San Ray

We were thrilled earlier this year to hear that Dariush Lolaiy and Rebecca Smidt of Cazador would be taking over the Orphans Kitchen space on Ponsonby Rd. Now transformed into San Ray, the airy, sun-drenched, all-day spot pays homage to its predecessors with a breakfast line-up of crumpets, porridge and toast piled with toppings like spinach and silverbeet or salmon gravadlax — which will be familiar to Orphans Kitchen fans. At lunchtime, the menu shifts to vibrant Cal-Mex food, with some twists: oysters heaped with tequila-and-lime granita, a punchy tortilla soup, and the half wood-fired chicken with radicchio and tomato that we had a lot of good things to say about in our Restaurant of the Year issue. Sip on coffee, cold-pressed juices or lesser-known beverages like masala chai or michelada, available all day. Everything we’ve eaten at San Ray is full of interesting, surprising flavours, without ever being palate-cluttering. Service is, as you would expect, impeccably attentive and knowledgeable, true to Cazador’s reputation and long history of hospitality. 

While you’re in the area: Objectspace, Mag Nation