Drink

Ok so, as I’m sure you can tell from the name, this time the bar I'm recommending is a little different. ‘Sports Bar’ usually conjures images of sweaty, leering men and biker women with croaky voices right?

Right. But that’s usually just during the day, or maybe there are just more people at night… either way, the Sin Bin Sports Bar has actually always provided me with a very entertaining night out.

Located just off Hurstmere Road on Auckland’s North Shore, it’s one of the main players in Takapuna’s strip of bars and clubs. The drinks are refreshingly affordable, the place is clean, the music is fun and the atmosphere is more often than not, hilarious.

There is the Friday night pub quiz and of course all the live sport matches you could ever want, and with 12 TV sets and 3 big screens, you’re never far from the action.

The food is really yummy and never a let down, if you’re realistic in your expectations. I’m talking tasty treats that range from your standard (but awesome) bar food to satisfying lunch and dinner meals for crazily reasonable prices – Steak, eggs and chips for $9.50 for example, or the spinach and ricotta pastizzi.

There are pool competitions and often live music nights. And with the walls adorned from top to bottom in sports memorabilia from way back when, the atmosphere created is real and alive – something too many bars are lacking these days.

There is a function room available for hire and platters priced at $35 for consumption. There are also a range of gourmet pizzas whose ingredients just made me drool a little bit. Try the Bombay – Tandoori chicken, caramelized onion, capsicum and cashew nuts with mango chutney and yoghurt. Ooohhhwee!

The toilets are clean and the décor on the walls make the always short wait also a time for an entertaining read. The bartenders are super friendly and are obviously there, as it seems everyone else is, just to have a good time.

So, if you’re not taking yourself too seriously that night and you’re looking for an affordable, fun time, whether it be a casual drink, long lunch or wild night out – the Sin Bin will not disappoint.


  By Hannah Habgood