I've been to Wellington a few times and it had somehow never worked out to enjoy this spot, despite…read moremany recommendations from friends. I made a point to get here on this visit as my first stop for lunch on the day of arrival. I ended up coming back a few more times, this is a fantastic beer bar and restaurant in Wellington. It's upstairs in a great area of the city with lots of other restaurants, bars, and shopping. The staff on every visit was so welcoming and fun, especially Simon who went above and beyond on my first visit. I love the location, with high top tables, booths inside, booths with a city view, and lots of outdoor patio areas with heaters and tables. They also are a full functioning brewery, and their beer is fantastic. Being a freehouse in the city, they have an epic tap list of other NZ breweries as well. Prices are reasonable, they do tasting paddles with lots of options. We visited shortly after they hosted a beer competition, which meant the tap list was extra special. I highly recommend this place, especially for beer loves and people wanting a cozy place to dine.

What a fantastic gem of a brewery! Greeted with super enthusiastic bar tender who is happy and…read morehelpful. Outstanding menu of beer and great food too. Had the hazy ipa and it was juicy with tropical notes, what a palate pleaser. Lots of seating in a big open area. Wonderful visit highly recommend if visiting Wellington and also ask about the craft beer tour. You can get a sheet and stamp 8 breweries on the list and get a souvenir!

Absolutely excellent salad. And I don't usually eat salad…read more Great atmosphere! A few more thoughts...

I asked the Internet for where to find a proper Sunday Roast. It's a British thing and it's great…read moreto see this tradition exists in New Zealand culture as well. Hooray for the Commonwealth! Arriving at 6:40pm, the restaurant was only about halfway filled with a placard at the entrance announcing that this evening's Roast is sliced sirloin. I was hoping for lamb but this will do. I sat by the window with my laptop and used some wifi before and after dinner. My meal arrived after about ten minutes, a good portion with sliced sirloin, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, roasted potatoes and yes, a Yorkshire pudding. A light gravy over all and the only point off is that they did not have any horseradish for the beef. Perfectly cooked, nicely presented and absolutely delicious. Hooray for tradition and thank you, Southern Cross. A lovely Sunday evening meal. [Review 352 of 2024 - 8 in New Zealand - 21385 overall]

During our last visit to Wellington we visited Backbenchers and it was thoroughly enjoyable. Our…read moremost recent experience was such that we won't be returning again. Backbencher's is a "gastro" pub which seem to mean that there is no traditional pub fare. I ordered the fish and chips which were a huge disappointment. The chips were excellent, the tartar sauce was overloaded with garlic. The fish consisted of two thIn pieces of fish about one-quarter think and three inches wide, battered and deep fried to a crisp. I've eaten fish and chips all over the world and this by far the worst. My wife ordered the open face chicken sandwich which she described as okay. Great pub ambience and service. It's too bad the food doesn't come close to meeting expectations.

Friendly staff and nice craft beer. Reasonable prices and well set out with tons of character. A…read moremust for Wellington.

Tried BPC after it put a voucher on Grabone. The service was slow even though the place seemed only…read more3/4 full. We had to signal for someone to take our order - at least 15 minutes after being seated. I think we got our food some 45 mins after sitting down. The food was passable but not great. The sirloin steak was dry and could really have done with a sauce/jus. The pork hock was also dry with the crackling slightly underdone so that it retained a distinct taste of fat. The Tandoori chicken pizza was really the best dish of the night. Thin crust and packed with flavour. The decor of the place is a little odd. The main theme seems to be British Raj, the strings of coloured bulbs and the Chinese terracotta warrior statue are out of place. The heaters were very strong and despite it being winter we could sit inside in shirtsleeves very comfortably. It seems that the food is secondary to the bar and the copious amounts of peanut shells on the floor attests to the patrons being more likely to be drinking than eating. Not great value for money without the voucher.

We had a really nice lunch here. I had their spicy Kedgeree. Jasmine rice, smoked fish, and…read morepoached egg. My husband enjoyed his steak sandwich with chips. The place is fun, staff was nice and quick. Decor is Indian old boys Polo club ... disco music was playing at lunch but all worked.

Stopped in for a quick snack. Had wedges and a Pizza. Great value for large plates and toppings…read moreright to the crust. Great service too.

passing through wellington and staying in karori, we were recommended this place by our air bnb…read morehost. quick 5 min walk from our place with a great selection of beer, pizzas, and other mains. I ordered the selvaggio veggie pizza and added jalapeños - delicious! my dad got the fish and chips and finally settled his hankering for it. great atmosphere and would come back again if we're in the area, cheers!

Guinness was horrible for being a new keg, ordered food and waited 2 hours for it show up before I…read moreleft. Dark, dingy and in need of a good deep cleaning.

The portions of the meals served here are large in comparison to their prices. Ordered the steak…read morespecial for lunch, and had a soup and salad combo in another occasion. However, it is a pub, and can expect similar pub foods. Not super tasty, but fills the void. Has stout beer, which is a plus.

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.....

Good pub atmosphere but the big screens everywhere a bit much. Friendly staff and good value meals…read more My fish was a bit acidic as smothered in capers. Good average pub grub but a bit pricey for the presentation and standard. Wednesday was all u can eat ribs might which was going down well - record on board was 70 ribs!! 2018. Went last night with 5 people. Not great. I had linguine which was tasty but pricey at $24 for basic pasta with oil and parsley and $2 extra for chicken ( instead of bacon). Two people had the chicken sandwich which was $22 for 6 slices of half toasted cheap white bread and a very small piece of over battered chicken. Seemed a real rip off. The lamb shank however was very good value and apparently delicious, and the pork bao starter also generous. Struggled with what to eat on the menu. Won't be going back

You're better off going somewhere else to eat as food standards are definitely sub-par and not…read morevalue for money. Locals generally go next door to Alamir's for awesome food before a game. Alright for a drink and to watch a game. Their all you can eat ribs special during the week doesn't taste the same as when you order it a-la-carte at normal prices when it's cooked on the grill. The ribs on the special night are boiled and rolled in bbq sauce.