The Black Sparrow

The Embassy has always been one of my favourite venues in Wellington, in part because it makes a trip to the cinema feel special in an age when it’s cheaper and more convenient to watch movies at home. And the addition of The Black Sparrow to the ground floor a couple of years ago only added to the experience. The service is always exceptional, and the drinks and tapas menu ever-changing but of consistent quality. It’s a great place to catch up with friends before going to see a movie together, and I’m sure I’ll be spending a lot of time there during the upcoming New Zealand Film Festival.

This delightful bar is hidden away underneath The Embassy. Accessible through an ominous cave-like corridor, it can easily be mistaken for another place to buy an ice cream or movie snack. However, this bar provides its patrons with an extensive drinks list and the capability to whip up almost any cocktail or drink that can be named.

Surely the only place in the city where you can order a "Daisy Buchanan", a "Breakfast at Tiffanys" or a "Casino Royale" without being pointed in the direction of IMDB and your bed. Located below, yes you guessed it, the grandiose Embassy, the Black Sparrow is the perfect place to bookend a movie with an aperitif and a digestif. All the better if you happen to visit on a Tuesday, as 2 for 1 cocktails are all the rage after 5pm. Arguably some of the finest cocktails in the city.