The Nation's Clubrooms is a relatively new addition to the range of bars located in Skycity. This…read moreone was built as a sports bar specifically for the Rugby World Cup, and is very much rugby themed, supporting the Auckland Blues. I like this pub because it's very clean and very large, with ample seating and no matter where you decide to sit, there will be a TV screen for you to view. What more could you ask from a sports bar? A betting machine you ask? Well it just so happens that they have a TAB section in the corner, complete with betting machines or a human who works for the TAB if you prefer to bet that way. Drinks and nibbles are pretty expensive here though, so you had better win your bets on the sports or at the casino next door.

One of Auckland's newest sports bars and about as good as they get! The Nation's Clubrooms is sort…read moreof hidden away on Level 3 of Skycity, but it's well worth finding once you're finally there. It's big, it's clean, the range of beers and pub grub is extensive, and there are more TV screens then you can shake a stick at. You simply won't find many sports bars that are this plush and well appointed, and perhaps owing to Skycity's extensive sponsorship of Auckland teams, the place is simply littered with memorabilia from the Blues, the Warriors, the Breakers and the All Blacks. There are also certain perks coming here as a Breakers fan. Skycity sponsor the team, so the fans sometimes get free drinks when they come here to watch the away games. Not bad!!

The old Chances has been transformed into a modern pub and TAB…read more Enjoyed the Sunday Roast and a few cold ones with my good mate.

A typical local bar, with a very comfortable atmosphere. Rock up in your shorts and jandals, or…read moreyour jeans and T-shirt to have a relaxed low key drink or a couple of games of pool. The staff are friendly and the locals are plenty. There is also a gaming room if that's what you're in to. Be warned the place is very "rustic", which gives it that authentic pub feel but may not be what you are looking for in a watering hole.

If Harley Davidson and the Marlboro man were ever to enjoy a beer in New Zealand, then Mavericks in…read moreGlenfield would be their bar of choice. Situated at the top entrance of the Glenfield Mall, Mavericks is an old school tough guy bar. The kind of bar where you play pool, drink beer and waste away the morning. Okay, it is not as rough as I make it out to be, and it is quite enjoyable to visit. I often catch a few frames, an ale or two and converse with great company. The great thing about Mavericks is location, location and location, as I can walk home after a long night. Not that I do this often...

My first night in Auckland, I stopped by here for dinner when I saw they had a $42.94 NZ deal for…read moreSouth Island Lamb Rump. The interior was lively with plenty of seating. Found a quiet corner to dine solo. I ordered the Lamb Rump with garlic butter, which came with Bacon and Peas, and a side of Smashed Truffle Potatoes. This was absolutely delicious! The Lamb was cooked perfectly, melt in your mouth tender, well seasoned, with a nice crunchy skin. The Potatoes were satisfyingly crispy, mouthwateringly in a flavorful sauce and spices, featuring strong taste of true truffle. Garlicky peas with bacon was a wonderful combination. When I saw Sticky Date Pudding on the dessert menu, I just had to get it. This was served with butterscotch sauce, candied walnut, and ice cream. What an indulgent, sweet, mouthwatering masterpiece! The Sticky Date Pudding was chewy, moist, with notes of caramel and warm spices. Walnuts added a delightful nutty crunch. I poured the butterscotch sauce over both the Sticky Date Pudding and ice cream, which brought everything together beautifully. Service was good. Waitress was personable and everything came out in a timely manner. Such a wonderful meal here!

Great atmosphere! Great service!…read moreFriendly staff. Definitely a must go place. Only had drinks however the food looked delicious

Whenever I'm in the Wairau Park region, I like to stop for a quick one at the Chances Sports Bar. I…read moreget to play a few games of pool with my mates, and share a cold one or three. It is not the kind of place I'll take my wife to, but it suits me, as it has a very good TAB on site, and not only do they show all the sports live on the big screen, but they also allow me to put a few Dollars on the live events. There is plenty of parking on site, and the menu offers good, manly fare. The beer is cold, and if you come early, then you should get a place to sit. Yes, it does get full at times. As for the reasoning why I wouldn't take the wife there; simple, she's a lady, and let's just say that the general crowd is a bit rough.

Backyard Bar is a decent spot for a few quite drinks after work, or to watch some sports…read more The accessibility, just off the motorway at Northcote, and plenty of parking make it a pretty easy place to organise drinks with friends. There is a nice outdoor seating area, but it fills up pretty quickly so it's worth trying to book for that. The menu is pretty standard pub fare - burgers, steaks, salads and pizzas and the like. It's all perfectly, eatable, but nothing amazing. The calamari was pretty good, but to be honest you can get the same thing at almost every pub in Auckland these days. In short, I wouldn't let the food put you off a visit, but if you're looking for a special dining experience, look elsewhere. The service was friendly and attentive and overall the Backyard is a pleasant and convenient local. I'll be there again, particularly once footy season kicks off.

