352 Karangahape Road,
Newton
Auckland,


(09) 365 1800

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4 out of 5 stars

It’s nine o’clock on K Rd, and the city’s most infamous thoroughfare is just getting warmed up. Nearby, a gaggle of sequined lovelies are cackling with voices as deep as an All Black lineout, and across the street the cops are dealing with an adolescent crew who should really be at home watching The Lion King. I’m happily ensconced in the cosy confines of K Rd’s newest bar watching the cinematic display outside.

K Rd’s been a bit of a wasteland for good bars across recent times, but Department of Conversation (D.O.C. for short) gets it right in lots of surprising ways. The owners have a retro and rock and roll sensibility honed by time working with, and in, bands like the White Stripes and Die! Die! Die! This translates into 60’s furniture, an old school Pacman arcade game, and a serious array of vintage vinyl. In a time when too many music systems are streamed randomly from iTunes, it’s a pleasure to hear whole sides of albums in all their warm, crackling glory. A soundtrack of vintage Roxy Music and the nervy, angular funk of mid-period Talking Heads is just the ticket to catch up with a friend over a few bottles of Cooper’s Sparkling Ale.

True to the bar’s moniker, D.O.C. really is a good spot for conversation. Décor is kept simple with a few booths and a curved wooden bar, and the flashest the ambience gets is the paint-by-numbers pics of moose and elk on the wall, or the cool Space Invaders wallpaper (“ten bucks on eBay”, apparently…) in the bathrooms.

Instead D.O.C.’s focus is on providing reasons to build a regular and loyal clientele. That means the best local and international beers, quality Kiwi wines, and classic cocktails like Bloody Marys and White Russians. And if you get the munchies there’s meat and cheese platters available, or you can dive into constructing your own toasted sandwich. Fillings include Kiwi classics like sweetcorn or spaghetti, or the acquired taste of nutella and marshmallows.

D.O.C.’s only been open a few weeks but already the bar’s built up a loyal community of punters. Beside the bar a blackboard details D.O.C.’s unique “Leave a friend a drink” programme. If you’re feeling flush, generous, or both, you can buy a mate a drink and their name will be recorded on the blackboard for the next time they come in. A great idea in a great little bar.

And in case you are feeling generous, my name is spelt with two “t’s”.