Mystery bar number 44

File under: drink, nightlife, Wellington

Today I could write about important stuff, like the saving of the Overlander and whether there's still a need for scepticism; the final closure of the Tattoo Museum (no tiki bar, dammit); the vast new groundscraper planned for Harbour Quays; or the further transformation of Miramar into Geek Mecca. But it's Friday, so let's talk bars.

The last mystery bar was obscure enough to inspire a few different guesses, but LX got the building right and SirMatt was spot on: it's the Stadium Bar in the backpackers opposite the Railway Station. The building is one of Wellington's grandest art deco survivors, but it's gone a long way downmarket from when the Queen stayed there.

This time, we're back to the other end of the market. Today's mystery bar is better known as one of Wellington's finest restaurants, but it definitely contains a bar and as Stephen would say, they can certainly drop a decent 'tini. The decor tries hard to create a level of intimacy in a cavernous space, and generally succeeds through balancing light and dark materials while varying the ceiling height and introducing contemporary chandeliers.

It's a very suity kind of place, though that's not surprising given the prices ($15 Martini, mains pushing $40), and the staff seemed professional enough to treat casually dressed customers with the same attentiveness. And while it had a very hushed atmosphere when I visited, it's been known to get a bit more lively when there's a band playing.