Coalgate Tavern sits on Bridge Street in the small Selwyn settlement of Coalgate, and holds a 4.2 rating from 98 Google reviews — a solid showing for a village bar. It shares news through its Facebook page rather than a full website.
A country tavern typically does more than pour beer: in a settlement this size it often serves as the district's only meeting point, kitchen and sports bar rolled into one. Travellers on Canterbury's back roads learn to treat these pubs as reliable stops, since they can be the only open dining room for kilometres. Regulars judge a tavern by its welcome and its taps, and by whether it hosts the quizzes, club nights and fundraisers that hold a small community together. If the locals fill the tables on a Friday, you've found the right one.
On Bridge Street in Selwyn's foothills, the Coalgate Tavern is an easy stop for locals and travellers passing through.