Whenever I’m at a loss for where to take my out-of-town visitors, I turn to this beer/sake bar. HZ embodies Wellington fairly well, dontcha think?

Asian-inspired decor and very knowledgeable barmen tend the counter and pour cult beers and pretty decent sake. It’s a great haven from the Courtney Place mess most afternoons and evenings.

Weekend nights can get quite crowded as this place becomes more popular, but it’s quite nice in the afternoons with plenty of empty tables and bar stools to occupy.

They offer a small, Asian fusion tapas menu from which I have yet to order.

Pretty much the best beer bar in Wellington, benefiting from a good low key location, on-the-ball staff, good crowd, and of course, a fine selection of craft beers. HZ offers a varying range of plenty o’ beers at different prices and of all the beer types of the rainbow – always something new to try, and plenty of menus on hand to browse through. Good place for the younger crowd, it seems to cater more to younger clientelle as opposed to some of the other beer bars in town such as Bruhaus. Definitely worth checking out.

Been going here weekly/fortnightly for the last few months, on Friday afternoons into the evenings. As word as spread about this place, the crowds have gotten insane – especially at tastings/events, or certain nights of the week, so i recommend going in the afternoons. Having said that, even with the crowds, the waits in line for beer aren’t nearly as outrageous as they could be. For food i’ve sampled a few nibbles – these cocktail glasses with marinated chillies, and the Edamame (Japanese style flavoured soy beans in the pods) – both very light vege nibble options that hit the spot for sharing amongst your party. Great beer bar that always has new beers on tap, the only drawback is that things get very crowded, so try and avoid evenings if possible, plus the basement location means it gets stuffy with the large crowds.