Sprig + Fern Hardy Street is a central Nelson tavern run by hosts Ali and Linsey, with the easy social rhythm of a true local. Nineteen taps carry Sprig + Fern beer, cider and hard soda, joined by local wine and takeaway riggers. The venue treats good food as part of that pub identity rather than an afterthought, serving an all-day menu designed for anything from a quick drink and snack to a full dinner.
Bar food ranges from fries with optional curry sauce or mushy peas to pork or vegetarian dumplings and tomato-chorizo arancini. Beef nachos bring salsa, jalapeños and cheese sauce, while chicken nibbles come with spicy Korean, honey barbecue or creamy ranch flavours. These are practical plates for a busy table, but the kitchen also gives familiar forms some character, such as onion rings finished with a honey-lemon dressing.
The larger dishes move through several styles of generous home cooking. Fish is battered with Sprig + Fern beer, seafood chowder combines prawns, squid, mussels and white fish, and toad in the hole pairs a local pork sausage with Yorkshire pudding, mash and onion gravy. There is also jambalaya with chorizo, prawns and chicken, Moroccan-spiced lamb shoulder with couscous, coq au vin, and pumpkin-and-feta pasta for a meat-free main.
Burgers and pizzas keep the menu accessible, with beef, crispy chicken, battered fish and a lentil-based vegetarian burger alongside pepperoni, Mexican chicken and margherita pizzas. A weekly quiz supports community causes, while regular bands, solo musicians and DJs give evenings a changing soundtrack. That combination of brewery taps, substantial meals and neighbourhood events explains the tavern's appeal as both a place to sample Nelson beer and a dependable gathering point.
Address: 280 Hardy Street, Nelson 7010, New Zealand
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