With the complete range of Mac’s beers on tap, there’s something for everyone at Mac’s Brew Bar. $10 cocktails should satisfy your fancier friends. As the weather warms and the sun beats down, the Mac’s territory extends right out to the middle of the waterfront, so you can enjoy the summer action and people-watch from the comfort of your perch. And hey, they have free Wi-Fi! During winter, (and at all other times of the year too), board games played whilst seated on comfy Chesterfield sofas by the fire remind you of that decadent English childhood we all wished we had.

Beers. They sure have a lot of them. And they know a lot about them, too. Try the Sassy Red, a bitter, hoppy ale, three-time winner of the Best Amber at BrewNZ. Or, if all beer tastes like a bad teenage experiment to you, Mac’s Ginger Beer or Green Apple cider allow you to be a part of the brewing experience sans the regrettable memories.

The Brewbar lives up to traditional Mac’s establishments’ décor requirements – perhaps best described to newcomers as “picture your gran’s house turned on its head and suddenly cool” with floor lamps hanging upside down from the ceiling, spidery vines, concrete walls and plush leather booths. A full wall mural describes the brewing process.

Standard bar food is on offer, ranging from smaller bites to main meals. Who can say no to a good bowl of fries with tommy sauce and aioli ($8)?

An excellent go-to when everyone in your group is too polite to say where they want to go; you’re guaranteed a good time.