Loved this pub in Dunedin, next to New Zealand's famous Speights Brewery. The ales were great of course, but the food was surprisingly good too! I had the chicken parcel, which was chicken breasts in phylo dough with bacon, soft cheese and almonds, plus a salad and crispy potatoes - delicious - and so large that the leftovers made a super lunch the next day. My wife had a chowder that she really liked too. Service was so-so as our waitresss seemed very busy and it took a while to get our bill, but the ambiance is excellent, with lots of historical items and a really fun vibe. Definitely worth having dinner here if you can! read more

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Quality/Quantity - Wished I discovered this place sooner; it would have been nice to have taken the brewery tour. We got here too late and only had enough time to get a flight. Later we discovered their beers at all the local supermarkets. She told me that the flights of 8 were NOT that much beer. That they were only about 3 ounces each. Well (see picture) they were about 5 ounces each... The fight hit the spot, I was just glad I did not have to walk too far to get back to the cruise ship... Atmosphere - Huge brewery. Restaurant, bar/brewery, etc. Interesting decor throughout. Booth, table, bar, etc seating. Seating upstairs or downstairs, etc. Brewery tours 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm. Service - Good, counter service. Price - $22 NZ; $13.50 US. Inexpensive for what I got, I am surprised I finished... Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1999 (1876 brewery). I will be sure to take the brewery tour next time I am here and might even try your food. Well, I can just do your brewery lunch or dinner tasting tour! read more

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Food and beers were fantastic. Nice quaint little place with a lot of beers on tap, plus lots of seating and good food. We had the fish of the day. It was amazing. Our server Bella was really great and attentive. Cheers enjoy! read more

The Speight's Ale House - Pubs Near Me - Dunedin, OTA

This is New Zealand's top brewery from 1876. They offer a 90 min tour of the stages of brewing, trade Logos, tradition beers, old commercials and videos. There was a large gift shop, hotel & restaurant. We enjoyed lunch at the restaurant. We started with pints & shared ribs with wedges which are potatoes. Portions were enormous, I'm glad we shared. We were told the dinner portion is much larger. Service was attentive, knowledgeable & quick. The ribs were a bit dry & fatty. The potatoes were perfect ! Kumara are sweet potatoes. read more

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Let's just say Paul S you would be in heaven. I greatly underestimated this brewery. I was thinking of some of our local breweries, quaint and small. When I turned the corner and saw several buildings over about two blocks, I was wowed. I met my son at the pub for lunch and we each went different directions in seeing Dunedin. The pub is large, three seating areas. We did main floor in the back. Of course they offer two different flights. Just go all out and the larger flight. You only miss 3 of their beers. None was what I expected, being used to American beers/ales. The food was big and hearty. Local ingredients used in pub food that could be paired with specific beers. So we went with beef schnitzel - this tender seasoned beef in a crispy coating and bangers and mash - juicy fat sausages with thick mashed potatoes and peas. Mmmm. After lunch and beer we discovered the smaller tasting room and souvenir shop next door. It's nice, but eat and drink next door, more atmosphere. At the tasting room was the sign up for tours. You need to call ahead or be there first thing. All the tours were already full. Yes Paul S this should be an all day adventure in your future. read more

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Speight's is one of the original and still largest breweries in New Zealand. Located in Dunedin, you could make a whole afternoon visiting. I walked around the old red brick building in the evening on our only day there. The brewery proper has a public tour and gift shop. It's huge with all manner of items for purchase. I was too late to jump on any of the tours, but I was okay with that on limited time. I headed outside and down the street to Speight's Ale House, which is their bar and restaurant. Located down from the main brewery, it's a large welcoming structure. Inside the room is dominated by a bar, staff members swirling around, and tables galore. It has an English vibe and was a cozy place for a drink. They had a nice selection of food, but I passed on this as well. I claimed a small table and headed for the bar. Their taster flight was all eight Speight's beers currently on tap; seven base beers and one rotating tap. It was very cheap, less than $10 and the glasses were large. It was served in a solid wooden box and you're given a flight card with information about each one. I really enjoyed myself here, and recommend it to any beer lover in need of a pint and pie. read more

Food is delicious and pretty good for your money. We prefer Speights over Emersons easily! Better kai options and value for your money. read more

Great food, great beer and great atmosphere! This traditional alehouse has a great atmosphere and the beer is excellent and reasonably priced. The food is very good and even though the restaurant was busy it came out very quickly. The service is great - the staff are very attentive! read more

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Really good food. Excellent beer selections. Got seated right away but service was a little slow.

We took the tour here but did not eat, rather drank. The tour guide was exceptional in his enthusiasm for the drop but he was knowledgeable and entertaining. They certainly have put a bit of effort into the display and tell the history of ale and this company. There was an uneasy moment when it was explained that Cadbury and Speight shared the same ships for delivery; who said that chocolate and beer don't mix? The tour culminated in a tasting of the ales, pilsners and a cider. These were on tap and served in a seven glass. There was no problem in going back for seconds or thirds either. Bring a water bottle with you as at the front door of the brewery is a tap for the spring water that is used to make the beer. read more

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In A Nutshell: -Speight's Ale House is a great spot to grab a pint or two plus complimentary food. -The menu has quite a few choices that pair the correct beer w/ your food. -The food is classic bar food (see mouthwatering photos below). -Service was outstanding. -Lot's of room to explore & snap photos. Overall, had a really good time there w/ a group of friends. read more

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The beer is good - I'm particularly fond of the 5 Malt Old Dark. And the food has been very good, too. It's become my go-to place while I've been in Dunedin this week. read more

