Latest reviews from Dunedin
| 74 /100 New World Centre City (Grocery Store) CUMBERLAND STREET “A large supermarket . Plenty of selection for general food needs . Plus a wide range of NZ beers , and a smattering of foreigners . Car park is a little tight . A short walk across to Henry's for more beer .“ |
| 76 /100 Meenan’s Wine & Spirits (Beer Store) 670 GREAT KING STREET “Underwhelming outside , ordinary brickbuilding : Inside , a great array of alcoholic beverages . Includes a fridge full of their in house brews , in 750 ml plastic bottles . Very helpful staff . A cool little spot .“ |
| 76 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “Great parking . Modern brick building . A range of core beers on tap , plus a revolving selection of seasonal & trial brews . Friendly staff . Nice ambience . An array of beers and related products available to purchase .“ |
| 80 /100 Henry’s Beer, Wine and Spirits Dunedin (Beer Store) 95 HANOVER STREET “Rebranding as Liquorland : But the friendly staff remain . And the superb selection of NZ and world beers is still there . A great spot to find some Belgium beers . Great parking . And a public loo nearby . The New World supermarket across the carpark .“ |
| 72 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “The go-to venue for craft beer in Dunedin. The superb new brewery and brewpub definitely eases some of the the angst produced by Lion's takeover of a foundational Kiwi craft brewer. Congratulations to everyone involved - it really is the best of it's kind in the country.“ |
| 60 /100 Mac’s Brew Bar Dunedin (Bar) GROUND FLOOR, 12 THE OCTAGON “Visited on a day when it was torrential rain, place was very busy, usual range of Mac's beer, food was available on our visit but not tried.“ |
| 64 /100 New World Centre City (Grocery Store) CUMBERLAND STREET “Typical New World, which meens they have a huge selection of craft beer. The nearby liquor store has more, but they have some different beers here too. Good prices. Some decent ciders too.“ |
| 80 /100 Henry’s Beer, Wine and Spirits Dunedin (Beer Store) 95 HANOVER STREET “Large selection of craft beer here, with some interesting imports too. Some Euro beer I’ve never seen before. Plenty of cans, lots of Garage Project, regional stuff, just a well stocked store. Friendly service, I saw the guy carry an old woman’s bag to her car, very cute. Nice store.“ |
| 78 /100 Eureka (Bar) 116 ALBANY ST “Nice bar divided in a few rooms, so lots of quiet seating. Was quite busy with diners when we were there, but when we left by 9 it was almost empty. Indeed 5 Moa beers and a wide range of guests. Friendly service, and prices were about average for NZ. Nice bar!“ |
| 78 /100 Henry’s Beer, Wine and Spirits Dunedin (Beer Store) 95 HANOVER STREET “Probably the best craft beer shop in Dunedin. Huge range of NZ craft beer, including lots of rarities, along with a good selection of imported stuff (most of it from Beer Without Borders, so US, To Øl and Freigeist on this visit). Staff were chatty, and it’s in the same car park as the city centre New World, so could hardly be more convenient.“ |
| 72 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “As nickd hypothesised, Emerson’s have moved recently, opening these premises some time in 2016, so reviews before then are essentially for a different place. We took a tour of the brewery, which was interesting, though with the grumpiest tour guide I’ve ever met. All questions were met with scowls and / or very patronising answers. Staff in the tap room afterwards were much friendlier. They had on 11 taps or so, with the core range of 6 beers, a few brewer’s reserve items and a guest cider. A few bottles in the fridge too. Overall, the tap room was good, but the tour was a little uncomfortable. Had dinner here now as well, food is excellent.“ |
| 70 /100 Meenan’s Wine & Spirits (Beer Store) 670 GREAT KING STREET “From the outside it looks awful, but the store inside is much classier. Their range of imported beers is really quite impressive, with a particularly large US selection (though I don’t think I saw anything I hadn’t seen in NZ before). The NZ selection is pretty small by comparison, but still had a few beers worth picking up. Probably not a must visit if you’re from out of town, especially given its location, but I imagine a pretty useful place if you live in Dunedin.“ |
| 74 /100 Eureka (Bar) 116 ALBANY ST “My go to bar whenever I’m in Dunedin. Good, if not amazing, selection of taps, with a range of Moa always on. Gets a few beers / breweries that don’t tend to make it up to the North Island. Food is great, and the staff are pretty friendly. Outside area is really nice, and has heating so can be used any time of year.“ |
| 90 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “Ok, I think this place must have changed because people are WAAAAY shortchanging it in the reviews. Here’s what it is: 1) a brewery that brews legit beers (although I’d be "lion" if I didn’t tell you that Lion owning it bothers me a little bit), 2) a brewery shop/cellar door as they say in N-Zed, 3) an amazeballs pub with loads of beers, samplers, food, and fine mahogany furniture. The beers are great, the food are great, the service is great, the value is great, there is fine mahogany all over the place and comfortable chairs you can sit on while you get silly. Donald Trump - errr Drumpf - says it’s tremendous, one of the best breweries he’s ever seen. You’re gonna love it. Crooked Hillary and/or Lyin’ Ted made these people give it a bad review. Build a wall to keep ’em out and Australia’s gonna pay for it. Sad!“ |
| 72 /100 Eureka (Bar) 116 ALBANY ST “2016-05-13. We had planned to stop here before the Highlanders rugby game, but it was absolutely packed so we opted for fish and chips at The Flying Squid next door instead. It was very busy after after the game as well but not quite as much as pre-game, and we managed to get a table and sit down. Cool exposed brick decor, it achieves the balance between the feeling of a bar and gastropub/cafe fairly well I think. There was a decent tap list with the likes of Moa, Tuatara, Brew Moon on tonight. Good music. Beer seemed a bit pricey at $19 for two half pints! The food going past us smelled amazing but we didn’t eat here unfortunately. Nice little spot. I would come back but try for a less busy time if you can. Worth a visit but I would aim for a quieter time if I came back.
