Northcote Tavern

Ahhh memory lane. If like me, you have recently returned to New Zealand from your second city (London), or any other city in the United Kingdom for that matter, put the Northcote Tavern on your list for a visit this weekend.
Whatever the weather or occasion, this is the place.
It’s the place to sit outside on pub bench tables with the girls, in the sun or the shade, with a jug of Pimms and a couple of bags of crisps, to while away the weekend afternoon whilst people watching.
It’s the place for a cosy dinner for two on a winters night, including fare such as lamb rack, bangers and mash or quarter chicken and salsa, by the fire, on the Scottish tartan carpet.
It’s the place for a hearty pub lunch, rugby and a crowd.
For a great morning coffee on the way to the city bound Northcote Tavern.
Or a late night brandy after a superb mid-​week movie atThe Bridgeway.
Catch my drift? Sound familiar ?
Catch a ferry from downtown and see for yourself.
A little bit of UK right here in Auckland. Perfect.

Excellent pub! Decent select of beer. Friendly staff. But the best feature is the food is consistently, very good! A great stop before it after going to the Bridgeway Cinema

We had a fabulous Saturday lunch here sitting on the grassy area at the side of the building. The staff we’re welcoming and the food was tasty & plentiful. I’d recommend arriving at noon to secure a table as by 1pm people were waiting for a table. Auckland’s beautiful weather made our experience even better

This is a great local pub to go to for some good food. Whether its a wintery cold night in the dining room or a hot summers afternoon out in the garden, this place is enjoyable. Good big food.

My Grandad would say «you don’t find many pubs like this in Auckland anymore» and he’s probably right. The Northcote Tavern was built waaay back in 1884 and bar the addition of a wing in 1936, it remains in all it’s original glory. Family shields and memorabilia of the motherland line the walls and in the hallways you will find pictures of the tavern from way back when.
As other Unilocalers have mentioned, the Tavern has several different rooms, but to be honest, they are all quite pub-​ey so if that doesn’t float your boat I suggest you go elsewhere. (mind you, there is a huge backyard full of picnic tables so if it’s sunny out you folk don’t even need to venture inside).
For those of us who do like pubs, this one is a pearler. There are a gazillion TVs in every room, the beer on tap is well priced and the menu is full of all the pub classics — fish and chips, burgers, wedges and the like.
I took my Dad here on Sunday to celebrate Father’s Day with a few brews and a good ol’ pub feed — he loved it, even if Otago did lose the shield…

We just had the best quality food at this pub yet. Read the menu carefully and stay away from burgers although they are good. Try the risotto, calamari and if you ask nicely the chicken livers. Exceptional food at bargain price. Twice the price per dish just up the road. Brilliant

Rude staff, poor service. Definitely not recommended unless you want the 80’s pub experience with pokies, TAB and drink with a bunch of yokels.

I came here after a funeral. So really let’s just say my experience wasn’t starting off on the best foot. But I have to say what a wonderful spot. Nothing can cheer you up quite like perching yourself outside in the glorious sunlight with a glass of wine. The inside here is quite busy and cluttered and as Carina says, quite Irish. It’s a tad small and moving around up to the bar can be a squish. Outside, however, is the complete opposite! It was so spacious and there was a ton of seating, and lots of room for children to be set loose. I would be surely happy to return if the opportunity were to arise, and hopefully this time the occasion might be a bit more positive.

Northcote Tavern is a nice local pub, its got a great outdoor area for summer lots of tables to have a few drinks and some pub food. I didn’t really like the inside, its a bit too Englishy or Irishy for me with that old décor and tartan patterned carpet eeeekk. Its a really cool building on the outside so if they totally transformed the inside it could really look fab, especially if they got rid of the carpet.
I did think some of the Bistro prices were a bit high for pub food, $ 22 for fish/​chips and some peas and you have to order at the counter. We only had some drinks when we came and ordered come chunky fries which by the way were very good, but we had to wait nearly 30 minutes for them, by then we were nearly ready to go.
Anyway back to the outdoor area, its really cool and has a petanque court so nice for the kids and some summer or winter fun.

I was looking for a pub with enough space to throw a pétanque and I didn’t have to look further than Northcote Tavern, they actually have a pétanque sand pit! Great for a game, and if its not being used for that, a sand pit for the kiddies to play in.
The grand pub has two bars — the Highlander Bar, which is perfect in summer for the family as they have an outdoor seating area with umbrellas and tables partially fenced.
Inside the Scottish décor of family shields, swords and trophies whispers tradition. The other bar is called Callan’s, great for catching up for a beer on tap, or a bet on the TAB, and there’s always sports on the big screen television.
Finally for food the small bistro called Point Bistro 37 serves up unpretentious tasty food such as toasted sandwiches, the most amazing classic chips, and tempting Spanish style chicken salad.
I also pop into the Point Espresso Café for a good mocha during my walks to the neighbourhood playground.
There is a wonderful field surrounding the classic building, and lots of space for car parking, or the kids to have a play. Just a perfect spot on the weekends. I really enjoy Northcote Tavern and am a regular customer.