In Hamilton for 2 nights. Enjoyed this spot twice . One of…read morethe few bars we could belly up to as many in NZ seem to have no stools. Great cocktails and beer selection. Friendly, engaging staff.

This is a serious contender for best bar in Hamilton. I came here Saturday night with my husband…read moreand a couple friends. Why, why have I not been here before now?! I used to live just up the block! My husband had already been here and, somehow, did not bring me in immediately. This is one of those places where I had a "love at first sight" moment. Even on a fairly crowded night, the vibe in this place is super-cool. It's small, almost uncomfortably so, but in spite of that (because of that?) it has a great intimate feel. The cocktails are pricey, but different and skillfully prepared. There is a good selection of whiskey (my whiskey-loving friend tells me). There was a DJ artfully spinning a weird, awesome, "did-he-just-do-that?" selection of tunes. The decor is comfortable/cool, with walls of exposed bricks and "I never want to get up" comfy couches. The back walls are lined with loads of books and one portion of the ceiling is covered with records. They appear to have some bites to eat, but admittedly, we were just there for drinks. It's a little tricky to find, set back from Victoria Street down a side alley. But, it's SO worth finding.

Was worried about trying this place because of the lack of reviews, but glad we did! Perfect place…read moreif you're looking for a nice bar to relax, eat and chug some brews. We came in at 6pm on a Monday, which they have happy hour 430pm -630pm on the weekdays, $7 nzd for a beer pint. Our servers were pretty cool and friendly. Best of all, $.50cent wings! Everyday! Also you get to people-watch some locals coming in and out playing the slot machines in a room off to the side.

From the owner: Come down and experience that traditional, friendly pub atmosphere in Central Hamilton. It truly…read moredoes exist! The Quad - not part of any group or franchise.

Great stop for breakfast in Hamilton! I loved the vegan breakfast plate (uncommoner) as there were…read moremany different aspects that came together well and were very filling. My partner loved the rosti Benedict as well. Tea selection was great and staff were very friendly

Great place, great atmosphere and great food. They had adequate vegan options and the food was…read moredelicious. I'd sure like to see more vegan options in the future. By the way, the coffee is delicious.

We came to this brewery because we enjoyed the drinks we had at Hobbiton. They make the…read moreHobbiton-exclusive beer, cider, and ginger ale. It wasn't too busy when we came here for lunch so ordering and getting seated was quick. They even had live music which was nice. We had a flight, the sample platter, and the cajun lamb pizza. Out of all the garlic bread and salt and pepper squid we've had in NZ, this was the best. The pizza and the sample platter was a lot of food for two people, so if you're not too hungry or have small appetites, I recommend just ordering one item to share. While we didn't really care for the cider (I didn't find any in NZ that I loved) or their hard pink lemonade which was too sweet, we did love their hard lemonade.

These guys are fraud do not visit them not recommended to anyone, my aunt visit them in August she…read morefell ill and currently under treatment due to poor beer and food quality

We've been to Keystone a number of times, usually for lunch. They are part of a hospitality group…read morein town and share a loyalty card with them (Lawrensen Group restaurats/bars). I've been to Keystone twice in the last week, so figured it was finally time to sit down and write a review. Keystone is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde sort of place. At lunch, it's fairly quiet, local sports being shown on the TV. There is plentiful indoor and outdoor seating and I've often enjoyed sitting outside and people watching on Victoria Street. The interior decor is warm, with dark wood paneling and a combination of high-top and low-top tables, a bar area and other regular seating indoors. During a recent lunch, my husband had the beef sliders with fries. It consisted of 3 sliders and a small-ish side of fries. He loves the sliders. The fries were fine, but nothing special. I had the vegetable salad, which had pumpkin, kumara, red onion, crispy chickpeas, feta and spinach. I was pretty happy with the size and the flavor. We came a few Fridays ago with a friend, who wanted to listen to the live music. The outdoor seating area was mostly cleared of tables so that there was a dancing area. The place was absolutely packed, barely standing room. The band was playing covers, loudly. The band was good, but it certainly was too loud to really have a conversation with each other. Those in attendance were mostly 30-and-40-somethings, sloppy drunk, and appeared to be trying to recreate their university days. It was more like a frat party gone wrong. There was a heavy police presence on the street, with the police van parked right out front for easy access to take over-rowdy folks in easily. It wasn't really the scene we were looking for at the time, hence the tone of this last paragraph, but if you ARE looking for that sort of scene it would be a great place to go. It really just depneds on what sort of mood you are in. We'll definitely be back in the future. Don't forget to get your loyalty card and use it to collect points at the other establishments in the group.

