Very nice place and the cakes are amazing! Highly recommend!…read more Service is amazing as well

I want to give The Wine Cellar a few props from the perspective of a door bitch at gigs. We are the…read morebitches who take your money - we put silly insignias on your wrist and hand you cheap EPs. Getting a gig together at The Wine Cellar is easy - the bar staff are really friendly people who don't seem to mind when the door bitch once again forgets a pen. Rohan who runs the technical side of the shows clearly loves making people sound good and takes his work seriously enough to do an excellent job of it. It's also massively cheap to rent the place - $100 for a PA and Rohan.

Awesome cosy venue for a gig. I saw Tiny Ruins here and although I wasn't in quick enough to get…read moremyself a seat on one of the couches, I love that they have them and that there's still plenty of standing room as well. Very intimate music venue, cool character and just a neat space. One downside is that if you haven't been before and don't know where you're going, might be a little hard to find. Down some stairs and through a non-descript side door you'll find it. The bar area is separate to the couch-filled room, which is nice in some ways but then of course if you're all comfy in your arm chair and don't want to lose your seat you'd better hope your friend doesn't mind getting your drink for you!

A little game pub by the road. Easy to walk in, sit down, just go to the counter to order something…read moresimple and fresh, it won't let you down. A couple of seats lay out at the bar counter, however, something unique come up to your mind. People have their names at the back of the chairs to mark their special seats. I have seen people saved the half of drink at the bar, this is something first come to vision. Old ladies and men rush in and out, then you will realize it is a game bar in the end. Order fish&chips, they will help you bring takeaways. Yes, why not have some chips pairing larger beer on a warm Sunday afternoon?

The Thirsty Frog is certainly not the most attractive wine bar in the world. I get where they were…read moregoing...frogs are green, it's called The Thirsty Frog but still that doesn't you have to douse the entire exterior of your bar in lime green paint. Exterior aside, I actually like The Thirsty Frog. Milford was in dire need of a wine bar and this place fits the bill. It offers great wines by the glass and there are plenty of tasty morsels to nibble on whilst you sip away. I particularly like that they have a constantly changing selection of French cheeses on offer. This place is great for after-work drinks with friends or as a pitstop on your Sunday afternoon walk with the dogs. Santé!

This is a neat place to go to for an after-work drink…read more The Oakroom has recently had a facelift and has a cosy feel. Rohini and Corey are great hosts and the small team of staff are always friendly, chatty and sincere. There's a gastropub style menu; food and drinks are good value. It's also a good spot for a private function with good catering options.

My friend held her 21st party here last night and when I arrived I instantly wanted to have mine…read morehere. It's a lovely looking bar I think it must be quite new because all the furniture looked that way. Not the place itself though, it was really classy but rustic with mood lighting and lots of seats which I love, too many places don't offer enough seating and everyone just has to stand around. Their outside deck area was where we spent most of our night, they had outdoor tables and stools as well as a more comfy option...the outdoor sofa. They had two tv screens which she used to display pictures all evening. The bartender was pleasant and friendly and everyone looked like they had the best night.

Pinot Plus is a cozy wine bar in Tapauna that seems to understand that "a meal without wine is…read morelike a day without sunshine." The decor is somewhat typical of European wine bars with its softly lit interior and deep red feature wall. I love the large blackboard and the old wine barrels with bar stools in their street-side seating area. A sommelier is always on hand to offer advice and help you find the right wine to compliment your meal so it is pretty standard to start your dinner with a little wine tasting session. Both sommeliers who served me were friendly and helpful and they went out of their way to help us find the wines that best suited our pallet and/or meal. I love that John Ingle has included a wonderful array of good New Zealand wines on his list. The menu isn't extensive but the meals are usually fabulous and the portions are perfect - if you are into sampling good food, rather than eating bellyful! I have eaten from two of their menus so far and I haven't been disappointed. However, as with most dining experiences some dishes are always going to be that much better. I have added a few comments along with some photos. Pinot Plus has had Grabone vouchers on offer lately - perfect reason to check it out! Please note; you can get a sparking water instead of wine but no other type of beverage here - it is after-all, a wine bar!

