Citizen Park

For years if you were seeking a drink in the Kingsland area, your options were pretty much Neighbourhood or The Kingslander. And while there is nothing wrong with either these fine establishments, when you bring a third wheel into the mix it sure does give the strip a nice bit of variety.

Citizen Park boasts all the things one likes about joints such as Tyler Street Garage, Sale Street and Neighbourhood, yet still somehow seems to have its own flavour. There is a huge outdoor area with a good number of shared tables, making it an ideal pick for a Sunday roost or afternoon beer in the sun. And with its own separate bar, they're really making it easy for you to find a spot and park up for a good few hours of drinking and nibbles. Plus, there is a big neon sign that says "FOOD", which is just really quite cool.

The inside area lends itself to a more intimate environment. There's that feeling of being able to get a group of friends together without having to pull up chairs and clutter around a too-small-table. Another thing that makes this space great is that while it's been designed in an industrial-renovated manner, it doesn't have that ghastly echo that makes it impossible to hold a conversation. We like this.

The food and drinks are best described as Mexican meets Bistro. There is a huge array of small sides - of which, ordering two would completely suffice a main meal, as well as a decent and varied mains section. If you've got time (and room in your stomach) for dessert, the Banoffee Pie gets the nod from us. Although be warned, unless you've got a mighty sweet tooth, you might want to share this puppy.

All in all, we are big into this spot. It brings something unique to the Kingsland shops (which is a bit of a triumph considering there is pretty much every single cuisine already on offer) and it's always nice to add another place to pick from when you're looking to quench your thirst at pre or post Eden Park shenanigans.