Bar Up is a neighbourhood wine bar tucked away upstairs at Rosella on Majoribanks Street in Mount Victoria. It's the kind of room Wellington does well: an unpretentious hideaway a staircase above the street, pouring wine and cocktails alongside snacks and cheese — and, in the team's own words, good vibes. Positioned as the perfect stop on your way to or from dinner on what its hosts call Wellington's tastiest food street, it suits everything from a quick pre-dinner glass to a slow weekend afternoon.
The bar leans on the kitchen downstairs. Rosella is a neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar drawing inspiration from Mediterranean, North African and Middle Eastern flavours, and Bar Up's snacks and share plates come from that same palette — think oysters natural and grilled, smoked tomato toast, potato flatbread and cheese with condiments. If you're settling in, the Just Feed Me format delivers nine favourite dishes to share, with veggie and luxe versions available.
Beyond the everyday list, Bar Up and Rosella run a regular Meet the Maker calendar — hosted tastings with producers such as Amoise, Cambridge Road and Black Estate, pairing their wines with bites from the kitchen. Bookings are recommended as the room fills up fast, though space is always kept for walk-ins upstairs, and gift vouchers are available.
Some of Wellington's best drinking rooms require a staircase, and Bar Up is one of them. Tucked away upstairs at Rosella at 18b Majoribanks Street in Mount Victoria, this neighbourhood wine bar pours wine and cocktails alongside snacks and cheese — a relaxed pit stop, in the team's own words, for a glass of wine and some snacks on your way to or from dinner on Wellington's tastiest food street.
The ethos is spelled out plainly: wine, cocktails, snacks, cheese, good vibes. Nothing about Bar Up is trying to be more than that, and that's precisely its charm. It's a room for the neighbourhood — whether you're easing into an evening, bridging the gap between drinks and dinner, or settling in for a longer session when the weekend arrives.
Majoribanks Street has become one of Wellington's most rewarding streets to eat and drink along, and Bar Up slots neatly into its rhythm. Notably, it opens at midday from Friday through Sunday — earlier than most wine bars bother — making it a rare Mount Victoria option for a lazy afternoon pour as well as an evening one.
Bar Up shares a building — and a kitchen's sensibility — with Rosella, a restaurant and wine bar that draws inspiration from Mediterranean, North African and Middle Eastern flavours. That shows up in the small things: gilda-style natural oysters with lemon, grilled Pacific oysters with thyme butter, smoked tomato toast on white bean purée, and potato flatbread with qp mayo and cumin salt. Cheese and condiments are there for grazing, and the wine and cocktail lists do the rest.
Stay a while and the offer expands. Just Feed Me brings nine favourite dishes to share, with veggie and luxe versions, while the broader kitchen menu stretches to wagyu tartare, kingfish crudo, lamb belly skewers, wood-roasted kingfish wings, spiced glazed beef cheek and soy poached crayfish. Desserts like the tiramisu — mascarpone, espresso, strega, sambuca and dark chocolate — give you every reason to order one more glass.
One thing that sets this address apart is its events calendar. Rosella and Bar Up host regular Meet the Maker tastings, bringing winemakers into the room to pour and talk through their wines alongside bites from the kitchen. Guests have included Amy Farnsworth of Hawke's Bay's Amoise, Lance Redgwell of Martinborough's Cambridge Road, and Nicholas Brown of Black Estate — sessions typically pairing several wines with matching bites, led by the maker and the Rosella team. They run as ticketed events, so it's worth watching the calendar and booking ahead.
Bar Up runs Tuesday to Thursday from 4pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight, and Sunday from noon to 10pm. Bookings are recommended — the venue fills up fast — but space is always left for walk-ins in the upstairs dining area and cocktail bar, so spontaneous visits are genuinely welcome. Large group bookings and functions can be arranged by email, and gift vouchers are available for anyone who'd rather let someone else choose the wine.
If you're in Mount Victoria, the move is simple: climb the stairs, order a glass, order some snacks, and let the evening take shape.