Christchurch’s Home of Irish Hospitality
The Bog is Christchurch’s vibrant Irish pub where the Guinness and the music flow and the craic is always mighty.
We are located at 50 Victoria Street in Christchurch Central City, in the heart of Christchurch’s buzzing casino precinct.
Offering an authentic taste of Ireland, The Bog is a true local institution, serving up hearty Irish fare and perfectly poured pints.
Live music every night of the week adds to the vibrant ambience, making it ideal for casual meals, nights out with friends, or enjoying great tunes.
Whether you’re here for a birthday celebration, corporate event, or just a night out with mates, The Bog is the place to eat, drink, dance, and make memories.
Good Vibes, Great Service, and Plenty of Guinness
The Bog’s Irish-pub atmosphere, live music, friendly staff and extensive drink selection (especially Guinness!) means it’s the place to be for the best craic.
From the moment you walk in, you’re welcomed by friendly staff into a lively, cozy setting that’s perfect for catching up with friends or enjoying a night out.
The service is consistently attentive and efficient, and the menu offers something for everyone, with generous portions and great quality.
Happy hour adds to the experience making The Bog a favourite among locals and visitors alike. Settle in with a pint of Guinness or Kilkenny and soak up the atmosphere.
Taste the Irish Flavours
Start the day with our Full Irish Breakfast – black pudding, bacon, sausage, hash brown, tomato, mushroom, beans, toast, eggs.
Later on try our famous Guinness Pie, a traditional favourite filled with tender beef slow-cooked in rich Guinness gravy. Or our Fish & Chips – freshly battered fish served crispy alongside golden fries—perfectly seasoned and incredibly satisfying.
Our Chicken Schnitzel – juicy chicken coated perfectly and paired with delectable mushroom sauce – is ideal comfort food.
Or, on a winter evening, try our Bangers & Mash – lip-smacking sausages served over creamy mashed potatoes. Comforting and bursting with flavour.
There’s our Beef and Guinness Hot Pot – beef slowly braised in a rich Guinness gravy, topped with puff pastry then oven baked and served with colcannon. Truly a Bog favourite.
Music is at the heart of our pub. Live Irish music can often be heard including the original Irish Jam Session, Jamie’ with the Jameson on a Tuesday night and The Black Velvet Band most weekends.
The 100 Pint Club
At The Bog we take our fun seriously. Thus, the birth of The 100 Pint Club.
Formed around a solid base of locals at the original Cashel Street location, the idea was that for every pint of Guinness consumed, a stamp was collected, and once a punter had collected their 100th stamp, their name went up on the board, with some locals completing this multiple times.
From there, the 17 /17 club was created, the members on the 100 Pint Board would meet on the 17th day at 17 minutes past the 17th hour of each month where they would share a pint. Plenty of great banter has been heard over the years!
The 100 Pint Boards were saved from the Cashel Street location and have been rehung in the new Bog with names still being added as new punters complete their 100 pints. 17 / 17 has been relaunched.
Our Journey Through the Years
The Bog began its life at 82 Cashel Street in central Christchurch in February 1999.
The site was for many years before that home to Fail’s Café, known as New Zealand’s oldest and much-loved seafood restaurant.
Historical records show plans for “Fail’s Café, c.1924” (architectural drawings for new premises) at this address. An archival note mentions that the original building was from the early 1870s, later remodelled to an Art Deco style for the café.
The café was a landmark in Christchurch, particularly known for its seafood, its interior charm, and a long run of service.
The building underwent several changes in usage. There are photographs from 1990 showing the site as Satay House restaurant at 82 Cashel Street, on the former Fail’s Café site.
The Bog began its tenure at 82 Cashel Street in February 1999 and it was the pub’s home until February 2011, when the devastating 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch.
The building was structurally affected by the 2011 earthquake. The Bog’s Cashel Street location shut down.
Happily, like other Christchurch hospitality stalwarts affected by the tremors, The Bog lived on, reopening in March 2014 at its current location, 50 Victoria Street.
Here’s to many more years of good times, great meals and a Guinness with friends old and new.
In 2025 Australian Venue Co acquired Original Sin, Fat Eddie’s, Kong, The Bog, Bealey Quarter, and Craythornes (The Halswell) in the Oxford Group’s hospitality stable.
Keeping the Craic Alive in the City Centre
The move to 50 Victoria Street allowed The Bog to be part of a new development post-earthquake in Christchurch’s CBD redevelopment phase.
The location in the “casino precinct” part of Victoria Street means our area is lively and suits our vibrant atmosphere.
Victoria Street serves as a central entertainment precinct for the city. The street has evolved into a mixed-use entertainment precinct with up-market retail, bars and high fashion shops, as well as Christchurch Casino which opened in 1994 and was the first land-based casino in New Zealand.
