Golden Bear Brewing is a local pub at Mapua Wharf. It's usually packed with locals on weekends…read more(Fri-Sun.) They have a live band playing every Friday night and it's a great place to enjoy some locally brewed beer while sitting by the water. It gets a bit quieter during the weekdays. You can get a takeout from The Smokehouse (just around the corner) and they let you eat it on their patio as long as you order drinks from them. Beer + fish & chips = perfect combination!

The restaurant was very quiet for Sunday lunch, yet they managed to forget the meal orders of 3 out…read moreof our 10-guest group. When reminded that most had almost finished their meals yet 3 had not even been given their food yet, the woman in charge apologised and explained that they had a shortage of staff. The 3 orders had not gone through to the kitchen. It was too late to have my lunch order prepared so I got a refund. Very disappointing with the service. The food consists of a very limited Mexican menu, that hasn't changed for a year or two, consisting of overpriced finger food. Very disappointing overall.

Food was superb!!! What a treat. We had the vegetarian falafel, steak and fish of the day. With a…read moreside of the crispy potatoes. All were amazing. Our server was lovely. Wine was delicious. And the restaurant has great vibes. Do note they eat early around here and the host needed permission from the kitchen to seat us at 7:45. So glad they did!

The Apple Shed came highly recommended for their beer battered fish and chips, despite the price…read more My partner and I came here to order the fish and chips, but when we did, our waiter told us that they didn't serve fish and chips. He sent us to the Smokehouse next door. Confused, we looked at the menu they have displayed outside and it says 'Beer Battered Fish & Chips.' We ended up going to the Smokehouse and had a wonderful experience. AND we didn't have to spend $32 on one dish to do so.

We had a great time. Service was fine, but wine flights were diverse and delicious! And the pizza…read morewas yummy.

From the owner: Rimu Wine Bar at the Mapua Wharf offers an extensive range of premium Nelson region wines and a few…read morefavourites from New Zealand and around the world. All wines are available to taste, by the glass and by the bottle. You can also purchase wines and beers to take home. Rimu also has a range of quality whiskeys, ports and liqueurs, along with some of the finest craft beers available. Enjoy our wood fired pizzas, platters, or bring in your fish and chips from the Smokehouse to enjoy with your drinks. Watch out for special events over the winter months and come and enjoy the evening with friends in front of our roaring fire.

My pizza was delicious and my husband enjoyed his burger. Sweet ambiance, relaxed laid back…read morerestaurant with good food. Clean establishment : )

Ronnie was there to greet us at the door. Try to figure out the word of the day from the jumble of…read moreletters on the blackboard

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.

As one of the stops on the Hop on Hop off tour we took as an excursion off of our cruise boat, we…read moredid not quite know what to expect, but we very pleased in the end with our lunch at the Cork & Keg. We decided to wing our last excursion on our trip and took a tour that had a number of wineries, shops and attractions but limited food places. The Cork and Keg looked like a good option and the welcome interior and craft beer selection looked promising as we entered. Their lunch menu is hearty pub food and I selected the Pale Ale from Speight's brewery and ordered their steak sandwich with curly fries. Jo (my wife) ordered the fish and chips with a glass of white wine. My steak sandwich was stacked with thick tender steak and cooked to order medium rare. It was delicious! My wife as well enjoyed her fish and chips in which we enjoyed as we soaked up the interior of white plastered walls low hanging heavy wooden beams that adorn the interior giving it that warm pub feel. The exterior seating was warm and inviting as well, but at the time we arrive fairly crowded and we were on a tight time table so we passed. Food and Beverages 4.5 - Well prepared food and hearty portions. Good selection of local brews and wines. Service 3.5 The bartender who originally greeted us was great one server though skipped over us and went to the larger party that entered after us to get their order and didn't come back to us. The bartender did though follow up with us sure we did have our order in place after a short wait. Atmosphere 4 Nice wooden bar with fireplace and outdoor seating area shaded with umbrellas. A great pub feel to it. Price 4 I thought we had a good value as the food was well prepared and price for value seemed fair. OA 4.25

Ok this place exceeded our expectations. First they picked us up at our hotel and gave us a ride to…read morethe restaurant... not just us, they just do this. The beer and wine selection was good and the chicken curry was just delicious (tonight's dinner special). Just a nice surprise!

Awesome atmosphere and lovely outside seating with many options and great local beers…read more Found a few baby praying mantis' and they were very friendly!

Cordial staff, good beers, great food…read more Live music is what you make of it with open mic nights. They also have a great outdoor area weather permitting.

Had lunch in the cafe and drinks and dinner later after completing the nearby fabulous Charming…read moreCreek walkway. Everyone was very friendly and the food was excellent. Free wifi was good.

This was well worth the 6.5 hour trek from Christchurch over Easter Weekend. Having sampled some…read morebeers at the Great Kiwi Beerfest, we decided we had to get up to the restaurant itself to try some other beers. Located just off the main road to Onekaka, The Mussel Inn is a great local haunt that is regailed for it's beer and offers a great family feel with a large outdoor gathering space with picnic tables, a giant tire swing and a firepit. There is some indoor seating, but the real experience is outside. There are about 5-6 beer options on tab and other specialty beers by the bottle. My favorite is the Captain Cooker Manuka Beer, but the Super Swine (hoppy manuka beer) was great too. My husband tried their chilli beer, but it is only available by the bottle at the restaurant. They are known for their pies, and I regret not trying one. We ordered small nachos (a blossom of nacho chips stuck into a bean/sour cream/salsa/cheese mix) garlic bread (a large rosemary? foccaia loaf with a generous portion of chopped garlic, the bacon burger (don't be fooled, this burger is all bacon and no beef) with lettuce, a light and fruity salsa and aioli servce on the garlic bread and green-lipped mussels. My husband says they're the best mussels he's had in NZ. I wasn't so impressed with the open-faced burger and ended up eating each piece separately (as it was extremely messy and over-bearing). The flavors were great once eaten by themselves! We had an extra beer over dessert, but their pavlova looked appetizing. Be sure to stay through dusk as they light the fire pit, which is a great place to cuddle up to someone, or just sit and enjoy a beer. Arrive before 6 to beat the local crowd and secure a table outdoors as well as parking in their very small lot. When we left, cars were lined up down the side of the highway.

Awesome place for an early lunch. Green mussels for 18$. Superb. They're huge and fresh. Good…read morecappuccino for 4$.

Stopped in for lunch. We had the seafood chowder, club sandwiches with fries and coffees…read more The staff were attentive and the service was fast and friendly. Coffees were great and arrived quickly. The food was fantastic and good value. If anything, portions were larger than we expected! The surroundings were pleasant (even on a miserable day!) with artwork and jewellery for sale too. This would be a great spot for a sunny day with ample outdoor seating. Recommended for brunch, lunch or coffee!

Very good latte and carrot cake you can enjoy in a beautifully arranged garden or inside the house…read more The staff is very nice and definitely serve the best coffee and dessert in town