Strolling at Queen's Street and saw a sign Fish and chips with beer for $30 was a steal…read more We decided to try and very pleased. Seated inside due to windy conditions. There were patio tables and chair available. The place was kinda more of London bar . Very old bricks and wooden tables which I like. We got the special Fish and chips then my husband got the Angus Rib eye steak with chimichurri sauce and veggies. The battered of the fish was very light and crispy. Not too oily and with the tartar sauce gave a tasteful flavor. The fish was very tender with some salt and lemon. The French fries tasted fresh. The Angus rib eye steak was juicy medium rare. Their light draft beer was a good one too. Satisfying experience.

This place is great! So good that we came back even though we're only in Auckland for 3 days…read more The Poutine was delish, as was the fish and chips. Excellent music, excellent, friendly service. Would definitely recommend this place. Oh, and Hubby loved the beer! Btw, it's not a hotel, but a restaurant and bar!

This may be the first Lunch review of Danny Doolans. My wife and I stopped in for lunch and each…read moreordered a glass of wine and a salad. The wine selection was OK and the prices were fair. The salads exceeded our expectations with a nice blend of dark greens with good flavors. I got the daily special, which was Moroccan lamb, and my wife opted for the spicy chicken. There was a good blend of veggies along with a generous helping of the appropriate meat. The lunch specials are all priced at $14.95. Service was efficient and polite. The atmosphere is very much an old bar feel and there are options for indoor and outdoor seating.

Apparently this can be a pretty busy place. I had really wanted seafood for dinner, but the…read morerestaurant the concierge recommended went out of business (weird, right?). And Danny Doolans happened to be right next door. The only choice in seafood I could spot was the pan fried fish of the day. It was so dark in there I couldn't really see what I was eating. The fish was sitting on top of some sort of cream sauce with diced tomatoes. The server said the fish was of a local variety similar to cod. However, because the music was so loud I couldn't hear what the name was clearly. I'd say it was okay. The price was around $30.

Quick back story and fun fact: In 1911 there was a Zoo in Royal Oak! Of course, everyone complained…read moreabout the smell and the sound and never really embraced the beauty of the whole operation until the animals escaped and everything was eventually shut up and sold off. So now we have this voluminous pub with a fun, purple branding that doubles as a throw back to Auckland's past. There is plenty of seating (including the small cluster of outdoor couches everyone is vying for) and plenty of beers on tap. Inexplicably you are only allowed to smoke on one half of the outdoor seats. Staff seem to stay behind the bar unless they are trying to top up your barely finished drinks, which they do with hunter-like efficiency and a portable EFTPOS unit. Slightly too overpriced to be your local-after-work.

We kind of happened upon The Zookeeper's Son. We needed a place to take a bunch of out-of-towners…read moreafter a sports event in Onehunga, and Onehunga had nothing in the way of relaxed beer garden bars to chill at. A quick google search came back with The Zookeeper's Son, and off we went. The beer was cold, the sides were quickly served and the mid-afternoon sun was sitting just right for us to have a bit of a winter sunbathe. My next trip to The Zookeeper's Son was with a couple of Americans who had been foolishly trying to figure out the best New Zealand beers on their own. They bought Tui because it said it was an IPA. Woof. The Zookeeper bartender was extremely helpful with the yanks - told them what he liked, ascertained what they liked, and then came up with a beer they would enjoy drinking. It was a hit! As for the decor, this place is a bit like all of the other bars owned by The New Zealand Pub Company (like the Elephant Wrestler on the Shore, which is decked out similarly to this place). The cheesiness of a themed bar often elicits a groan out of me, but the New Zealand Pub Company does it with enough camp that I'll let them get away with it.

Fantastic happy hour for Bonvoy members (which is free to join). I was able to score $10 glass of…read morewine and $10 bar bites! We had the pork belly sliders and the chicken bites. Both were delicious and great for the price. After HH, I stayed for a Margherita pizza and more wine. The pizza was thin crust and tasted fresh. Only thing that was interesting to me was the inability to order the same HH wines after HH. The selection switches out. Service was really great and friendly. It started off rather quiet for HH but began to fill as time went on. Plenty of seating options and trendy decor.

VISIT: end of February 2020…read more This was a pleasant surprise as we ate here probably every day of the 3 that we were in town. I typically shy away from restaurants that are in the hotel because they tend to be pricey. We felt, for Americans, that this was decently priced and that each time we ate here, we got a different meal FOOD WE TRIED: - Chicken and vegetable dumplings - Prawn and chive Gyoza - Arancini - 55 day aged beef brisket sliders - Seafood Risotto - Spaghetti with mussels, snapper and prawns The sliders, gyoza and spaghetti with seafood was VERY good. I wouldn't order the dumplings again, but I always forget that chicken dumplings just aren't the same as pork and/or shrimp. The Arancini was a bit disappointing in flavor, maybe just a touch more salt would have been helpful and same thing with the flavor of the Risotto. The seafood was cooked perfectly, but the sauce on it just wasn't as flavorful as I would have liked, for a risotto. Service was always great with the staff always helpful with recommendations. We were very happy to have access to this restaurant during our stay the Four Points

I believe this is now The Bridgman. It was great! Great…read moreatmosphere, lovely beer selection, and though we didn't eat much the food at other tables looked really good. If I were staying another night in Auckland I would go back for their burgers.

