As the season shifts, from Autumn too quickly to winter, there’s a place to hide, right in the middle of Auckland city. It may have just turned one year old, it’s discreet yet bold and it already feels like it belongs. On a recent stay, Sarah Daniell did too.
On a late afternoon, the city is not desolate. It has a pulse. But inside this sultry urban enclave of dark blue walls adorned with art is a sense of carefully curated calm. From the lobby to the elegant Alla Prossima Restaurant, the staff hit the right note of informality and warm professionalism. This is not an anodyne, or deferential 50-shades-of-beige franchise – it has edge and a buzz.
Apparently some come to Abstract to work. They set up their laptops in the Wintergarden and tap away. In the battle for work-life balance, they’re clearly winning. I, however, am leaning towards luxing right out on the leather sofas in the Library, where provocative black and white photographs of entwined naked bodies adorn the walls. There is a gym, if you must. I walk quickly past it.
We order a drink at the Library bar, take a seat outside and contemplate the menu. At Alla Prossima it changes frequently, according to executive chef Gabriele Marangoni, but his inspiration is consistent: the Emiliano-Romagnola cuisine of Bologna.