Speights Ale House ... great house brewed beer and food. We tried the ribeye steak, the venison and the highland lamb - all very good. The best is still the mud cake dessert with chocolate sauce that is so chocolatey and the sweetness is just right with a bit of bitterness from the thick chocolate sauce - great. Also tried their golf medal beer and old dark, both taste are super. . Food : 4/5 Service : 4/5 Price : $$$ Place : 4/5 . Halal Rest : Speights Ale House Location : Dunedin City : New Zealand . read more

First try of the speights ale house take away n alas another let down not only $71 in total was bit of a rip but soon as I get home already messed up my order they gave me plain bread rather instead of garlic my partners cherry chicken was the only good thing about his meal however his mash was not nice tasting and I love ribs tasty sauce but seriously they need to learn to make ribs how they should be like super tender n falling off the bone not bloody chewy n bit burnt and at least get some descent meaty ribs read more

I was so happy with the garlic bread! The beers were great but that bread though! Hope to take the brewery tour next time. read more

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Speight's is highly lit on a Friday evening. Liz's parents were visiting so we took them here one evening. They were quick to get all of us students pretty drunk and pretty full. The hummus platter is massive and not for the faint of heart. I reckon it is a good bang for your buck though, and I am all about good bangs. read more

I ordered the beef schnitzel which was just OK. After numerous work related trips to Germany, I want schnitzel to taste like it came out a kitchen in Germany. It did not. Also, most schnitzel is made from pork; I was fine with beef schnitzel but the gravy and meat combination did not make me lick the plate. My wife ordered the pork ribs which were not very meaty, had too much fat and were hard to eat. Again, we come from the pork producing state of Iowa in the USA so our standard for pork ribs is definitely not what we received at Speight's. My 3-star rating is generous. read more

We have been coming to the Alehouse for years and they continue to make great food and have great service. We have always felt welcome and enjoy the atmosphere, so much so we had our Civil Union reception here read more

The Speight's Ale House - Delicious soup of the day and the signature "Blue and Gold" - Pubs Near Me - Dunedin, OTA

Really good grub! The fish n' chips and the salads are huge and excellent!

Pulled into Dunedin on a Sunday evening. I those would just snack in our hotel room but my wife found Speight's on Yelp so off we went. Very much an ale-house, and although it was nearly empty for our Sunday visit, I imagine it is jumping most evenings. Wide selection of bear and ales plus a full bar. We both had lamb, and it was delicious. We finished off with the parfait which I highly recommend. read more

Seven of us, 4 adults and 3 kids, arrived for dinner without a reservation on 6th Jan. Quick and friendly service. Ordered 2 x bangers and mash, 2 rib meals, 1 seafood chowder, a kids platter and lamb shanks. Large portion sizes. The only minor comment is that some of the bangers were a bit dry and the cooked potatoes with the lamb shanks needed more gravy. On request a jug of gravy was brought out quickly, and this satisfied. Prices were reasonable and we all left happy with our dinners. read more

With an uncle in the business, it was inevitable that I eventually visited one of the numerous pubs in New Zealand that sell the Speights Brewery beers. When we arrived in Dunedin, we decided to head to the original Ale House. And it provided welcome shelter and sustenance in the driving rain that had greeted us! The ale house itself is a large room, with an upper mezzanine area over the dining section, and a huge log fire near the bar. It's well lit, which means you can appreciate the food and the drink being served (I'm not fond of peering at my plate in darkness!). And as it the evening drew on and it began to fill up, the atmosphere was pleasant, if a little loud. Whilst we picked the ale house because it was associated with Speights Brewery, we were primarily there for the food because I'm not a big drinker and my boyfriend was driving. But we did share a glass of Speights cider, which was a very nice drink, and something I would happily drink again if it was on the menu. The food was comfortable, pub fare, and well done. I had a seafood chowder which was full of flavour and very creamy and filling, accompanied by some slightly disappointing malt bread (a little tasteless for me, but it soaked up the soup well) and a bowl of kumara (the new zealand sweet potato) chips which were nice, but would have been nicer without the salt that had been added before they were served. It's a shame we didn't arrive a little earlier in the day, as the Speights brewery also runs guided tours and tastings, which can be added to a two course meal, and would probably be quite interesting. And whilst I wouldn't go out of my way to visit again, for a relatively cheap, comforting dining option whilst in Dunedin, I would recommend the ale house as a place to visit. read more

Reliably good pub food, drinks and service. Does exactly what it says on the tin. Good selection so a great choice for groups and families. We often get the lunchtime ribeye steak which is fantastic value. read more

Have just returned from a family evening at Speights Alehouse Dunedin. Our family group of five included a 6yr old, who was served her meal last .. mot a great start. The food was good but unfortunately we were placed in front of the open window and the evening was a little chilly and damp.. But not as damp as we were to become,... the top floor dining tables were directly above us and someone spilt a drink which came down through the gaps in the wooden ceiling, dripping into the head and shoulder of one of our party. When we asked about this, we were told "sorry about that but someone up there has spilled a drink" We were not moved to or offered another table..it appeared the restaurant was fully booked. Shortly after we were approached by the manager to explain that the same thing had happened on the top floor, so once again we may expect to get a little wet,! Not even a complimentary drink, or sincere apology was offered. This is an appalling situation to say the least, needless to say we will not be dining at Speights Alhouse again..which is a shame as we are local and will be here long after the tourists have departed. read more

Service was slow when ordering drinks at the bar and after ordering our meal. Too much lettuce was added to the main courses. The place was also far too noisy. read more