The Last Word

Über cool bar in the nicest street in Christchurch. Really a whisky and spirits joint but has a few beers. Nice place to sit later in the evening, lovely ambience.

A small and intimate bar with just the two taps and a few bottles. I wouldn’t necessarily say it warrants a visit for the beer enthusiasts, perhaps more suited for enticing conversation with your date. Quite the selection of whisky’s, gins and other spirits.

Tiny place in the very cute New Regent Street. Two interesting taps, one of which I hadn’t seen elsewhere. Small bar downstairs, tables upstairs. The focus here is on whisky, though, and there is a large selection of interesting staff, plus other liquors and cocktails. Bar snacks only, but they looked tasty. Worth a quick look.

This review takes place at a time where it is probably least helpful in the life of a bar, i.e. that it has been open for less than a week. Newly open bars commonly have a few sharp corners to knock off and the smell of fresh paint to overcome. This gives an unfair perception that the hostelry is stark and possibly a little too clinical. In this case this problem is kept to a minimum with the darker colours, timbers and convivial atmosphere. There are quite a few hard surfaces, so having a few people in gives the impression it is busier than it is, which is good. When it is full, which it was once my party of eight was seated, it can get fairly noisy. I’m a bit deaf so I found it heavy going, but the rest of my group seemed to enjoy the conviviality and it seemed that the noise level wasn’t too much for them. Punters should be aware that the bar is fairly small with room for a few seated and standing at the counter downstairs and room for about twenty to thirty upstairs. While this may mean waiting to get a spot, the wait is worth it. On to the most important aspects: the service is nothing less than welcoming, genuine and intelligent. In terms of ranging, beer visitors should not be put off by the fact there are only two taps - they are both going to be local beers and be very good ones at that. The bottled beer selection is chosen carefully for its quality rather than for just being New Zealand beers and for enthusiasts like me the whisky selection is excellent... probably one of the best in Christchurch. The food selection is focused on platters and nibbles rather than meals and so the whole impression of the place is end of day drinks and nibbles instead of formal dining. My recommendation for this place comes from the heart: it is sited in one of Christchurch’s reawakening central city locations and with a bit of love the area will come alive again. The Last Word is just what New Regent St needs and deserves the beer community’s support.