Only sinners here to seek out an afternoon pick-me-up with a visit to a quaint, aged church,…read morere-purposed into a beer bar! Blessed be! When in hop capital, the Freehouse is an automatic add onto one's rotation. The most friendly, helpful staff to serve up a fresh pint and give all the best recs. Quite a few tap handles, but per the sheet, only those with the red check mark were the ones "On". No matter, because the selection with the 15 available was eclectic and very exciting. Surprisingly a number of sours on draft along with some cask options and beers featured from their on-site brewery "The Flavourtorium". We sat outside near this makeshift brewery within a shipping container, fermenter tanks and mashers in full view as a worker toiled away gathering the spent grain for disposal. Many a patron chatted away -- visitor and locals alike -- and dogs lazed away or wandered around off leash for a joyful afternoon basking in the Nelson sun. What an absolutely terrific vibe and what a time to be alive enjoying the fresh Nelson hops of the region!

Good place. They helped me out when I arrived in Nelson to an unacceptable hotel/motel, reviewed…read moreseparately. I ordered a pint and asked for recommendations. I got a few and followed up on one and ended up in a much better spot. It was admittedly not busy, so I had a bit of an opportunity to chat, and they were quite pleasant to get along with. A group came in as I was winding down my pint, and it is clear that they have a good community following (also confirmed by a recommendation of the Freehouse from a friend who lived in Nelson for quite a while). It was also a Sunday evening, so things were already pretty quiet in Nelson. There is a beer garden/patio out front with a food stand, but it is late winter now, so that wasn't active, and they have only a light kitchen themselves, so they were happy to recommend nearby places for take-out to eat-in at their spot. Good neighbors then. Good people. Very helpful. Good beer. Worth the visit. Oh, and it's in a repurposed church. Very cool.

This place is great. Nice menu with small snack options and pizza and burgers. Nice selection of…read moreciders if your not a craft beer drinker. Patio and inside seating both a plus. Prices better that other close pubs.

Sprig + Fern operates a myriad of taverns and taprooms throughout the Nelson-Tasman region. While…read morethe actual brewery is located in Richmond, you can only drink (and eat) at the satellite locations. This one seemed a more scenic spot with its location near Tahunanui Beach. It doesn't sit on the beach (nothing does), but it was quite peaceful to sit on the patio, drinking up some Vitamin D, salt air wafting through the air. Delicious pub food is to be had with some creative inclusions like bao buns and seafood. We had a lamb burger and poke bowl alongside some suds. The Nectaron Pale really set things alight with its punchiness though the West Coast Awesome Mix was a worthy contender. In general, though, their beers are on the lighter side with an even grassiness. They even have ciders for more light options. The bites were yummy enough though the poke bowl's avocado was quite over ripe. Easy pickings for free street parking right out front. If you do desire to pop into one of the Sprig+Fern locations, this one should be it!

Came after the WOW exhibit, which is just across the street for a drink. I had the 5 malt old dark…read moreand it was great. Looks pretty busy current and a good atmosphere. Good place for a drink. Also close to airport. FREE WIFI

Popped in here for a quick dessert and glass of wine. I had been told that this was a great local…read morebar and it did not disappoint! I had one of their excellent chocolate bourbon balls with a glass of great NZ rose and people-watched from the corner. Initially the bartender I got came off a bit salty and surly, but he warmed up a bit in the end. The other bartender was a bit more jovial and engaging and by the time I left you could tell this was a regular spot for some of the locals as well as a place recommended by the locals to visitors in the area. They looked like they had a good menu, if I had been in Nelson an additional night, I would have come back for lunch or dinner.

I was in Nelson for two nights and went here both times. The beers are all local, the staff is…read morefriendly and helpful explaining all the different beers. The beers are fantastic. I only wish my liver could handle a few more at each sitting. My favorite is the Porter. The have a couple of tables out front, a lot inside in two areas, including a separate smoking area which is very nice.

The best atmosphere! Amazing drinks and cool place to hang…read moreout. Ask for a cookie monster! Also Jam sessions are a must go to. Wed and Thursdays I think. Best bar in Nelson !!

There wasn't enough. I was extremely parched, I came here looking hydration and I didn't find it…read more Good vibes tho.

