Pub spy: Racket bar, Britomart

Racket stands out from the crowd in Britomart. Photo / Doug Sherring

Address: Rouaki Lane, Britomart
Ph: (09) 309 5854
Website: racketbar.co.nz

Britomart has become quite a night-time destination in the past five years, with some heavy-hitting operations open in the area.

Racket is one of them, but it manages to really stand out from the crowd, despite hiding itself away down a dark alley.

Inside it looks great - down-at-heel Havana shabby-chic mashed up with a post-industrial vibe and a cupboard full of cigars at the back of the room. The spirits lined up behind the bar are all classics and the dim lighting gives the place a great ambience.

But bars are about drinks, mostly, and Racket really excels here: a top-notch spirit selection, a lovely wine list, a decent collection of beer and a cocktail list that induces swooning. It's heady stuff.

Service is endearingly casual, but in a nice way. You are greeted by a friendly bartender, who is often doing something else at the time, but that doesn't mean it is slipshod. One cocktail I ordered was so involved, and the bartender so keen to get it just right, that he gave me a free beer to drink while I waited.

The food at Racket is good, too, as you'd hope it would be, given that it shares a kitchen with its sister establishment next door, Agents and Merchants, and the alleyway outside allows people from both places to mingle, eat and party.

There is something inevitably attractive about any bar in an alleyway; some of the best bars in the world are tiny, tucked-away establishments in side streets, after all.

And Racket can add its name to the list as well; a good bar in a great spot and a welcome relief from some of the noisier bars in the area.

Scores

Service: 4/5
Drink: 4.5/5
Food: 4.5/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5