Jun 9, 2021 Food

Who Won What.

The full Top 50 Bars 2021 list.

SUPREME WINNER

Madame George
We gave the big award to Madame George last year, so we debated among ourselves whether to do it again. But why penalise it for, you know, being the best? This bar has everything we like, including great food, tasty Peruvian-inspired cocktails, friendly hospitality and that intangible thing we’re forever talking about: the vibe.
490 Karangahape Rd, K’Rd Precinct

BEST COCKTAILS

Deadshot
Can’t go past having something made for you specially, even if we know the bartender likely has a little rolodex of house drinks in the back of their mind. Either way, they’re delicious.
45 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby

BEST RESTAURANT-BAR

Cazador
It’s a critically acclaimed game restaurant but also a perfectly lovely place to have a few drinks, even if you’re not in the mood for a shoulder of venison. We’ve also already mentioned how great maître d’ Simon Benoit is, but we think he probably deserves for us to mention him again.
854 Dominion Rd, Mt Eden

BEST NEW

East Street Hall
If Best Late Night (Party edition) was a category, then East Street Hall would surely clinch it. Regularly turning into a club on Friday and Saturday nights, this new venue is hectic and fun, with a crowded courtyard full of all the coolest people in town.
5 East St, central city

BEST LATE NIGHT

Acho’s
We’re beyond happy to have Acho’s back on Karangahape Rd, where hang-outs at their St Kevins Arcade spot regularly went on till 4 in the morning. Thankfully, it’s keeping to its odd hours at the Food Workshop, too, so you can console yourself over having insomnia with some Japanese beers.
K’Rd Food Workshop, 309 Karangahape Rd, K’Rd Precinct

BEST AFTER-WORK DRINKS

Conch Kitchen & Bar
After-work drinks (with friends, not colleagues — big difference) require a certain type of bar: laid-back but lively, and the type of place you’re likely to bump into one or two people you know.
115A Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby

BEST DIVE BAR

Wine Cellar
Sure, there are sticky surfaces everywhere, but there’s perhaps no better place for live music.
183 Karangahape Rd, K’Rd Precinct

BEST PUB

Galbraith’s
An old and enduring favourite with space to spare — a perfect solution for when your group will undoubtedly be turned away from those tiny nooked wine bars.
2 Mount Eden Rd, Eden Terrace