This was well worth the 6.5 hour trek from Christchurch over Easter Weekend. Having sampled some…read morebeers at the Great Kiwi Beerfest, we decided we had to get up to the restaurant itself to try some other beers. Located just off the main road to Onekaka, The Mussel Inn is a great local haunt that is regailed for it's beer and offers a great family feel with a large outdoor gathering space with picnic tables, a giant tire swing and a firepit. There is some indoor seating, but the real experience is outside. There are about 5-6 beer options on tab and other specialty beers by the bottle. My favorite is the Captain Cooker Manuka Beer, but the Super Swine (hoppy manuka beer) was great too. My husband tried their chilli beer, but it is only available by the bottle at the restaurant. They are known for their pies, and I regret not trying one. We ordered small nachos (a blossom of nacho chips stuck into a bean/sour cream/salsa/cheese mix) garlic bread (a large rosemary? foccaia loaf with a generous portion of chopped garlic, the bacon burger (don't be fooled, this burger is all bacon and no beef) with lettuce, a light and fruity salsa and aioli servce on the garlic bread and green-lipped mussels. My husband says they're the best mussels he's had in NZ. I wasn't so impressed with the open-faced burger and ended up eating each piece separately (as it was extremely messy and over-bearing). The flavors were great once eaten by themselves! We had an extra beer over dessert, but their pavlova looked appetizing. Be sure to stay through dusk as they light the fire pit, which is a great place to cuddle up to someone, or just sit and enjoy a beer. Arrive before 6 to beat the local crowd and secure a table outdoors as well as parking in their very small lot. When we left, cars were lined up down the side of the highway.

Awesome place for an early lunch. Green mussels for 18$. Superb. They're huge and fresh. Good…read morecappuccino for 4$.

My pizza was delicious and my husband enjoyed his burger. Sweet ambiance, relaxed laid back…read morerestaurant with good food. Clean establishment : )

Ronnie was there to greet us at the door. Try to figure out the word of the day from the jumble of…read moreletters on the blackboard

Only sinners here to seek out an afternoon pick-me-up with a visit to a quaint, aged church,…read morere-purposed into a beer bar! Blessed be! When in hop capital, the Freehouse is an automatic add onto one's rotation. The most friendly, helpful staff to serve up a fresh pint and give all the best recs. Quite a few tap handles, but per the sheet, only those with the red check mark were the ones "On". No matter, because the selection with the 15 available was eclectic and very exciting. Surprisingly a number of sours on draft along with some cask options and beers featured from their on-site brewery "The Flavourtorium". We sat outside near this makeshift brewery within a shipping container, fermenter tanks and mashers in full view as a worker toiled away gathering the spent grain for disposal. Many a patron chatted away -- visitor and locals alike -- and dogs lazed away or wandered around off leash for a joyful afternoon basking in the Nelson sun. What an absolutely terrific vibe and what a time to be alive enjoying the fresh Nelson hops of the region!

Good place. They helped me out when I arrived in Nelson to an unacceptable hotel/motel, reviewed…read moreseparately. I ordered a pint and asked for recommendations. I got a few and followed up on one and ended up in a much better spot. It was admittedly not busy, so I had a bit of an opportunity to chat, and they were quite pleasant to get along with. A group came in as I was winding down my pint, and it is clear that they have a good community following (also confirmed by a recommendation of the Freehouse from a friend who lived in Nelson for quite a while). It was also a Sunday evening, so things were already pretty quiet in Nelson. There is a beer garden/patio out front with a food stand, but it is late winter now, so that wasn't active, and they have only a light kitchen themselves, so they were happy to recommend nearby places for take-out to eat-in at their spot. Good neighbors then. Good people. Very helpful. Good beer. Worth the visit. Oh, and it's in a repurposed church. Very cool.

As one of the stops on the Hop on Hop off tour we took as an excursion off of our cruise boat, we…read moredid not quite know what to expect, but we very pleased in the end with our lunch at the Cork & Keg. We decided to wing our last excursion on our trip and took a tour that had a number of wineries, shops and attractions but limited food places. The Cork and Keg looked like a good option and the welcome interior and craft beer selection looked promising as we entered. Their lunch menu is hearty pub food and I selected the Pale Ale from Speight's brewery and ordered their steak sandwich with curly fries. Jo (my wife) ordered the fish and chips with a glass of white wine. My steak sandwich was stacked with thick tender steak and cooked to order medium rare. It was delicious! My wife as well enjoyed her fish and chips in which we enjoyed as we soaked up the interior of white plastered walls low hanging heavy wooden beams that adorn the interior giving it that warm pub feel. The exterior seating was warm and inviting as well, but at the time we arrive fairly crowded and we were on a tight time table so we passed. Food and Beverages 4.5 - Well prepared food and hearty portions. Good selection of local brews and wines. Service 3.5 The bartender who originally greeted us was great one server though skipped over us and went to the larger party that entered after us to get their order and didn't come back to us. The bartender did though follow up with us sure we did have our order in place after a short wait. Atmosphere 4 Nice wooden bar with fireplace and outdoor seating area shaded with umbrellas. A great pub feel to it. Price 4 I thought we had a good value as the food was well prepared and price for value seemed fair. OA 4.25

Ok this place exceeded our expectations. First they picked us up at our hotel and gave us a ride to…read morethe restaurant... not just us, they just do this. The beer and wine selection was good and the chicken curry was just delicious (tonight's dinner special). Just a nice surprise!

