The Nation's Clubrooms is a relatively new addition to the range of bars located in Skycity. This…read moreone was built as a sports bar specifically for the Rugby World Cup, and is very much rugby themed, supporting the Auckland Blues. I like this pub because it's very clean and very large, with ample seating and no matter where you decide to sit, there will be a TV screen for you to view. What more could you ask from a sports bar? A betting machine you ask? Well it just so happens that they have a TAB section in the corner, complete with betting machines or a human who works for the TAB if you prefer to bet that way. Drinks and nibbles are pretty expensive here though, so you had better win your bets on the sports or at the casino next door.

One of Auckland's newest sports bars and about as good as they get! The Nation's Clubrooms is sort…read moreof hidden away on Level 3 of Skycity, but it's well worth finding once you're finally there. It's big, it's clean, the range of beers and pub grub is extensive, and there are more TV screens then you can shake a stick at. You simply won't find many sports bars that are this plush and well appointed, and perhaps owing to Skycity's extensive sponsorship of Auckland teams, the place is simply littered with memorabilia from the Blues, the Warriors, the Breakers and the All Blacks. There are also certain perks coming here as a Breakers fan. Skycity sponsor the team, so the fans sometimes get free drinks when they come here to watch the away games. Not bad!!

My first night in Auckland, I stopped by here for dinner when I saw they had a $42.94 NZ deal for…read moreSouth Island Lamb Rump. The interior was lively with plenty of seating. Found a quiet corner to dine solo. I ordered the Lamb Rump with garlic butter, which came with Bacon and Peas, and a side of Smashed Truffle Potatoes. This was absolutely delicious! The Lamb was cooked perfectly, melt in your mouth tender, well seasoned, with a nice crunchy skin. The Potatoes were satisfyingly crispy, mouthwateringly in a flavorful sauce and spices, featuring strong taste of true truffle. Garlicky peas with bacon was a wonderful combination. When I saw Sticky Date Pudding on the dessert menu, I just had to get it. This was served with butterscotch sauce, candied walnut, and ice cream. What an indulgent, sweet, mouthwatering masterpiece! The Sticky Date Pudding was chewy, moist, with notes of caramel and warm spices. Walnuts added a delightful nutty crunch. I poured the butterscotch sauce over both the Sticky Date Pudding and ice cream, which brought everything together beautifully. Service was good. Waitress was personable and everything came out in a timely manner. Such a wonderful meal here!

Great atmosphere! Great service!…read moreFriendly staff. Definitely a must go place. Only had drinks however the food looked delicious

The old Chances has been transformed into a modern pub and TAB…read more Enjoyed the Sunday Roast and a few cold ones with my good mate.

If you like being a bloke, you'll like it here. If you like spending time with blokes who like…read morebeing around other blokes doing blokey things, then you'll love it. Okay, I don't like sports. So I would never rave about a sports bar. But do they all have to packed with testosterone? Well, I guess so. If only they played interesting sports, like ice skating, rhythmic gymnastics, or show jumping, well, that might be quite nice. Or even better, how about a bit of Project Runway? That's a kind of sport, surely...it's competitive, isn't it? Really, there's nothing much here for me. They don't even have any especially tempting beer. And I love horse racing but I would never want to come here to place a bet, because where's the excitment of televised sport? It completely baffles me.

Located on the popular Wynyard Crossing in Wynyard Quarter in Auckland, New Zealand, Good George…read moreNorth Wharf is a satellite location of the popular Good George brewery based out of Hamilton. It was pretty quiet when we passed by it after it had opened, but it became a lot more busy as we stuck around to drink a pint of their Hefe (NZ$17)...it was good, super drinkable. I ended up picking up a six can of their popular Ale: Pacific Left Hand Break (NZ$15). The bartender was super friendly and she let me try samples of the beers that I was considering. Definitely worth a stop-in if in the area.

Good George Brewing is one I had heard a lot about on a previous trip to New Zealand. Despite that,…read moreI never got to visit the brewery nor try many of their beers. On a recent visit to Auckland visiting other beer bars nearby, I noticed Good George had a taproom and restaurant in the Wynyard area of the city - a new area of apartments, offices, bars, and restaurants right on the water. Good George North Wharf has a great view of Auckland Harbour and is on many walking/biking paths, the trolley, and with lots of parking nearby. On my visit, I came in the afternoon and opted to sit inside as it was kind of a cold and gloomy day to be outside. Regardless, they have lots of outdoor tables and heaters, perfect for small parties or large groups. Inside is larger than it looks, with big tables, bar seating, and smaller high tops; half the restaurant has less of a view as the bar is in the middle but I assume some people will like the more intimate area for watching sports. Restrooms are clean and upstairs, easy to find. The kitchen is open to the restaurant so you can see the chefs preparing meals. It's kind of quasi-table service as well; you seat yourself and can order at the bar, or someone will come ask if you'd like to order. All the staff here were friendly and aimed to please - talking with a manager I learned this was another bar then taken over by Good George during the pandemic and never really given a proper chance to open. It's open now and seemed popular even on a weekday afternoon. Their beer menu is immense and features all their core beers, ciders, plus wines and mixed drinks. One thing I was happy I asked about was limited drafts; they had quite a few which complimented having some of their core beers out. I opted for a flight (or tasting board as seems to be the norm there) of six lighter beers while I relaxed and watch people go by. I had a second tasting board to round out the beers, really only skipping the sour and ciders. They even gave little tasting chips to go with the beer. I had a great experience here. If you're a beer fan or just need a cozy place to take a break from the city, this is a great option.

