Northcote Tavern

About Northcote Tavern

A pub has stood on the Northcote Point site since the 1850s, and today's Northcote Tavern — 'The Tav' to locals — carries that history with pride. The two-storey building, opened in 1884 after the original hotel was lost to fire, still retains the charm and atmosphere of a bygone era, yet it now caters fully to a modern North Shore community: sport, food, family and community are the key ingredients.

Inside you'll find distinctly different spaces. The Highlander Bar & Eatery charms visitors with its old-world lounge feel, Scottish memorabilia, winter fire and an impressive line-up of tap beers, wines and spirits. Callan's Sports Bar, named after the pioneer who built the first pub here, shows sport from around the world on wide screens, with a TAB counter and 18 poker machines. Outdoors, lawns and gardens fill with families and friends on sunny days — the Herald's Viva publication has named the tavern one of Auckland's five sunny spots to have a drink.

The kitchen serves generous modern pub favourites, from the Famous Hawker Roll and Tavern Fried Chicken to smash burgers, a beef cheek pie and a much-loved Sunday roast every week, plus a dedicated kids menu. Point Espresso covers the coffee, cookies and other non-alcoholic drinks, with Nice Blocks organic ice blocks for warm days. Owner-operators Billy and Kim Milne have run The Tav since 1989.

Northcote Tavern: Auckland's Historic North Shore Pub for Sunday Roasts, Beer Gardens and Sport

There has been a pub on the Northcote Point site since the 1850s, which makes the Northcote Tavern — 'The Tav' to generations of locals — one of the oldest pubs on Auckland's North Shore. Sitting in sight of the Harbour Bridge on Queen Street, it pairs a genuinely historic building with everything a modern community wants: good pub food, a proper beer garden, live sport, great coffee and a warm welcome for families.

From Philip Callan to The Tav

The story begins with Philip Callan, an Irishman from County Cork who arrived in Auckland with his wife Jane in 1840. Callan bought land around Stokes Point — as Northcote Point was then known — built the first wharf, ran a brickworks on the beach, and in the late 1850s opened a one-storey brick hotel under a publican's bush licence. The North Auckland Hotel, later the Ferry Hotel, became a focal point for travellers between the North Shore and Auckland; its licence even required a boat to run a set number of times each day, and early maps marked the spot as Callan's Point.

Fire destroyed that first building, and the handsome two-storey family hotel that replaced it opened in 1884 — looking much as the tavern does today. A second fire in 1888 led to another rebuild, and a new wing was added on the Queen Street side in 1936. When the Harbour Bridge opened in 1959 and ferry travellers no longer needed overnight beds, the hotel became a tavern. Billy and Kim Milne took over in January 1989 and went on to buy the business, land and buildings outright — and The Tav has been in caring local hands ever since.

Old-world bars, sunny lawns

Step into the Highlander Bar & Eatery and you may well feel, as many visitors put it, like you've walked back in time. There's no chrome, glass or tiles here — this is a lounge bar in the old sense, dressed with weapons, trophies, family shields and other Scottish keepsakes: a little piece of Scotland in Auckland. In winter a hearty fire wards off the cold, three big screens carry the sport, and the bar pours an impressive line-up of tap beers alongside wines, spirits, bottled beer and non-alcoholic options. When the sun is shining, the garden outside the Highlander hums with people of all ages — the Herald's Viva magazine has even named the tavern one of Auckland's five sunny spots to have a drink.

Sporting types gravitate to Callan's Sports Bar, named after the pioneer who first established a pub here. Wide-screen TVs show sport from all over the world, a TAB counter covers the betting, and a recently refurbished room beside the main bar houses 18 poker machines. It's where mates love to meet.

