In for an evening beer, most of the tables (but not all!) were reserved, so I was able to find a…read morespot with my pint and my laptop to watch the place slowly fill in with even more regulars. This is definitely the neighborhood watering hole and it's a friendly sort of place. Comfy vibe, I enjoyed my time here. [Review 396 of 2024 - 49 in New Zealand - 21429 overall]

Once a year when we head to Antarctica we have to stop in christchurch New Zealand to get our cold…read moreweather gear.. and this place has been talked about amongst the military every time we have a new group going with us. This place is a big hit for all us military Americans. So we always like to pass the word for the new guys to stop here. Trying different food we can't get in the states makes this worth it! Been here a few times. I wish this place was in the states and I could go all the time. We did the hot stone. I had the venison, kangaroo, shrimp and lamp. Fantastic!!

Gastro Pub Food!…read more This is pub food at it's best - beautifully presented, well prepared and reasonably priced. The staff are very friendly and helpful and the beer is good and cheap too. It was right next door to the motel we stayed at and we enjoyed the food so much that we went there a second time!

One of the best brewpubs I have been to in the world. Whatever else we may want to say about the…read moreEnglish, they understand the science of crafting a good pub, or at least they used to. Wooden tables and floors with a comfy interior that beckons you to sit, drink, think, and talk in a convivial mode. The twisted hop has all of this as well as great food and beer. They brew their own beer, or rather Jim brews it, and they specialize in English style "real ales" although they have other varieties of beer and wine as well. Real ales are ales that are cask conditioned, that is, they continue to ferment in the cask. They are also dispensed with a hand pump instead of a C02 tap. This makes them delicate and amazingly flavourful in a way that typical lagers and "bright" ales are not. The beers at the Twisted Hop are great and you will want to give yourself some time there since you will want to try them all, maybe more than once. The food, despite The Twisted Hop's English DNA, is really good as well. They have Scotch eggs (ask, or maybe don't ask, what is in them), excellent chips and fish, and everything else looked good too. If you live in Christchurch, you should be reading this while seated at the Twisted Hop. For those traveling to Christchurch, this should be on your list of stops.

We visited The Twisted Hop on the 4th of July. They were promoting a 4th of July celebration event…read morethat evening and we decided to check it out. The first small victory was the private parking the back. Though there aren't many spaces, it was nice not to have to fight street parking. We entered through the back patio door which leads onto a covered, cozy patio great for enjoying a beer with a friend on a warm day. The restaurant inside is dark and rustic, but the bar is aglow with the colorful chalkboard promoting the beers on tap that day. We spent some time with the bartender discussing the beers available and he helped us find the perfect fit for our palates (pilsner for me!). We sat at a four top table near the wall of books at the front where you can buy a book for a donation that benefits the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund. I can get behind that! There is a spot for a stage and a counter full of board games. Awesome. For dinner, we stuck to the American-theme menu and ordered tacos and wings. They were delicious, but the tacos were definitely my favorite. Next time I would like to try something off of their real menu, which looked wholly filing and belly-warming. Do you have a favorite brew? They take special requests and will do their best to stock it for you! Definitely recommend this a top bar to spend the afternoon or the evening imbibing craft brews and devouring delicious snacks.

Still avoiding Asian food due to going to there later this month, I decided on Western food for…read moredinner. The food seemed reasonably priced and was less than a ten minute walk from my hotel, so why not? FYI this will be the last business on your left as you walk through the parking lot. Anytime Fitness is on the right, and this business is currently next door to a brewery (who might be moving, so do not count on that if you are reading this months from now). You walk in and order at the counter. I decided on appetizers of onion rings, fish goujons, garden salad, and a mai tai. Here are my thoughts: Onion rings: I really liked the consistency of the batter. It is very crunchy, but there is no flavor. You are really going to need to try to salt and pepper the food, and this is coming from someone who cooks with very little of either (per my dad's opinion). Fish goujons: This is the same batter as the onion rings, so this is where I get my "have experienced better" rating. I do not recommend using the same batter for each. The batter for onion rings needs to be more light and airy compared to fish when battering. The fish was also pretty bland, so when you add a bland batter, the appetizer is even more bland. I only ate 3 pieces because the food was not good. Seasonal salad: I ordered no dressing, as I had learned from a previous restaurant that a random salad dressing will be assigned if you do not specify. There was something strangely spicy in this salad - jalapenos? As a Texan that is what they tasted like, but culturally I was confused because we do not put jalapenos in salads. Mai tai - This was pretty good. I could have used a large portion, but otherwise delicious. I can see if you want to come here and just have that without the food. One thing I noticed is that Christchurch apparently does not have a no-smoking ordinance within X number of meters. Even though there was a plastic covering around the patio since it was cold, there were cracks within the covered awning. The smoke can penetrate through these cracks, so be aware that just because you are "inside" an awning does not mean you are immune to the smoke. If you have asthma or allergies, keep this in mind as 3 of the employees were smoking at the table closest to the door. I think I will pass next time!

