KEY POINTS:
Like the famous European mountain after which it is named, Wellington's Matterhorn bar is sitting almost on top of the world.
The Cuba St bar has just been named Bartender magazine's fifth best bar in the world. Famous for its celebrity clientele - an incident where "hobbit" Elijah Wood peed in the nearby Bucket Fountain after a night out drinking there with his Lord of the Rings co-stars made headlines around the world - the Matterhorn (the only New Zealand bar recognised) was placed in the top five by two of the judges.
The accolade follows hard on the heels of its rating as best New Zealand bar at the inaugural New Zealand Bar Awards.
However, co-owner Sam Chapman is loath to chest-beat about the win.
He said the 11-strong judging panel - including two leading British bartenders and Jonathan Downey, founder of worldwide bar chain Match group - was "hardly representative".
"To be honest, it doesn't really mean a lot. To get a nod from your peers is nice. But they were definitely looking at a certain type of bar, a certain sector of the industry. I think there was only one non-English speaking bar nominated. The majority were from the US, the UK or Australia."
Chapman said the win recognised the bar's community-based focus and its "depth of product".
"There's a definite culture that goes with the Matterhorn. It's a real local, rather than just an urban tourist spot - it's very much part of the fabric of people's daily lives."
Opened in 1963 by a Swiss immigrant, the Matterhorn was one of Wellington's original coffee houses. Chapman and three co-owners took it over 10 years ago. A long battle with neighbours over late-night noise ensued, and in 2002 it was closed for renovations.
The bar is particularly popular with celebrity types and over the years has hosted some big names in entertainment, including Sir Ian McKellan, Gordon Ramsay, Jack Black, Orlando Bloom, Naomi Watts, Burt Reynolds and Liv Tyler.
Bartender's top honour went to Milk and Honey, a private members' club in London.
