Gray's is a café, shop and vintage clothing store at 771 Dominion Road in Mount Eden, Auckland. Despite the name on the door — Gray's Wine Bar — the wine licence is still in the works, and in the meantime the space has grown into a comfy, vintage-styled coffee bar serving locals near and far, run by owners Grayson and Daniel.
Coffee comes from Wellington's Rich Coffee Roasters, poured as espresso, filter and decaf, with dairy (normal and trim) plus oat, coconut and soy alternatives. The cabinet holds savoury snacks made in-house — a rotating selection of bagels and the homemade cheese rolls regulars call iconic — alongside sweet treats from Messy Kitchen Bakes such as brownie, banana loaf and blondie. The menu changes daily, with vegan options available, and tea, Karma juices and Low Bro's kombucha cover the non-coffee drinkers.
Beyond the counter sits The Cellar, a curated second-hand and vintage clothing store stocked with hand-picked pieces from New Zealand op-shops and imported American vintage — everything from 1950s nightgowns to early-2000s denim skirts. The wider shop showcases local sellers, artisans and artists in an urban-market setting: pottery, homewares, soft furnishings, original artworks, vintage furniture and food stuffs.
Gray's was named in Metro's Top 50 Cafes 2023 and has been featured by Denizen and I Love Ugly. Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, where there's even a wall dedicated to canine regulars, and the wine bar itself is coming soon — hopefully. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 8.30 am to 2.00 pm.
Gray's sits at 771 Dominion Road in Mount Eden, Tāmaki Makaurau, and it is cheerfully upfront that it isn't quite what its name promises. “Welcome to Gray's Wine Bar. Strange right, because we aren't a wine bar… yet.” Licensing has taken longer than owners Grayson and Daniel hoped, and rather than wait, they let the space evolve into an amalgamation of everything they find comforting, fun and interesting: delicious coffee, tasty food, vintage clothing, handmade curios and art. The result is part café, part urban market, part vintage store — and, somewhat fittingly, the ‘wine bar’ that isn't yet landed a spot in Metro's Top 50 Cafes for 2023.
The heart of Gray's is the coffee bar. The team pours blends from Wellington's Rich Coffee Roasters across espresso, filter and decaf espresso, and milk drinkers can pick from dairy (normal and trim) or dairy-free oat, coconut and soy. Customers have taken notice: reviews call it the “best coffee in Auckland”, praise the “perfect oat flat whites” at a reasonable price, and credit the team with having “a great thing going”. Coffee not your vibe? There's a selection of teas, plus Karma juices and Low Bro's kombucha chilled in the fridge — and the full range extends beyond what any website can list, so it pays to look in person.
The cabinet is stocked with savoury snacks made in-house by the team, led by a rotating selection of bagels and the homemade cheese rolls that regulars have labelled iconic. On the sweet side, Gray's brings in treats from Messy Kitchen Bakes — think brownie, banana loaf and blondie. The menu changes daily and vegan options are available, so no two visits are quite the same.
Step past the counter and you'll find The Cellar, Gray's second-hand and vintage clothing store. Born from a passion for sustainable fashion, it's a curated collection of hand-picked pieces sourced from op-shops and thrift stores around New Zealand, alongside imported American vintage and international brands. The feminine rack runs from 1950s nightgowns to early-2000s denim skirts; the masculine side leans anywhere from 70s disco royalty to y2k skater. Can't make it to Dominion Road? The Cellar's online store is open, with orders shipped Tuesday to Friday.
Gray's also works as a small urban market. The shop area showcases a unique mix of products from local sellers, artisans and artists — an eclectic range of food stuffs, pottery, homewares, soft furnishings, original artworks and vintage furniture. The team is proud to support handmade, vintage, second-hand and sustainably-made goods, which makes it a natural stop for gifts, or for something with a story for your own home.
Community is a big focus for Grayson and Dan, and that extends to the four-legged regulars. The café is friendly to dogs, though not quite dog friendly: pups can't come inside, but there are spots to attach them at the outdoor tables, and the team will snap a photo for the wall dedicated to canine regulars — treats are a possibility. Alongside the Metro Top 50 Cafes nod, Gray's has been featured by Denizen and sat down with I Love Ugly to talk through the journey so far.
As for the name, the sights remain firmly set on the wine bar, with licensing the only thing standing in the way. Until then, it's a space the owners are incredibly proud of — one built, they say, with plenty of help from their community and team.
Gray's is at 771 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, open Tuesday to Sunday from 8.30 am to 2.00 pm and closed Mondays. General enquiries go to [email protected] and vintage questions to [email protected] — the team works Tuesday to Saturday and aims to reply within two working days. Come for a cup of joe, stay for a cheese roll, and leave with a piece of pottery or a y2k denim skirt if the racks treat you well.