Dinner first.
Cards after.
Blisslume is a warm little dining room on Cumberland Street where a proper dinner rolls straight into hosted poker nights — real tables, real people, zero screens. Come hungry, stay for the last hand.
Thursday Social Cards
- Doors 6 pm · first hand dealt at 8:30
- Only 24 seats — booking is basically a must
- Beginner friendly, hosted by real dealers
A dining room that doesn't rush you out the door
We opened Blisslume because Dunedin deserved a spot where a Tuesday dinner can accidentally become a whole evening. Low light, honest plates, a bar that remembers your order — and, when the mood strikes, a card table waiting in the next room.
Everything happens in-house. There's no app, no online betting login, no slips — just a kitchen that cares and card nights run by hosts who actually like people.
Plates worth dressing up for
Slow-roasted lamb shoulder, 12 hours
Otago lamb, smoked garlic, charred lemon. The dish half our regulars order before they even sit down.
$38 · shares well with a glass of Central Otago pinot
Market fish, brown butter
Whatever the boats brought in — right now it's blue cod with fennel and preserved lemon.
$34
Charred greens, macadamia
The plant-based main that keeps winning over the steak crowd. Yes, really.
$27Chef's table, Thursdays
Five courses, six seats, whatever the kitchen is excited about this week. Pairs suspiciously well with the Thursday game afterwards.
Read the menu storyDietaries welcome
Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free — tell us when you book and the kitchen sorts it quietly.
Late kitchen
Full menu till 10, snacks and sharing plates till 11 — even mid-tournament.
Poker nights, done properly
Three nights a week our back room turns into a small, very civilised poker room. Hosted tables, proper dealers, dinner service at your seat. It's social play — the good kind, where nobody's mortgaging anything.
Blisslume is not an online casino or betting platform. All poker is in-person, social, and venue-based. 18+ after 8 pm.
Weekly schedule
- Thursday Social8:30 pm
- Friday Deep Stack9 pm
- Sunday Beginner Table7 pm
How it works
- $40 buy-in, tournament-style social format
- 8-seat tables, professional dealer included
- Winner takes the house trophy + bar tab credit
Never played a hand in your life?
Sunday's beginner table teaches you the game over dinner. Half the room was in your seat six months ago.
Start hereCasino-style events, minus the casino floor
The Cumberland Cup
Our flagship monthly card tournament — three courses, forty players, one ridiculous trophy.
First Saturday monthly · $65Gatsby Casino Night
Dress up, play cards and blackjack for charity chips, dance it off. No real stakes, all real fun.
Next: October 24 · $85Private card parties
Birthdays, work dos, reunions — your own dealer, your own tables, your own menu.
Groups 10–40 · priced per group
How a Blisslume night actually goes
A drink at the bar while the room fills up. Our host finds your table, learns your name, keeps the bread coming.
Shared plates, a bottle that suits the table, zero hurry. Card players and pure diners get the same kitchen love.
The card room opens. Dealers run the format, table service follows you in, and yes — you can order dessert mid-hand.
Winners get photographed with the house trophy. Everyone else gets a whisky and a rematch next week.
What the regulars say
"Booked for a date night, stayed for the cards. The dealer taught my partner the game between courses — we've been back six times."
"Took twelve clients for dinner and a private card table. Flawless night — the team made us look very organised."
"Best lamb in the city and I don't even play cards. The room just feels good — like someone's very stylish living room."
Grab a table before someone else does
Dinner, cards, or the full evening — tell us what you're after and we'll come back with times. Groups bigger than 10? Mention it and we'll talk private space.
- 309 Cumberland Street, Central Dunedin — near the Octagon, parking on York Pl
- +64 3 477 7284 — the bar picks up from 3 pm
- blisslume@gmail.com — we reply within the day
Hungry? Thirsty? Feeling lucky-ish?
Walk-ins welcome at the bar, bookings recommended for the dining room and pretty much essential for game nights.