Located on the corner of Valley Road and Dominion Road, The Dominion is the perfect place to meet…read morefriends for an after work drink, watch the rugby or share a meal with the family. The meals are fantastic, and the portions are huge. I'm a fan of their pizza range and must say last time I had their hamburger I fell in love. It was delicious, though definitely too big for me! Even my Dad had trouble finishing it, but it's good to know you get your money's worth! Heineken is on tap at The Dominion, though the bar has a large selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available, so there is definitely something for everyone. While there is plenty of indoor seating, my favourite spot at The Dominion is outside. There are about eight outside tables, two of which are really big and perfect for meals with a group of friends or the family. During summer it's great to sit outside in the heat, but even in winter it's not too bad as there are outdoor heaters above the tables too Tip: There is a room upstairs with a separate bar and outdoor area that can be hired for private functions. Having attended many 21st parties there, I can say with all honesty it is the perfect venue. Not to mention there is a curtain of fairy lights, so that's a definite bonus!

You can't beat a little tucked away neighbourhood wine bar especially if they have good food. Lots…read moreof locals and little chance of tourists. There's a boutique cinema - Bridgeway and the Engine room just down the road. I know someone who frequents this local as its just doors from her house. The wine menu is extensive and includes Chianti's, Rioja's and Montepulciano. The waitstaff know the drinks list well enough to make recommendations. They've also made the Top 10 bars in Auckland. Ed Verner (ex-Meredith's and Sidart) has a great tapas type menu. The meatballs were average but the foie gras was delish and the Confit potatoes scrummy. Apparently the Chili beef buns were great too. Desserts were interesting - one being the Chocolate Moelleux with cigar ice cream. I'd come here any night of the week, and in Winter there is a fire with some chairs you expect in some old hip library nook. Small and excellent, I wish there was a Stafford Rd wine bar in my Suburb.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Stafford Rd wine bar full at 6.30pm. This place must be a…read morefavourite place for locals. Fortunately I was able to find a seat at the little corner which was the last table. I tried waving at a waitress to order a glass of wine and when she didn't see me, a waiter on the bar kindly came out and served me which was very nice. I was too hungry to wait for my late companion, so I ordered the beer-battered fish buns ($12) first. It wasn't exactly what I had imagined as I have such high expectations for Stafford Rd Wine Bar - the food was always fabulous and out of square accompanied by flawless service. However this bun was more like a pub dish. Bun was cold and everything was just average. With a little disappointment, we ordered more hoping for something delicious. Organic pork belly ($23) was so tiny that we couldn't really share it between three of us. Quail egg and black pudding didn't have much spark to it either. Steamed pork buns ($14) were slightly better but it almost tasted like a Peking duck. We didn't give up and moved on to the dessert. Chocolate Moelleax ($14), like a chocolate fondant was quite simple with the fondant and raspberry sorbet displayed on top of cookie crumble crackles and freeze dried raspberry pieces. I have been praising this place to my friends and I was a bit shamed, especially when my previous experiences at Stafford were spectacular. We had to ask twice to be filled with water and it was hard to get attention from the waitress - what I wasn't expecting from a good start.

My first night in Auckland, I stopped by here for dinner when I saw they had a $42.94 NZ deal for…read moreSouth Island Lamb Rump. The interior was lively with plenty of seating. Found a quiet corner to dine solo. I ordered the Lamb Rump with garlic butter, which came with Bacon and Peas, and a side of Smashed Truffle Potatoes. This was absolutely delicious! The Lamb was cooked perfectly, melt in your mouth tender, well seasoned, with a nice crunchy skin. The Potatoes were satisfyingly crispy, mouthwateringly in a flavorful sauce and spices, featuring strong taste of true truffle. Garlicky peas with bacon was a wonderful combination. When I saw Sticky Date Pudding on the dessert menu, I just had to get it. This was served with butterscotch sauce, candied walnut, and ice cream. What an indulgent, sweet, mouthwatering masterpiece! The Sticky Date Pudding was chewy, moist, with notes of caramel and warm spices. Walnuts added a delightful nutty crunch. I poured the butterscotch sauce over both the Sticky Date Pudding and ice cream, which brought everything together beautifully. Service was good. Waitress was personable and everything came out in a timely manner. Such a wonderful meal here!

Great atmosphere! Great service!…read moreFriendly staff. Definitely a must go place. Only had drinks however the food looked delicious

A fun experience! You order from the bar and sit at a table. When they opened at 11:30am we ordered…read morefish sandwiches and they said they didn't get their delivery yet, so they walked down to the fish market and bought the fish for our sandwiches! We didn't realize they would be tried, but the pieces were huge and tasty!

Hands down, 16Tun is one of the best beers in Auckland. Located in the new Wynyard area (similar to…read moreKaka'ako in Honolulu), it's filled with apartment buildings, offices, restaurants, bars, and great food. 16Tun is just a block from the waterfront and easy to get to driving or walk around the quay. The bar looks welcoming and cozy from the outside with soft lighting, wood features, big picnic style tables, and exposed metal. Inside is also well planned with tables of various sizes, bar seating, and an open kitchen. On my last visit I got to come here twice and had excellent service with bartender/manager Nick. Cheers to owner Ewen as well, great to meet the team! On my first visit on a sleepy weekday afternoon, I got a flight (choose 8 beers) and a few singles. They have a great selection that focuses on independent New Zealand breweries. They even have nitro and cask hand pull selections, plus a great selection of cans and bottles either to-go or if there's something you really want to enjoy there. Clean restrooms are at the back. On my first visit I had a hearty lunch of fish and chips, which went great with the beer. Light and heavy at the same time. The kitchen was closed on my second visit, but if that happens while you're here there are tons of other great options nearby for food. On the weekend, this place gets busy, loud, and happy. Both experiences were worth the trip. For people that haven't visited lately, it's new ownership and staff so it's worth your time to try it again. If you're a fan of beer, this is a must-stop in Auckland.