Behind the restaurant, facing the water
The Von Bar sits between The Greenstone Room and the terrace, named for the river that comes down to the western shore of Lake Wakatipu. Forty seats inside, thirty more outside from October, and a fire that is lit from April to September.
Open to the public as well as to hotel guests, 11am to 11.30pm every day. No booking is taken for the bar itself; tables are first come.
Behind the counter
| Taps | 12 | Eight from Otago and Southland breweries, two rotating, one cider, one stout |
|---|---|---|
| Wine by the glass | 26 | Eleven of them Central Otago pinot noir, poured on a Coravin |
| Whisky | 48 | Including nine New Zealand single malts |
| Gin | 31 | Fourteen distilled in the South Island |
| Cocktails | 9 | A short card, changed twice a year, plus whatever you ask for |
| No alcohol | 14 | Beer, sparkling wine, aperitifs and a proper soda list |
Bar snacks run from opening to 10pm and the full restaurant menu is available at bar tables between 5.30pm and 9pm.
Licensing
Watermark Point Hotels Ltd holds an on-licence for the whole building under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. Duty managers are named on a notice at the entrance to the bar, as the Act requires.
- Alcohol is served to people aged 18 and over. Photo identification is asked for from anyone who appears to be under 25.
- Accompanied under-18s are welcome in The Von Bar until 9pm and in The Greenstone Room at any hour.
- Nobody who is intoxicated is served, and nobody who is intoxicated is admitted to the casino floor.
- Free tap water is on the counter, and the kitchen sends food until 10pm.
- The front desk will call a taxi or arrange the shuttle at any hour, and does so without being asked when it seems the better idea.
- Last drinks at 11.15pm; the bar closes at 11.30pm.
The Von Bar is a bar, not part of the gaming floor. The Walter Peak Room is a separate room with its own door, its own hours and an age limit of 20.
Thursday and Saturday
A duo plays from 7pm on Thursdays and a trio from 8pm on Saturdays, both acoustic, both finished by 10.30pm. Rooms directly above the bar are on the second floor and were built with an acoustic slab, which is why we sell them without a warning.
There is no cover charge and no minimum spend. The programme for the coming month is on the board at the entrance and at the front desk.
Taking the terrace
The terrace can be held for a group of twenty or more from October to April, on a minimum spend rather than a hire fee. It has its own service point, its own heaters and a roof over half of it, which matters more often than the forecast suggests.
