In Hamilton for 2 nights. Enjoyed this spot twice . One of…read morethe few bars we could belly up to as many in NZ seem to have no stools. Great cocktails and beer selection. Friendly, engaging staff.

This is a serious contender for best bar in Hamilton. I came here Saturday night with my husband…read moreand a couple friends. Why, why have I not been here before now?! I used to live just up the block! My husband had already been here and, somehow, did not bring me in immediately. This is one of those places where I had a "love at first sight" moment. Even on a fairly crowded night, the vibe in this place is super-cool. It's small, almost uncomfortably so, but in spite of that (because of that?) it has a great intimate feel. The cocktails are pricey, but different and skillfully prepared. There is a good selection of whiskey (my whiskey-loving friend tells me). There was a DJ artfully spinning a weird, awesome, "did-he-just-do-that?" selection of tunes. The decor is comfortable/cool, with walls of exposed bricks and "I never want to get up" comfy couches. The back walls are lined with loads of books and one portion of the ceiling is covered with records. They appear to have some bites to eat, but admittedly, we were just there for drinks. It's a little tricky to find, set back from Victoria Street down a side alley. But, it's SO worth finding.

We had an outstanding dinner this evening here, Hello Beasty aside the best meal we have had during…read moreour first five days in New Zealand. Began with a bottled stout beer (too few beers on tap, sad to say). First time trying rewana bread, a Maori sourdough. My garden salad was rich with interesting greens as well as julienned strips of carrot and tomatoes. Nancy was pleased with her salt and pepper squid, almost as good as the first rate calamari of Capetown, the standard by which we judge calamari. My main was Lamb 'N' Vege, tender medallions of lamb shoulder in a stew of cubed potatoes, squash and beets, with a nice gravy. We were too full to think of dessert (Nancy liked the look of her chargrilled broccoli but was too full to do anything but take it home)

Service was excellent. The Thai mussels were tasty every though they were breaded and fried. The…read morelamb shoulder was good and the burger was tasty although the beef was more dense. Good spot in Te Kuiti for dinner that was open to 8:30 pm.

Definitely an upscale dining option with a laid back vibe. You can get away with wearing probably…read morepretty casual clothes but if you're going on a date night why not spice up your wardrobe?! In all seriousness....Delicious food. Pretty presentation. Slow service. Worth going! I had the duck plate, super delicious and a lot of food. Many of my colleagues had starters (entrees or in America, appetizers) that looked yummy. Favorite seemed to be the bread and the tortellini. Dessert was also popular.

We were served by a child who had no clue about serving (not his fault!). We were looking forward…read moreto a wonderful meal, but instead found ourselves becoming more and more frustrated. We ordered an entree (known in the USA as appetizer) with cocktails that was delicious (prawns and salmon). The service was extremely slow, so we ordered bread, waited over 10 minutes and asked our waiter for an update, but he said he thought we wanted it with our main course. We did not, and reminded him again that we wanted it before the main. After checking on the bread, our waiter returned and apologized that they were short staffed and the bread would take a bit longer. There were 4 tables (including us) with no more than 3 people, occupied in the entire restaurant. We then informed him that we had changed our minds about the main and wanted to close out the tab. He apologized profusely, and we again explained that it wasn't his fault for not having received any training in serving. The restaurant is pretentious and over priced. Wine pours are about 3 ounces for $17 NZ, and a martini with well vodka with half the amount of the usual alcohol for $20 NZ. On our way out, we saw that there were 2 chefs cooking for 4 tables! We do not understand how this is considered short-staffed.

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.

Walked in due to the price posted outside - at NZ$13 for my meal and coffee, this was the best…read morebreakfast deal in Rotorua. Eggs are made to order, home fries are certainly from frozen, but the speedy service, quantity of food, and low price made up for it! It's breakfast, so it's pretty much the same everywhere. If you are expecting organic or farm-to-table, you probably want to keep walking. Bonus: could get an American style coffee which can be a bit of a challenge. Located close to town center. One catch was that my credit card didn't work and I was requested to pay in cash. Sounds like there is sometimes an issue with out-of-country credit cards. The five stars are because this is exactly what was advertised - decent food at a low price.

We had a great lunch time dining experience,as always the food is delicious, good portions and…read moregreat service. I always feel special when greeted by Rochelle and his staff. Thank you for a fabulous experience.

Situated right on the Strand by the water, Macau has a perfect location…read more This Asian fusion restaurant proposes nice delicate dishes in a great atmosphere. We started our lunch outside, enjoying the sun and the view on Macau's nice terrace. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans and it started to pour once we had started our mains. The staff was very friendly and moved all our dishes and drinks inside before anything got wet. In the end it wasn't too bad as the restaurant's decor is really cool. I really liked the origami graphic chart used throughout, from the menus to the toilet signs. But most importantly, the food was great! My salt & pepper soft shell crab was served on a nice salad. They were yummy and perfectly cooked. All my friends were also very satisfied with their dishes. If you are in the neighborhood, don't hesitate to stop by, you won't regret it !

