Viaduct Harbour & Wynyard Quarter
A top spot for a late-afternoon/early-evening beer or wine and pub grub amid the relaxed vibe of the waterfront Wynyard Quarter.
Must-see nightlife in New Zealand
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Raucous, nocturnal bar with DJs and touring bands. Admission charges apply for most gigs, but some events are free.
Bay of Islands
Slink into this low-lit bar for a cosy beverage on one of the couches or a crack at the free pool table.
Dunedin
The Cook hosts many local and touring acts and attracts a lively crowd from across the road at the uni.
City Centre & Britomart
A winning combination of Asian-tinged cocktails and tasty dumplings. DJs kick in on weekends.
Auckland
Views aplenty and excellent craft beer teamed with platters, pizzas and burgers.
Auckland
Brothers' latest addition to Auckland's craft beer scene fills a sunny, high-ceilinged former warehouse on the edge of Orakei Basin in the city's eastern…
Kingsland & Mt Eden
The Uptown Freehouse has further cemented the Mt Eden/Symonds St neighbourhood as a craft beer hub in Auckland – nearby are two other excellent pubs – and…
Kingsland & Mt Eden
The easy, breezy beer garden vibe of Citizen Park makes it a top spot to meet friends over a few cold ones, before kicking on to a rugby match at nearby…
City Centre & Britomart
Grab a NZ craft beer in the colourful Cornerbar or a cocktail in the art-deco Housebar at the very heart of this chic hotel.
Buller Region
The best of Reefton's narrow range of evening entertainment is this no-frills boozer, which has been pouring drinks since 1873. Expect a staccato…
Wanaka
The mainstays of Post Office Lane are this sports bar and neighbouring Barluga, sharing a courtyard and operating more or less in tandem, especially when…
Queenstown & Wanaka
Dating from 1866, this gold-rush pub still has the right amount of rough edge to provide a juxtaposition to Arrowtown's relentless quaintness. The gnarled…
Queenstown
Queenstown has two ice bars and they're pretty similar, but this one is apparently the biggest in Australasia. The frigid room is entirely furnished out…
Bay of Islands & Northland
The rustic Horeke Hotel is reputedly NZ's oldest pub – the first cold one was poured back in 1826 – and the garden bar rocks with live music on occasional…
City Centre & Britomart
A modern reimagining of a traditional British pub, this (self-described) 'pub and eatery' enjoys a convenient location near Auckland's Ferry Building…
Fiordland & Southland
Invercargill's liveliest gastropub is rightly popular and not bad-looking either, with trendy wallpaper and muted lighting from oversized lampshades…
Christchurch
Concealed inside a suburban shopping strip, this cosy bar combines comfy old sofas from your last student flat with quirky murals and a wide range of…
The Wairarapa
One of New Zealand's oldest hotels (1860), Greytown's 'Top Pub' is looking mighty tidy for its age. There are simple rooms with shared bathrooms upstairs …
New Plymouth
A sporty hive of boozy activity with lofty ceilings, booth seating, pool tables (in good nick) and big-screen TVs. The restaurant serves impressive 'plank…
City Centre & Britomart
Ostro's bar may not gaze over the harbour like the highfalutin restaurant it's attached to, but the view over the fairy-lit rear lane from its large 2nd…
Palmerston North
'Happy birthday to me', reads a message left by a customer on Haylcon's blackboard wall. 'Kieran sucks at checkers', reads another. It's part of the…
Te Anau
An open fire and chalet-style eaves heighten the appeal of this popular local pub, most loved for its hefty Sunday roast dinners ($17.50), Thursday jam…
Palmerston North
Coffee lovers, this one's for you. With a 'bean to cup' mentality and on-site roasting, Sublime rightfully calls its product 'the Cadillac of coffees'. It…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
This popular pub has a menu of hotel standards (meals $20 to $30), potbelly stoves, big-screen TV, pool table and a handy ATM. Things crank up on wintry…
Wellington
High atop the Trinity Hotel, the Arborist doesn't demonstrate any gardening prowess: aside from the odd cactus, most of the plants here are plastic and…
City Centre & Britomart
Formerly Tyler Street Garage, one of Britomart's best venues is now a good city pub and craft beer venue. Friendly bartenders pour the best of New Zealand…
Wellington
At last count there were 80-plus reasons to drink at Malthouse, Wellington's original craft-beer bar; it still boasts a high beer-geek quotient. There are…
Wellington
Welcoming to all – from frenetic five-year-olds unloading boxes of toys to knitting nanas – the democratic Cross rambles around a buzzy bar, dance floor,…
New Plymouth
With stunning views across the vines and out to sea, local produce and a grassy lawn beside the pizza oven, this is a lovely place to stop if you're…
Fiordland & Southland
A one-stop shop for souvenirs, takeaway fried everything or decent full-blown meals of blue cod or lamb shank (mains $19.50 to $29), the Point is best for…
Nelson
A commendable example of a Mac’s Brewbar, with trademark, quirky Kiwiana fit-out, including a knitted stag’s head. Quaff a handle of ale, dine on honest…
Auckland Region
A blissful terrace, shaded by oak trees and overlooking the river, makes this 1857 hotel a memorable drink stop, even if the menu (mains $27 to $36) doesn…
Palmerston North
What was once a grungy student pub is now a slick Monteith's-sponsored bar. Business crowds flock for meals (brunch mains $16 to $25, dinner $27 to $35),…
Napier
The pick of the big rambling restaurant-bars out on the Ahuriri waterfront, where the city council is endeavouring to isolate noisy after-dark crowds…
Taupo & the Ruapehu Region
A log-cabin-like space with a nod to the all-American diner. Join locals for cheap beers and a no-surprises menu (mains $12 to $28) of burgers, steaks and…
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
The folks at Origin are dead serious about coffee – sourcing, importing and roasting it themselves. They’re at the railway station, so if you time it…
Bay of Plenty
Stone-faced walls, fold-back windows and flaming torches set the scene for this slick, upmarket establishment. A lot of folk come here to eat, but it’s…
Bay of Plenty
This bar at the Whakatane Hotel lives up to the promise of its name as the liveliest drinking spot in town. The decor is green (of course) and there are…
Queenstown
Like an English boozer framed with large-screen TVs, and with 17 beers on tap, this pub is a great place to watch the rugger. There's good pub grub (mains…
