Good irish bar. We came here around 4pm for an early dinner before our ferry to Wellington and it…read moredidn't disappoint. It got steadily busier as it got closer to 5pm with the line by the time we left. We tried the garlic bread with cheese again and still disappointed with the amount of garlic. However, the rest of the food was good. We got fish and chips again and the fish was lightly breaded and flakey and chips were crisp on the outside and potatoey on the inside. We also got the Guinness stew which was good as well (not as good as the stew I had the Guinness brewery but that's high bars).

How can this place only have 6 reviews?!? Whoever gets off the 3.5 hour ferry from Wellington to…read morePicton needs to stop at this place! It's inviting, delicious, super cozy, and fun. We got our pint of Guinness and enjoyed the amazing eats! Highly recommend this place if you're in this quaint little New Zealand town.

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.

Best venue in town. Nice high stage means you can see performances from anywhere in the bar, sound…read moresystem is great Great variety of music, where you'll here some of the best musicians in the country. Weekday gigs on Tue, Wed, Thur are usually quiet but free.

Funky interior, dark booths, long bar, good service and fabulous live music. Hosts every genre and…read moresub genre yo can think of and attracts a wide range of customers! Constant attractions like comedy nights, up and coming kiwi musicians as well as international acts. Always a good night to be had here

Very busy after work on a weekday but this place is great to explore some local brews from…read moredifferent breweries. Friends brought us here and recommended some drinks to us. This is the place where I found my favorite ginger beer - Hawkes Bay Ginger Fusion. Highly recommend if you enjoy a good spicy ginger beer. Didn't have any food because all the tables were taken and decided to go elsewhere but they have standard bar food like burgers, etc. They also had a huge collection of hot sauces that I wish I got to try. You just order at the bar which was quick and easy.

Amazing place! Large outdoor grassy area with huge bean bags to lounge and hang out. As you walk…read morein it's dimly lit with strings of lights giving it that speakeasy feel. Extensive menu of drinks from beer, wine, and spirits. The service was super friendly and quick! They have live music and comfy seating in the back. Love this gem in the heart of Wellington.

I've been here twice already, both times on Wednesday nights when they have select pizzas for $10…read more Their pizzas are fairly good; on the thinner side of crusts but not super thin, doughy with a good bite to them. They've got a good selection of craft beers as well. They only had live music one of the nights I came, but it was jazz and it was awesome. I've heard from others the weeknight live music can be hit or miss, though.

If you're in Takaka, chances are your pants have already been completely charmed off. But if you…read morecan handle one more ounce of charming, head to The Brigand. You'll walk through a garden of outdoor seating and into a cozy bar/cafe/music venue that, with open fires roaring and booze flowing, feels more like your best friend's living room than a restaurant. That is, until the food arrives. With a heavy emphasis on fresh Kiwi produce, it's an embarrassment of riches with lamb, sirloin steak, fresh fish, spare ribs, cheese, wine, really, I'm not sure why you're still reading and not simply heading here immediately. My only regret is not getting to try the apricot schnapps cheesecake as it was sold out. Welp, I guess I'll just have to head back...

Great place for a really damn good dinner! Good craft beer selection, amazing food and desserts…read more So nice to sit outside and have a drink with amazing food.

If you looking for a trendy bar with tall Russian hot chicks (which incidentally I love ). This is…read morenot the bar for you. If you want a good traditional pub like pubs used to be. Where you can come in on your own and have many friends (most of them tipsy) when you leave then go no further. Basic style but a heart of a Dragon. In winter you have a nice fire to keep you warm. Dart board to play with random strangers and pool table out back. There is a bet garden aka smoking area as well The food is good old fashioned pub food. The reason why I keep coming back. Is the staff are super friendly introduce you to the locals and make you feel like a local within a few minutes Enjoy Welsh hospitality if you are not a snob you will love this place.

