Modern dating is a minefield, so Beach Babylon and local comedians Mike Fowler and Anya Rzhevitskaya have turned it into a laugh-filled dining event not to be missed. Love Bites is a three-course comedy dinner centred on the chaos of modern relationships: red flags you clocked and ignored, situationships you still can't explain, and texts that should've stayed in drafts. Across the night, Mike, and Anya will take very different angles on love and dating as the courses land, from early sparks and suspicious charm through to full-blown hindsight. The menu mirrors the arc perfectly: entrées spark connection (think love bombing fondue and I'm hooked prawns), mains explore the situationship (steak with main character energy or fish soft launches), and dessert brings the happily ever after. It's loose, social, and just self-aware enough. Your ticket includes three courses and a welcome cocktail. Additional drinks available for purchase.

Middle-earth has found its way to Oriental Bay. For August, Beach Babylon hosts a tavern pop-up that feels like somewhere you stumble into wandering hobbits and stay longer than planned, candlelight, conversation, a space removed from the everyday. The menu nods to tavern traditions: Shire comfort, Rohan indulgence, Gondor richness. Food that leans generous and satisfying, designed for settling in rather than moving on too quickly. Hobbits eat early and often. Dwarves favour bold, indulgent flavours. Rangers keeping things simple and well chosen. And somewhere in the mix, the quiet suggestion that a certain ring might not be entirely accounted for. The drinks keep things grounded. Local craft beers, classic pours, and a few special concoctions for those with a sense of adventure. Choose your path through three courses, entrée, main, dessert, with options that work whether you're a hobbit or a ranger. Costumes welcome. Just arrive hungry.

Harringtons ale-braised beef cheek and smoked glazed pork belly, with Kāpiti cheddar fondue, ale-battered onion rings, iceberg lettuce, pickled green tomato, chilli jam, and green-shire aioli in an umami buttered potato bun, with paprika-kale ash salted rustic chips.