Perched above Takapuna Beach at the roundabout where Anzac, Hurstmere and The Strand meet, Takapuna Surf Club is the North Shore's new rooftop garden bar. Two garden bars catch all-day sun, with sweeping views of Rangitoto Island and the wider Hauraki Gulf, all designed around Takapuna's urban-meets-beachside lifestyle.
It's a laid-back, all-day bar and eatery: pop in for a quick post-swim drink or settle in for a long lunch under the sun. The kitchen takes its inspiration from nostalgic clubroom dining, offering elevated versions of familiar favourites on a seasonal menu that highlights quality local produce — small plates like coconut ceviche and prawn lettuce cups, a 300g bavette steak, a classic snapper burger, hand-stretched pizzas numbered one to six, plus spritzes, margaritas, the house Espresso Martini, a deep zero-alcohol list and a dedicated kids menu.
Behind it all are the 'Five Fellas' — hospitality veterans Callum O'Brien, Andrew Roborgh, Kristian Lloydd and Reuben Ruscoe with Head Chef Maia Atvars — the team that launched Queens Rooftop & Wineshop and established Dr Rudi's and Saint Alice in the Viaduct Harbour. Open seven days a week, with walk-ins always welcome and bookings Sunday to Friday for groups of two to 30. Enter via the escalator on Hurstmere Road and grab yourself a table.
Perched above Takapuna Beach, Takapuna Surf Club is the rooftop garden bar the North Shore has been waiting for. Nau mai, haere mai — welcome to all-day sun, ocean views and plenty of good times, served from a rooftop oasis that looks out over Rangitoto Island and the wider Hauraki Gulf.
The venue is designed to capture Takapuna's urban-meets-beachside lifestyle. Two garden bars catch the sun through the day, and the mood is deliberately laid-back: drop in for a quick post-swim drink, settle in for a long lunch under the sun, or stay on as the evening rolls in. It's open seven days a week, and true to its seaside setting there's no fuss — walk on in and grab yourself a table.
Takapuna Surf Club is the work of the 'Five Fellas' — hospitality veterans Callum O'Brien, Andrew Roborgh, Kristian Lloydd and Reuben Ruscoe, together with Head Chef Maia Atvars. They launched the hugely popular Queens Rooftop & Wineshop on Queen Street in 2024 and are the team that established iconic Auckland venues Dr Rudi's and Saint Alice in the Viaduct Harbour. With Takapuna Surf Club, serving since 2025, they've brought that rooftop know-how to Auckland's most famous seaside suburb, and the opening has quickly drawn attention from local media as a go-to beachside destination for the Shore.
The menu takes its inspiration from nostalgic clubroom dining — elevated versions of familiar favourites — and changes seasonally to make the most of quality local produce.
The smaller plates set the tone. Think coconut ceviche with orange and corn tortilla chips, prawn lettuce cups with Asian-style vermicelli noodles, calamari with sweet and spicy salt, Nashville-spiced fried chicken wings, and a hand-cut beef tartare built on chargrilled picanha. Garden-bar favourites like wood fired puff bread with pecorino and confit garlic butter, and an heirloom tomato and strawberry salad with stracciatella and manuka honey, round out the list.
Larger plates cover the familiar done well: a 300g bavette steak with tarragon mustard sauce and agria chips, chicken breast schnitzel with seasonal slaw, classic beef nachos, squid ink linguini aglio e olio with tiger prawns, pan-roasted fish of the day, and a classic snapper burger with homemade tartare and fries. Salads run from a Roses halloumi and falafel number to a chopped Greek salad, and there's a dedicated kids menu for smaller appetites.
The hand-stretched pizzas are numbered one to six, running from the Margherita through spicy salami, sweet corn with burratina, prosciutto and warm honey, summer ratatouille, pork and fennel sausage, and a seafood ragu with prawns and octopus. In a nod to the clubroom theme, you can order a trio of crusty dips for the crusts — though note, no half-and-half pizzas.
The taps pour a reliable lineup: Peroni and Asahi alongside New Zealand craft from EPIC, Hallertau, Sawmill and Balter, plus Morningcider apple cider. The bottled list goes deep on zero-alcohol options, from Peroni 0.0% and Asahi 0.0% to EPIC 'Super Zero' IPA and State of Play's zero-alcohol ales — handy after a long session in the sun.
Cocktails lean bright and spritzy: a Hugo Spritz with elderflower and cucumber, a Peach & Rose Spritz, a Strawberry & Basil Spritz and a Pimms Cup, alongside Spicy Watermelon and Clarified Pineapple & Coconut Margaritas, a Cherry Martini, and the house Surf Club Espresso Martini and Surf Club Bloody Mary, available with vodka or mezcal. Mocktails include a Cucumber Colada and a Tea-time with chamomile, mandarin and lavender. And if none of that is quite your style? 'Down for a classic? We make them all — just ask your server.'
Beyond food and drink, there's a steady run of good times — quiz night among them, with bookings from 6pm and the quiz kicking off at 7pm. Groups of two to 30 can book Sunday to Friday; bigger groups can email the team and they'll come back to you. Walk-ins are always welcome, and the team is upfront about it: they're all about walk-ins right now.
Finding it is easy once you know the trick: Takapuna Surf Club sits at the roundabout where Anzac, Hurstmere and The Strand meet, and you enter via the escalator on Hurstmere Road. Step off, grab a table, and let the rooftop do the rest — all-day sun, an ocean breeze and views all the way to Rangitoto.