The coolest bars are usually found off the beaten track, and Napier’s is no exception. Set in a repurposed industrial warehouse tucked down a historic lane, it’s still hard to miss Monica Loves. “Who shot the barman?” reads the neon sign outside.
The popular watering hole opened in December, and is owned by Mister D Dining, the bistro next door. Since then it has brought a worldly hipster flavour to the Art Deco capital, care of its internationally lauded wine list, extensive craft beer menu, and intriguing cocktails (the Celery Mare pairs gin with cucumber, lime, cracked pepper, elderflower liqueur and tonic).
Meanwhile its globally-inspired snack menu — think Levantine-style scallops, Moroccan halloumi, and Italian-meets-Spanish wild venison chorizo — adds to the sense that you could be anywhere in the world.
What could be more romantic than perching at one of Monica Loves’ blue-painted beer barrels in an alleyway patio lit by fairy lights and candles? No wonder then, that the name and interior were inspired by a graffiti wall close to the Romeo and Juliet balcony in Verona.