What's on the plate

The kitchen turns out generous, modern pub food. The Famous Hawker Roll — peri-peri chicken, slaw and coriander yoghurt — and T.F.C (Tavern Fried Chicken) with kimchi slaw and sambal mayo lead a line-up that runs from a curry of the day and a tavern poke rice bowl to creamy mushroom fettuccine, scotch fillet, fish and chips and a hearty beef cheek pie. Burger fans can go classic with the smashed cheese burger or plant-based with the Vege Beyond Burger, and there's a famous Reuben sandwich, banger and mash and pork belly for good measure. Sundays belong to the Tavern Sunday Roast — roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast veges and house gravy — one reason the tavern keeps coming up in searches for Auckland's best Sunday roasts, best pub pies, best beer gardens and best classic pubs.

Little ones get their own kids menu — chicken nuggets, a mini chicken rice bowl, a mini smashed cheeseburger, fish and chips and a hot dog — with ice cream included with any kids' meal. For the non-alcoholic crowd, Point Espresso pours great coffee alongside biscuits and cookies, while Nice Blocks, the natural and organic ice block brand, is a hit on warmer days.

Beyond the day-to-day, The Tav is a genuine community venue, home to events run by the tavern and a welcoming space for functions run by others. Whether you come for a pint by the fire in the Highlander, an afternoon of sport in Callan's, a sunny session on the lawns with the kids or a flat white from Point Espresso, you'll find the Northcote Tavern doing what it has done for more than 160 years — and doing it with the easy charm of an old English country pub.

Signature items

• Famous Hawker Roll
• Tavern Sunday Roast
• T.F.C (Tavern Fried Chicken)
• Famous Reuben Sandwich
• Smashed Cheese Burger
• Fish & Chips

Menu

Sides

• Garden Salad — Salad mix, tomato, cucumber and onion with lemon dressing
• Roast Vegetables — Pumpkin seeds and sesame dressing

Brunchy

• Famous Reuben Sandwich — Corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on toasted rye
• Banger & Mash — House-made pork and fennel sausages, creamy mash, caramelised onions, peas and house-made gravy
• B.L.A.T — Bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato with fries
• The Tuna Melt — Served with potato crisps, pickles and jalapeño relish
• Loaded Bacon Butty (11am–1pm) — Streaky bacon, egg, hash brown and BBQ sauce on toasted brioche
• Egg on Toast (11am–1pm) — Fried or poached free-range egg with bacon, toasted ciabatta and hash brown

Burgers

• Smashed Cheese Burger — Angus beef patty, cheddar, onion rings, secret sauce and fries
• Vege Beyond Burger — Jackfruit patty, grilled pineapple, caramelised onion and kewpie mayo with fries

Dessert

• Ice Cream Sundae — Sprinkles, wafers and a cherry
• Chocolate & Berry Cheesecake — Served with Kapiti vanilla ice cream
• Classic Crème Brûlée — With vanilla biscotti

Platters

• Mediterranean Mezze Platter — Pita bread, grilled chicken, hummus, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, falafel and feta
• Asian Platter — Karaage chicken, onion rings, curry meatballs and vege samosas

Kids Menu

• Chicken Nuggets & Fries — A kids' menu classic
• Mini Chicken Rice Bowl — A pint-sized rice bowl
• Smashed Cheeseburger & Fries — The little version of the pub favourite
• Fish & Chips with Petite Salad — Kid-sized fish and chips with a small salad
• Yummy Hot Dog & Fries — Hot dog served with fries
• Kids Ice Cream — Included with any kids' meal

Pub Snacks

• Truffle Mushroom Bruschetta — Parmesan, green herb mayo, caramelised onion, garlic truffle mushroom medley on toasted ciabatta
• Beer Battered Fries — Crispy golden beer-battered fries
• La Poutine — Golden fries, cheese curds and house-made gravy
• Cheesy Garlic Ciabatta — Herb garlic butter and a three cheese blend
• Classic Caesar Salad — Soft-boiled egg, bacon, croutons and anchovy; add chicken
• Karaage Fried Chicken Bites — Sesame kewpie and toasted sesame seeds
• Thai Style Prawn Salad — Crispy cos lettuce, grapes, rice noodles, crushed peanuts and nam jim
• Epic Beef Nachos — Cheese sauce, guacamole and sour cream
• Salt & Pepper Squid — Served with homemade aioli
• Vege Gyoza Dumplings — Slaw, crushed peanuts and soy dressing
• Seasoned Wedges — Sour cream and sweet chilli

