Address: The Sprig & Fern Tavern, 2 Drake St, Freemans Bay, open 7 days 11am-late
Phone: (09) 213 9989,
Web: www.sprigandferntaverns.co.nz
The Fern effect will bring in punters
It's not often you can walk into a bar you have been to many times before and say "wow", but this was one of those moments for me.
The historic bar, previously the Drake and, for those with long memories, also once home to Kitty O'Brien's, has been around since Victoria Park was part of the harbour and has seen a fair bit of history along the way.
Today, it is the first foothold for Nelson brewers and bar chain Sprig & Fern in this city and if it's anything to go by it has a long and illustrious future. It's almost defined by what it isn't - it isn't a sports bar, it isn't a pokie parlour and it isn't a restaurant; but it is a proper pub. The decor is excellent, with clean lines, ample seating and at the centre of it all, the bar. The bar is a thing of beauty, although not necessarily because it is a particularly lovely bar, but because there is a wall full of beer taps behind it.