Whenever we're in Wellington, we head straight for the Welsh Dragon. Mike and Joanne have created a…read morefantastic atmosphere. Phil W. pegged it in his review. When you go in, there's usually someone you recognize from the day or week before and the conversation picks up right where it left off. It's like all the really nice people in Wellington decided to hang out at this place, although, this is a really friendly city to begin with. The last time we were in town, the wife and I renewed our vows here, after about 40 years I guess it was time. Mike and Joanne were so sweet. They cleared out the back room, moved the pool table and filled the room with flowers and wedding decorations. It was beautiful. We still have one of the heart shaped doilies glued to our refrigerator at home. The food was great and there were tons of snacks. There was about 25 of us back there partying all night but Ross kept those drinks coming like an assembly line. That same night, Prince Harry was in town watching a rugby match at the Cake Tin. We were hoping he'd stop in after the match but no such luck. We thought we saw him a couple of times but it was just Mike with that silly Prince Harry mask, LOL, Hilarious. Mike's a funny guy and knows how to keep the party going. One day we were sitting and talking for a while when one of the customers, after hearing our accent, got up, walked over to the piano and played the Star Spangled Banner ( U.S. National Anthem ). Everyone in the bar stood up while we sang. How cool is that? This is a great place to sit and watch a game and make friends. It does help if you know the rules of rugby and cricket but if you don't, there'll be someone there that will gladly explain them. I love the entertainment they have. Usually local talent on the piano or guitar. The Quiz Nights are a blast too. This place would do great in Long Beach. Check out the pictures on their website and you'll get a good idea of the vibe. Have fun.

I've now experienced a "cult beer bar" because I trusted the Yelp and did find this place. Hashigo…read moreZake is an underground music venue that sells beer and has a full kitchen. It's down a flight of stairs and yes, the Sun will be very blinding when you've finished drinking and return to the surface. Comfy spot sitting in a corner with my laptop, listening to their satellite radio while sipping at a beer and resting my sore feet. [Review 483 of 2024 - 133 in New Zealand - 21515 overall]

Very hip in almost everything. After years in Asia and learning the best places are hiding in plain…read moresight Hashigo Zake is a welcome reminder. Go!

Took a bit of finding as it's upstairs in a nondescript office building via a staircase that feels…read morelike the emergency exit and a blank door leading to an amazing, down at heel speakeasy joint. Booths and tables scattered around the room so we planted ourselves strategically to watch the world and listen to the fabulous jazzy music which, apparently was a playlist compiled by one of the team but not to be shared with mere plebes like us. It was only 6 in the evening and still bright and this is most definitely a place that needs to be experienced after dark. A pity our time in Welly didn't allow a repeat visit. Oh yes, the cocktails were amazing so just as well we had a dinner date elsewhere or I would have been poured into the street at an ungodly hour. Would love to be back. After dark. Recommended

This is one of the neatest themed bars I've been to, and from how packed it was, it's apparent that…read moreeveryone else is in agreement. We were here on a weekend night and waiting to get into the adjacent restaurant. Hooowww convenient that right next to the tiny cramped waiting room there happens to be this awesome lounge. Well played. We were joined by mobs of other hungry waitlisters as well as many others just there and craving a little study juice. The bar is adorably designed to look like a library with the cutest nerds demonstrating their well studied mixology and putting together some elegantly designed cocktails. The theme is brought to life with walls of books cutting into the space and creating perfect little study nooks. Tables and chairs line the sides and are tucked away here and there in the rooms. The long bar was pretty packed but also had seating. Drink menus were worth a study session for sure and prices comparable to the Wellington area. With clever beverage names like Whiskey Business, The Sipster, and Netflix & Chill you're bound to find something as tantalizing as the geek with glasses mixing your drink. Whether your jam is alcohol pyrotechnics, drinking your beverage from a chemistry flask, or enjoying a saucy little shake and toss, these bartenders both brew up fantastic concoctions while putting on a show. As much of the rest of NZ is, I found their knowledge, attention to, and tolerance of gluten allergy to be far beyond anywhere in The States. I prompted the very busy geek with taped glasses about a few of the unfamiliar syrups and like any good student, what he didn't know he looked up for me before recommending a drink. If saffron and vanilla meringue, popcorn infused rum, and marshmallow and malt biscuit crumble don't sound like deliciously epicurious combinations to you, then good, stay home, and let me have the lounge to myself for a much needed libation study session.

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.....