It was a Friday night. Napier was still in full 'winter' mode as I wandered the empty streets, looking for something fun to do on a one night stay over. I was about to get Indian take away and go back to the hotel when I heard music and conversion down an alley. It turned out to be Monica Loves.
A cute little tapas/hangout bar, it is definitely the middle class hipster bar of the area. It was virtually the only place with more than 3 people inside. They had a DJ spinning at 7:30, but I didn't wait around for that.
There was a good selection of beers. Some wines. I had an excellent IPA (sometimes hard to find in NZ), although it wasn't on tap. The food menu consisted of fine meats by the 50g, and a dish called BREAD for $9. I almost got the nut plate, but the bar tender never asked me if I wanted anything from the food menu, so I drank my beer and headed out.
Despite the minor complaints, this is what I was looking for. I have know doubt that small groups looking for a place to chill would not be disappointed here. read more