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| 76 /100 Meenan’s Wine & Spirits (Beer Store) 670 GREAT KING STREET “A shock and a pleasant surprise. I had an hour to kill while waiting for a friend in Dunedin and I ended up spending half the time at the Otago Museum and the other half here. A interesting and eclectic array of both local and imported beers as well as the same application to their wine and spirit selection. Knowledgeable service and good pricing too. I can see myself spending quite a bit of money here on future trips.“ |
| 66 /100 Ombrellos Kitchen and Bar (Restaurant) 10 CLARENDON STREET “A short walk from the University. A cafe with an outside garden area and inside dining room. Taps feature local brews but also a wide selection from Wellington breweries on my visit. Decent food and staff were friendly. I’d recommend checking this place out for something interesting on tap.“ |
| 58 /100 Mac’s Brew Bar Dunedin (Bar) GROUND FLOOR, 12 THE OCTAGON “Smack bang on the Octagon and handy if you’re yet to try the Mac’s range. Perhaps not the most exciting beers but at least expect to find the current seasonal brew to try. Simple pub food. Gets busy with foot traffic and game days. Staff were friendly and more than happy to pour tasters on request.“ |
| 58 /100 2 BIRCH STREET “Plato is by no means actually a brewpub, but there are two house beers available - a Pilsner and Brown Ale on my visit. The reason to visit is for the wonderful food dished up in the cafe, with the chefs focusing on seasonal and local ingredients with excellent presentation. The beer is however pretty dire to be honest, with noticeable flaws. Waitstaff were friendly and efficient. The building doesn’t look much on the outside but the interior is rather quirky with shelves of figurines and quite the selection of ceramic jugs lining the walls. Worth a visit for a great feed and a couple of new brewery ticks but take note not a must see beer destination.“ |
| 60 /100 Duke of Wellington (Bar) 1 QUEENS GARDENS “English pub serving imported British Isles beer on draught. Friendly landlady and nice airy atmosphere. However, can’t say I’m excited to drink well traveled British beer in New Zealand. Happy for a quick visit but better places to drink in Dunedin.“ |
| 74 /100 Meenan’s Wine & Spirits (Beer Store) 670 GREAT KING STREET “Great bottle selection with many I didn’t see elsewhere. Meenan’s have their own branded beer on rigger fills and at dirt cheap prices. Breweries from all over NZ, as well as many US bottles but certainly not at their freshest. Staff were helpful and themselves excited about beer. Extensive whisky selection here too.“ |
| 72 /100 Inch Bar (Bar) 8 BANK STREET “Quirky bar that can be found tucked behind the Botanic Gardens. Very cozy with a loungeroom vibe. They host live music in a side room, and there’s also an outside garden space to enjoy a beer. Good tap selection with a mix of Christchurch and Dunedin brews. Knowledgeable bartender who talked through the beers. A good eclectic bar to try some Kiwi micros.“ |
| 60 /100 New World Centre City (Grocery Store) CUMBERLAND STREET “Nicely laid out alcohol selection with an extensive craft beer range. A good shot at finding South Island brews, with a range of Welly in the mix too. The sour/barrel aged 8 Wired stuff is available here. A better selection will be found over at Meenans however.“ |
| 74 /100 Eureka (Bar) 116 ALBANY ST “Busy cafe close to the University. Paid a couple of visits during my time in Dunedin and a good place to watch a few overs of World Cup Cricket. They have a number of Moa beers pouring including a couple of new releases such as the Grodiske and Motueka IPL. Also Emersons and Renaissance on tap. Cafe style grub with a snack menu also available. Very knowledgeable staff and extremely friendly.“ |
| 74 /100 Albar (Bar) 135 STUART STREET “Cozy pub that retains a traditional feel. Had a Scottish band jamming on a Sunday arvo which was very cool. A hearty bunch of cyclists also joined in for refreshments. Much quieter during the week so perfect for reading the paper with a pint. I recommend the tasty Haggis & Oatcakes with a pint of Emersons Porter. Efficient service.“ |
| 68 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “Current site of the production facility whilst the new brewery is being built. Not much to report on, the front offices has a desk for bottle sales and merchandise. A few JP vintages and also of note the Deafinition Barley Wine is still available at time of writing. No tours are being held at the present time.“ |