You can't beat a little tucked away neighbourhood wine bar especially if they have good food. Lots…read moreof locals and little chance of tourists. There's a boutique cinema - Bridgeway and the Engine room just down the road. I know someone who frequents this local as its just doors from her house. The wine menu is extensive and includes Chianti's, Rioja's and Montepulciano. The waitstaff know the drinks list well enough to make recommendations. They've also made the Top 10 bars in Auckland. Ed Verner (ex-Meredith's and Sidart) has a great tapas type menu. The meatballs were average but the foie gras was delish and the Confit potatoes scrummy. Apparently the Chili beef buns were great too. Desserts were interesting - one being the Chocolate Moelleux with cigar ice cream. I'd come here any night of the week, and in Winter there is a fire with some chairs you expect in some old hip library nook. Small and excellent, I wish there was a Stafford Rd wine bar in my Suburb.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Stafford Rd wine bar full at 6.30pm. This place must be a…read morefavourite place for locals. Fortunately I was able to find a seat at the little corner which was the last table. I tried waving at a waitress to order a glass of wine and when she didn't see me, a waiter on the bar kindly came out and served me which was very nice. I was too hungry to wait for my late companion, so I ordered the beer-battered fish buns ($12) first. It wasn't exactly what I had imagined as I have such high expectations for Stafford Rd Wine Bar - the food was always fabulous and out of square accompanied by flawless service. However this bun was more like a pub dish. Bun was cold and everything was just average. With a little disappointment, we ordered more hoping for something delicious. Organic pork belly ($23) was so tiny that we couldn't really share it between three of us. Quail egg and black pudding didn't have much spark to it either. Steamed pork buns ($14) were slightly better but it almost tasted like a Peking duck. We didn't give up and moved on to the dessert. Chocolate Moelleax ($14), like a chocolate fondant was quite simple with the fondant and raspberry sorbet displayed on top of cookie crumble crackles and freeze dried raspberry pieces. I have been praising this place to my friends and I was a bit shamed, especially when my previous experiences at Stafford were spectacular. We had to ask twice to be filled with water and it was hard to get attention from the waitress - what I wasn't expecting from a good start.

This was a delicious breakfast. The whipped yoghurt was amazing. The fluffy, airy sweetness was so…read moregood and the granola was also great. Fresh and crunchy with sweet stone fruits on top. The sourdough and eggs were great as well. I personally don't like parsley garnish so I didn't enjoy that on the egg as much but everything else was fantastic. Tomatoes were really juicy. Everything just tasted super fresh and of great quality.

we loved everything about this restaurant when we had dinner there. so much so that we went back…read morefor breakfast a day later! All the people there are friendly and efficient. The seating is comfortable. Go here.

On our last day, it was just non-stop rain as we were killing some time before heading to the…read moreairport. We walked nearby our hotel to My Bar, a tiny place with more outdoor tables (although obviously not the best place to sit on a day like that). Heading inside, we were greeted with a cozy place; mood lighting, exposed brick, wood floors, and tiny table nooks along the wall. The bartender was friendly and got us some drinks. They have a full selection of hard drinks, but I was here for the beer. They have six tap handles, all from the larger breweries of the country. I chose a flight of three. We slowly sipped our drinks and listened to the rain. Prices were reasonable, it was definitely worth a few minutes for some drinks!

Great bar! Stopped here one night & sat outside. Relaxed, friendly service; beer was great. Had a…read moreramen dish from a restaurant next door. Liked it so much, went back the next night.

Beautiful setting. Great service. Delicious food. Worth the short drive over the bridge from the…read moreCBD. You won't be disappointed.

Went to the Engine Room last night and they never disappoint…read more Great service by their team and the white bait fritter was amazing Nice ambience fresh menu love going there need to go more often

Well ladies and gentlemen I've found my new ponsonby favourite! A friend and I stumbled across this…read morelittle beauty on Saturday night, and we lingered here till about 2am. It's dark and moody with great music and the bar staff are good fun. But the two things that turned this little bar into my favourite spot are; asahi on tap and the peppermint chocolate shots. I'm not much of shot taker but this little marvel is heaven. Well worth stopping in and enjoying the people watching with a peppermint shot to warm you up.

Harry's is a charming, wee bar located next to that new "workingman's club" on P' Road…read more We went last week when it had only been open a couple of weeks and was still sorting a few things out. No sparkling water (...yet) and no espresso for the espresso martinis we ordered off the menu. "I could whistle something up using the cold brew?" the bartender offered. We weren't fussy and they tasted delicious. They even let us order snacks a couple doors down from P.Road Bistro! Dream result. Great for a couple of lazy drinks, their outdoor tables get good afternoon sun. Just keep in mind it's pretty small so perhaps not great for groups.