The World Bar

About The World Bar

The World Bar is a bar and restaurant in Queenstown, New Zealand, first established in 1996 and rebuilt with a fresh twist after a 2013 fire. Now based at 12 Church Street, it's known as the 'Home of the Teapot Cocktail' and describes itself as the ultimate spot for après drinks, craft beer (11 taps), epic eats, skate jams, and unexpected events, all designed entirely in-house.

The venue combines a cosy beer garden and a roaring fire with a menu of burgers, tacos, wings and pub classics, alongside a large drinks list spanning cocktails, teapot cocktails, tap beer, wine and non-alcoholic options. Beyond food and drink, The World Bar has a history of hosting adventure film premieres, DJ parties, skate jams, and live music, positioning itself as a lively, no-frills hangout for both locals and travellers.

The World Bar operates on separate bar trading hours and kitchen hours: the bar is open Monday to Thursday from 3pm til late and Friday to Sunday from 12pm til late, with Happy Hour from 3pm-5pm and a Teapot Happy Hour from 9pm-10pm, while the kitchen serves food daily from 12pm to 9pm.

The World Bar: Queenstown's Home of the Teapot Cocktail

Have you really visited Queenstown if you haven't been to The World Bar? First established in 1996, the bar rose from the ashes of a 2013 fire and has come back with a fresh twist, now based at No.12 Church Street. It's designed entirely in-house and built around what the venue calls Queenstown's need for a warm, real and lively hangout.

A History of Good Times

The World Bar's story includes adventure film premieres, DJ parties, skate jams, legendary burgers and live music — a mix the venue sums up as fun, fresh and 'far from ordinary.' Today it runs 11 beers on tap, a cosy beer garden, and a roaring fire, drawing both locals and travellers looking for a place to eat, drink and make memories.

Home of the Teapot Cocktail

The World Bar's signature offering is its teapot cocktail menu — a quirky format that includes The Hitcher (billed as the venue's number one selling teapot, made with vodka, Aperol, pineapple and passionfruit), Sling Dog Millionaire, World Island Ice Tea, The Hey Bro, Perkalicious, Tinder and Kindling, and Old Dog, New Tricks (served with four glasses of bubbles for a celebration). One teapot, The Attenborough, comes with a cause attached — $1 from every sale goes toward reforestation of Whakatipu. Alongside the teapots sits a full cocktail list covering spritzes, margaritas, mojitos, mules and more, plus 11 beers on tap, a selection of Marlborough and Central Otago wines by the glass or bottle, and a fridge stocked with familiar names like Corona, Steinlager and Smirnoff Ice.

Burgers, Tacos and Pub Classics

The food menu leans into hearty share plates and mains built for an afternoon or evening out. Snack and share options include chunky fries, mac 'n' cheese balls, crusted cauliflower bites, buffalo and Korean BBQ wings, and poutine (with a vegan version available). Mains cover beer-battered fish and chips, pulled pork and fish tacos, birria tacos with slow-cooked beef cheek, chicken parmy, and both meat and vegan nachos.

Burgers get their own dedicated section: The World Burger, Bacon Cheeseburger, The World Vegan Burger (built on an Impossible patty), Buffalo Chicken Burger, Korean Fried Chicken Burger, Grilled Chicken Burger, and a Smash Burger with a double-patty option for the ambitious. A kids' menu covers a mini classic burger, mini fish and chips, chicken fingers, and a scoop of ice cream, and gluten-free buns and a range of extra sauces are available for a small additional charge.

Hours and Getting There

The World Bar operates on separate bar and kitchen hours. As a bar, it's open Monday to Thursday from 3pm til late, and Friday to Sunday from 12pm til late, with a daily Happy Hour from 3pm to 5pm and a Teapot Happy Hour from 9pm to 10pm. The kitchen itself serves food seven days a week from 12pm to 9pm. The World Bar is located at 12 Church St, Queenstown, and can be reached by phone for bookings and enquiries.

Signature items

• Teapot Cocktails
• The World Burger
• Smash Burger
• Birria Tacos
• Fish and Chips
• Poutine

Menu

Kids

• Mini Classic Burger & Fries — 100g Hereford chuck, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickle, ketchup and mayo
• Mini Fish and Chips — South Island Hoki, shoestring fries, ketchup
• Chicken Fingers and Chips — Crispy chicken, shoestring fries & ketchup
• A Little Ice Cream — Two scoops of vanilla ice cream with choccy sauce

Mains

• Fish and Chips — Beer-battered South Island Hoki fillet, Agria chunky chips with tartare sauce, mushy peas, malt vinegar & lemon
• Pulled Pork Tacos — 3x pulled pork adobo tacos, pico de gallo, cos, guacamole, slaw, onion & chipotle mayo
• Fish Tacos — 3x polenta-dusted Hoki tacos, pico de gallo, cos, guacamole, slaw, chives & chipotle mayo
• Birria Tacos — 3x slow cooked beef cheek tacos, adobo sauce, mozzarella & cheddar, pico de gallo, crispy shallots, spring onions & birria jus
• Chicken Parmy — 180g crumbed chicken, napoli sauce & melted three cheeses, served with chunky Agria fries & aioli
• Chicken Caesar Salad — Honey mustard grilled chicken, diced bacon, parmesan, cherry tomatoes, croutons, lettuce & caesar dressing (NG/VO)
• Pulled Pork Nachos — House Filipino pulled pork, three cheeses, pico de gallo, chipotle mayo, crispy shallots & spring onions (NG)
• Vegan Nachos — Vegan chilli, jalapeños, tomatoes, vegan mozzarella, pico de gallo, special sauce & vegan cheesy tortilla chips (NG/V)

