Tails Cocktail Bar sits at 357 Colombo Street in Sydenham, Christchurch, keeping things simple: classic cocktails, cosy vibes, and a door that's always open to walk-ins. It's a neighbourhood bar in the truest sense — no fuss, no gatekeeping, just a well-stocked back bar, bartenders who know their way around a shaker, and a room built for catching up.
The drinks menu runs deep. Cocktails lead the way, backed up by mocktails, shots, layered shots, RTDs and Red Bull mixers, with beer on tap and by the bottle, 0% beer, a bucket of beer for the table, wines, bubbles and ciders rounding it out. When hunger hits, the kitchen sends out burgers and a lineup of bites to keep the night going.
Beyond the regular week, Tails hosts functions — birthdays, work dos and private events, with reserved spaces, bar tabs and custom menus all on offer. Sundays close out the week with Hospo Night, running till late. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 4:00 PM, with parking around the back off Stanley Street.
Some bars try to be all things to all people. Tails Cocktail Bar keeps the brief simple: classic cocktails, cosy vibes, and a door that's open to walk-ins. You'll find it at 357 Colombo Street in Sydenham, just south of central Christchurch, pouring from 4:00 PM until late, Wednesday through Sunday.
Cosy is the word Tails uses to describe itself, and the room backs it up. Behind the bar sit shelves of glassware and a solid line-up of spirits, bartenders work the shakers in full view, and finished cocktails line up ready to go. It's a room made for catching up — with mates, with workmates, or with a good drink at the end of a long week.
Cocktails are the heart of the menu — it's right there in the name. The list leans classic, mixed fresh to order, and the bar's own photos tell the story: rows of signature cocktails lined up at the pass, the kind of consistency you want from a neighbourhood cocktail bar.
Not drinking tonight? The mocktails get their own section of the menu, so designated drivers and dry-month regulars aren't an afterthought. Shots and layered shots are there for rounds and toasts, while RTDs and Red Bull mixers cover the big nights when you want the drink to last as long as the conversation.
The drinks menu runs sixteen sections deep, and it doesn't stop at the shaker. Beer comes off the tap or out of the bottle, and anyone skipping alcohol altogether can reach for 0% beer. Settling in with a group? The bucket of beer is the straightforward answer — bottles, in a bucket, made for the middle of the table.
Wine drinkers are covered too, along with bubbles for celebrations and ciders for something crisper. Whatever your pace, there's a section of the menu with your name on it.
Tails isn't a drinks-only operation. The kitchen sends out burgers, and a bites menu covers the snacks that keep the table happy between rounds. It's unfussy food doing exactly what bar food should: turning a first drink into an evening.
Every Sunday, Tails runs Hospo Night, with the bar open till late. It's the standing fixture at the end of the bar's trading week — and since Sunday is the last of Tails' five nights, it sends the week out properly. The name tells you who it was built for: the hospo workers who spend everyone else's Friday night on shift. If that's you, Sunday finally works in your favour.
Beyond casual weeknights, Tails hosts functions. The invitation is open: birthdays, work dos, private events. The team can reserve spaces for your group, arrange bar tabs, and help put together a custom menu for the occasion.
The process is deliberately simple. Email [email protected] with your date, headcount and any requests, and the rest gets sorted from there. For anyone in Sydenham or the wider city who wants a hosted night without hiring an entire venue, it's a handy middle ground.
Tails Cocktail Bar is at 357 Colombo Street, Sydenham, Christchurch 8023. Doors open at 4:00 PM Wednesday through Sunday, with Mondays and Tuesdays closed. Walk-ins are welcome, so no booking is needed for a casual drink — though if you're driving, parking is around the back off Stanley Street.
For general enquiries, email [email protected] or call 022 159 5009. Functions go through [email protected]. Bring a crew or bring yourself — either way, the cocktails are waiting.