foodiegemsofwellie

Little Beer Quarter

A craft beer, a pizza and a movie.  Perfect wet Saturday fare.

Little Beer Quarter in Edward Street is brought to us by the folks behind Beach Babylon on Oriental Parade, and is one of the new breed of craft beer bars that have sprung up around Wellington.  The environment is very welcoming, with dark cosy colours and lots of interesting touches. Like crates on the wall as shelves, groups of bottles strung up as lights over the bar, upside down plants hanging from the ceiling (which are real!), and a Darwinian quote on the wall about alcohol and brain cells from Cliff of Cheers.

The large blackboard at the end of the bar lists what’s ‘currently pouring’, alongside the large menu of craft beers, ciders, wine and spirits available.  Most of the beers on tap are of NZ origin, including the Garage Project’s latest offering (rated as worthy), with approximately half of the rest being of NZ origin. Nice.

The food here turned out to be pretty good too, above the usual beer bar standard. The fish goujons were decent pieces of fish within a thin crispy crumb, and presented in a bowl with salad greens for effect.  And the Beer Garden pizza (pumpkin, spinach, feta, pinenut, rocket pesto) was very good, complimenting the Apple Tree apple and elderflower cider nicely.

LBQ also provide an outside cigarello space and sell a range of cigars for those so inclined.  Also on offer are a range of ‘hoptails’ (beer based cocktails), ‘cocktails’ (more conventional), wines (mostly NZ other than the reds), whiskeys, cognacs and other spirits.

All in all, LBQ is a very pleasant pleasant place to wile away some weekend hours (sadly not open Sundays) and a rather convivial spot for Friday after work drinks. Next time I’m up for a stoutbite ‘hoptail’ – craft stout and cider.  Iron and apples, gotta be good for you……