With the weather being the way it is at the moment (touch wood) people are increasingly venturing from their inner city and suburban bubbles in search of drinks in the sun or places to sit by the sea. Predictably, many will head to Waiheke, often requiring a trip out to Half Moon Bay for the car ferry, which is exactly where we have been heading on sunny days, but for an entirely different reason.

Perched on the water’s edge at Half Moon Bay sits Grangers, a tap house and kitchen serving up crisp drinks and hearty, seafood-centric fare. Recently finding ourselves sitting on the eatery’s sun-drenched terrace enjoying a shared seafood platter, potato skins with truffle and parmesan, beetroot-cured salmon and a bowl of clams all accompanied by a bevvy of thirst-quenching cocktails (think a classic Aperol spritz, the Pink Panther with tequila, Chambord, grenadine and lime, and a mango and passionfruit caipiroska with Absolut mango vodka, passionfruit, fresh lime and basil).

Considering our experiences with Grangers so far, this out-of-Central-Auckland gem is shaping up to be our go-to when the weather’s warm and the water’s calling.