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 North Island
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 …
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…
Bay of Islands & Northland
Originally a pop-up, now a vibrant cafe with wood bars and serious 'third wave' coffee with tasting notes and cold-brew options for summer. Super-healthy…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Candlelight and a semi-industrial fit-out set the scene for a New York–style bar devoted to the American drinking culture. The cocktails are pricey but…
Dida’s Wine Lounge & Tapas Bar
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Great food and an even better wine list attract a grown-up crowd. There's an associated wine store, providore and cafe next door.
North Auckland
This spunky little venue is a regular stop on the summer rock circuit, sometimes attracting surprisingly big names. The pizzas ($25) are thin and crunchy…
Taupo
The beer has only had to journey up the stairs at this brewery-bar with 14 beers – Hefe weizen, pale ales, a porter – and ciders on tap amid faux-Alpine…
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Hamilton's Good George Brewing empire has now spread to this Cambridge venue in a colourful and characterful former church. Secure a spot in the…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
A self-described 'neighbourhood bar', Annabel's would also be right at home in the backstreets of Bordeaux or Barcelona. Cheese and charcuterie platters…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Gin and craft beers from around NZ combine with excellent street-food-inspired bar snacks at the summery and relaxed Hoppers Garden Bar. Ponsonby locals…
Hamilton
Part of Hamilton’s Sky City eating and drinking precinct, the Local Taphouse features locally sourced beers from the nearby regions of Waikato, Bay of…
Viaduct Harbour & Wynyard Quarter
Formerly a harbourside warehouse, Wynyard Pavilion's high-ceilinged heritage space is now one of the area's most versatile spots to eat, drink and take in…