Extras

• Sub shoestring fries for chunky fries — Upgrade option
• Sub shoestring fries for small poutine — Upgrade option
• Sub shoestring fries for a side salad — Upgrade option
• Gluten-free buns — Available for burgers
• Extra Sauces — Aioli, mayo, special burger sauce, blue cheese, Frank's Hot, sour cream, Korean BBQ, pesto rosso, buffalo, sriracha

Sweets

• Deep Fried Cheesecake Balls — Classic cheesecake mix fried in batter, served with homemade mixed berries jam
• Chocolate Brownie and Ice Cream — Homemade, warm gooey chocolate brownie, served with vanilla ice cream and choccy sauce

Cocktails

• Aperol Spritz — Aperol, sparkling wine, soda, orange
• Mango Spritz — Kopiko Bay Pinot Gris, mango, lemonade
• Long Island Iced Tea — Vodka, gin, tequila, Cointreau, white rum, lemon
• Blueberry Mojito — Bacardi, blueberry syrup, lime, soda
• Basic Peach — Vodka, peach schnapps, passionfruit, grapefruit, lime
• Tommy's Margarita — Tequila, lime, agave
• Pina Marg — Coconut rum, Bacardi, lime, pineapple
• Caipirinha — Bacardi, passionfruit, mango, lime
• Spicy Marg — Chilli tequila, grapefruit, agave, lime
• Sangria — Pinot Noir, lemon, pineapple
• Mojito — Bacardi, mint, lime, soda
• Moscow Mule — Vodka, lime, ginger beer
• Elderflower Spritz — Gin, elderflower, lime, soda
• Stormy Mule — Rum, ginger beer, lime
• London Mule — Bombay Sapphire, elderflower, ginger beer, lime

Proper Burgers

• The World Burger — 200g Hereford chuck patty on brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, mayo and ketchup, served with fries (NGO); add cheese $3, add bacon $3
• Bacon Cheeseburger — 200g Hereford chuck patty, American cheese, manuka smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, in-house mayo and ketchup, served with fries (GFO)
• The World Vegan Burger — Impossible burger patty, vegan bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, vegan mayo and ketchup, served with fries (NGO/V); add vegan cheese $2.50
• Buffalo Chicken Burger — Free-range chicken spiced and crusted in buffalo sauce, house slaw & blue cheese sauce, served with fries
• Korean Fried Chicken Burger — Korean spiced and fried chicken, Korean sticky sauce, slaw, spring onions and chipotle mayo, served with fries
• Grilled Chicken Burger — Honey mustard marinated grilled chicken, American cheese, tomato, onions, lettuce and mayo, served with fries (NGO)
• Smash Burger — 140g smashed Hereford chuck patty, manuka smoked bacon, American cheese, grilled onion, pickles & special sauce, served with fries; add extra patty & cheese $5

Snacks Or Share

• Chunky Fries — A large bowl with a side of aioli (NG/V)
• Mac 'n' Cheese Balls — With pesto rosso (VGI)
• Crusted Cauliflower Bites — Frank's Hot Sauce, carrot & celery sticks with blue cheese sauce (NG/VO)
• Poutine — Chunky fries, gravy & cheese curds (VGI); add jalapeños $3, bacon $5, fried chicken $6
• Vegan Poutine — Chunky fries, vegan gravy & vegan mozzarella (V)
• Buffalo Chicken Wings — Buffalo coated wings with blue cheese sauce
• Korean BBQ Wings — Korean fried wings with BBQ glaze

Teapot Cocktails

• The Hitcher — Vodka, Aperol, pineapple, passionfruit — the World Bar's number one selling teapot
• Sling Dog Millionaire — Tanqueray, Chambord, Benedictine, pineapple, raspberry, lime
• The Attenborough — Midori, vodka, pineapple, lemonade; $1 donated per teapot sold to support reforestation of Whakatipu
• World Island Ice Tea — Vodka, gin, tequila, rum, watermelon Red Bull
• The Hey Bro — Rum, brandy, orange juice, ginger beer
• Perkalicious — Vodka, Baileys, coffee, vanilla
• Tinder and Kindling — Bombay Bramble, Creme De Mure, mixed berry
• Old Dog, New Tricks — Grey Goose, passionfruit, vanilla, served with 4 glasses of bubbles

Frequently asked questions

What are The World Bar's opening hours?

As a bar, Monday to Thursday 3pm til late, and Friday to Sunday 12pm til late. The kitchen serves food daily from 12pm to 9pm.

When is happy hour?

Happy Hour runs 3pm-5pm daily, with a Teapot Happy Hour from 9pm-10pm.

What is a teapot cocktail?

A signature style of cocktail served in a teapot — The World Bar calls itself the 'Home of the Teapot Cocktail' and offers several varieties, including its top-selling Hitcher.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, including a mini classic burger, mini fish and chips, chicken fingers and chips, and ice cream.

Are there vegan or gluten-free options?

Yes, several dishes are marked vegan (V) or have gluten-free options (NG/NGO), including a vegan burger, vegan poutine, and vegan nachos; gluten-free buns are also available.

When did The World Bar open?

It was first established in 1996 and rebuilt after a 2013 fire.

Where is The World Bar located?

12 Church St, Queenstown, New Zealand.

Tips

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• {"body":"The signature teapot cocktails are the venue's specialty — The Hitcher is the top seller.","title":"Try a teapot cocktail"}
• {"body":"Happy Hour runs 3pm-5pm, with a separate Teapot Happy Hour from 9pm-10pm.","title":"Don't miss happy hour"}
• {"body":"Many mains and burgers have vegan or gluten-free versions or add-ons available.","title":"Ask about dietary swaps"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Dedicated kids menu available","dietary":"Vegan (V) and gluten-free (NG/NGO/GFO) options and substitutions available across several dishes; gluten-free buns available for $2"}