Tipsy Oyster is a tapas bar and restaurant on Marsden Road in Paihia in the Far North, holding a 4.6 rating from 914 Google reviews, with oysters, cocktails and live music the things customers mention most. Reviewers single out the friendly service, the local beer and an acoustic guitarist who set the mood on a Sunday.
Tapas-style eating works best when you take it slowly: order a couple of plates at a time rather than everything in one hit, so the kitchen can pace the table. With oysters, freshness is the whole game — they should be chilled, opened to order and taste of the sea, so a bar that moves plenty of them is often a good sign. Asking the staff what they're pouring that night is usually worth it too.
In the Bay of Islands, Tipsy Oyster makes an easy spot for an evening of oysters and cocktails as the music starts.