Titirangi Village Wines is basically what you can expect from a standard liquor store - a good…read moreselection of NZ wines and beers, and with a nice range of imported stock too. What is useful is that they have quite a few information tags underneath the stock, with content such as a quote from a magazine review, which can be helpful if you're a bit stuck deciding what you want. They also have a lot of wines, beers and other drinks on special which are all well priced and easy to find as they are marked with a red tag. Beware of the automatic sliding door to the fridge however; a sudden breeze of cold air certainly surprised me a few times as I was wandering around the shop.

The only thing bad about hopscotch is where it resides. I only stumbled across it because I left my…read morecar here one particularly shady night, and when I came along the next morning I realised Hopscotch was open, and wasn't actually a children's store, but a craft brew shop. I walked in and was greeted with an impressive selection of beers - in fact, make that very impressive. There are so many different beers on selection, and the way you get them is awesome. You buy a ten dollar bottle (reusable) and choose which type of craft beer you feel like indulging in. The shop constantly rotates what is on offer, so you could be drinking a dutch brew one week , and a Dunedin one the next. If you love beer, come along to hopscotch. It's well worth venturing off the beaten track, trust me.

Whether you are a craft beer connoisseur or just looking to try something outside of the usual big…read morebrands, Hopscotch is the place for you! Hopscotch, for me is the definition of a hidden gem. It is located in the backstreets of Mt Eden, in an industrial garage with the obligatory corrugated iron pull up door. From the outside is looks pretty non-descript but inside there are approx 18 beers on tap, plenty more bottled varieties and even a small selection of whisky and wine! Whilst you can't come to Hopscotch and get on the piss (it only has an off-licence) what you can do is taste any of the beers on tap before buying them by either the bottle (you can buy 1L resuable bottles there for $10) or the keg. Hugh, the owner is super knowledgable, telling you about each beer/brewery, as well as other interesting tidbits whilst you taste. The beers on tap rotate constantly but check out their website to see with whats currently on offer!

It's disappointedly rare to get really good service these days, but the team at Kelston West Liquor…read more(it used to be a King Dicks; they all seem to be getting slowly rebranded) provide a good example of what good service is. I can't imagine any of the staff here are getting paid big bucks, but any time I've been in here, they've never been anything less than pleasant and always happy to go the extra mile to help - including once calling around other stores in the area to see if they had in stock what I was looking for. In terms of stock, they have a good range for a local liquor shop; if you need a $300 bottle of wine, it's probably not the place to go but for everything else it's a goer.

I have been known to drive a whole two suburbs over to come here (oh god the food kilometres). I…read morefirst discovered it popping in after the YMCA and it is so much more than a 4 Square. There's a huge selection of French wines which is a total surprise and while they're all a bit pricey for me, it's still fun to look. It has a proper mini-market feel with everything from fresh specialty breads to meats but for me the produce is where it's at. I have a great local green grocer that I visit constantly but I have to say the bagged salad leaves here are the best. Always fresh and well under those ridiculous supermarket prices, this is one of those places where if it's not top quality they don't stock it. You can also grab your basics; bread, milk, a forgotten pantry ingredient and there's a range of ethnic foods as well. And did I mention magazines? One stop shop.

An upscale deli with a large selection of meats and cheeses. Also wide variety of crackers,…read morespreads, prepared meals, fruits, veggies...they've got it all but only the best!!

This Thirsty Liquor is a pretty standard liquor store with all the usual suspects of wine, beer,…read morecider and liquor. Price has a small premium but otherwise pretty much business as usual. The best part is the handy location in town especially if you are going up towards Albert Park. I think there are a few hostels around the area too whose backpackers probably patronize this shop quite a bit.

Very handy location for those who live in the heart of the city . Courthouse Lane Grocer stock's a…read moregreat range of grocery products from Fresh fruit and veg to toilet paper, plus an awesome range of international wines and craft beers. Staff are also very friendly and always keen to help. Sort of place with the friendly warmth you would only expect to find in a small town but located in the concrete jungle.

An efficiently run store Very handy near Chancery/Freyberg…read moreSquare Try it You will like it

Nestled alongside the swanky Elliot Stables, you will this beautiful little store. There isn't an…read moreextensive range of accessories but the selection of whisky here is amazing. Scotch, bourbon, even New Zealand whiskey and then a selection of gin and vodkas for good measure. The quality of the product in The Whiskey Shop is first class and they offer tasting and appreciation experiences along with helpful tips on their website. The staff in-store were a little preoccupied during our Sunday excursion there however it is a great little specialist shop in the CBD.

Money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you whiskey which is pretty much the same thing. Never…read morea truer statement I don't reckon. The Whiskey Shop is a real mans man sort of store. Dark wood veneers, sumptuous leather couches. All you need is a cigar in one hand and a tumbler of whiskey in your other and you could be the perfect picture of the country squire. They stock all imported and hard to find bottles of whiskey here, many of them aged to perfection. And if whiskey ain't your thing, you can find a mixture of other alcoholic drops in their Spirit Store. I found a 21 year old bottle of Appleton rum here which was so out of my price range to be laughable, but I coveted it anyway. For an interactive experience they do whiskey tastings that cater to whiskey newbies to self proclaimed connoisseurs. I'm planning on attending the next friend bring a friend event!