Sprig and Fern is a Nelson-grown brewery chain — the brewery is in Richmond, just outside town, and the company runs a string of small, quiet pubs across the region. The Hardy Street branch in central Nelson is the most useful for visitors: ten or so of their beers on tap, a few guest taps, simple food, no televisions, and an actual fireplace in winter.
The house style runs from light pilsners to British-style bitters and the occasional sour. Tasting paddles are good value if you want to taste your way through. There is a second branch in Milton Street that is bigger and louder; the Hardy Street one is better for talking.