Had the pork tacos. Perfect spice and ample meat make for a nice dish. The ambiance is bar all the…read moreway. Pounding music, ample brews with outdoor seating available.

Very nice atmosphere with a ton of seating outside to overlook the harbor, or inside to watch the…read moregame. The beer was good, but it was hard to get service. It was easier to just order at the bar, even though the waitstaff said they would take care of it & then not show up for 30mins.

Nice place. Vibrant. Busy. Good food. The side salad which was large enough to share and…read moredeliciously dressed. The charred vegetables were not charred but more steamed. Still very good. Onion rings good. Accompaniment of Coriander sauce tasted like pesto. Yummy. Pigs in blankets were nicely prepared sausages wrapped in lightly cooked bacon.

It's one of the few places open in the evening in this neighborhood! Please note, there are stairs…read morein front, and no accessible entrance. However, there are a few tables on the sidewalk, so that is,an alternative if the weather allows. There are handrails but large potted plants were used to hold the doors open, and while they were lovely, they blocked access to the handrails. There's not a huge food menu, but most people should be able to find something to suit them. There seemed to be a hearty selection of alcohol. Seating was a mixture of regular tables and chairs and bar-height tables and stools. I got the burger and chips (fries). It was a good-sized patty with bacon and cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. There was also ketchup and mustard and something else in the sauce. I enjoyed it. The fries were a larger size (not shoestring). They were seasoned and tasted good, but I would have liked them to be a bit more crispy. A good option, especially if you're drinking, and a,welcome one at night if you're in the neighborhood.

During our last visit to Wellington we visited Backbenchers and it was thoroughly enjoyable. Our…read moremost recent experience was such that we won't be returning again. Backbencher's is a "gastro" pub which seem to mean that there is no traditional pub fare. I ordered the fish and chips which were a huge disappointment. The chips were excellent, the tartar sauce was overloaded with garlic. The fish consisted of two thIn pieces of fish about one-quarter think and three inches wide, battered and deep fried to a crisp. I've eaten fish and chips all over the world and this by far the worst. My wife ordered the open face chicken sandwich which she described as okay. Great pub ambience and service. It's too bad the food doesn't come close to meeting expectations.

Friendly staff and nice craft beer. Reasonable prices and well set out with tons of character. A…read moremust for Wellington.

Good spot. Not stellar, but quite adequate. I wouldn't steer anyone away, especially a group of…read morepeople. It's a nice space in a good location in the CBD. I think groups would be great here. Seating at the bar was a bit muted, and that's what I'm more accustomed to, so as a solo tourist that might be my only real gripe.

The atmosphere and interior of this place is fun ad funky. The staff was all very friendly and…read moreattentive. Loved that the soda and beer came in good sized beer stein mugs. The food was out of this world with taste and flavor. We were sad when the plates were cleared.

Excellent small hotel ideal for the solo traveler. difficult to find on line but easy to find in…read moreFeatherston. excellent bar and meals Plenty of off street parking and private entrance to accommodation.

This used to be a "gang" pub. For those not up to date with gang culture in NZ, it pretty much…read moremeant that no sane person would have ever gone in there! Enter Paul Rowan....a Manchester lad who has a pretty good track record in launching really good gastro pubs in the Wellington area. And he has done it again folks...the Empire is a great place to meet for a beer, have a snack or sit down for a good feed. Fish and Chips in newspaper......the PC brigade haven't reached NZ yet....or, in a first for the area, stonegrill meals...where your meat of choice arrives on a hot stone and you get to cook it the way you like it!!! Jazz on Sundays, Live music at the weekends with free sausage sizzle (it's a banger wrapped in bread) on Friday nights are all things that have made this the No1 Meeting place in Petone. If that hasn't tempted you...they have Giant Jenga in the ber garden.....

Yummy great food with nice crispy not oily batter Cheers to…read moreDaniel fora wonderful meal

We did the AirBnb experience here and it was absolutely incredible! We had Tom guiding us through…read morethe night and he was incredibly wonderful. Not only did he take the time to connect with us, but also genuinely showed the passion he had for the Thistle Inn. The head chef's menu was outstanding, letting us try dishes that we might never have had ordered before. That SHORT RIB! Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, blow-your-mind bite of the main dish was out of this world. Tom explained the local sourcing of the ingredients and the wines, which was great to hear. Loved learning about the history of the Thistle Inn over a fantastic meal.

Nice to be able to make reservations for a Saturday night. Pleasant staff, attentive. iPad ordering…read moreis half useful. Good in order to time your order but if the restaurant is busy it'll work against you as you'll have no idea of timing. It also flattens the experience of sharing and negotiating. We ended up using paper menus. Image a table of ten! Drinks list are just odd. However the food is delicious. We had ghost bread, beef ribs, chicken n waffles, and curly fries. ARGH! almost exploded. Must. Order. Less. Too bad there isn't half order of curly fries. We'll be back soon because we're curious about beignets. Jazz band is good and performed at volume that still let us talk. NICE

Excellent choice if you need a taste of southern home. Drink and drink system is very gimmicky…read more Most high end cocktails I want to choose the liquor, the silly app you have to use probably had the option but I gave up. The food made up for the cocktail ordering system ridiculousness.

Excellent fish-n-chips! The double cheese burger has v small burger patties. A bit loud but it is a…read morepub after all. Limited wine selection but we found a nice merlot and Syrah.

Eclectic on the inside, the Honey Badger is a great place for a long lunch or after work escape…read more They've got a variety of really really good burgers on offer, with vegetarian and vegan options too. Best of all, they are the only place in Wellington that offers authentic tater tots as a side. Nothing pairs better than one of their cocktails on tap, with the El Diablo being a crowd favourite in my camp. A cold beer or cider is fine too! Great atmosphere, great food and drinks, and friendly staff keep me coming back!

Visiting from California and I gotta say this is the most aesthetically pleasing bar I've been to…read morein New Zealand. The service is great, drinks are amazing. Definitely stop in!