A reliable if unglamorous restaurant, but a very good pub for having an agreeable, usually quiet, drink. (Jeff)
Matterhorn
This place looks foreboding (its entrance is a narrow passage off Cuba Street), but it’s a serious restaurant and, more importantly, a brilliant bar: they make a better sazerac than anything you’ll find in New Orleans. The bar is in a very narrow slice of the building, and so is either uncomfortable or intimate depending on your company and your attitude toward them. (Jeff)
Concrete
A very good small bar, which overlooks Lampton Quay but which you get to by way of a stairwell on Cable Car Lane. (Jeff)
Library
A good bar for having a quiet drink. Cocktails are its thing. (Jeff)
And if you decide you don’t like your company, you can always take a book from their extensive and eclectic shelves and just read… (Diana)
Little Beer Quarter
Excellent pub. (Jeff)
Has a good range of craft beers, so it can be a little pricey. But it has a comfy interior and an outdoor area in the alleyway outside. (James)
http://www.littlebeerquarter.co.nz/
The Brühaus
Excellent selection of beers; often crowded. (Jeff)
The Thistle Inn
Oldest pub in New Zealand: Katherine Mansfield drank here (though, of course, not only here). (Jeff)
The Laundry
Good value for brunch and lunch and an interesting place to be at night, when it turns into a popular bar that often hosts local bands. (James)
https://www.zomato.com/wellington/laundry-te-aro-wellington-city/menu
Alice's Wonderland
There's also Alice's Wonderland, where you can have absinthe-infused tea parties. I won't tell you where it is because it'll be more fun if you find it yourself. (James)
http://www.worldsbestbars.com/bar/wellington/te-aro/alice
The Bristol
A favourite with students and staff wanting cheap drinks and food. (Art)
A crummy but inexpensive bar which merits mention as Matthew Trundle’s favourite watering hole. If you mention his name, you may get a discount. (Jeff)
Southern Cross
Another favourite for students with cheap drinks and food. (Art)
A perfectly satisfactory pub that is very popular with students. Lots of space, so it is rarely too noisy for chatting. (Jeff)