North Auckland
Relax with a tasting rack of brews amid the rustic but hip decor, and order widely from the share-plates menu. It's all good, but we're partial to the…
Must-see nightlife in New Zealand
Hastings & Around
This low-key, earthy microbrewery 22km east of Hastings operates out of a safari tent and a 1973 caravan. Bucolic aromas, hop vines, laid-back tunes,…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Two patron saints of cool – Elvis Presley and Marlon Brando – look down in this compact space. Shoot the breeze with the friendly bar staff over a craft…
Christchurch
With more than 30 taps featuring the best of NZ craft beers, Pomeroy’s is an essential Christchurch destination. Among this cosy British-style pub's other…
Christchurch
Epitomising the spirit of transience, tenacity and resourcefulness that Christchurch is now known for, this deliberately downcycled and ramshackle beer…
Wellington
Hidden down a busy little back alley near Cuba St, gloriously garish Golding's is a bijou craft-beer bar with far too many merits to mention. We’ll single…
Wellington
If Charles Bukowski was gasping for a drink in Wellington, this is where he'd come – an authentic, atmospheric US-style bar serving great cocktails, fried…
New Plymouth
Inside an old electronics warehouse on an otherwise dull stretch of Gill St, stouts, IPAs, APAs and a new beer monthly bubble away in 10 huge stainless…
Napier
Big-city laneway style comes to Napier at this bar tucked away off Tennyson St. Look for the big neon sign proclaiming 'Who shot the barman?' and you're…
Queenstown & Wanaka
The only indications that you've arrived are the unmarked blue doors – push them open and it's like stepping into a prohibition-era speakeasy. The low-lit…
Auckland
Formerly a butcher's – look for the Westlynn Organic Meats sign – this corner location is now a great little neighbourhood bar with a backstreets Bogotá…
Coromandel Peninsula
Home base for the Coromandel Brewing Company, this pub and bistro regularly features about five of its own beers in a modern ambience. Hearty meat and…
Palmerston North
This impressively converted warehouse is the best spot for a drink in town. Stretching across an entire city block, the bar has 21 beers on tap and 45…
Kingsland & Mt Eden
Brewing real ales and lagers on-site, this cosy English-style pub in a grand heritage building offers bliss on tap. There are always more craft beers from…
Wellington
Into books, much? You'll find yourself in the right kind of bind at moody Library, with its velveteen booths, board games and swish cocktails. An…
Bay of Plenty
Hide by name, hidden by nature. Tucked down a tiny alleyway, Hide has successfully turned a hollow behind the main street into a garden patio. Ten taps of…
Bay of Plenty
The quirky Social Club brews its own lager, ale and cider, and if you don’t like one part of the venue, simply head to another – each one feels like a…
Hastings & Around
There's pretty much nothing wrong with this hip little bar in central Hastings: cheery staff, bar snacks, craft beer, local wines, zany retro interior,…
North Auckland
There’s character and then some in this 1879 pub, with walls completely covered in old photos, animal heads and vintage household goods.
Taupo
Wineglass chandeliers hang from the sky-high industrial ceiling at this restaurant-cum-wine bar, where you can sit in comfy booths, on raised stools or in…
Dunedin
Head down the alley opposite the Rialto Cinema, with the black-and-white kākāpō street-art piece by Phelgm, to discover this intimate and sophisticated…
Gisborne
Get juiced at the junkyard: an iconic drinking and live-music den in Gisborne's industrial wastelands (make as much noise as you like!), packed to the…
New Plymouth
Inside what was once the White Hart Hotel, this savvy bar on the downtown fringe is the classiest drinking spot in town (unlike its predecessor). Dress to…
Dunedin
Nightly events here range from jazz jams and soulful singer-songwriters, to indie rock and literary readings with a peppering of quiz nights and open mics…
Hauraki Gulf Islands
This excellent pub offers island-brewed craft beer, seafood, steak and burgers, and is GB's main social centre. Wood-fired pizzas are another highlight,…
City Centre & Britomart
Auckland's only bar specialising in the potent Mexican spirit mezcal, La Fuente (The Fountain) is also a fine spot to partner an excellent selection of…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Lovebucket is a more sophisticated alternative to K Rd's often youthful after-dark vibe. Courtesy of shared ownership with the Hallertau Brewery in West…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Inspired by the 'neo bistro' movement of Paris, Bar Celeste blurs the line between intimate bar and innovative restaurant. Natural wines are regularly…
Kingsland & Mt Eden
Discover some of NZ's most innovative craft beers at the Auckland outpost of Wellington's Garage Project. Due to the cellar door's licence, beers are…
City Centre & Britomart
Some of Auckland's most interesting cocktails feature at this stylish bar, and the owners' background in restaurants also shines through. Graze on a…
Hamilton
Fifteen rotating taps of amber goodness flow at Craft, plenty to keep the city’s craft-beer buffs coming back. Brews from around NZ make a regular…
Queenstown & Wanaka
The wood-panelled facade looks like a film set, but it's the real deal – NZ's most photographed pub is a gold-rush relic from 1863. The sense of history…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Featuring some of Auckland's most experienced bartenders, Deadshot – cowboy parlance for 'strong booze' – is where you can sample the city's cocktail A…
Wanaka
Beer-loving locals head to this inconspicuous tin shed – situated in a light-industrial strip on the edge of town – to escape the tourists down at the…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
This beer bar combines quirky decor with 18 taps crammed with Brothers' own brews and guest beers from NZ and further afield. Hundreds more bottled beers…
Fiordland & Southland
Welcome to one of NZ's classic pubs, complete with stellar cod and chips, beer by the quart, a reliable restaurant (mains $16 to $33) and plenty of…
The Wairarapa
Blink and you'll miss little Mesito, a tiny side-street wine bar. But follow the vintage rock and you'll soon find the door. Inside are excellent wines …
Wanaka
Before the Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone flick, there was already this Lalaland in Wānaka. Sink into a comfy chair at the little, low-lit palace/bordello,…
Hamilton
Worth seeking out in a warehouse tucked behind a central city retail precinct, Rocket lures loyal customers with a winning combo of beans roasted on-site…
Wanaka
If you're in the swing for bling, this lush bar is like stepping into a Baz Luhrmann film set. Gilded mirrors, a grand piano (yes, you can ask to play it)…
