Venue Detail
S&M's Cocktail & Lounge Bar
About this venue
S&M's is a long-running queer cocktail and lounge bar at the top of Cuba Street, with a relaxed street-level room and a downstairs bar used for Bingay, shows, gigs, and functions.
Practical details
Address: 176 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
Hours: Tue-Thu 17:00-late, Fri 17:00-03:00, Sat 19:00-03:00, Sun 17:00-late, Mon closed.
Canonical: https://www.queeratlas.app/wellington/venues/s-m-s-cocktail-lounge-bar--3429
Venue intelligence
Know before you go
Typical queue
S&M's is closed Monday, opens from 17:00 Tuesday-Friday and Sunday, and from 19:00 Saturday; Friday and Saturday run to 03:00. Wednesday Bingay and downstairs shows can create the main arrival pulse, while the upstairs lounge works for earlier walk-in drinks.
Best night
Wednesday is Bingay; Friday begins with after-work drinks and continues to 03:00; Saturday shifts to party music from 22:00. Choose the rear lounge for conversation or the downstairs B&D room for shows and dancing.
Locals vs visitors
Wellington gay-community regulars, older and younger LGBTQ+ locals, couples, visitors, bingo and show audiences mix here. The long-running owner-led lounge identity is more conversational than a youth-only club, with party energy concentrated downstairs.
Dress code in practice
No formal code is published. Smart-casual cocktails, everyday barwear and expressive show-night looks all fit; check a private function or named performance for any special theme.
Staff inclusion
Owners Scott Kennedy and Malcolm Vaughan are a gay couple with long-standing Wellington gay-community involvement and queer hospitality venues dating to 1999. Their biography and continuous programming provide direct queer ownership and community-service evidence, not merely an ally claim.
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