We were trying to find a place to stay in Nelson while using points and booked Honest Lawyer…read moreonline, when we arrived, we realized we were in for an experience. This is not your typical hotel/motel. It has character, we drove around finding the reception which was this very small office where she gave us the details about which room we were staying at and we drove in a circle to find the room. One great thing is you can park right next to the door so you're not dragging your luggage too far. The receptionist did let us know that they were having an event in the back area near our room, while we were driving to the back we did see people setting up near our room entrance and walking past it. We opened the door with the key given to us and the room was definetly more like Airbnb vibes from 1980s. I didn't do enough research to see if there is history with this hotel. There was no AC in the hotel so we tried to figure out what we were going to do in the night because it already felt warm, there was a fan from the 90s there with layers of dust which we turned on. We opened the windows however the second it was open, ants started crawling in so we closed those. We were so tired from the day, we decided not to go join the party outside. We wounded down and fell asleep. I am thankful we only booked this place for one night. I did like there was a lot of space and counter space for luggage etc. but it is very outdated- old, rusty, dusty, recommend bringing shower slippers, house slippers and more.

Stayed at the hotel while on vacation. Rooms are VERY outdated and need to be remodeled. Bed was…read moreok, we slept well and it was quiet. The toilet handle was broken and wouldn't flush. Ceiling in bathroom has peeling/chipped paint. The shower/tub was very outdated and the shower curtain smelled musty and was moldy. The faucet has separate faucets for hot and cold, which is annoying and inefficient. Room temp control is an oscillating floor fan... windows open but no screens. There is no coffee or breakfast on site until 10a weekdays (no breakfast weekdays at all) and 9a weekend and nothing close walking distance if you wish to have something before they open. They do offer tea and powdered coffee in your room but that's not my cup of tea! Staff also cannot recommend somewhere for coffee when asked. Had dinner first night and the service was just ok, ordered the salmon salad special and my bf ordered the steak cooked on the 400 degree stone. Which was really cool! Would have been nice to have some kind of instruction on proper cooking to medium temperature, but our plates were just dropped off without explanation. Please note there is no elevator. So you must carry your large bags up the stairs. Hangars are not removable in closet and there are no hooks to hang anything in the bathroom.

We were struggling to find food in Nelson, having arrived after most cafes had stopped serving for…read morelunch. We were abut to give up and just pick up a pie out of a bakery when we found Stables bar and to our delight, were still serving. It was great to sit down and relax for a bit and watch the chef through the cubbhole in the bar barking orders at his team while they cooked our meal. I opted for sweetcorn fritters, which were the best I had had on holiday, and the SR had the Stables burger, which the chef brought out himself (nice touch, people). It was a beast of a burger, with egg, cheese, bacon and 2 burgers as well as a whole host of other pieces. It broke the SR. All in all, Stables was a good stop, with substantial lunches that absolutely hit the spot for us. A happy find in Nelson.

Not sure what's happened in the year since we last visited Nelson and dined (loose use of the term)…read moreat the Vic. It might have been the time we arrived 8.15 pm? "Underwhelming" was the politest comment a colleague made. 16 of us for dinner. The gourmet hamburgers were oversized "sliders". The steak was dropped on to pile of string potato chips. On part of the steak was raw the other cooked to a leather consistency. No salad or garnish. Some sort of pesto on top of the steak no choice of sauces. The fish was old and small portions and greasy. Again a pile of chips and no side salad. Cost from $27 to $33 There are better venues and quality of food for similar prices. I suggest you try those.

BEST burger and meal I've had while visiting New Zealand. It's in a cute little area of down town…read moreNelson. Reminds me of Berkeley, CA where I'm from. Such a delicious burger, fries and yummy cider too. A little pricey, but totally worth it. Also cheaper option than other restaurants in the immediate area. Nice outdoor seating and fun decor inside. Must stop here if visiting Nelson. I'm sad I could only get one burger :p

The River Kitchen was so amazing we went both mornings when we were in Nelson. The Eggs Benedict…read morewith mushrooms and bacon was delish and so were the chicken bites. The baked items aren't to be missed either.

Perfect brunch spot, shaded by trees next to the river. Thankfully, they post their holiday hours…read moreon their IG and were open New Year's Day. We got the Eggs Benedict with bacon, and burger, both were delicious though the burger is a little sweet (comes with beets and BBQ sauce). Servers were friendly and accommodating. They also have a selection of coffee, pastries, juices and sandwiches to go.