We had a function here for my sons 1st birthday and christening on Mothers Day…read more Absolutely Amazing day food was on point and fresh and hot. The staff were absolutely amazing we had about 80-100 people that day and it was just a great amount of space. One downside were the jugs its $20 for a jug of fizzy i mean really? Surely because we had a function there it would have been less than that and Alcohol was a bit over priced but i mean apart from that it was an amazing day especially the help from Monga he was just so brilliant that day thanks guys

A good place for football match watch~ the beer is rather cheap while the cocktail is so-so…read more Any way a good place for sports-loving friends gathering!

We came here as a group for their Quiz Night - thought we would switch it up from our regular quiz…read morenight at the Merchant. I was ordered the angus beef burger and was I surprised or what?! Comparing it to the Merchant, their burger was much nicer and better value for money :) On top of my head I think the Merchant is around $21 and the Dark Horse was charging $16.50 (includes fries). The only problem we had was the tables are really close together - really hard to maneuver around. Will probably go back in the future :)

If you like being a bloke, you'll like it here. If you like spending time with blokes who like…read morebeing around other blokes doing blokey things, then you'll love it. Okay, I don't like sports. So I would never rave about a sports bar. But do they all have to packed with testosterone? Well, I guess so. If only they played interesting sports, like ice skating, rhythmic gymnastics, or show jumping, well, that might be quite nice. Or even better, how about a bit of Project Runway? That's a kind of sport, surely...it's competitive, isn't it? Really, there's nothing much here for me. They don't even have any especially tempting beer. And I love horse racing but I would never want to come here to place a bet, because where's the excitment of televised sport? It completely baffles me.

Back in the day Fort Street was a dump of a street, the sort of place you'd scurry down at 3am on a…read moreFriday night on your way to the White Lady hoping to not get mugged. Since then, the Council has done a bit of surgery on it - it's now a 'shared space' street - sort of repaved, pedestrianised but cars are still allowed on it... Point is, it's a nicer place to be now, and the businesses along here have done well out of it. Case in point is Right Track, the local sports bar. It's now got a great outdoor area to chill in with a beer, and the flags in the street (added for the World Cup) sort of beckon in a way. It's now a great place to catch the big game if you can't be there in person and you still want to get off your couch and make a night of it!

It should tell you a lot that all the past reviews for the QF Tavern have been from males. This is…read morenot the sort of establishment where you can or should bring a classy lady. I'm from Christchurch originally, so I don't think they even do breed classy ladies down there so I feel quite happy adding my two cents in about the olde QF. While nothing inherently special this bar always seems to be a decent night ender, it usually has live music, different events every night of the week (avoid the Wednesday night Karaoke if your not a fan of caterwauling, and most importantly cheapish drinks for Auckland anyway. During the day it's a slightly more respectable establishment so if you need to take a break from some strenuous shopping down Queen Street, grab a drink and a table outside and do some people watching (happy hour is 12pm-2pm in the afternoon)

There are only two things you need to know about the QF Tavern…read more The first is that this is the naked face of every other bar in New Zealand outside of Auckland. This is a classified Sports Bar with it's trench-coat flung wide open and exposed to the pedestrians of Queen St. The karaoke, the pokies, the "jing-gah-jick" guitar playing live music, the chips that taste like they were cooked in petroleum. If you're from the Far North, the Deep South or Lower Hutt, this is your Nirvana. Secondly, they serve beer towers (or beer giraffes or bar maids or whatever you wish to call them). Any Nirvana or Paradise or Valhalla should have beer towers.

The Merchant is a great spot to get a bite to eat while waiting for a movie or after a day of…read moreshopping at the mall. The vibe definitely matches a pub - you can watch sports on the tvs and some nights they have live music. This night, I had the buttermilk fried chicken and added on bao buns with lettuce cups to make it a meal. The chicken is super crispy! On chilly nights I recommend their special drinks menu (boozy coffee or hot chocolate) as its the perfect thing to warm up!

I've been drinking at the Merchant long before they became The Merchant, and I've always enjoyed…read morethe clientele the restaurant attracted, and the general atmosphere it creates. Being part of the mall, it is never going to be a big night out kind of place, but it is great for more mature drinkers to have a brew or two. What sets it apart from other watering holes is that you can have a good conversation while eating and drinking, and still have a good time. I normally combine a big night out at the movies with dinner and a drink, and with the good selection available on the strip, you can pick and choose your destination of choice. Most nights it will be The Merchant.