A surprisingly good hangout – The Ballroom Pool and Snooker Lounge
- Keenan Rogers
When you think of The Ballroom Pool and Snooker Lounge what springs to mind? I tell you when I first heard of that place I thought “why would I want to go there?” But fast forward a couple of years. And I could think of many reasons to go.
Firstly, the overall aesthetic of the Ballroom is something that sticks out for me – with a Victorian-style remnant of an old school 20s gentleman’s club type bar. This is the personality that accompanies Ballroom with its signature selling point, Pool and Snooker. With around 31 tables in total, if you can’t get on a table straight away then you won’t have to wait long. Like all bars, Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest times any other day of the week.
Your pick of tables is endless. Ballroom is the perfect place to combine drinking and socializing with a friendly game that everyone can play. Beer and Wine are under $10 with games of pool being as cheap as a $2 coin. Whether you want to go there for after-work drinks or even stop off on your way to another bar.
You can book out a few tables for a work function AND they have a private room you can hire out if you want some privacy for your party. Ballroom can be yours for any occasion. In all honesty, you know what you’re getting with The Ballroom Pool and Snooker lounge. My point is that this 100-year-old establishment should not be slept on, every time I go there (Note that it’s not every weekend) but any time I do go there it’s always packed.
People are having a good time with their friends, enjoying themselves and playing pool. And amongst businesses on Courtney Place that’s pretty good, I can’t count how many bars have closed over the last 8 years and most recently with the number of businesses that have closed due to Covid. The fact that Ballroom has survived with the same formula is amazing because no matter how many places open up on Courtney Place, Ballroom will be there and people will continue going because they know what they’re getting.
Another great thing about the Ballroom is that it can be a pre-dinner or an after-dinner place. Imagine this; you’re playing pool with your friends; then one of you gets hungry, But the Ballroom doesn’t offer food; Where do you go? Lucky enough! There is a place where you can eat right across the road which almost mirrors the same bar style as The Ballroom and that is The Grand which has a great variety of food. Pretty convenient right? But what is even more convenient is a Rooftop bar above the restaurant. Yep, The Grand has a rooftop bar above them. Just one of the many places close to the Ballroom. You see there are a lot of the bars around Courtney Place complimenting each other with what they offer making for a great night out experience in Wellington.
By Keenan Rogers
