British pubs??

[jan]

Iv`e been told that there are no `pubs` -so to speak in NZ. (not like British pubs. People finding it hard to explain what watering holes are actually like in NZ)

It has been explained to us about how friendly Kiwi`s are and that it is a preference to invite friends & neighbours around to your home.

Is this kind of trade not allowed for one reason or another or is it just something that is just waiting to be aroused.

jan xx

[Timbo]

I cant say that I speak for the whole of NZ, but certainly in the relatively small area we visited there were plenty of watering holes. They tended to be either hotels or sports bars serving food alongside a beer or two. Certainly very social places to go for a drink though. There was always a local up for giving the poms a thrash at pool (I nearly said up for giving the poms a thrash on the pool table but decided against it).

[veronica]

theres a bar in Christchurch called the Twisted Hop and the guy has just started up his own brewery making UK type beers and there is a pub type place called Pomeroys on Kilmore street. the word Pub covers such a wide spectrum of drinking places in the UK its hard to know what is now meant by the word.

[ruthyroo]

Can only speak for Rotorua, but yes the majority of 'pubs' are pretty rough drinking shops, with entertainment of the pokie kind and overall pretty grim, where the serious drinking goes on. The main alternative are theme type bars - irish bars are perennially popular - which also serve food, have quiz nights etc. There are also a few wine bar type places and hotel bars, which are a bit soul-less. I have been told that NZ just doesn't have the same pub culture as the UK, and I really miss my favourite Edinburgh boozers on a cold winter night! Auckland and other big cities no doubt have more choice.

[Diny]

There's hunreds of pubs in NZ. However, they're not what I would call a pub.

They are more like sports & social clubs, big rooms with lots of tables that you stand around (some bar stools of course). Pokie machines and the obligatory meat raffle.

Not saying there's anything wrong with them but the ones I've visited are as far off the 'British Pub' as it's possible to get.

Can't say I'll be visiting many more - I'd rather have mates around and have abit of a social at home.

Diny

[jo b]

As long as I'm invited Diny

Jo

[Lil]

I saw quite a lot around Auckland areas, there's a chain called "Cock & Bull" or something similar, O'Neil's Irish Pubs and some "(Something) and Firkins"

[Diny]

That goes without saying Jo

We can do abit of 'hands on' testing of those Kiwi wines I keep reading about.

Diny

[toots]

There are some British type pubs here.

There's always "Mad Dogs and English Men" .

But there are some better Brit pubs though. 2 Spring to mind - there is a mock Tudor place on the seafront in Browns Bay (the only place that had any life in it on New Years Eve) and the one at Botany Town Centre

[captainxmas]

There is an 'English' type pub on the Tauranga Strand, 'The something and Badger' I think and very comfortable it was too.

We kind of wandered in by mistake and politely bought a couple of beers.