Cork Bar

Bars key icon.
Bars key icon.

Monday4:00 pm – 2:00 am.

Tuesday4:00 pm – 2:00 am.

Wednesday4:00 pm – 2:00 am.

Thursday4:00 pm – 2:00 am.

Friday4:00 pm – 2:00 am.

Saturday4:00 pm – 2:00 am.

Sunday4:00 pm – 2:00 am.

14 Helwick Street, Wānaka

03 443 2224

Filling a niche that Wānaka had been missing for some time, Cork is the place to come for cosy, intimate drinks. Taking up residence in the old Kodak store, there’s no process for developing film here anymore but there is a high chance of developing an infatuation for what is easily one of the best drink spots in town.
 
Formerly planned to be only a wine bar, it was made very clear very quickly to business partners Nick and Jeremy that Wānaka locals wanted something more, hence the fact the drinks menu contains extensive and ever-changing specialised cocktails as well craft beers from the region. No less than fourteen pages of drinks make up the menu, and if you’re still undecided after all that, these are the kind of bartenders who can tell you what you’re craving before you even realise it yourself. Allow them to take the reins and mix you up something special; they’re truly knowledgeable on what seems like an impossible amount of fine spirits behind the bar.

Decked out with comfy leather booths, dim lighting, great music, a large outdoor courtyard and a rustic yet sophisticated look, Cork is what feels like a ‘city bar’ in a place without the city size. Well-thought-out décor and important little quirks (there are hooks and sockets under the main bar) give this place that little bit extra, and it has not surprisingly grown a solid fan base very quickly.

There’s live music in the ‘corkyard’ over the weekends and tapas-style food dishes available from 3pm throughout the week, so if it’s a lazy afternoon you’re after, a great place to impress a date, or simply a spot to wind down after work, make Cork your first port of call.

Words by Rosie Morrison & Photography by Nancy Zhou

Information not correct? Report an error

Location

14 Helwick Street, Wānaka

Nearby Places

Alice Herald

Two hands holding a beautiful pink diamond ring.
Place Wānaka
Fashion key icon. Services key icon.

Couture is a word most often associated with high-end fashion, but down Wānaka’s sleek laneway, The Precinct, you will find a window displaying Alice Herald’s...

Revology Concept Store

Wide angle view of Revology Wanaka.
Place Wānaka Editor's Pick
Fashion key icon.

French composite and materials specialist, Alex, and New Zealand human rights lawyer, Monique, are the heart and soul behind Wānaka’s concept store and tea house centred around conscious living.

Wilson & Dorset

A leather armchair with a sheepskin cushion at Wilson & Dorset, Wānaka.
Place Wānaka

We love to sit down. But it wasn’t until we plonked ourselves on a Wilson & Dorset Shaggy Bean Bag and lounged on their sheepskin rugs that we realised just how good putting one’s feet up could be. What a revelation.

Kai Whaka Pai

Customers sitting on tables outside the bar.
Place Wānaka
Bars key icon.

An absolute town institution, this place is humming with people Monday to Sunday, winter through to summer.

Similar Places

Big Fig

A flatlay plate of food on a table at Big Fig in Wānaka.
Place Wānaka
Cafes key icon.

Operating by the motto ‘slow food served fast’, Big Fig dishes up meals with a Middle Eastern twist.

Pembroke Pâtisserie

Female staff member behind the counter at Pembroke Pâtisserie, Wānaka.
Place Wānaka Editor's Pick
Cafes key icon. Goods key icon.

Pembroke Pâtisserie offers hot pastries for your picnic, sweet pastries galore, or for those who like the finer things in life there are artistically prepared macarons and tiny tarts.

Hāwea Store & Kitchen

Exterior view of Hawea Store & Kitchen.
Place Wānaka
Goods key icon. Restaurants key icon.

A community hub that combines a grocer, café, restaurant and bar overlooking the lake.

Kamino

The brick and glass exterior of Kamino cafe in Wanaka.
Place Wānaka
Cafes key icon.

If you don’t know where Kamino is in the Star Wars galaxy, never fear.