Pub Favourites

• Famous Hawker Roll — Peri-peri chicken with slaw and coriander yoghurt
• T.F.C (Tavern Fried Chicken) — Cheddar, kimchi slaw, pickles, sambal mayo and fries
• Curry of the Day — Homemade curry with jasmine rice, naan and pickles
• Tavern Poke Rice Bowl — Karaage chicken, peri-peri chicken or soy-marinated tofu with seaweed, kimchi, sambal mayo and sesame
• Creamy Mushroom Fettuccine — Creamy mushroom sauce, baby spinach and grana padano
• Fish & Chips — Beer-battered fish, garden salad, lemon and tartare sauce
• Scotch Fillet 250gr — Beer-battered fries, spiced salt butter and mushroom sauce
• Beef Cheek Pie — Creamy mash potato, seasonal vegetables and house-made gravy
• The Pork Belly — Plum and cherry purée, dumpling, kimchi and hoisin glaze
• Tavern Sunday Roast (Every Sunday) — Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast veges and house gravy

Frequently asked questions

How old is the Northcote Tavern?

There has been a pub on the Northcote Point site since the 1850s. The current two-storey building opened in 1884, and the hotel became a tavern when the Harbour Bridge opened in 1959.

Is the Northcote Tavern family friendly?

Yes. Families love the lawns and outdoor areas, and there's a dedicated kids menu with ice cream included with any kids' meal.

When is the Sunday roast served?

The Tavern Sunday Roast — roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast veges and house gravy — is served every Sunday.

Can I watch sport at the tavern?

Callan's Sports Bar has wide-screen TVs playing sport from all over the world, plus a TAB counter and 18 poker machines. The Highlander Bar also has three big screens.

Can I book the tavern for a function or event?

Yes. The Northcote Tavern hosts its own events and is a great venue for appropriate functions run by others. Enquire by emailing [email protected] or calling 09 480 7707.

Is there coffee or other non-alcoholic options?

Point Espresso serves great coffee, biscuits, cookies and other non-alcoholic drinks, and Nice Blocks natural, organic ice blocks are popular on warm days.

What drinks are on offer?

The Highlander Bar pours an impressive line-up of tap beers along with wines, spirits, bottled beer and non-alcoholic options; Callan's Sports Bar offers beers on tap plus the complete bottled range.

Tips

• {"body":"The Tavern Sunday Roast — roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and house gravy — is on every Sunday, and The Tav often comes up among Auckland's best Sunday roasts.","title":"Time your visit for Sunday"}
• {"body":"On a fine day, grab a spot in the garden outside the Highlander Bar or on the lawns — the Herald's Viva named the tavern one of Auckland's five sunny spots to have a drink.","title":"Chase the sun"}
• {"body":"Wide screens showing sport from around the world, a TAB counter and 18 poker machines make Callan's Sports Bar the place to be on game day.","title":"Sports fans head to Callan's"}
• {"body":"The kids menu covers nuggets, mini cheeseburgers, fish and chips and hot dogs, and ice cream comes included with any kids' meal.","title":"Bring the kids"}
• {"body":"Point Espresso pours great coffee and cookies, and Nice Blocks natural and organic ice blocks are hugely popular in summer.","title":"Warm-weather sweet stop"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Dedicated kids menu with ice cream included; families love the lawns and outdoor areas","dietary":"Vegetarian options such as the Vege Beyond Burger, vege gyoza dumplings and soy-marinated tofu for the poke bowl"}