has developed a reputation for excellence that stretches far beyond Aotearoa’s borders. So much so that fully 60-70% of its clientele were visitors to the country. Many of these people came on cruise […]
The Grove is a dining institution in Auckland. Established in 2004 by ex-pat American Michael Dearth, The Grove offers a French-inspired, technique-driven degustation menu featuring New Zealand produce alongside high end bar snacks in a well-appointed wine and cocktail bar. Immensely popular with both Kiwis and international travelers alike, The Grove has become a “must-go” […]
August is right around the corner which means it’s time to strap in for what is going to be an absolutely stacked slate of new movie releases taking us into 2022. With a ton of iconic franchises garnering much of the hype and attention (Bond, Ghostbusters, Top Gun, MCU, etc.), it might be understandable that a moody period piece from a director who most […]
It might be a little bit too big to fit with all the other memorabilia in their basements, but a special item is about to hit the market that rich hardcore film buffs are going to be emptying their wallets for. You’ve probably heard of Hollywood legend, Tom Hanks. The prolific actor has been in a staggering list of iconic films, from Forrest Gump to Saving Private Ryan to Cast Away to Toy Story 1, 2, 3 and 4 (and inevitably […]
Say the word ‘sommelier’ and we automatically think of a restauranteur with an extremely strong knowledge of wine. But in France, sommelier just means ‘waiter’ as they don’t really separate food and wine, seeing them as all part of the same dining experience. A Master Sommelier, however, is something quite different as they have passed […]
While the packed shelves of Whisky Galore’s Christchurch store and the seemingly endless list on its online catalogue is certainly impressive, it can be daunting figuring out how to narrow down the massive selection. Well, if you’re in the market for single malts, either for yourself or as a gift, and are open to suggestions, […]
It’s never a bad time to get out of the house and enjoy some of the sensational hiking trails New Zealand has on offer. However, before you head out, it’s important to make sure you’ve got the fit to match the conditions, particularly during the winter months. Fortunately, Merrell have created a fantastic, practical and […]
We recently covered what was no doubt a sensitive topic for some readers out there; The Most Painful Active Droughts In Sports. While they did not pop up on that shortlist, the 50 year title drought for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, dating all the way back to 1971, was definitely worthy of a spot. Well, as of Wednesday (NZT), we can happily report that they are […]
We all know people who are convinced that you can practically read someone’s entire personality based off of their star sign. I’m not going to tell those people they’re wrong, but I find you can tell a lot more by their tastes; food, movies, partners and sports. With the Olympic Games at our doorstep, we thought it would be a good […]
[podcastfooter] As diversity becomes increasingly important in every facet of our world, what we think we know about the idea of ‘culture’ is quickly evolving. Breaking down the impending future of ‘cultural collision’ and how it is affecting our work and personal lives at the M2 Summit was Nuwanthie Samarakone, founder of ICE. Samarakone […]
[podcastfooter] What exactly does one do after they sell their business for $500m? Vaughan Fergusson, founder of Vend, dropped in for a fireside chat with editor Andre Rowell at the M2 Summit to give us the insight and impart with some wisdom on just how he grew his business to that astonishing value. Fergusson […]
[podcastfooter] We all know the world’s gone digital, but tech has much more going on beyond our LED screens. Breaking down the increasingly relevant and exciting world of deep technology at the M2 Summit on Thursday 20 May was Imche Fourie, head of Outset Ventures, who sat down for a fireside chat with our […]
There’s been a bit of a lull in the Taika-verse in the last couple of years. Aotearoa’s biggest entertainment star was absolutely red-hot at the back end of the last decade, hitting the big time after a stretch which saw him direct and star in a knock-out Thor sequel film, reprise that role in the biggest movie in a generation and win his first Oscar on the side […]
From the outside, making movies doesn’t seem that complicated, right? You whip up a script, get thrown a boatload of cash, chuck up a green screen, hire some pretty people to stand in front of camera, a bit of cutting and chopping here and there and voila, a movie is made. If you’ve got a […]
Well, despite 56 million raving mad English football fans screaming in our collective ears for a month straight that it was ‘coming home’, I can confirm for the M2 audience that it did not, in fact, come home. England’s pursuit of their first major trophy in 55 years fell one leg short as they went […]
Not all protagonists who pop up on our big and smaller screens are what you would call role models. I, for one, would not recommend you attempt to model your behaviour after Tony Soprano or Don Draper. However, the world of film and television has given us almost endless characters of the years who display […]
Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow has been with us since her big debut in Iron Man 2 back in 2010. As I recall, she was busting a chair she was tied to over some thugs head. After the cataclysmic events of Infinity War, it didn’t look like we’d ever see a solo outing for our most […]
These movies have been waiting an age to come out, but it looks like it’s finally time Black Widow Set after the events of Captain America: Civil War, but before everything hit the fan in Endgame, Scarlett Johansson returns as Natasha Romanoff AKA the titular Black Widow. It’s high time Widow got her own movie, […]
The new trailer The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth movie in The Matrix series, just dropped and everybody is hyped. Everyone you expect to see is missing, and everyone you’re not is now hanging out like nothing ever happened. In fact, it really is like nothing ever happened. Neo is plugged back in, and his memories […]
We wouldn’t be Kiwis if we didn’t kick the legs out from under any achievement we’re given an opportunity to brag about. The 2021 edition of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s (The EIU) Global Liveability Ranking finds that Auckland is the most liveable city in the world. The last year has really shaken things up in […]
If you consider yourself a luxury brand and you haven’t made a bespoke wine and Champagne coolers yet, then what are you? Probably a sham. Champagne is inextricably linked with good times and fanciness, it’s natural that aspiring car companies would want some of that star power to wear off onto them. Over the years […]
