I would give it 6*. My husband and I came here before dinner--our third stop on a bar crawl--and…read morewish we would've started here. We wouldn't have been to three if we had. Jeremy, our bartender, hailed from Manchester, England, and is an all-world server. Everything he made for us was fantastic. He knows his liquors and mixers, and for a tiny bar, Mea Culpa has a good selection of both. Especially the second-to-top shelf liquors. We ended up having four cocktails and a beer (between two of us) and came away impressed with the lot. My recollection of the night is fuzzy, even more so a month later, but we still do remember enjoying every cocktail. Not the place i would suggest for microbrews, a long row of taps, or a wine bible, but great for cocktails. Highly recommend dropping by if you're in Ponsonby. Tell Jeremy (or whomever is on) your favorite liquor, and let him/her whip something up for you.

This place makes a mean cocktail. I honestly didn't expect…read moremuch by the decor of the place. But the drink I had was amazing. Unfortunately I do not remember what was in it, as I was wined out from earlier in the day & I wasn't feeling the atmosphere here, so I was ready to scoot ASAP. Atmosphere wasn't bad, but after an extremely amazing & relaxing day I wanted a relaxing and/or classy atmosphere and this wasn't it. But I'd go forth & do the spot again. Maybe.

This pub was a great find and close to our hotel. We went 2 nights because the food was just…read morestellar. First night I had the chicken remoulade which was just delicious and beautifully prepared. The second night we both had the nightly special, steak with mushroom sauce, chips and salad. Delicious and very reasonably priced. If we were staying longer we'd definitely go again. Good job mates!!

This place is our boozy work lunch haunt! Great in winter as warm and cosy inside however not great…read morein summer as dark and only has a tiny outdoor area. You could easily get stuck inside for hours. Standard pub food will a bit of a jazz up but nothing an epicurean would write home about. Service is pub standard too. Great for groups!

I choose Northern Steamship Co. because it's just a short walk to Vector Arena, making it a great…read moreplace to meet before a show. It's also a handy meet-up point for after-work drinks or dinner before a night on the town. The bar is named after the original occupants of the building, and much care has been taken to ensure this heritage building lives up to its long history. Relax in one of the big comfy chairs or meet friends at one of the larger tables, and make sure you look up - the collection of vintage lamps that adorn the roof will make mid-century collectors (like me) seethe with jealousy. A range of Mac's beers are available on tap, and this wino enjoys sampling the Roaring Meg Riesling and Dog Point Sav. The food is pretty traditional pub fare, with the most popular dishes straight out of the deep fryer. For the conscious eater, try the "Wellbeing" platter - smoked salmon, olives, chicken wraps and fresh chutneys abound!

We popped into Northern a Steamship because I had a voucher for a free platter from the Macs bar…read moreloyalty program. The bar was busy and full and the staff were attentive and served us quickly. Had no idea what the free platter would be like but was pleasantly surprised. Delicious platter of salt and pepper squid, kumera fries, chicken nibbles and prawn twists. Was delicious, crispy and totally impressive considering it was free and I get a voucher texted to me nearly every week. If you're a regular make sure you sign up for the loyalty program.

Often we think of hotels as being places for travelers when really many of our Auckland hotels…read morefeature great restaurants and bars that may get overlooked when thinking of a place to dine or drink. The Attica Bar is one such place, located on the top floor of the Mercure hotel on Customs Street, this bar is a rare gem. If you are after a really quiet place either for a date or to discuss business then this would be the place for it. The views are fantastic and this was where I spent New Years to watch the fireworks, fantastic view. The bar features comfortable upholstered chairs that are so comfortable you'll stay for a couple of drinks, that and the staff are nice and the music is tasteful. If you're after something to eat, there are tapas available and even though this is a bar they do have a coffee machine for the caffeine addicts out there. Attica Bar has a wonderful atmosphere, one you should experience if you haven't yet.

