Had a discount for this restaurant from the motel I was staying at so I decided to try out this chain. They have locations throughout New Zealand. The food was fine and they had a good selection of taps (beer, cider, and ginger beer). We got the following food items: -garlic loaf with cheese - barely had any garlic flavor, just thick bread with some cheese -fish and chips with side salad - partner said this was fine -bar platter - smaller than I expected (2 spring rolls, 2 samosas, 2 squid rings, 1 tempura fish fillet, 2 crumbed prawn cutlets-which were just deep fried shrimp, 2 surimi scallop, 2 surimi bites), best of this platter was the scallops It was pretty empty inside and we ordered at the bar and order was delivered to us. Good for big groups though. read more

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Food: 4.1/5 Service: 4.7/5 Value: 4.8/5 Came in twice in one day, once to enjoy the cheap nachos on Mondays and another to enjoy their happy hour. The nachos are fantastic value for $15 (beef and jalepenos were extra charge) and just good'ol bar food that slows your heart down! Came back during happy hour and got the bar platter and onion rings, which were both quite tasty. What made them even tastier was that it was half off, and when you pair it with an ice cold lager, there's not much better. Great value, above average bar food! read more

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Ok. So you have to take this review with a pinch of salt because I'm 3 pints deep of Speights Old Dark. I'm staying nearby and needed food. Everywhere else seemed really crowded. I walked in here on a Sunday evening and they had some chill music going. You can sit outside, at the bar area, or get service in the dining section. I ordered fish and chips. They were perfectly fine. Nothing to write home about. The biggest issue for me was everything was criminally under seasoned. Like, just toss some salt into the batter, chef. Fries/chips were ok too. Just under seasoned. The salad was just good, kind of an afterthought but not terrible. But this place gets 5 stars because of the old dark. It was delicious! I had too many pints. Taking off a star because of the lack of seasoning. Shoutout to the bartenders and who I think was the shift manager. Super friendly guys (and lady). Loved everything about this place. I'm not in Wanaka too long but I would 100% come back but I'd just bring salt (jk. they actually have salt at the table.) I don't think NZ uses yelp like in the US but if anyone from the establishment reads this: season your food! read more

The atmosphere was the draw for us, contemporary indoors and two outdoor areas - in front with the bustle of the sidewalk and around the side for a quieter experience. I had a Sauvignon Blanc from the happy hour menu which was only so-so (the wine on Air New Zealand was better!). hubby had a low alcohol beer and said it was good. The happy hour drink menu didn't seem to have a price discount from the regular drinks menu. Overall we enjoyed that this bar was not as loud and rowdy as the others along the seafront so you could actually have a conversation, but my wine was a disappointment for the price so I wouldn't go back. read more

Speights Ale House - Nice atmosphere - Pubs Near Me - Wanaka, OTA

My fish & chips were great as was the salad that came with it. My husband had the portobello mushroom sandwich and it was also excellent! The service was quick and friendly! We went twice last year, once this visit to Wanaka and we'll go again! It was also easy to get a seat at lunchtime - either I sir or out! read more

Sloooooow service. OMG we waited nearly an hour for our food and our waiter didn't check in with us once. Got a small discount on our meal but there really should be more attentive service! Food was decent read more

Food was ok, service was also ok. Nothing great to write home about. Sure wish they offered mocktails or NA wine. Not great NA options :/

Nothing awesome about this place, but it fits the bill if you're looking for a spot to have a beer outside with a halfway decent view. The food was ok, nothing to write home about, but no one is in South Island for the food. read more

Pub food can be generally under rated but when traveling and you find a good one it is worth shareing. This pub is very large, clean with plenty of TVs to keep you updated and a cheerful wait staff. We enjoyed great Shearer's Shanks and Cider Braised Pork Belly entrees. You could of course order one of the many burgers but let me tell you this is more than your standard Pub grub kind of place so go ahead and try one of their signature or main fare dishes. Quick review, service is outstanding food is top notch and beer is cold. read more

Speights Ale House - Does this make me a Southern Man. - Pubs Near Me - Wanaka, OTA

Beer was okay but the mains were not that good. The ribeye was dry and definitely overlooked! I asked for medium and got medium-well instead. Salmon was above average though. Nobody refilled our bottle of water through the entire time. read more

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Great beer. Much like a chain though. We went back several times for the beer & steered clear of the grub. Some of the bartenders were great but one of the guys was leaving a lot to be desired. Great location, deck seating & high prices, but probably a high overhead. read more

A little underwhelming, I order the beef burger, felt like eating a kids burger, no real elegant taste. My wife ordered the plains pasta, which seemed to have mostly olives, in her words, "more of a warm pasta salad" Service was good, overpriced in a tourist-based town. Good beer and wine selection though!! read more

Very much a chain establishment which in my view is a bit off putting. The layout is fine, drinks fine, service fine, food fine... But it's pretty steep for what you get and there are certainly much better options around town for a meal. However if your after a casual drink in a pub with a bit of atmosphere then yes this place is great! read more

This was a really nice place to have dinner. Really modern and staff all very friendly. Great place for a family dinner. We started off with the bread loaf which was a bit on the small side but very tasty, we also had he chicken wings which were a bit to salty. For mains we had the ribs and pork - delicious!! Such a nice filling meal! Overall really happy with this restaurant. read more

Bar food quality at restaurant price. However, great beer and wine with excellent desserts. Make sure to order all beef rare and not medium rare. Medium rare gets you a scorched piece of sirloin jerky. Also, great service with an awesome atmosphere. Enjoy! read more

Really good raspberry brownie. Beer was pretty good. Try the 6 beer sampler for $20 (6 200ml/7ish ounces). Didn't have dinner here so can't comment on the mains. Maybe have a beer here then try Relishes about a block down. read more

Wanaka is a busy place even during low season so the Ale House offers a great option especially if you're a part of a big group, needing good seating and know that a pub would offer wholesome and good size meals. Things to consider: - it's a part of a chain of pubs (South Island) - it's still a pub so don't expect cafe styled meals/interior - Wanaka is still busy but not as crazy as Queenstown so the wait ain't too long. Good seating for large numbers and the pub is planned well for big numbers. I found it weird that we had to order our meals at the bar when it's set up like a restaurant during their lunch hours as it creates more havoc at the bar. Felt like they were understaffed to start with but slowly got better as time went on. Our meals came out a bit later than promised (40min) and were ok but not life changing. We ordered: Seafood chowder, chips and dip, steak sandwich and squid salad.. Chowder was average - tasted like frozen seafood rather than fresh seafood, the steak sandwich was also a let down as it was quite a small portion (considering its labeled: "Southern man") and the fat wasn't rendered at all. Salad was the better of the lot but again, it was a basic salad done well and nothing "original" about it. Simple things like home made aioli and dips go a long way to ensuring a personal touch in pub meals but even seemed too far fetched for these guys BUT.. It is what it is. An ok pub that fills a need/gap in the market. I didn't risk purchasing coffee - and our waitress wasn't in the best of moods but she was getting swept off her feet due to the lack of staff. read more

Whenever we are in Wanaka, for a good filling meal with a quiet beer and wine, we always go to the Speights. The beer battered cod fillets are always great, and filling, likewise they cater for those with GF needs. Compared with other franchised restaurants in town, the Speights always gets our families vote !! read more

Passable food, nice beer and wine, ok prices. Most off-putting was the inconsistent service. Poor attitude or customer service from one often reflects on the entire team. read more