Bar Savannah is Albany's premier bar and restaurant, set on William Pickering Drive in the heart of Auckland's North Shore. The kitchen team works with seasonal ingredients from local and specialty suppliers, serving modern interpretations of classic dishes with options to suit all dietary preferences.
The menu spans house-made artisan pizzas — including the signature Savannah, loaded with pepperoni, chorizo, ham and chicken — gourmet burgers with house-made sauces, and fresh local seafood such as salmon, green-lip mussels and the famous seafood chowder. Comfort classics, pastas and desserts like sticky date pudding and gulab jamun round things out.
Beyond à la carte dining, the venue hosts private functions, corporate events with full catering and AV facilities, and special occasions with customised packages. Inside there's a spacious dining room seating up to 400 guests, private booths and the Serengeti Room for intimate gatherings; outside, a heated courtyard with a gas fire, garden gazebos and a full-service outdoor bar. The bar pours craft cocktails, craft beer and a carefully curated wine list from local and international vineyards.
Families are welcome during dining hours, the venue is wheelchair accessible, and there's ample on-site parking near Albany bus routes. Reservations can be made online or by phone, with groups of 8+ asked to call ahead.
Bar Savannah occupies a warm, inviting spot on William Pickering Drive in the heart of Albany, and it has made a name for itself as the North Shore's go-to destination for generous plates, a well-stocked bar and hospitality that feels genuinely welcoming. Whether you arrive for a family meal, a catch-up with friends, a business meeting or a milestone celebration, the team here has built the venue — and the menu — to flex around the occasion.
The kitchen's approach is simple: seasonal ingredients from local and specialty suppliers, classic dishes interpreted with a modern hand, and enough variety that everyone at the table finds something. Dietary preferences are well catered for, with vegetarian options across the pizza, burger and pasta sections of the menu.
Artisan pizzas are a house signature in their own right. Every base is made in-house, and the toppings lean generous — the Savannah pizza, the venue's namesake, stacks pepperoni, chorizo, ham and chicken on that homemade base, while BBQ chicken, Hawaiian, pepperoni, meatlovers and a vegetable-topped vegetarian round out the lineup.
The burger section is just as hearty. The Maple Chicken pairs crumbed chicken with slaw, gherkin, cheese, spicy mayo and a maple drizzle on a brioche bun; the Beef comes with bacon, cheese, caramelised onions and the house special burger sauce; and the Jack Daniel's goes further still, adding onion rings and a glaze of the famous whiskey sauce.
Seafood holds its own against the big hitters. Local salmon arrives pan-fried with mashed potato, vegetables and lemon garlic sauce, green-lip mussels come in a creamy garlic pot with ciabatta for mopping, and the seafood chowder — served with garlic ciabatta — is a genuine house favourite. The classics section covers comfort territory: creamy chicken fettuccine, the cheerfully named Fush & Chups, an Open Steak Sammy built on slow-cooked scotch, and a chicken parmigiana with salad and fries. Dessert runs from sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce to gulab jamun — milk-dough balls in rose and cardamom syrup, served with ice cream.
Inside, the main dining area is spacious and comfortable, with seating for up to 400 guests, private booths for quieter conversations, and the Serengeti Room — an exclusive private dining space for intimate gatherings. The bar is fully stocked with premium spirits, craft beer and a carefully curated wine list spanning local and international vineyards, and the bartenders mix craft cocktails to match.
Step outside and the space keeps going. A heated courtyard with a gas fire feature makes al fresco dining comfortable year-round, while the garden village — a cluster of weather-protected gazebos in natural surroundings — hosts everything from casual outdoor lunches to full-scale garden parties, with a full-service outdoor bar on hand.
The venue also keeps a lively events calendar, with happy hour specials, live music nights featuring local musicians, weekend brunch and daily chef's specials built around seasonal ingredients.
Bar Savannah has built a strong reputation as a functions venue. Private functions scale from intimate gatherings to large celebrations; corporate events come with full catering and AV facilities in a professional setting; and special occasions — birthdays, anniversaries, engagements — can be tailored with customised packages. The team's gallery of past events reads like a catalogue of North Shore celebrations: wedding receptions, Christmas functions, engagement parties and large-scale milestones.
Bar Savannah opens from 11am, seven days a week: Monday to Wednesday until 9pm, Thursday until 10pm, Friday and Saturday until late, and Sunday until 9pm. Reservations can be made online or by phone, and groups of eight or more are asked to call ahead so the team can look after you properly.
Practicalities are well covered: there's ample parking on site, the venue sits near Albany's bus routes, the premises are wheelchair accessible, and families are welcome during dining hours. For enquiries, functions or gift cards, email [email protected] or call 09 915 5495 — the team responds to emails within 24 hours.
Whether it's a midweek chowder, a Saturday celebration in the garden gazebos, or a corporate lunch in the Serengeti Room, Bar Savannah delivers the same thing: big flavours, a warm room, and hospitality that makes Albany feel like a small town in the best way.