A stalwart of the Christchurch rebuild, Smash Palace has found permanent digs on High Street, after a few years on Victoria Street. A bar that has certainly made a (good) name for itself, Smash Palace quite frankly belongs in its new High Street locale.

Occupying the building and surrounding site of the once Brick Farm restaurant and bar, the High Street iteration of Smash Palace combines the best elements of both Brick Farm and Smash Palace. The original Smash Palace bus-converted-into-a-bar is still there (a clever and resourceful restoration as far as we’re concerned), and so too are the Thursday night bike nights that became famous at Victoria Street (they’re a must for anyone who is automotive-inclined).

The brick building that Smash Palace now calls home is still beautifully adorned with succulents and Penguin novels – it is homely and all too easy to wind up spending more than a few hours in. There’s plenty of outdoor seating too, as the Victoria Street revelers became well accustomed to. Upstairs is the Brick Farm bar – a cute and cosy space for a drink and snack with unrivalled views of the city.

With great local wine and beer, a special house beer on tap and a menu featuring some of the city’s best made-from-scratch burgers (in homemade buns), Smash Palace covers all of the bases when it comes to good hospitality. The music is good and loud, the service is cheeky and bowls of cherrios are there for ordering when nostalgia gets the better of you – what’s not to love. It’s open for weekend brunch too.

Long live the bus!