Jacks Bar is a neighbourhood bar at Shop 2/8/14 Rocklands Avenue in Mount Eden, Auckland, with a 4.1 Google rating. A good suburban bar is judged less on a long drinks list than on its welcome: the greeting at the door, the pace of the pour, and whether the room suits your mood. Regulars know the quiet corners and the midweek lulls, so a first visit often goes best early in the evening, when staff have time to talk you through what is on. Watch what the locals drink, because in a small bar the house pours usually say more than any cocktail menu. Above all, look for consistency — the same decent glass of wine and the same friendly face, week after week. For anyone in Mount Eden or Balmoral after an easy drink close to home, Jacks Bar is a natural first stop.