Caption

From quenching craft beer and taxidermy on tap to hidden bars and fairytale cocktail lounges, Wellington packs a big nightlife for a little city, as Catherine Best discovers.

Photography by Catherine Best

wellington

Mind the ferret: just one of the stuffed creatures you’ll find at golding’s Free Dive.

ISSUE 47 get lost 3736 get lost ISSUE 47 get in the know Wellington is located on a fault line and experiences an average of one earthquake a week, but most go unnoticed.get in the know In December 2014 New Zealand’s driving blood alcohol limit was lowered from 0.08 to 0.05.

after dark: wellington

With a population of just 200,000 people, Wellington is but a miniscule blip on the world stage. But when

the sun goes down the curtain goes up on this unassuming Kiwi capital that knows how to have a rollicking good time. this is a city that likes to mix her drinks – from craft beer to creative cocktails – and she doesn’t mind dicing genres either. there are sophisticated venues that play to the after-five crowd, laid-back lounges, dive bars and whimsical finds tucked down nondescript laneways. While Courtenay place is Welly’s raucous party hub, most of her night-time gems are hidden well out of sight. the windy city keeps her best assets well guarded – you just need to know where to look.

6pm

Enough of the soft stuff; it’s time to hit the hard liquor. The 10-minute walk to Foxglove Bar & Kitchen on the waterfront will work up a thirst, but don’t dally downstairs because something magical beckons beyond the staircase. On the second floor turn right, slip between the bookshelf and wall of faux foliage, crank open the wardrobe door and disappear into a Narnia wonderland of velour lounges, chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling liquor cabinets and laid-back tunes. Foxtail Champagne & Cocktail Bar is Foxglove’s lucky charm for a sophisticated after-work crowd looking for herbaceous bubbles, crafty cocktails and whisky-a-go-go. Mixologists here specialise in “premium spirits and outlandish medleys of flavours”. Peruse the cocktail list or select from one of the 200 varieties of whisky – something decadent from behind the dark wood-panelled cabinet perhaps? Settle on a lounge with a game of Scrabble or head onto the terrace and claim a wicker recliner under the fairy lights as the sun sets on the harbour. foxglove Bar & Kitchen33 Queens Wharffoxglovebar.co.nz

4pm

Fire up your taste buds and get your motor running at Garage Project, a formidable introduction to Wellington’s thriving craft beer scene. The brewery is housed in a former auto-repair workshop, but the only lubricant you’ll find here comes in the form of amber liquid and the odd dark ale. Sidle up to the ‘cellar door’ next to a workshop of gleaming vats and work your way through the eight-tap tasting menu. The brewery has produced more than 150 experimental blends since production started four years ago, using inventive ingredients like fermented fish flakes, sea water, chilli, porcini mushrooms and super-heated volcanic rocks to aid caramelisation. The Venusian Pale Ale (7.5 per cent) with kaffir lime, lemon grass, grapefruit peel and coriander is a zesty tongue-tingling winner. You can’t kick back with a pint here (the brewery has a bar a few doors up the road for that), but you can grab a traveller from about 20 varieties of takeaway bottles and cans on sale. Garage project68 aro street, aro Valleygarageproject.co.nz

5pm

Jump in a taxi and head to Welly’s artisan quarter for a refreshing palate cleanser at Six Barrel Soda Co. You won’t find any alcoholic beverages here – just punnets of fragrant herbs, delicate potions and effervescent drops that will help purify your system ahead of the night’s inevitable vices. Climb the stairs into a bright, airy space with lighthouse-like windows looking over Dixon Street and choose your flavour of fizz. There are 20 varieties on offer ranging from rhubarb and juniper to jerk specialty cherry cola baby. Can’t decide? Opt for a NZ$5 three-soda tasting paddle, garnished with fresh sprigs of herbs and floating berries – it’s free if you buy a bottle of take-home syrup. six Barrel soda Co1 Eva st, te arosixbarrelsoda.co.nz

8pm

Time to back off on the booze for a bit and line your stomach with a proper meal or Welly’s notoriously blustery winds will have you on your behind before you can say “you can’t beat Wellington on a good day”. Two minutes’ walk down the road you’ll find Charley Noble Eatery & Bar, a dining behemoth housed on the ground floor of a historic former shipping building. The huge space is reminiscent of a German beer hall, with soaring rafters, long tables and an open kitchen where you’ll find industrial-sized bowls of tomatoes on the counter and great baskets of produce hanging from the wall. The restaurant is named after the galley chimney on ships, and wood-fired fare is the specialty. For something different try the pig’s tail with walnut, mandarin, currants and faro, or sink your teeth into a burger, served in a black squid-ink bun if the All Blacks are playing.Charley noble Eatery & Barhuddart parker Building, no 1 post office squarecharleynoble.co.nz

