Spy: Hospo is back in full swing for Melbourne Cup

Soul Bar and Bistro is offering the most glamour with an onsite TAB to boot. Photo / Supplied

This Tuesday punters are coming out in full force to trendy hospitality establishments for the race that stops a nation.

After a three-year gap and Ellerslie closed for a track refurbishment, Melbourne Cup revellers are filling Auckland hot spots like never before.

The Viaduct is leading the pack with a plethora of options.

Soul Bar and Bistro is offering the most glamour with an onsite TAB to boot.

"This year Melbourne Cup certainly seems to have the biggest hype around it that I have felt in a few years even more than pre-covid cups," says general manager Olivia Carter.

The Soul lunch took a mere 40 minutes to sell out to around 260 of the fashionable crowd. The waitlist is long and the calls are constant for wannabe guests trying to get in.

Much like many of the venues enjoying the party days return, Soul will offer tipsters, DJs, sweepstakes and fashion prizes.

Harbourside's lunch also sold out quickly. It has a TAB and media personality Mike Puru MCing proceedings as well as a fashion show with designers Trelise Cooper, Storm and Augustine show.

Park Hyatt Auckland's Living Room with harbourside views is a refined affair that will have punters enjoying plenty of champagne and a four-course meal. Festivities will be hosted by Wilhelmina Shrimpton, who will also judge the catwalk style Fashion in the Field competition.

At Britomart, Seafarers' new offering MoVida (an icon of the Melbourne restaurant scene) will offer a mouth-watering five-course meal, crafted by founder and chef Frank Camorra. Staff say their big screen mixed with the iconic waterfront vista will make it the place to watch, eat and take in all the action live on the big screen.

Many places to be seen and watch are changing up the racing with a cocktail party feel.

The fabulous Club Lounge Alberts at 1 Albert Street with a boutique theatre is usually reserved for members only. Tickets include a glass of champagne on arrival, an oyster bar and canapés throughout the afternoon. Guests can then cross the lobby and enjoy further hospitality at Palmer.

SPQR in Ponsonby has a champagne and oysters option too.

And you can mix up taking your bets at SkyCity at Flare Bar from noon until 7 pm and it's open to all, with various promotions throughout the afternoon - and they promise lots of razzle-dazzle.

As for the all-important after-parties, Spy's first pick is the QT - Auckland's rooftop perch. After an afternoon of flirtatious Mediterranean snacks, winners and losers will be fuelled and fired up to keep the celebrations going long into the night.

After a day off - Putting on the Spritz - for punters in the Aperol variety, we reckon Dr Rudi's rooftop bar will be a great place to loosen the ties and ditch the fascinators.

And for the wildest after-party, Thursday Private Members' bar on Symonds St is throwing one hell of a bash, but don't forget it has a no-phone policy!