The best Wellington bars can be found in Cuba street and Courtenay Place.Tonight we intend to have a few drinks Now as much as I’m ready to party I don’t want you thinking this is all I’m about. Just because I’m of the tender-aged and carefree crowd does not mean I’m an alcoholic! It is just that things have been a little serious these last two weeks as I and my boy friend Rob have tramped the South Island. So, now I’m back in the lands of urban civilisation I want to rest my blisters and wet my whistle to such an extent it may actually be considered saturation.
A couple of beers and some great food later we’re on our way to the Mish Mosh Bar – no more than a quick hop (we are easily still able to hop at this stage) up the street. A great vibe, a huge cocktail list and a perfect-for-summer nights outdoor patio area is the arena for the next few rounds of our let’s-get-plastered theme night.
Happy days – time to have a drink after all that South Island tramping!
As the night progressed, the Malt House was far too much of a temptation to miss because a) it just happened to be obvious and on the way and b) I could get my well overdue real ale fix. And something really needs mentioning here about Wellington and partying. We’d been told to get our backsides to Courtenay Place if we had heavy imbibing on the alcohol front in mind and what great advice. With each establishment we leave the sway gets a little more pronounced but there’s really no need to expect our unsteady steps to take us too far – everything seems to be almost in the same place. What a great set-up for a memorable Wellington pub crawl. The choice of both tap and bottled beers at the Malt House was almost bewildering in my starting-to-get-foggy state but the bar staff here seem super-keen to help out both the beer uneducated and the undecided. The strength of beers on offer go from lightweight to blow your mind – I opted somewhere down the middle….there’s a lot of night in front of me yet.
The Library almost tempted us in….desserts look good…..glass of wine might go down a treat and who could say no to a sea-salt and caramel fudge Martini? Well Rob, I thought, it would seem that despite the quirky look complete with faded grandeur, dimmed lighting and bookshelves we’ll definitely be returning next time we’re in Wellington.
So onward to the Bangalore Polo Club. Now I confess to a slight baulk initially at this suggestion. I thought it sounded perhaps a trifle too sedate and straight-laced for a fun night……a tad on the stuffy side. However, it turns out that the only stuffy thing around this Raj-themed bar is the badger. The whole air of this busy and buzzing bar is whimsical – not a word I can remember using much in my lifetime but is nonetheless a perfect fit for here. Loved the conservatory, the Maharajah portraits and the fact that I was not just allowed but positively encouraged to drop my peanut shells on the floor. At this stage of the evening I was developing the urge to behave a little badly in some small unassuming way and this scratched my itch perfectly. We enjoyed our first dance of the night as everyone seemed to be strutting their stuff. Tramping blisters be damned, this was no place to sit down and resist the music.
I know at some point it was time to go to bed and so endeth one of the best Wellington pub crawls and party nights of my life. We didn’t even cover every Courtenay Place venue let alone begin on Cuba Street and elsewhere so, thank you Wellington. We will definitely be returning.
Guest Writer – Deneice Arthurton and her personal account of a truly wonderful party night in Wellington.
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