10pm

Burn off all that grilled goodness on a 15-minute walk to The Library (got to love a compact city), where you’ll find the perfect dim corner to make a glutton’s retreat. Slip into a booth under bookshelves groaning with hundreds of titles or find a quiet nook in the lounge near the bathtub. Just don’t get in – a tokay in the tub with a choice tome is tempting, but the folks here won’t like it. How about a sticky wine and dessert instead? The warm chocolate fondant with basil custard and homemade raspberry and basil ice-cream will leave you lost for words as live jazz tootling from the bar fills the void. the librarylevel 1/53 Courtenay place, te arothelibrary.co.nz

7pm

Yes, you might be thinking the peeps behind this quirky find, stumbling distance from Foxglove, are indeed a little cuckoo. Entering this vintage den is like visiting grandma, great-aunty Betty and your old student digs all at once. An amalgam of living room spaces furnished with recycled retro lounges, cabinets of trinkets, old-school phones and even a ’70s punch bowl, Cuckoo Cafe & Cocktail Emporium embodies quirk and chilled-out vibes (one regular even wears his slippers). Grab a cocktail and some chips from next door and make yourself at home. If you find yourself getting rather attached to the sofa or the portrait of the buxom brunette, make the bar staff an offer – everything here is for sale. Take advantage of the free ‘unicorn tears’ (water) as you leave. The night is young and you need to hydrate. Cuckoo Cafe & Cocktail Emporium57 Customhouse Quay

the craft beer isn’t the only work of art you’ll find at garage Project.

A cocktail or the coffee table? everything at Cuckoo Cafe & Cocktail emporium is for sale.

the barman has the last word on cocktails at the library.

A tasting paddle at Six Barrel Soda Co.

ISSUE 47 get lost 3938 get lost ISSUE 47 get in the know The Cuckoo has been known to sell furniture from underneath patrons, with staff having to ask them to get up when someone spies something they fancy.get in the know The popular saying ‘you can’t beat Wellington on a good day’ was the title of a song released by NZ rock band the Datsun Violets in 1997.

A little bit of Cuba in wellington at Havana Bar.

get tHereQantas flies to Wellington from

Melbourne from about AU$439 return and

from Sydney starting at about AU$446.

qantas.com.au

StAy tHereThe Museum Art Hotel is a quirky boutique

property right in the heart of Wellington, opposite the

waterfront and the famous Te Papa museum. Rich

plum-hued decor and elaborate chandeliers grace

the lobby, where you’ll also find a selection of artwork

from the hotel’s collection of more than 150 original

pieces. It’s walking distance to almost everything you

need and offers traditional rooms and apartment-style

studios. Superior king rooms start at AU$228 a night.

museumhotel.co.nz

get inForMeDWondering what to get up to when you wake

up? Head to Wellington’s official tourism website.

wellingtonnz.com

GEt planninG

11pm

When you’ve overloaded on literature and are looking for a lager, make a beeline for Golding’s Free Dive (it’s virtually next door to Six Barrel Soda). Step through the doorway, guarded by a Stormtrooper, pull up a stool in the cosy space and channel your inner hipster as you choose from six craft beers on tap. Inspired by a North American dive bar, Golding’s is decorated with an eclectic assortment of trinkets and man-child paraphernalia that pays homage to the owner’s two loves, Star Wars and taxidermy. Lampshades made from buckets dangle from the ceiling, a stuffed ferret rides a skateboard next to Pinocchio, Darth Vader keeps an eye on punters and spaceships orbit the bar. It’s the kind of inviting neighbourhood joint that could easily be your trusty local, but linger not; there are apartments above and midnight is closing time. Golding’s free Dive14 leeds streetgoldingsfreedive.co.nz

12pm

It’s always party time somewhere in the world, and at Havana Bar you’ve found it, Cuban style. This colourful restaurant and bar is tucked inside two converted nineteenth-century cottages. If they weren’t lit up like a showgirl’s dressing room, you’d probably never know it was here. Stroll up the path, enter the threshold between the attached cottages and make straight for the covered courtyard outside. Sink into a bench seat beneath pictures of Che Guevara and order a rhubarb and coconut Ron Collins, laden with rum. Feeling peckish? Grab a selection of Spanish-inspired tapas and nibble away while the DJ spins funky tunes or a jazz band gets your toes tapping to the groove. Space here fills fast, but it’s worth the wait.havana Bar32 Wigan street, te arohavanabar.co.nz

1am

At this time of night all roads lead to Courtenay Place, Wellington’s thumping epicentre of pubs, clubs and strip joints. Take a detour down a small laneway and behind a line of wheelie bins you’ll discover a door that will lead you down the rabbit hole and into the whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland. Clocks, mirrors and pictures from the storybook hang from dark purple walls and a retro TV plays the children’s classic in black and white, while barmaids whip up cocktails for two served in teapots. This is one tea party you’d be a Mad Hatter to miss, so order something cheerful from the 11-page cocktail list that will have you grinning like the Cheshire Cat. At this hour dancing is always a good idea, so slip through the passageway to adjoining Boogie Wonderland, where you can get your boogie on under a disco ball to classic party tunes.aliceforresters lane, te arowhiterabbit.boogiewonderland.co.nz

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40 get lost ISSUE 47 get in the know Splitting bills is standard practice in New Zealand, and using plastic for purchases as low as NZ$1 won’t raise an eyebrow.

after dark: wellington