One of M2’s favourite menswear labels is about to drop a brand new collection later this year in collaboration with Fear of God, a prominent LA brand. You may already be familiar with Ermenegildo Zegna’s 110 years of tailoring expertise. But for those that need an introduction to Fear of God, the label was conceived […]
In the final installment of Ermenegildo Zegna’s ‘Defining Moments’ campaign, ‘All the World’s a Stage’, the Italian luxury menswear label follows three men as they define their identity, embracing progressive attitudes and versatility while modelling the brands’ Northern Hemisphere Spring/Summer 19 collections. André Holland, star of Oscar-winning film, Moonlight, wears a made-to-measure look from the […]
The question, “What does it mean to be a man today?” can feel like an abstract one, best left to hang wringers of the culture wars. But it can also be a deeper personal question that can lead to self reflection and improvement. Italian men’s fashion house, Ermenegildo Zegna, has been observing men’s fashions and […]
It’s been a rough couple of years for the once seemingly indestructible All Blacks. The team that has spent the better part of two decades dominating the sport was left reeling after a stinging semi-final loss at the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic has essentially stifled any opportunity for the AB’s […]
It’s not quite been the absolute upheaval of everything we knew normal life as that was 2020, but six months in and 2021 has certainly given us plenty of headlines. As we’ve officially passed the half way point, we thought it best to take a moment to reflect on what has already been a pretty […]
You’re scrolling through your Netflix homepage, it’s delivering you the same old drivel it’s been showing you for years now. You briefly consider another streaming service but the idea of having yet another subscription turns you off almost immediately. But wait, let’s take a good look at all the excellent sci-fi television the other services […]
As the first awesome action movie in a long time, John Wick has become a genre unto itself. Keanu has ascended to the halls of action gods, alongside Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The series has been going hard since 2014 and chapter four is expected to drop next year, Covid willing. It’s defined by […]
A brand new issue of M2 Magazine has hit the shelves and while we don’t like to blow our own trumpet, the July/August issue contains some outstanding features on some big names in the world of entertainment, art and food. Here’s just a sneak peek at what’s on offer. Our cover star for the M2 […]
How do you feel about leaving a 4K QLED TV with accompanying soundbar on your deck to get rained on? Or maybe you have kids that run around with garden hoses all the time and are sick of having to get everything replaced. If you didn’t recoil at that idea, then Samsung’s weatherproof TV, the […]
Hopefully enough water is under the bridge from all the various forms of Lockdown we endured last year – for us to be able to whisper quietly amongst trusted friends that; they were actually good for us. Hang on – woah woah! Before you get too hot under the collar about such a radical statement; […]
We canvassed the office recently to catch what everyone is watching at the moment. The results were then promptly dumped into my inbox and given to me to present in an engaging and appealing manner. Everyone wanted their names associated with their picks, presumably assuming that their choices wouldn’t be considered one step away from […]
Ah the Olympics, where the world’s best and brightest come together and win by any means necessary. Some do it the old fashioned way by spending years honing their talent to a fine point, while others decide to use life hacks, otherwise known as fraud and cheating, to gain an edge. At the end of […]
It’s a tournament that has developed a bit of notoriety in the last few decades for churning out some wildly unpredictable results, and the 2020 (no, we haven’t gone back in time, you’re still in 2021, the organisers are just that stubborn) version of the UEFA European Championship has thus far more than lived up […]
It’s been just over 14 years since one of this century’s most iconic finales aired. The episode titled ‘Made in America’ drew the curtain on HBO’s The Sopranos, shocking, frustrating and mystifying an audience of millions and leaving everyone with the burning question; what happened to Tony Soprano? While the sudden passing of lead actor […]
Michael Fraser Milne was born and raised in Keith, a small town in the heart of Whisky country Speyside, Scotland. Then in 1993, half a world and lifetime away, he and his wife Stella established Whisky Galore and started to fill a gap in New Zealand’s whisky scene; high quality single malt whisky was now […]
[podcastfooter] Sometimes, it’s in our most trying times that we find inspiration. This was the case for Melissa Davies, Founder of Holdmine, who shared with us her devastating, but hopeful story at the M2 Summit on Thursday 20 May. Davies was flying high in the corporate world, until one phone changed everything. “It felt […]
Which is the best whisky to drink? Scotch or Japanese? Irish or bourbon? That’s like asking; ‘which is the best car? An Aston Martin, Ferrari or Rolls Royce?’ All are equally awesome, it’s just that some have been designed more for one purpose than another and may be superior in one aspect yet inferior in […]
A little over a year ago, champion New Zealand downhill mountain biker, Brook MacDonald lay in agony, semi-paralysed and unable to feel his legs on a Quebec mountain for five hours, waiting for a helicopter to arrive. Brook had sustained a serious spinal injury when he crashed during his first practice run at the World […]
The other day I was asked ‘what food should I have with whisky?’ I replied that there are only three things to have with a whisky – a cigar; a little water; and yet more whisky. Never would I have thought to food match with whisky. However, none of these are particularly nutritious and merely […]
[podcastfooter] As AI development advances further year by year, the question of what separates us from our creations becomes more pressing. Talking the M2 Summit audience on Thursday 20 May through this fascinating, complicated and a little bit scary territory was behavioral scientist Dr. Sydney Savion. Sitting down with our editor, Andre Rowell, the […]
What do you get the man who has absolutely everything? Why a bespoke Rolls-Royce of course, what else? The very epitome of luxury, nothing tells the world more about your personality than a Rolls-Royce. Yet, the car maker extraordinaire has taken this personalisation a step even further with the brand new Rolls-Royce Dawn ‘The Kita’. […]