A wonderful new restaurant in downtown Hamilton, just next to the new Riverside park on the banks…read moreof the Waikato River. This chic place offers cocktails, a full wine menu of NZ vineyards, beer in tap, and small and big plates to share. The aged sirloin with chimichurri sauce was perfectly cooked medium rare and tasted great. As dessert a tasty plum and almond tart complemented the dinner. In a summer afternoon the shade covers the outdoors seating area, more like a terrace and to complement ambiance a DJ selects vinyl records to play, nothing too strident. Indoor seating is alsoAll in all a great experience and new fresh venue sorely needed in Hamilton.

Disappointing Experience:…read more Aren't speakeasies supposed to be hidden or require a secret code? This was just like any regular bar --just located on a lower level. Nothing unique or intriguing about it. Very underwhelming and disappointing.

We saw Caretaker had made the world's best bars list, so we had to check it out when we visited…read moreAuckland. Caretaker is a bar where they don't give you a cocktail list. They ask you what type of cocktail you would like (liquors, flavors, etc.) and use that information to craft a cocktail for you. Because of this, there can be a huge variability in the quality of the drinks you get. When you get a good server, the drinks will be incredible. Our second visit there, we got someone on her first day, and the drink we ordered wasn't great so we left after one drink. Another complaint is that it does take them a while to get drinks out. All of that said, I'm still giving this place 4 stars, because when it's good, it's really good and I think it's spot on the best bars list is mostly deserved. I don't remember the qualities that I gave to get the following drinks, but on my first trip I ended up getting the Gordon's Breakfast and the New Mexico and both of them were amazing.

I've lived in Hamilton and haven't had too much occasion to go bar hopping, as a 30-something with…read moretwo small kids. However, a few Fridays ago, my husband and I were out "late" with a friend and this was one of the places we landed. I really love the decor! It's modern and inviting, dark enough for some ambiance and to flatter everyone. I think I may have come in here once a long while ago, saw the price of the cocktails and decided I would never come back. But, I'm glad I did. Now that I'm kind of over the sticker-shock prices of drinking in New Zealand, I realize that this place is indeed pricey, but mostly worth it. It's also entirely possible that the prices of the drinks keeps a certain subset of young party-goers out, which at my present stage of life, I'm completely OK with. I had a "passionfruit cheesecake" drink. We were sitting near the bar and I had fun watching the bartender construct this little gem, which was complete with a "crumb" bottom. It was awesome. I'm not sure it was quite $17-awesome, but I'm just trying to focus in on my enjoyment of the evening and block out the price of the drinks. My husband had chilled amaretto. He was happy with it (not that it takes still to make it). Our friend had the "Winnie the Pooh," and really enjoyed it. This is definitely a good stop on Victoria Street for good atmosphere, good drinks. It's probably too expensive to be most people's "regular bar," but it's perfect for an occasional splurge on a night out.

This place is pretentious. I came here wth my best friend before a concert, and when she ordered​…read moreher drink the bartender she'd her if she was sure she wanted it as it was 'pretty expensive' (it was $15). She got a bit confused and then asked if he had any good cocktails he could make, and his response was 'not tonight, we're busy'. As she then thought about what she wanted, I ordered 2 fingers of bourbon, to which he responded "are you sure?". When I said I was, he poured a shot, then again asked if I 'Really wanted more'. When I replied yes, I know what two fingers is, his response was "its pretty expensive, are you sure?". This bartender was both offensive, and arrogant. He purely judged us based on our appearance, and then repeatedly implyed we could not afford normal drink prices. Will not ever come again, this bartender should be fired for losing (well paying) customers.

Nineteen Eighty One is a great local restaurant in Manukau, right opposite the Westfield Shopping…read moreCentre. It's a fairly new establishment in the area, but it's become a regular hangout for a few beers and very good food. You definitely feel the '80's vibe when you're there, and its always nice to see a little appreciation for that era. Their pizzas are delicious, particularly 'Rangi's Hangi' and 'Larry the Lamb'. They do a very nice caesar salad and my favourite main has to be the crispy chicken burger with aioli and melted brie- one of the best restaurant burgers I've had. They've got a good range of ciders and do a few cocktails to quench your thirst. They also serve most of their drinks in 600mL milk bottles, which is a really cool touch. I'd have to say that Nineteen Eighty One is best known for their fortnightly Wednesday quiz nights. The place gets packed and its always a good laugh- there's even a prize for the team that comes second to last.

This was our first visit at 1981. The waitress was very friendly and informed us of the "Specials"…read more I asked if I could non alcoholic version of one of their cocktail's, she said no problem. We had the garlic cob for Entree. For Mains, My wife chose the Steak & Kidney pie with mash. I had the sundried tomato and feta cheese stuffed chicken fillet. My wife said it was the best pie she had ever eaten. I really enjoyed the stuffed chicken too. The decor brought back lots of memories.