Faraday’s Has Opened In Auckland, Here’s The Food & Brands Inside
Faraday’s is officially in the country with it’s Auckland store just opened on 131 Queen St. Mayor Wayne Brown was first through the doors at the luxury department store where he treated himself to a champagne while his wife beelined for the shoes. He described it as “wonderful” according to the Herald.
“This is obviously a huge moment for Faradays, but we believe it represents something much bigger than the opening of a department store,” says Faradays co-founder and CEO Eddie von Dadelszen. “For a long time, Aucklanders have looked to cities like Sydney, Melbourne, London, Paris, Tokyo or New York for the benchmark of what sophisticated city centre retail and hospitality can feel like. Our ambition with Faradays is not to replicate those cities. It is to create something distinctly Auckland that can comfortably sit alongside the best experiences you would find in any of them”.
Spanning three levels and approximately 3,000 square metres, Faradays represents one of the most significant new retail developments in New Zealand in recent years, bringing together more than 220 brands across fashion, beauty, wellness, technology, vintage, jewellery, art, books, childrenswear, home and lifestyle. After the lockdowns ravaged stores in the city it’s nice to see new life springing up in the windows as well.
131 Queen Street occupies the historic former Milne & Choyce building, returning department-store retail to one of Auckland’s great retail landmarks. Rather than treating the building simply as a shell for a contemporary store, the Faradays project has sought to celebrate its history while reimagining what a department store can represent to Auckland in 2026.
“We love the circularity of bringing a department store back to a building with such an extraordinary retail history,” says von Dadelszen. “There is something incredibly powerful about looking backwards and forwards at the same time. We are respecting what Queen Street was, while making a very clear statement about what we believe it can become.”
The Food
Inside is also Lottie’s, a restaurant is named in tribute to Charlotte “Lottie” Milne, one of the founding sisters behind Auckland’s historic Milne & Choyce department store.
Leading the kitchen is Head Chef Zach Meads, who has worked alongside Josh and the Emett Group team at Onslow for the past four and a half years. Together, they have created an all-day menu that brings together British influences with plenty of indulgence.
Guests will find oysters and quail Scotch eggs, alongside Lottie’s take on the classic Ploughman’s, with roast beef, hot English mustard, pickled onion, piccalilli, cheddar, devilled egg and breakfast radish. Lottie’s agnolotti features handmade pasta filled with king prawn mousse, served with ginger and coriander bisque and lemon oil, while a tin of caviar gives guests the option to make any visit a little more celebratory. No matter the time of day, Lottie’s serves up understated excellence, with a side of caviar.
The drinks list has been conceived with the daytime drinker in mind, combining lighter aperitivo-style serves and classic cocktails with an expansive selection of low- and no-alcohol options. A dedicated Chablis Bar will pour an extensive selection by the glass, including Raveneau, while Dom Pérignon will also be available by the glass, a rare offering in New Zealand. Seasonal Bellinis and Saison vermouth sit alongside Lottie’s ice-cold Martini and a Breakfast Martini made with house-made marmalade.
The Brands
Brace yourself, we did promise to say what the brands were and there’s no clean way to do this:
ICONIC GLOBAL BRANDS
- La Mer
- La Prairie
- Helena Rubinstein
- Pucci
- Chloé
- Jacquemus
- AMI Paris
- Boss
- Maison Margiela
- Barbour
- Diesel
- Loewe
- Assouline
- Skims
NEW ZEALAND BRANDS
- Kowtow
- Dear Dylan
- Beach Brains
- Nature Baby
- Sonnie
- Elma
- Tronque
- Raeso
- CZE Hair
- TWYG
- BEETL
- Bonnie Skin
- Dadelszen
AUSTRALIAN BRANDS
- Viktoria & Woods
- St. Agni
- Posse
- Baina
- Solaqua
- Avocado Zinc
- Roame
- Scanlan Theodore
LINGERIE BRANDS
- Bordelle
- Cou Cou Intimates
- Skims
- Coco de Mer
- Scandale
- Wolford
- Swedish Stockings
- Simone Pérèle
- Bluebella
- Maison Close
- CDLP
BRANDS TO DISCOVER
- Darkpark
- Amiri
- Casablanca
- Axel Arigato
- Paris Texas
- Lexon
- Diadora
- Officine Générale
- L:A Bruket
- Manasi 7
- Varley
FOOTWEAR BRANDS
- Repetto
- Axel Arigato
- Norda
- Saucony
- Maison Margiela
- Jacquemus
- Chloé
- Amiri
- Salomon
- Diadora
- Paris Texas
FRAGRANCE BRANDS
- Creed
- Penhaligon’s
- Loewe
- Trudon
- Memo Paris
- Xerjoff
- L’Artisan Parfumeur
- Marc-Antoine Barrois
- Who is Elijah
- Atkinsons
- Brunello Cucinelli
- Goldfield & Banks
- And more
HOMEWARE BRANDS
- Ginori 1735
- Seletti
- Georg Jensen
- Sophie Lou Jacobsen
- Helle Mardahl
- Stories of Italy
- Lexon
- Assouline
- Moleskine
- Asobu
- BigStuffed
- Alessi
- Ashley & Co
- Aarke
- Blunt
- Lexon x Jeff Koons
- And more