Popped in here for a quick dessert and glass of wine. I had been told that this was a great local…read morebar and it did not disappoint! I had one of their excellent chocolate bourbon balls with a glass of great NZ rose and people-watched from the corner. Initially the bartender I got came off a bit salty and surly, but he warmed up a bit in the end. The other bartender was a bit more jovial and engaging and by the time I left you could tell this was a regular spot for some of the locals as well as a place recommended by the locals to visitors in the area. They looked like they had a good menu, if I had been in Nelson an additional night, I would have come back for lunch or dinner.

I was in Nelson for two nights and went here both times. The beers are all local, the staff is…read morefriendly and helpful explaining all the different beers. The beers are fantastic. I only wish my liver could handle a few more at each sitting. My favorite is the Porter. The have a couple of tables out front, a lot inside in two areas, including a separate smoking area which is very nice.

Dodson's is an expansive German-esque beer garden nestled comfortably on the outskirts of town…read more Parking is to be had in a large lot or on the streets. 20+ taps available at any given moment. Beers are served in 200, 400, and 500mL formats with some strong IPA's, DIPA's, and even a robust stout on tap. Blenheim is quite near to Wellington therefore you'll eye a good number of tap handles occupied by breweries from the area. Food is of the German-fare, but they also have pizza and burgers. The Pork Knuckle served over a hefty bed of mashed potatoes seemed quite revered which the guy gluttonized over since it was just about the heartiest pork knuckle meal I've ever laid mine eyes on. Like woah! I will never forget it! I, on the other hand, went with another favorite in the form of the Fish and Chips (19.5 NZD). Theirs is made with a wheat beer battered Hoki fish, tartare sauce a salad, and requisite chips on the side. Batter was a little cakey, but with the best crunch. The salad was appreciated to bite through this heavy meal while helping the guy some with his massive slab of pork. The fun and laid back atmosphere of this cavernous beer garden with outdoor patio served as a great night cap though it is your typical pub experience in the end with heavy, greasy food and strong beers.

Fish and chips was outstanding! Others got pork schnitzel and fish sandwich. Can't comment on the…read morebeer as I was the DD..

Sprig + Fern operates a myriad of taverns and taprooms throughout the Nelson-Tasman region. While…read morethe actual brewery is located in Richmond, you can only drink (and eat) at the satellite locations. This one seemed a more scenic spot with its location near Tahunanui Beach. It doesn't sit on the beach (nothing does), but it was quite peaceful to sit on the patio, drinking up some Vitamin D, salt air wafting through the air. Delicious pub food is to be had with some creative inclusions like bao buns and seafood. We had a lamb burger and poke bowl alongside some suds. The Nectaron Pale really set things alight with its punchiness though the West Coast Awesome Mix was a worthy contender. In general, though, their beers are on the lighter side with an even grassiness. They even have ciders for more light options. The bites were yummy enough though the poke bowl's avocado was quite over ripe. Easy pickings for free street parking right out front. If you do desire to pop into one of the Sprig+Fern locations, this one should be it!

What an excellent place to eat, with friendly service, delicious food and a great atmosphere. We…read moreall enjoyed our meals - the classic burger and fries and the pulled lamb tacos were particularly impressive. Totally recommend and would go back.

I went with a group of 14 ... all of the meals were substandard... I had lambs fry and bacon …read more.. two little bits of lambs fry hard bacon and a small amount of lukewarm warm mash ... the meal was disgusting I would never go back

Atmosphere and staff was inviting. Quick and easy seating options- indoor, high top, table, etc…read more The waitress was very friendly and even offered local site tips for us visitors. The house lager was tasty and not too bitter. Food was excellent and came out very quick!

You have to order food at the bar. After waiting in line to order and they just accepted a food…read moreorder from the two groups in front of us, they just said they were not accepting food orders any longer. The lady was fairly rude about it. I didn't try to convince her to take my order, just said 'ok' and left so unnecessary to be rude. This was some time before 8 and no visible signs that they stopped serving food at 8.

Wierd WiFi. You only get oNe hour of access, and need one code for each device. They didn't tell us…read morethat though, and we tried to use one vide for 2 devices, which locked our second device from accessing their WiFi for 25 mins. Bad experience. Fish wasn't great. Fries were ok. Burger was ok.