The Parasol & Swing Company

A seat on the balcony at The Parasol & Swing Company is one of the best vantage points to look out over the Viaduct Harbour – an iconic Auckland view. It is also home to some of the best cocktails in town, with owners Jason Rosen and Adam Neal channelling their significant (and award winning) hospitality experience into designing a menu of thoughtful, interesting signature drinks.

There’s a loose tropicana theme, reflected in the interior decor of palm tree motifs and upside-down parasols on the ceiling (get it?), plus drinks like the Death from Above which sees Spanish-style rum, orange, kiwifruit, spiced coconut and citrus served in a coconut-shaped vessel. The wine list is no afterthought, with an emphasis on craft beer, boutique wines and grower champagnes.

Food-wise, a menu of crowd-pleasers includes burgers, plus fusion-style vegetable dishes such as crispy panko-fried eggplant and cabbage steak.

While the balcony-come-rooftop area is generally the place you’ll want to be, Parasol & Swing has plenty of indoor seating dotted around the room, with high stools at the bar. With DJs or live music playing most weekends, these usually get moved aside to make way for the dance floor.