Mystery bar number 45

File under: drink, nightlife, Wellington

Last week's mystery bar was too easy: it's the bar at the Bolton Hotel. It's nice to see a hotel with an accessible bar, stylish (if unexciting) decor and quality staff. In New Zealand we've tended to think of hotel bars and restaurants as being exclusively for guests rather than an addition to the city's dining and nightlife scene, which might explain some of the anti-Hilton reactions. While the Bolton might not be part of most people's bar itinerary, it's restaurant Bisque has gained a reputation for spectacular food worth braving the wilds of the Terrace for.

Lurching back downmarket, it's time for a new mystery bar. This is not the sort of place where you'd expect a smoked quail salad, and in fact I'm not sure what sort of food to expect, if any. The decor and theme says "buffalo wings and burgers", whereas the clientele and management suggested kim chi and gimbap. The confusion extends to the name of this place, and the name on the license and door was different from the signs on the outside of the building.

The interior is also a bit of a mish-mash, or perhaps "palimpsest" is a more accurate word, since it seems to bear the traces of many previous existences, with each new owner just adding a token layer of new gimmicks. Perhaps it was a mistake to visit it during twilight, as it's definitely the sort of place that benefits from darkness (and an impaired sense of smell). That's not the point, though, as there's really only one thing the patrons come here for (apart from drinking, of course).