Overview
It served as a spot for weekday drinks, weeknight debauchery and general good times overlooking the harbour, but Tyler Street Garage, or the venue more recently styled as TSG, has closed its doors for good. Since saying farewell at the start of the year, the Britomart gastropub has been split in two, transforming into classic pub, The Chamberlain, and tiki bar, Talulah.
The latter, found on the rooftop terrace, is a modern interpretation of the tiki bars of the 1940s and 50s, paying tribute to the founding father of tiki outfits, Don the Beachcomber, as well as more contemporary offerings like San Francisco's Smuggler's Cove. The new fit-out hones in on the tiki shack theme with a thatched roof, plush velvet seating and a striking tropical mural hand painted by Auckland artist Margarita Vovna.
The drinks menu is also a key piece of the equation. Created by Dan King, the list contains tropical classics, a selection of recipes created by mixologists spanning Sydney, London, Wellington and Paris, their own weird and wonderful tiki concoctions and a section that comes with a limit of two cocktails per customer and the disclaimer, "WE AIN'T FUCKING AROUND, THEY'RE BIG & BOOZY."
And big and boozy they are. The Zombie sub-section includes things like The Winchester— a beverage that appears courtesy of Brian Miller from New York's Death & Co and features three types of gin, grenadine and St Germain, among several other zombie inducing ingredients. Further notable listings include the Jaguar Bowl that serves between 2-4 people and the Old Fashioned twist on a colada. In tune with the tiki theme, a staunch focus has been put on theatrical glassware and the finest of Caribbean rums.
Cocktail drinking sustenance is supplied by the folks downstairs at The Chamberlain. The menu whipped up by chef Ollie Fitton includes proper pub grub like deep-fried pies, barbecue duck wings, an entire turkey leg, housemade sausages and Beast Fries that come topped with shredded meat and house sauce. The drinks list at The Chamberlain is more along the straight and narrow with 14 tap beers that will constantly evolve.
Find Talulah and The Chamberlain at 120 Quay Street, Britomart.