Rocketman

Owned by Heather Garland and Alastair Walker of Caretaker and Deadshot, Rocketman is an 80-seat bar with a fun-loving attitude.

Find it through a red entrance next to Caretaker’s inconspicuous green C-marked door and follow the red strobing light into the spacious retrofuturism-themed venue.

They've built the interior of the back bar to look like an open fuselage – the body of a plane –giving the impression that you’ve stepped into an aeroplane construction hangar. Custom light fittings crafted to look like jet plane propellers dot the space and a rocket mural by street artist Paul Walsh covers the rear brick wall.

Unlike Caretaker and Deadshot, where staff make drinks sans menu based on your personal tastes, Rocketman does have a drinks menu making it easier for the bar to cater to large groups.

The Giggle Juice is a house favourite: apples juiced in front of you and poured straight into a glass with a spirit of your choice. It's especially good with the Rocketman Rum, made for the bar by Auckland-based company 1919 Distilling with fennel, ginger and lemon.

Otherwise, cocktails take cues from David Bowie songs such as Changes (whisky, fresh lemon, mānuka honey) and Heroes, a spiced coffee-blended rum, Eighthirty cold brew coffee and house-made condensed coconut-oat milk. Order a Boulevardier or French Canadian from the classics section and you can be sure it’ll be among the best you’ll drink anywhere.

Wine-wise, every bottle listed is also available by the glass – and it’s an entirely NZ list aside from one bottle of prosecco, one nebbiolo from Australia and the champagne selection. Beer follows suit, with a great selection of craft cans mainly from Aotearoa, aside from Asahi on tap.

To eat, a concise menu offers toasties (mortadella, provolone and honey; bacon jam; or shiitake, kimchi and mozzarella), plus there’s a chicken sausage roll, a pork taco and a couple more bites.

There's often live music from musical collective Pachucos – or you could belt your own soundtrack in the hidden karaoke room Ms Kitty's Parlour. It can be found through a “wardrobe” door – all pink pleated fabric walls with glowing neon accents and a mirror on the ceiling.

Hire the eight-person room by the hour and your fee goes towards a minibar of booze for your pink-hued performances – rather than just paying for the room itself.