Bar review: Cassette Nine, Auckland CBD

Cocktails and one of the well-known Cassette teapots. Photo / Liana Thaggard

Address: 9 Vulcan Lane, Auckland CBD
Rating:

First drinks: We chose a couple of cocktails and one of Cassette's famous teapots. Honey Bee (Jack Daniels, honey, lime, lemonade and pineapple) drunk from baby plastic shot glasses. It was sweet and tasty but we think it's more of a novelty than anything else.

The vibe is: super-casual. Our Thursday evening was pretty quiet but we've visited on weekends and it gets jam-packed when there are gigs on. Every weekend Cassette is home to underground bands and fortnightly there's even a game of bingo.

On the stereo: Nothing special. A mix of 90s hip-hop and reggae. If you want to have a conversation, head out on to the deck overlooking Vulcan Lane.

The bathrooms were: Clean and tidy. If you happen to look up while doing your business, the ceiling is host to hundreds of cat pics. Odd.

Room for improvement: There isn't a lot of seating with only a handful of booths and a few mismatched tables for eating. Plus, indoors is really dark -- those tea lights aren't doing anything.

The perfect spot for: Hipsters. This is the bar you would head to after uni for cheap, fruity drinks and some weird band you've never heard of. I probably wouldn't bring my mum here.

Most redeeming feature: From the recycled pairs of jeans on the walls to old food tins holding cutlery, you can tell these guys are running with a thrifty theme. Did I mention the bathroom ceiling is covered in hundreds of cat pictures?

- TimeOut