I have been in Christchurch now for three days and have found a new home. With a large variety of…read moredelicious beer and outstanding food... it begs the question... why go anywhere else?

Woodend...there isn't much going on...yet this little cafe/pub/diner has an honest atmosphere with…read moreclean tables, the tv on and the best fries around...for only $3 a bowl! Don't expect much for service but the hot choc comes with a little treat, and there's some care in presentation.

Went there for my birthday dinner again and had an amazing experience again. The pork belly starter…read morewas a winner and between us we had the fillet and some T-bone steaks. The meat was perfectly prepared and extremely tasty! Although they were challenged for staff during Covid, the service was friendly and accurate. The food took a while to arrive, but it was more than worth the wait! I will go back for the creamy spinach side on its own!! Thank you for making the day special

Relaxed bar fitted out with pioneering decor like old axes and maps. Quick service and good food -…read morea slightly upmarket spin on the usual pub fare. We had a great time.

After a punting excursion, one of the punters recommended this place because his friend owns the…read morebusiness. Avoiding Asian food (headed there next week), another couple and I were in. I should note though this is not near the center of town, about a 15-20min walk. Thank goodness for GPS! We were not disappointed. The burgers were fantastic. They ordered the boogie (their #1 favorite since leaving California), and I ordered the bacon mushroom cheeseburger. The beef was extremely juicy and tasted amazing, and I write this as a Texan. To be fair, this was my first experience eating beef in New Zealand, so maybe all beef tastes this good. It's hard to explain, but when you eat the burger, you can tell it's locally sourced and isn't processed. You are really one with your beef here! You go up to the counter to order. You're then given an object to take back to your seat as a marker where you are, and food is brought to you. The setup is basically a food trailer with an outdoor patio. I really liked the casual atmosphere, reminiscent of places I visit at home. You definitely should check this place out! Cider $9 Bacon burger and chips $18 Coleslaw $3 Total $33

Great music and atmosphere! Lively fun place! good burgers!read more

Staying in Methven, as a pit-stop along our journey, we researched, 'what is there to do', &…read morelearned about the history of the Blue Pub vs the Brown Pub. Two iconic, historical buildings located across the street from each other, with an Oak Peace Tree in the middle, Methvan locals encourage visitors to try a pint at each, and decide 'which you prefer'. Two beers? Two local experiences? Sign me up! We started our experience at the Brown Pub which, true to its ambiance, has no yelp profile. Then we wandered over to the Blue Pub, for something completely different. The Brown Pub, described to us as historically hosting farmers-after long work days-gave us the vibes of introverts who just want peace, quiet, and a beer after a long-hard work day- complete with slot machines inside, smoking stations, and a small backyard dog-friendly grassed picnic table area. They had a good variety of drafts, bottles, and to-go beers. The Blue Pub, described to us as historically, 'where the party is at'-gave us a busier vibe, packed with larger groups inside and outside and live music playing. Another good variety, of completely different draft and bottled beers, slightly higher priced than the Brown Pub. Both pubs offer food. We enjoyed both experiences equally, as they allowed us to get glimpses into Methvan lifestyles. I highly recommend grabbing a pint at each!

Fun, cozy spot to get a beer and some yummy food. I came on a Tuesday in February so it was a bit…read morequiet, but the 2 bartenders/servers working were super friendly and they had multiple TVs on with Olympic replays. They said during ski season it gets packed since they're close to the popular Mount Hutt for skiing, otherwise it's mostly locals and folks passing through. My chicken burger was pretty good - fried chicken, bacon, brie, beets, lettuce, mayo, and a toasted bun. A unique combo for sure, but I dug it. Blue Pub is also a hostel/lodge and the rooms are upstairs. You check-in IN the pub and one of the servers will proceed to give you a key and a tour. I stayed here for the night and couldn't complain. The room was basic: twin bed, heater, clothes rack. Bathrooms and showers are shared and coed. Walls are thin, but I still slept like a baby. WiFi is free in both the pub and hostel, but you need a little voucher with a code to login. It runs out after 200mb, so you'll need a few vouchers if you want WiFi for several hours (just ask and they're happy to give you a stack). Overall a really cool, unique spot in this tiny town of Methven. Highly recommended!

The Institution is a small craft cocktail and beer bar. The staff is friendly and generous. There…read moreare 5 local beers on tap with a selection of bottles behind the bar. They'll let you try all their beers on tap before purchase. I enjoyed all of them. The cocktail I had was also great. They have a cheese platter which is also amazing. The bar seems to attract interesting people. Both times I went, I ended up in fascinating conversations with people I met at the bar.

Super chill place with a nice upstairs bar area. We were planning to go to a few places in the…read morearea but ended up closing the night here. The bartenders were playing requests that day, asking everyone who came in to name a song on top of their mind. Drinks were strong and tasty - had the Commie Mule with the freshly crushed ginger (first choice was Dr. Orders - but no can't do as rosemary was out of stock). The beer flight was good as well as you get to try all 5 beers that they have on tap. Highly recommend on coming here.