Ivy Restaurant & Bar
Herald rating *****
Address: 463 New North Rd, Kingsland
Phone: (09) 815 1535
Open: Tues-Fri: 11am till late; Sat-Sun: 10am till late
KEY POINTS:
We arrive: About 10pm on a Friday night. The inaugural Kingsland Festival was on and, as it's just down the road, the girls and I decided to go have a gander. Not known for its nightlife, Kingsland was the busiest we've ever seen it, with crowds of people spilling out of several establishments.
Are served our first drinks: Surprisingly quickly, given the number of people around. With a special on Sol beers, we stuck to the light stuff, but judging by the decor and general vibe of the bar, I'd wager they make a pretty good cocktail.
The decor is ... Plush. With embossed leather tables inside and colourful, ceramic, mosaic table tops outside, Ivy's definitely in the running for the coolest bar furnishings in Auckland. Snowflake light fixtures and a selection of bold artwork also help Ivy stand out from the crowd.
... and the ambience: Jolly. Everyone is chatting happily and no one is fussed by the constant bar traffic squeezing past.
The house chardonnay is: A tidy drop of Kim Crawford at $8 a glass or $38 a bottle.
The beers on tap are: Heineken, Amstel and Tiger.
The toilets: Are perhaps the coolest feature of Ivy, with crazy flora and fauna wallpaper. Admittedly, they would be a lot better if they weren't such a nightmare to find (head to the back of the bar, through a private room, up a steep staircase, turn left, first door on the right ... )
The music is: Funky and delicious, courtesy of our dear friend Dean Campbell. Alas, Dean was only there as part of the festival so I can't testify to Ivy's usual musical fare.
Why you should go: Because it's less pretentious than Ponsonby but more refined than the Viaduct. The locals are lovely and the decor divine.
Bottom line: Bringing a little bit of Ponsonby plush to Kingsland.
