Herald Rating: ***
Address: 151 Ponsonby Rd
Ph: 376 8930
Open: Tues-Sun from 3pm til late, except Sunday when it opens for brunch
Bottom line: Ponsonby watering hole with decent live bands
KEY POINTS:
We arrive at: 9.30pm on a Thursday night. Thursday does seem to be the new Friday - the place is pretty packed and lively.
Are served our first drinks: After a bit of a wait (to be fair, I suppose it is quite busy) by a young guy in a Justin Timberlake-style hat.
The decor is ... Odd. The place is set up to be like a South Island bach (hence the name "crib") but it's too Ponsonby to be authentic. The retro-style light shades are cool but the surfboards and ugly beach paintings don't do it for me. The red velvet pool table and curtains, weatherboard and gas fire in the downstairs part are good though. And I also like the 70s style wallpaper.
... and the ambience: Dominated by the live acts in the corner by the door. The latest girl about town, Annabel Fay, is singing; this is the second night in a row I've seen her perform, both times by accident. After that comes a three-piece girl band, followed by everybody's favourite covers band, Corporate Voice Experience. Great fun.
The house chardonnay is: Willowglen De Bartoli at $7 a glass.
Beers on tap are: Mac's, Guinness and Speight's.
The toilets are: A mission to reach - glad I was wearing flat boots. The staircase is narrow and steep, but the loos are blissfully empty when I arrive. The lime green, white and light orange swirly wallpaper is pretty full on and mysteriously, though the bathroom is big, the cubicles aren't that easy to squeeze into.
It smells like: A Friday hangover.
Why you should go: If you're looking for somewhere lively on a Thursday night, The Crib is a good option.