We had our pre dinner drinks there. At one point we were the only patrons in the entire bar,…read moreconsidering it's in a busy downtown hotel surprised us. The views of downtown are a real draw card, it has lots of potential to be place to be seen in. The bar was quite small, and only seemed to stock the usual beers and wine's with the odd unusual beer. If only they stocked a good selection some of the local boutique beers they could be a major draw card. The waitress on duty did not inspire us and just seemed glad for our custom. What a shame for a prime location........

Excellent veggie burger. Easy to sub gluten free and vegan. My youngest son loved his pepperoni…read morepizza. My oldest made the mistake of getting 2 feet of the hot honey pizza, so he'll be enjoying it for days! I had the ipa which was solid, and the view and vibe are spectacular! Quick, friendly service!

We stopped here for a late lunch. With time zones all messed up on our first day here, we wanted to…read moresplit something and keep it light. We chose the Caesar salad with chicken. It came with a hard boiled egg, bacon, grilled chicken, Romain lettuce, garlic bread and a yummy dressing. It was so good and really hit the spot for healthy and hearty. When we arrived, we were handed 2 menus and instructed to sit anywhere we chose. Lots of seating, both in and outdoor. The outdoor patio had a cover which helped those patrons as it was drizzling on and off most of the day. I had a nice sauv Blanc. We got a pitcher of water. Everything was well done and absolutely delicious. Plus, we got to watch some Sunday night American football as we had lunch.

Quiz night on Tuesdays is the perfect excuse to try out the Horse and Trap. Rigsy is a hoot on the…read moremike. And the bar food is well above average. Pizzas, burgers and salads mingle with steaks and pies on the menu and sit even better upon the tongue. Nothing original, but it's all done well. Just what one hopes for at a local. All that's left to achieve is that elusive 1st place...

The Horse & Trap's tagline is that they are a "stable of social relaxing". When we visited on a…read morebusy Friday evening, this was certainly the case. It was pretty packed, with after-work suits, girls pre-loading for town, and an intriguing mix of middle-aged suburbanites. The 100 year old building that the bar is housed in has a lovely feel to it; spread across 3 floors with plenty of private function rooms and outdoor areas, this venue can hold a crowd. As a Monteith's bar, your tap selection also includes their range of ciders which makes for a refreshing summer tipple. We were planning to just grab a drink or two, but looked over the menu & decided to stay. 1 of the 2 man-sized appetites I was dining with had a hankering for a burger, and the Horse & Trap Burger was calling his name. Served with pepper relish, battered onion rings & fries for $20, this was a man-sized burger. It even had the Kiwi touch with large slices of beetroot adorning the filling. The pattie appeared to be homemade, which is a big thumbs up for a busy pub kitchen. The chips were well cooked & seasoned, onion rings crispy & the relish was tasty. The only minor complaint was that the burger had been zealously seasoned - a touch too much cumin & coriander overpowered the other flavours. Otherwise the burger craving was well sated, and the request for extra aioli was happily met. Our other dishes included the Pulled Pork Quesadilla with black beans, cheese, guacamole & salsa ($18). Again this was heartily-sized for a quesadilla. The filling was tasty, but the guacamole was more like pureed avocado as you can see from the photo. It was a little too smooth & runny to qualify as guacamole. The last dish of the 3 was the Open Steak Sandwich with caramelised onion, gravy & fries ($19). Often times you'll get served a rubbery minute steak or flaccid schnitzel in a steak sandwich, so I was pleasantly surprised to have a decent cut of steak, cooked medium-rare. The gravy & onions complemented it very well; all-in-all, pretty damn good pub grub. It's not the cheapest night out at the pub, but the food shouldn't disappoint. Maybe that's why the mostly middle-aged clientele are proud to call this their local.

Amazing service! Our server was from France. What a wonderful person! Please let him know his…read morerecommendations and knowledge of the menu was flawless! We look forward to returning! Derek

Awesome experience. The staff were super awesome and so was the food. The portion sizes were…read moredeceptively good. The service exceptional.

Used to be my regular for years when I lived in NZ. Solid privately owned pub with a garden bar and…read moregood food. Many staff have been there for years. Well worth a visit

My Grandad would say "you don't find many pubs like this in Auckland anymore" and he's probably…read moreright. 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 Yelpers 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...