It should tell you a lot that all the past reviews for the QF Tavern have been from males. This is…read morenot the sort of establishment where you can or should bring a classy lady. I'm from Christchurch originally, so I don't think they even do breed classy ladies down there so I feel quite happy adding my two cents in about the olde QF. While nothing inherently special this bar always seems to be a decent night ender, it usually has live music, different events every night of the week (avoid the Wednesday night Karaoke if your not a fan of caterwauling, and most importantly cheapish drinks for Auckland anyway. During the day it's a slightly more respectable establishment so if you need to take a break from some strenuous shopping down Queen Street, grab a drink and a table outside and do some people watching (happy hour is 12pm-2pm in the afternoon)

There are only two things you need to know about the QF Tavern…read more The first is that this is the naked face of every other bar in New Zealand outside of Auckland. This is a classified Sports Bar with it's trench-coat flung wide open and exposed to the pedestrians of Queen St. The karaoke, the pokies, the "jing-gah-jick" guitar playing live music, the chips that taste like they were cooked in petroleum. If you're from the Far North, the Deep South or Lower Hutt, this is your Nirvana. Secondly, they serve beer towers (or beer giraffes or bar maids or whatever you wish to call them). Any Nirvana or Paradise or Valhalla should have beer towers.

Francs make a killer "Superfood Salad" - kale, sprouts, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, radishes, red…read moreonion, quinoa topped with whipped feta, smashed avo and sunflower seeds and a ginger and miso dressing. You can order it with chicken ($5) or tuna ($9), but we got a plate of falafel instead and my friend ordered the beef burger (the bacon jam will not disappoint!!). Such a groovy place, with a beautiful beachfront view. Only weird thing was that our milkshake came out in a paper Mc Donald's styled cup? Strange - very strange haha Only other downside was that the staff were a little inattentive (one table left while we were there because of the delay in getting water/menus to their table). So get a table close to the waiters to ensure prompt service . We were sitting out the front on the deck/in the sun, and found they didn't really come around to check in how the meals were or offer us another round of drinks. This side of hospo, I think is so important to make the experience complete especially in this day and age where people are spoilt for choice. 5/5 for the food - 3/5 for the service.

We came here after a Chinese New Year event, the place was pretty much empty except for a private…read morefunction they were having till 11:30pm. We sat outside. With the private event going on the service was a little slow, especially since we were the only ones there besides the private party which didn't seem to be many people. We got s few drinks and before we knew it , it was closing time. We enjoyed our drinks but the service is not the best here.

We went to the Grey Lynn Tavern because someone had called it "The GLT" and wanted to believe that…read morethere were still places in town where you could get a cheap handle of beer. I went along with it, cringing, expecting to hate the place. So let me be fair, there are a lot of well-sauced locals in this place, and try as they might, they can't help but gawk at the awkward hipsters heading to the GLT for the laughs. But the place itself is nice to visit - it's unpretentious, the drinks are cheap and the calibre of karaoke singers isn't actually that bad.

The 1 Up TAB and Sports Bar provides a rare combination in the Eastern Bays area…read more The bar provides well-priced beer on tap, numerous television screens and TAB facilities, pokie machines and usually plentiful seating for the number of patrons present. The staff are very friendly and the bar usually has a vibrant, sociable atmosphere - with many of the patrons being frequent regulars. If you are lucky enough to be there for races on a busy Saturday afternoon, the bar usually shouts chips from the fish shop next door for DIY chip sandwiches, a nice homely touch. Parking is easy, just on the street down Upland Road, and there are numerous options for food nearby to keep you punting all day.

I had heard through the grapevine that this was just the best ever pizza found on the North Shore…read more So of course I pestered my partner to take us there for a takeout pizza mid week. I arrived around five thirty and the popular pizzeria had a few guests eating pasta on the front outdoor seating area. The owner who bakes all the pizza's himself is a friendly and humorous Greek man, and was only too happy to point out the fave choices of pizza for us first time visitors. The Top picks were Greco, a delicious topping of lamb, red onion, olives, peppers, tzatziki, basil and parsley (My first pick also). And the Quattro Stagioni which had Salami, Ham, Prawns and Mushroom, this was sensational (my second pick). As it was the premiere visit, we opted for the two small pizzas, costing both under 18 dollars each, and let me tell you, I thought I could have eaten a pizza to myself, however the servings were so great that I only managed about 2 pieces each. Beautiful pizza base , and the toppings are just divino divine! I will be back as soon as I can, to try more pizza flavours, and a pasta dish for sure.

Just need some good food during the interim of taking care of my mother in law in the NS hospital…read more We ordered one Divino Pizza and one Divino Pasta for three of us. The pizza and pasta are eally nice and far beyond my expectations (I preferred pasta a bit more). Got refreshed and continue facing whatever they are in the real life.