Must-see nightlife in Taupo & the Ruapehu Region

  • Vine Eatery & Bar

    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…

  • Crafty Trout Brewing Co

    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…

  • Tussock Bar & Restaurant

    Taupo & the Ruapehu Region

    Other than the Chateau, Whakapapa’s only drinking hole (albeit owned by the Chateau) is this split-personality bar, styled like an Alpine lodge but with a…

  • Lakehouse

    Taupo

    Craft beers in a craftily chosen spot. Nine taps pour a rotating selection of NZ brews, and there's a fridge filled with other hoppy goodness. You can…

  • Kitchen

    Taupo & the Ruapehu Region

    The friendly owner refers to the Kitchen as his 'bach (beach house) with a bar attached'. Serving only NZ craft beer from a range of breweries, it's…

  • Schnapps

    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…

  • Mountain Rocks

    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…

  • The Deck

    Taupo

    If panoramic pool-table views of Lake Taupo sound good to you, make a beeline for The Deck. Beer starts at $5 and there's even house-infused vodka. To eat…

  • Finn MacCuhal’s

    Taupo

    With Irish ephemera nailed to the walls and a backpackers next door, you can be sure that there will be plenty of craic here. A host of locals get in on…

  • Jolly Good Fellows

    Taupo

    Corr-blimey, Guvnor! You ain’t seen a rubber-dub-dub like this since old Blighty, with lashings of colonial clichés and London Pride on tap, plus a couple…