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!

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.

What an amazing and delicious place to die in. We had the ceviche along with the Fish of the day,…read morewhich was the snapper., the sauce accompanied to this plate was exceptionally delicious. We were served by Brooke, super delightful. The staff was wonderful and attentive. Thank you for a delicious dinner. Thank you Headchef Daisy for a wonderful dinner.

Awful place with terrible food and service. Honestly felt like they were being racist against my…read moretable full of Asians. Many tables were sat and had ordered after us but got their food before us - same dishes that we ordered. Some of those tables even finished their meals before ours arrived. After 45 minutes, we asked about our food and then they all magically turned up. The table next to us confirmed with the server that the fish of the day was frozen and not caught that day. The steak we order was tough and so was the lamb. Lastly, the floor of my seat was littered with food. They just sat us at a dirty table. I recommend the Indian restaurant down the street instead.

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.

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.

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.....

Popped in here for a quick dessert and glass of wine. I had been told that this was a great local…read morebar and it did not disappoint! I had one of their excellent chocolate bourbon balls with a glass of great NZ rose and people-watched from the corner. Initially the bartender I got came off a bit salty and surly, but he warmed up a bit in the end. The other bartender was a bit more jovial and engaging and by the time I left you could tell this was a regular spot for some of the locals as well as a place recommended by the locals to visitors in the area. They looked like they had a good menu, if I had been in Nelson an additional night, I would have come back for lunch or dinner.

I was in Nelson for two nights and went here both times. The beers are all local, the staff is…read morefriendly and helpful explaining all the different beers. The beers are fantastic. I only wish my liver could handle a few more at each sitting. My favorite is the Porter. The have a couple of tables out front, a lot inside in two areas, including a separate smoking area which is very nice.

Came here to watch the Mayweather vs Pacquiao yesterday. They a lot of TVs, they show all kinds of…read moresports and the food was fantastic. Great staff and service!

Quality food and drink in a nice environment. Recommend for a few drinks or meal or regular quizread more