| 60 /100 200 RATTRAY STREET “I skipped the tour and decided to grab a beer at the Ale House instead. Not much to write home about, it’s a very large venue designed to cater for the crowds. A real surprise was their current release Pacifica Lager, unfiltered and in all honesty one of the better beers I’ve had in NZ of late! Pub grub available.“ |
| 70 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “More or less required visiting, even if it is just to the brewery shop. A selection of house beers, branded Speigelau (no less) glassware, takeaway vessels and brewery paraphernalia available along with expert knowledge that is uniform to all staff. While the standard release beers are widely available around New Zealand, the shop sells limited releases and special ales. You may even catch a view of the Chuck Norris lookalike .himself.“ |
| 42 /100 200 RATTRAY STREET “Tired concept. No individual craft brews you would expect from a brewery bar. Just the same beers you can get anyplace.“ |
| 90 /100 Duke of Wellington (Bar) 1 QUEENS GARDENS “Arguably the best bar in nz. Based entirely on the concept of the old british bar. Great range of beers. A must stop off when you come to visit dunedin“ |
| 68 /100 Albar (Bar) 135 STUART STREET “Great bar and location. Positives - Feels like a real scottish pub back home with real friendly service.
Negatives - there never seems to be any hoppy ipas on draft.“ |
| 48 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “Tucked away in an industrial area within easy walking distance of the university. The brewery has no pub but does have a store that sells bottles, does growler fills and allowed tastings of the current beers. Nice staff provide good customer service. Worth the trip for a rarer bottle or low-cost growler fill.“ |
| 84 /100 Albar (Bar) 135 STUART STREET “great bar just off the octagon in Dunners...visited durung weekend of test match NZ vs Aussie. town was very busy as was this bar. A great relief to find a bar with decent beer. 4 hand pumps and about 8 taps. good choice of beer and also whisky. Food was excellet too. Quite possibly the best bar in town“ |
| 62 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “Non ho fatto il tour della birreria, ma solo l’assaggio e poi acquistato un paio di bottiglie da bere in hotel...
La birra è buona!“ |
| 60 /100 Albar (Bar) 135 STUART STREET “Locale piccolo con poltrone e divani molto comodi.
A Dunedin non ho trovato di meglio, mezza dozzina di spine che non sono le solite Tui o le altre birre commerciali NZ...“ |
| 88 /100 Eureka (Bar) 116 ALBANY ST “A great place to visit while in Dunedin. Bar owner is a huge craft beer fan and also a chef. So quality of the food is great and he encourages beer matching. Lots of changing taps to keep everyone happy.“ |
| 44 /100 200 RATTRAY STREET “Visited here while at port on a cruise ship. Brewery is seperate from the ale house. At the ale house you can have food and they serve their beer at the bar. The food for lunch was good. Had the seafood chowder. Every bite had some type of seafood meat in it. Bread served with it was great as well. The kimura fries were nothing great and had no seasoning on them. Beers (6 house brews on tap) were honesty not good. The pilsner was decent and has some flavor. The Gold Medal beer was absolutely terrible fir me. Tasted like beer mixed with club soda (salty on the pallet). The cider however was pleasant and slightly tart and worth trying. I was hoping for a great beer experience and left unfulfilled.“ |
| 50 /100 Albar (Bar) 135 STUART STREET “A quiet small bar just off Dunedin centre. Good variety of beers and whiskeys. Bar staff very accommodating with tasters.“ |
| 84 /100 Albar (Bar) 135 STUART STREET “Probably my favorite bar in Dunedin. Their beer selection varies quite often and sometimes they have some very rare local craft beers on tap. Most of the time however they have a respectable selection of Emerson’s beers on tap and bottled. The main attraction is their whisky though. Incredibly friendly staff, board games, reasonable prices, and haggis.“ |
| 84 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “So I’m vising Dunedin for about 3 weeks on business and found this little beer bar called the Duke of Wellington that became my home-base. The owner of the Duke picks me up and drives me over to the Emersons Brewery for a private tour. The beer was AMAZING and I was shocked at how small it was (circa 2003) but how AWESOME the beer was. I still have pics of my tour and remember it fondly!“ |
| 74 /100 200 RATTRAY STREET “Visited back in 2003ish. Flipping through a scrapbook of photos and remembered the visit. Company picked up the tab for food and beer. As I recall, had some sort of venison that was delicious, and seeing as how my hotel was on the corner next to the Ale House, and I was in Dunedin for 3 weeks, I tried every single beer they had and enjoyed it!“ |
