North Auckland
In the Matakana Cinemas complex, this wine bar serves as a one-stop cellar door for all the local producers. Beers from local craft breweries are on tap,…
Must-see nightlife in North Island
Viaduct Harbour & Wynyard Quarter
The glister of burnished copper perfectly complements the liquid amber on offer here in the form of dozens of NZ craft beers by the bottle and a score on…
Wellington
Don't get excited, there's nothing fetishistic about Scotty and Mal's upmarket bar, unless your fetish happens to be dark wood, chandeliers and fabulous…
Kingsland & Mt Eden
With mismatched furniture, cartoon-themed art and lots of hidden nooks and crannies, the Portland Public House is like spending a few lazy hours at a…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
With 27 craft beers on tap, this corner bar is a good central-city option for an interesting brew and a feed of seafood and chips served the traditional…
Coromandel Peninsula
Making the most of the simple kauri interior of an 1873 building, this smart pub has pool tables, decent sounds and a roster of live music and DJs on the…
Coromandel Peninsula
Hot Water Brewing Co is a modern craft brewery with lots of outdoor seating. Standout brews include the hoppy Kauri Falls Pale Ale and the robust Walker's…
Bay of Islands
Not to be confused with the historic hotel of the same name on the waterfront, this cosy locals' tavern dates only from 1976. There are pool tables, a…
Bay of Plenty
It does exactly what it is says on the tin, with the best, not to mention strongest, coffee in town. Colourful wall art, cool tunes and tasty snacks are…
Ponsonby & Karangahape Rd
Secreted downstairs in an arcade, the Wine Cellar is dark, grungy and very cool, with regular live music in the neighbouring Whammy Bar.
City Centre & Britomart
There’s something about this tiny corner bar that makes you want to invent problems just so the bartender can solve them with soothing words and an…
Coromandel Peninsula
Part pub, part bistro, part cafe and all-round good times feature at this versatile spot on Whangamata’s main drag. DJs kick in on summer weekends.
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Craft beers courtesy of Hamilton's Good George Brewing combine with tasty burgers and wood-fired pizza at this sunny beer garden in central Raglan.
Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula
Classic old pub with main-street drinks on the shaded veranda. Decent pizza too and occasional live music on weekends and during summer.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
