Latest fromBar Reviews

Pub spy: The Masonic Tavern, Devonport
There are few better feelings than sitting in a nice warm bar and looking out at an atrocious winter's day, except perhaps doing so in a bar that overlooks the sea.

Pub spy: The Villager, Remuera
I was worried when I stepped into The Villager, mostly because I saw two suits near the bar.

Pub spy: Cornerbar, Auckland CBD
How could you not love a bar that serves home-made potato chips and Maggi onion dip?

Pub spy: Thyme, Takapuna
Now before you get all excited and accuse me of muscling in on a restaurant reviewer's job, I am talking specifically about the bar adjoining this rather lovely restaurant on the first floor of the Spencer on Byron hotel.

Pub spy: Jax Wine and Tapas Bar, Newmarket
I don't usually open these reviews with outright praise, but I first came here for a tasting event and I was blown away.

Pub spy: O'Hagan's, Auckland CBD
Once as Irish as a sly dig at a family wedding and now part of the Nourish Group, O'Hagan's is one of the best-situated pubs in the city centre.

Pub spy: The Mulberry, Mt Eden
I never thought I'd say this, but I've just been into a pub with no beer.

Pub spy: Racket bar, Britomart
Britomart has become quite a night-time destination in the past five years, with some heavy-hitting operations open in the area.

Getting to the top: Auckland's rooftop bars (+photos)
It's good to be prepared. When the sun does start shining there are rooftop bars and garden pubs to make the most of the blue sky and clear evenings.

Pub spy: 1885, Auckland CBD
A big bar with a big reputation, the big question on my mind was whether 1885 would live up to it.

Pub spy: Charley Farley's
It's always a funny experience going into a bar that doubles as a cafe.

Pub spy: Danny Doolans
Ah, Danny's - the most Irish of all the "Irish" bars that sprung up in the early 2000s.

Don Kavanagh: Time off in the loo
Washroom waits and toilet troubles, over the years Don Kavanagh has seen it all.