| 74 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “The brewery is located in a more industrial area, just a short walk from the station. When we arrived they weren’t officially open, but kind enough to let is in and try their beer, which were quite good. Would visit again if I was in the neighbourhood.“ |
| 64 /100 New World Centre City (Grocery Store) CUMBERLAND STREET “Fantastic selection in this supermarket. I was really amazed to find supermarkets in New Zealand with such an amazing selection of local craftbeer and even craftbeer from other parts of the world. Here I bought 8-Wired Batch 18 BA IS. Try to get something like that in a supermarket in Holland... Great achievement of the NZ craftbeer scene. And nice to see supermarkets who are open for products which are more dedicated to quality than quantity.. :-)“ |
| 70 /100 Meenan’s Wine & Spirits (Beer Store) 670 GREAT KING STREET “The front of this place looks more like an old gas station than a liquor store, but what a liquor store that opens up once you enter. They have 4 of their own beer to take away in riggers (2 liter plastic bottles) which must be the rarest stuff, since you can only get it here, but check out the rest of the selection - it is huge and with some rare NZ beers that I only found in this location. Be sure to check out the cool room, since there is stuff in there that is not the regular shelves. I’ll be back - one day.“ |
| 64 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “Set in somewhat of an industrial area, not that easily accesible for a pedestrian, but it can work out. From the outside the building looks more like a warehouse than a brewery. I didn’t have time for the tour, so I only visited the tasting room, where I had a sample of a Brewers Reserve from tap and bought 4 seldom beers to go. I have to come back when I return to Dunedin.“ |
| 54 /100 Albar (Bar) 135 STUART STREET “Popped in to check out the place on my way from Speights to meet up with my fiancee at the university, since the place was on RateBeer. More like a cafe than a bar - the taps were uninteresting, but I found Monteiths Summer Ale and Celtic Red bottled, that I hadn’t tried, so it’s worth a short stop. Soft sofas, modern deco and most customers drinking lattes.“ |
| 56 /100 200 RATTRAY STREET “This place is a bit confusing, because it has two entrances to two very different things. At the round-about at the bottom of the hill you find the brewery tap, where presumably the tour ends? Presumably since I didn’t do the tour - thought the 90 minutes and 6 beers to finish, which they couldn’t tell me which was, didn’t fit my tight scheduel for my hours off in Dunedin - maybe next time. If you want to do the tour, you have to walk 100 meters up the hill to the visitors center - try to book in advance. Even if you don’t want to do the tour it’s still worth to pop into the visitors center - I picked up a rare Speights beer that I hadn’t tried before and that wasn’t available at the tap. The brewery tap is huge, modernly but nostalgic decoration. They serve predefined sampler sets and a la carte - found a bottle that I needed on the side of the set.“ |
| 72 /100 Eureka (Bar) 116 ALBANY ST “A quite big place with different rooms and some outside seating. The bar ofcourse being quite central. A few couches, but moreover cafe style furniture. Wooden floor, raw stone walls with 50’s like deco. The bar runs 12 taps and quite a few bottles, but I’d had most of them, but that’s not going to stop me from coming back when I find myself in Dundin again. I was surprised by how expensive the place was - especially for it being in a university town - Danish prices.“ |
| 70 /100 200 RATTRAY STREET “Visited in March 2009. I’ve heard great words about one of the guides here but our tour was unfortunately not with him. Our guide was decent but didn’t seem very passionate. The tour is cool and interesting though a bit touristy. The 25 minutes of pour-it-yourself tasting of six different beers in the tap room after the tour is nice, even though some of the beers are a bit dull.
The restaurant Speights Ale House is just next door and you can buy a combo ticket for a brewery tour and a three course dinner. Awesome food, and lots of it!“ |
| 74 /100 70 ANZAC AVENUE “Incredible place to visit I dropped in on a Friday when the brewers are allowed to brew their own creations and then sell them as a brewers reserve. One of the other notable breweries in New Zealand over capitalized and then went under and now Emersons arguably has two of the top three brewers working for them in NZ.
Oh after a tour from the brewer he had to tend to his brew and he led us to the tasting area and gave us glasses and said he had to return to the brew! Choice.“ |
