The Votes Are In: These Are the Top 50 Gastropubs in New Zealand According to Pint-Loving Kiwis
From classic 100-year-old pubs to unique local joints, there's a gastropub to fit everyone on this list.
An impressive lineup of 84 gastropubs throughout Aotearoa have put their best foot forward in the hopes of being crowned New Zealand's best, with establishments from Russell to the deep south of Cromwell throwing their hats in the ring. Last month, Kiwis voted for their favourite spot to have a pint and some kai — and now the results have been revealed.
The concept of a gastropub is pretty simple: a pub that champions food as much as it does pints. While the competition has already made a name for itself in the UK, this will be the first time the best gastropub will be crowned in Aotearoa, with Hospitality New Zealand getting behind the awards.
While some pubs on the list are veterans of New Zealand's gastropub industry there are others that may not fit the typical pub stereotype — such as Auckland Viaduct's Lula Inn, which is well known for its wild bottomless brunch.
Many unique local joints also made the list, like Napier's waterfront cocktail bar The Gintrap, and Godsown Brewery which pours pints out of a caravan and serves them up in an enormous safari tent.
If you're wanting a true pub experience, there are a few must visit spots on this list. The Matakana Village Pub has been the heart and soul of the small town since it was built from a kauri tree in 1903, while The Riverhead pub has been entertaining the Kumeu community for the past 160 years.
Of course, The Top 50 list would not be complete without a mention of The Cardrona Hotel. This unofficial apres ski spot is swarmed by tired, thirsty mountain-goers looking for a mulled wine every evening in the winter, while punters enjoy the gorgeous garden with a vino in hand in the summer.
Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive Steve Armitage said the list reflected the huge offering of gastropubs Aotearoa has to offer. "We had more than 5,000 people vote in the awards and the competition was fierce. The list is just a small snippet of the country's best, with more than a thousand gastropubs right across the motu," Armitage said.
The Top 50 awards evening which will be held on Wednesday, April 10. At the event the supreme winner of New Zealand gastropubs will be announced, as well the top gastropub in seven regions across Aotearoa. Scroll for the full Top 50 list.
The Top 50 Gastropubs in New Zealand in no particular order:
- Fantail & Turtle
- The Riverhead
- Milford Motel
- Franklins Bar & Eatery
- BBC Tasting Studio by Birkenhead Brewing Co.
- iTi
- The Matakana Village Pub
- The Lula Inn
- The Shakespeare Hotel & Brewery
- The Lumsden Freehouse
- Bay View Hotel
- The Keg Room
- The Lookout Bar & kitchen
- Mavericks Gastro Pub
- Storyteller Eatery & Bar
- Pig & Whistle Historic Pub
- The Helm Bar and Kitchen
- The Waimate
- CBK Craft Bar & Kitchen
- Little River Inn
- The Speight's Ale House & Street Food Kitchen Timaru
- Pomeroy's Old Brewery Inn
- Thirsty Acres
- Saints Cafe, Restaurant & Bar
- The Laboratory
- Ōtoromiro Hotel
- Cassels Brewery Bar and Restaurant
- Thistle Inn
- The Puketapu
- Brew Union Brewing Co.
- D4 on Featherston
- GodsOwn Brewery
- The Gintrap
- Portside
- The Fat Duck Gastropub
- Redcliff Restaurant and Bar
- Cardrona Hotel
- Brunel Peaks Cafe & Bar
- The Speight's Ale House Dunedin
- Crafty's Bar & Grill
- Pog Mahone's Irish Pub
- Butlers Reef
- The Tahi Bar + Kitchen
- Frings Bar & Eatery
- The Good Home New Plymouth
- The Crafty Local
- Nauti Penguin
- Sprig + Fern Tahuna
- Strawberry Tree Kaikoura Limited
- The Vic Public House
To see more details about the Top 50 New Zealand Gastropub list, head to the awards website. The top gastropub and regional winners will be announced at an awards night on Wednesday, April 10.
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