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…
Must-see nightlife in South Island
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Christchurch
Epitomising the spirit of transience, tenacity and resourcefulness that Christchurch is now known for, this deliberately downcycled and ramshackle beer…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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)…
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Queenstown
There are usually 23 craft beers on tap at this pint-sized lakefront bar, headlined by brews from Dunedin's Emerson's Brewery and Queenstown's Altitude;…
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Queenstown
That hint of wobbliness you feel isn't the alcohol (yet), it's the fact that you're drinking on an old tour boat that's now permanently moored at the…
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Queenstown & Wanaka
Built as a bank in 1870, Fork and Tap's currency is now craft beer, with up to 19 suds on tap. Add in good food, including shared meat and cheese platters…
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Christchurch
An essential destination for beer-loving travellers, the Cassels & Sons' brewery crafts beers using a wood-fired brew kettle, resulting in well-balanced…
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Christchurch & Canterbury
Every heritage port town needs a decent craft brewery and Eruption Brewing doesn't disappoint. It's a firm local favourite, especially on Friday and…
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Christchurch & Canterbury
A scenic 9km drive southwest from Lyttelton is one of NZ's oldest operational pubs (1870). You couldn't ask for a more inviting deck and garden in which…
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Christchurch
The Institution may well be Christchurch's smallest bar – there's only room for around 20 punters upstairs – but there's no trade-off in the range of…
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Christchurch & Canterbury
A decent selection of NZ craft beers and ciders partners with good pizza ($20 to $26) and bar snacks at this convivial hybrid of bar and restaurant. Score…
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Christchurch
Old-school speakeasy charm reigns at this versatile spot that's equally fine for a cocktail, craft beer or more substantial offering of a shared platter…
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Queenstown
Ignore the uninspiring location and settle in for a journey around NZ wine. Load up cash on a smart card and then help yourself to tasting pours or…
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Dunedin
One of Dunedin’s seriously serious coffee bars, Strictly Coffee is a stylish, retro option hidden down grungy Bath St. Different rooms provide varying…
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Dunedin
Make the short trek from town to this cosy bar for its selection of Kiwi craft beers and tasty nibbles, and the cute indoor/outdoor beer garden. Despite…
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Christchurch
This cosy spot amid the heritage Spanish Mission facades of New Regent St is a fine option any time of the evening. One of the city's best selections of…
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Christchurch
A popular High St laneway spot, Not Without You morphs from a daytime cafe into an atmospheric after-dark bar and bistro. Partner NZ craft beers or more…
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Queenstown
How often do you get to drink in a courthouse, as opposed to ending up in a courthouse because of drink? This bar is inside a heritage-listed 1876-built…
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Queenstown
Queenstown's legendary party hub before it was destroyed by fire in 2013, the World is once again spinning. Decor swings between degrees of eclectic, from…
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Queenstown
Bunkered upstairs rather than down, this chi-chi little bar clearly fancies itself as the kind of place Sean Connery's James Bond might frequent, if the…
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Queenstown
This small, cavelike wine bar is all class. Under a low ceiling are plush leather armchairs and a fireplace made from Central Otago schist. Whisky is king…
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Queenstown
It's back to basics in everything but the taps, with bare concrete floors and industrial tables and chairs, but 36 creative NZ craft beers to sample. The…
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The West Coast
Nostalgia wafts from every brightly painted beam of the Empire. Since 1866, West Coasters have huddled inside the pub, amid yellowing photographs and…
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Queenstown & Wanaka
Just off the Gibbston Hwy, this supremely rustic pub has a jute-lined interior and outdoor seating gathered around a fire. All wines are from Gibbston,…
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Christchurch
Half-hidden at the back of a busy cluster of eateries, this European-style wine bar is the perfect spot for a pre-dinner aperitivo – though the thoughtful…
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Queenstown
Schmick interior design combines with handsome woodwork at this popular pub, with fake sheep heads to remind you that you’re still in NZ. Mac’s beers on…
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Christchurch
Pumping a whole lot of heart back into the flattened High St precinct, the epic Dux complex comprises a brew bar serving its own and other crafty drops,…
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Christchurch
Seven years after the quakes, jazz bar Fat Eddie's has reopened in a brand-new building on the riverfront. With comfy couches, retro styling, a big dance…
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Queenstown
Queenstown's hippest rock bar is located – as all such places should be – in a dark, grungy, concrete-floored space off a back lane. There's a popular…
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Christchurch
Hidden behind a nondescript facade down the industrial end of Montreal St, the Christchurch branch of this famous Kiwi coffee roastery does a mean…
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Dunedin & Otago
Actually a maturation house rather than a distillery, where the whiskies are uniquely aged in red-wine barrels, giving them spicy, cherry-plum, Christmas…
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Dunedin
This former butcher is now a bohemian bar, with a dark, atmospheric interior and cosy booths, illuminated by a single chandelier. Punters are drawn in by…
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Dunedin
The coffee at the Dunedin branch of this famous Kiwi roastery is just as smooth and rich as you'd expect. The simple cafe space fills with students from…
