Courtenay Place eatery to open upstairs as Golden Mile delays ground floor

Thursday, 7 August 2025

Tory Whanau says the city is moving into the future as work starts on the Golden Mile.

A Courtenay Place establishment is going ahead with developing its upstairs restaurant - leaving the downstairs eatery on hold until the Golden Mile’s commercial negotiations are finalised.

Auckland restaurant chain Lucky 8 will be opening early 2026 on the first floor of what was formerly The Establishment , owner Paul Wong has confirmed.

Jungle 8, a Vietnamese and Southeast Asian-style restaurant, will have its opening on the building’s ground floor delayed until the Golden Mile’s construction plan has been finalised, Wong said.

The main contracts for the $116 million upgrades to Wellington’s party strip are still being negotiated, Wellington City Council media manager Richard MacLean said.

The controversial project will see a cycle lane added, car access removed, and footpaths widened along the “Golden Mile” between Lambton Quay and Courtenay Place.

Overall, the project is expected to take up to three years to complete. Water infrastructure, roads, and footpaths will be replaced or repaired as part of the work.

Lucky 8 and Jungle 8 will open at 16 Courtenay Place, although Jungle 8’s opening on the ground floor has been delayed for the time being. (file)

Wong told The Post his venue’s development had been “stuck in limbo” for a time, due to the uncertainty surrounding the project’s future.

Initially, the building’s two restaurants had been planned to open simultaneously in October.

Wong said that after consideration, he has decided to open the two in stages.

“Previously we were going to open both Lucky 8 and Jungle 8 together, now we will open in stages with Lucky 8 first at the beginning of next year.

Lucky 8 and Jungle 8 owner Paul Wong says he is is going ahead with opening Lucky 8, early 2026. (File photo)

“Jungle 8 we have decided to wait and see how the Golden Mile construction plan plays out,” Wong said via email.

The upgrade project kicked off in April near the intersection of Kent and Cambridge terraces, near The Embassy theatre.

The work there is expected to take eight months, and includes new pedestrian and bike crossings.

MacLean said wet weather and finding inconsistencies underground had caused several delays to the construction, but this had not pushed back the overall Golden Mile project.

Lucky 8 and Jungle 8 will open at the former location of bar Estab 2.0.

Both Lucky 8 and Jungle 8 are popular Auckland eateries. Lucky 8 offers a mix of Chinese and Japanese food and drinks, while Jungle 8 leans towards Southeast Asian in its offerings, Wong said.

Wong said the two Courtenay Place restaurants would try to mix together something new from the fusion cuisines they already offered in Auckland.