The Elephant Wrestler, Takapuna. Photo / Janna Dixon
The Elephant Wrestler, Takapuna. Photo / Janna Dixon
Address: 138 Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna Ph: 09 489 8030 Open: Seven days 11am to late.
I had been invited to the opening of this brand-new bar in Takapuna, but I couldn't make it.
I'm not sure I missed a whole lot, to be honest. That said, The Elephant Wrestler has some huge plus points - most of all, the outdoor area, a vast courtyard thatprovides party tables, intimate tables and even what look suspiciously like sun-loungers.
Inside, it's a bit of a different story. It's something like an aircraft hangar with a bar at one end. Acres of empty space fill the bits between the tables and the bar and, while it might be amazingly busy at night, in the afternoon it's like standing on the edge of a Texas ranch.
Still, I was looking forward to getting in there and I was very impressed with the special drinks offers posted by the door. However, ordering a drink wasn't quite so impressive. The bartender might have been someone who "just does days" but she could have been a bit more interested in her customers. Questions about the drinks list were met with a stock "I just work days" reply, which gave us little or no information.
The food looked lovely, though, and it wasn't at Ned Kelly prices, either. The toilets were so clean as to be dazzling and, as I said, the outdoor area was cracking.
It's a new enough bar, so I'm sure it will only get better from here. It will be nice to go back and have a drink when things are moving more smoothly and the staff could give a tinker's curse about the customer.
