Starks is named after Freda Starks, the famous (and somewhat infamous) Kiwi dancer who liked to…read moreperform for Second World War troops wearing little more than a lick of gold body paint. She was also outed as lesbian while testifying in a scandalizing court case. Who better to name a bar after? Starks has a lovely, art deco feel, and serves a nice selection of local and European beer and wine. They also do a decent coffee and offer simple bar snacks. It's a pleasant place to drop in any time, but it really comes alive during show times at the Civic Theatre. Pop a cork and toast to Freda.

Very good coffee here - and good, quick service. I dropped in for a quick brew one Saturday…read moreafternoon before heading to a performance at the Civic Theatre. I expected it to be packed, as it's relatively small, but it was fine. Plenty of tables outside also. I'd come back here.

This is probably one of the best bars in the viaduct right now. There is a small outdoor seating…read morearea and a narrow entrance, which opens up into the main bar area, with a large u-shaped bar in the centre and seating all around. Behind that you'll find a big dance floor with a speaker-stack DJ booth in the corner. The drinks at Goldfinch are yum. The tunes are great, the crowd is older and sophisticated. It's a fun place to be on a Friday/Saturday night. Look out for the big neon sign on what looks like a cage next to Snapdragon.

I'll preface this by saying I don't remember everrrryyything about this night, (it was a biggie),…read morebut I remember the important things. I think... Goldfinch is right beside Snapdragon (another of my faves) in the Viaduct. It's much smaller, which is great for a night of dancing with a group of mates - and that is exactly what we did. The music was awesome, the drinks were yum, and the service was really helpful when we wanted to try out some new flavour combos. There are cool little booths that you can fill with friends and people watch till the wee small hours. That's another good thing about Goldfinch - it stays open super late. And it doesn't get awkward and quiet, it cranks. It's also not pretentious. Plonked smack bam in the middle of a great strip of bars and restaurants, Goldfinch is the perfect place to end the night on a high. ...Or at least that's what I remember..

FUN FACT: This adorable wine bar used to be the local butchery…read more Now it's owned by a charismatic local who doesn't mind a yarn and if you're lucky will even play you a tune on the piano! Man of many talents. We came here recently for Book Club and sat on their long table outside. It was chilly but they have heaters and wind down awnings so it was bearable. Considering it was only a Tuesday, it was pretty busy. Obviously Grey Lynn locals don't mind a drink and to be honest, I don't blame them. If I had a cool wine bar down the road I'd be doing exactly the same. The wine list here isn't huge but it does features some interesting options, including a number of European reds. We settled on an Italian red that was full bodied and only $9 - absolute steal! They also have a short menu featuring easy to share crowd pleasers. Think sliders, cheese & charcuterie platters and the like. All in all a great spot for an after-work drink tipple - fun & friendly atmosphere without the rowdy drunks.

For whatever reason, this place has chosen to occupy the premises of what was once a local…read moreinstitution, rename themselves and run an entirely different sort of business, but confusingly and inexplicably allow for the previous business' signage to remain stationed above the store front. So it is with Frieda Margolis and their quizzical "West Lynn Organic Meats" sign. Luckily for Frieda, they do a good job, and once you've been there for a drink once, you'll likely want to return. Great selection of craft beers from Wellington and a charming little eats menu. Four stars.

Lovely for the most part, we had a reservation but arrived at 6pm Friday to largely empty…read morerestaurant. I must say the Diamond Clam entree was "Off the charts" incredible! This is a must have dish! We also were fans of the Saltimbocca and Carpaccio that came with prosciutto. The pizza was decent but not a "have again". The most curious of dishes was the Linguine with Scampi. The scampi served in shell and halved were deliciously sweet. Unfortunately the scampi pasta appeared to be prepared earlier and just warmed for serving. The linguini was crispy, hard, dry.

Excellent food in this classic Auckland restaurant…read more Vegetable spaghettini was delicious with charred asparagus, brocollini and olives. Creamy portobello fettuccine mmm. Delicious raspberry and vanilla creamer brûlée. Rich decadent sour cherry chocolate dessert. Great people watching, classy friendly service and a good wine list.

The Floating Pavillion is an event space which literally floats just off the Hobson West Marina in…read morethe Viaduct - you walk along the waterfront towards Te Wero Island/the Wynyard Crossing and the pavillion is the floating grey building on the left. It's aimed at the business launch/wedding/ball crowd, so it's well kitted out to deal with a crowd of around 300. There's two levels so space for sit down dinners on the ground floor, as well as a large dance floor up top. For our inaugural UoA Architecture/Planning ball we hired out the Floating Pavillion, and can report the night went off without a hitch - food wasn't amazing, but the space was perfectly sized and well kitted out for the occasion.

This place right here it the place to have all your events, from your wedding to your engagement…read moreparty, a meeting or even a birthday party. Everything you need is there, all you have to do is call the business, arrange a tour then let them know exactly what you want. After that you can either send them pictures of your ideas or just leave it to them and their creativity. It is a great place for any events as it is located on the waterfront, guaranteeing great views and amazing pictures to upload on to instagram hash tagging aboutthatlife!

I came to the Bluestone Room the first time as my friend was having her 21st here. It was such an…read moreawesome little bar. It is located down a little side street off Queens Street called Durham Lane. I would have never have known this place existed! Here they quite happily hired out the venue for a private event. They had said that a few nights prior to the 21st they had a drag queen show, obviously this is quite a versatile bar that will happily play host for a number of events. The bar supplied the food for this event and man was it good! Not good for you, but very yummy! There were deep fried samosas, meatball, fried chicken nibbles, and my favourite prawn twisters. The prawn twisters were fantastic! The bar had a moderate range of spirits available (but that was on display, they may have had more elsewhere). They also had the Monteith's beer range on tap. This is a cool bar that I would like to come back to. They have a restaurant section however I never made it to that area. If you like to be adventurous and try out new places then I would recommend checking out this place as it's not in a mainstream kind of location.

This pub was a great find and close to our hotel. We went 2 nights because the food was just…read morestellar. First night I had the chicken remoulade which was just delicious and beautifully prepared. The second night we both had the nightly special, steak with mushroom sauce, chips and salad. Delicious and very reasonably priced. If we were staying longer we'd definitely go again. Good job mates!!

One of the best creative spaces in town with over 20 different business working out of one floor in…read morethe heart of the CBD. Matt Knight to helps run the loft is the man to contact if you are looking at getting into a shared office.

If you are a small business, or a team of one and you're looking for somewhere to work, even for a…read moreshort time, check out Loft503. Had a meeting there the other day and it's a cool place! This is a great shared work space in the restored Archilles House, next to Sals Pizza - so you get an awesome work space plus great lunch options! The deal is that you can rent a desk for a set length of time, giving you and your startup business the opportunity to have office space without the risk and outlay of renting your own whole office. Includes handy and flash facilities like kitchen and meeting rooms. Plus you get to work in an environment with other like minded people!

Great place to start the night on the Viaduct, had a few drinks before heading out to other places…read more Nice view as well.

Great lunch burger and beer special. Location was perfect to enjoy a delicious burger, fries, and…read morebeer.