It would have been a 5 star had they not forgotten about our order, hence the unnecessary wait! Let…read moreme break it down- lamb chops were excellent, bbq ribs great, chicken pizza yummy, steak was so so since it was not cooked as specified (we asked for medium rare, came out as well done). Our pepperoni pizza was good also, no one can mess that up, even with the wait time. Our server was attentive, he took good care of us. Our orders came after 40 minutes, can't complain about that since it was a busy night. Overall, we were happy with everything except for the extra wait time because they forgot to make our pizza. Ambiance was cozy- it was family friendly. We will definitely go back when we visit New Zealand again.

Dined 19th Aug. Restaurant was freezing cold people were dining in puffer jackets. I didnt think I…read morewould need a jacket so didnt bring one and it killed the vibe. Entrees were average the dips for bread werent nice, bread was hard and cold and seafood chowder had more veges in it than seafood and tasted like pepper. The dessert was also average, Brownies were cold and the bannoffee pizza slice I had didnt have any banana on it. The kids pasta meal was loaded with mushrooms and was meant to be a carbonara, but it resembled the adults mushroom fettucine, I dont know a single child that likes mushrooms. The only reason for the stars is that the main adult meals were good.

Craft is a new restaurant on Hood Street, recently opened in the last few months by the same folks…read morethat brought us Gothenberg. It's actually located in the old Gothenberg spot on Hood Street. When you walk in, you notice the same sense of style and aethetics that make Gothenberg so pleasant and enjoyable. Craft specializes in pizzas, sliders and beer. Now, the sign out front does actually say that, but if you are looking for something OTHER than those things, then move on. The menu is somewhat limited in that respect. However, in terms of the variety and quality of the pizza and sliders, you won't be left wanting. I came here without the kiddos and with my husband and in-laws, who were visiting from the States. My husband was very happy with the beer selection (I was the driver none for me that night). Though the food is pizza and burgers, you definitely are getting the upper-end version of these items (not typical pub-type fare). The flavor palate is interesting and tasty (and if you ever had the sliders at Gothenburg, you'd have a sense of what is on offer at Craft). The servers were great and friendly. It's wasn't too busy, but it was a Wednesday night. They have some lounge type indoor seating, and some "social" types of seating (e.g. long, high top tables, a high-top counter along the wall) and may well get crowded on a busier night. They have also maintained some of the outdoor seating that was there from Gothenburg as well. All in all, I'll be back again on a future date night. They might be perfectly happy to have your children there, but I don't intend to find out :)

So happy with the meal and service we received tonight at Craft. The waiter was absolutely lovely…read moreand accommodating, even going the extra mile to fix the leg of our table as it was slightly off and wobbly. Steak was cooked amazing and couldn't get enough of the potatoes with cheese and sour cream. Left feeling very full and satisfied. Will definitely be back.

A wonderful new restaurant in downtown Hamilton, just next to the new Riverside park on the banks…read moreof the Waikato River. This chic place offers cocktails, a full wine menu of NZ vineyards, beer in tap, and small and big plates to share. The aged sirloin with chimichurri sauce was perfectly cooked medium rare and tasted great. As dessert a tasty plum and almond tart complemented the dinner. In a summer afternoon the shade covers the outdoors seating area, more like a terrace and to complement ambiance a DJ selects vinyl records to play, nothing too strident. Indoor seating is alsoAll in all a great experience and new fresh venue sorely needed in Hamilton.

Stunning, Yum & Fun!…read more The rare small NZ Café with a talented and passionate Chef and superb team in the food prep engine room. Looking forward to our next visit!

I have been coming at least once to this cafe for breakfast every time I am at Hamilton on business…read more- over 10 times. So, when I discovered they moved a bit down the road to a larger nicer locale I was expecting a better experience. But I was disappointed by the slow service. Now you seat at the table and they wait for you. But the waiter took too long to take my full order after getting my initial beverage order. And then I waited for 20 minutes and my order had not arrived. On top of that some items in the menu where not available as they run out of Hollandaise sauce. Looks like even if the place is bigger, they still have a little kitchen not able to serve the larger clientele, and they are disorganized. At the end they forgot of my orders and I left as I could not wait any longer for food. What a missed opportunity!