First drinks: We wanted beer, and we wanted beer now. After chatting to Sixteen Tun's friendly, educated staff, who are big on promoting independent craft brewers, we were offered tastings of their special, an oatmeal fig and coffee stout with caramelised turkish figs, Ethiopian coffee and toasted Philippine coconut. At8 per cent alcohol, it certainly had a kick. But after the tastings, they'd run out, so we ordered craft lagers.
The vibe is: Blokey, warm, welcoming, chatty and cruisy. Our waitress was happy to join in our bad jokes and beer-infused banter. For a Monday night, it was a happy place for two blokes having a catch-up to be.
It smells of: Beer. These guys really like their beer, and there is a lot of it on display. Plus the food options are mouthwatering, including crispy calamari, smoky pork sliders, paua fritters and, of course, chunky fries that come in a mini deep fryer. A nice touch.
On the stereo: Whatever it was, it faded into the background. People don't come here to listen to music - they're here to drink great beer, eat decent food and enjoy each other's company.
Room for improvement: If you're advertising amazing beer, you should probably keep plenty of it in stock. Sixteen Tun loses a star for that. Otherwise, it's spot on.
The perfect spot for: Men wanting to eat manly food and drink manly drinks and be men. The girls - yes, there were a few there - seemed to be having a good time too though.
Most redeeming feature: The spicy, saucy horopito chicken nibbles. We could have eaten every single one that they could cook us. Delicious. Also, the toilets were super-clean.
