The Puhoi Pub Hotel & Stables...Est 1879

About The Puhoi Pub Hotel & Stables...Est 1879

A historic country pub in the Bohemian settlement of Puhoi, the Puhoi Pub Hotel & Stables has been part of village life since 1879. Set on Saleyards Road among the classically colonial pub, hotel buildings and stables, it sits below the wayside calvary shrine on the hill, at the heart of a community founded in 1863 by settlers from Bohemia who arrived by way of the Puhoi River — a story that still shapes the village, half an hour from central Auckland via the motorway.

The kitchen serves generous pub fare from late morning: big breakfasts until midday, beer-battered fish and chips, steak, seafood chowder, burgers, pizzas and sharing platters, plus weekend-only pulled pork tacos. Behind the bar are the pub's own house beers — Puhoi Pub Lager, Ale and Light — alongside tap favourites, wines, bubbles, ciders and non-alcoholic choices.

There is a kids' menu for ages 12 and under, hotel accommodation for those making a night of it, and a shop of pub-branded tees, hoodies, signs and gifts. With its deep Bohemian roots and unhurried country pace, the Puhoi Pub is both a destination and a proper local.

Puhoi Pub Hotel & Stables: A Historic 1879 Country Pub in Puhoi Village, Auckland

The Puhoi Pub Hotel & Stables is the kind of pub that anchors a whole village. Set on Saleyards Road in Puhoi, a leafy historic settlement on the banks of the Puhoi River about half an hour from central Auckland via the motorway, it has been trading since 1879. Its classically colonial pub, hotel buildings and stables sit below the wayside calvary shrine that overlooks the village from the hill — the first clue, regulars will tell you, to Puhoi's distinctive European beginnings.

A Village Built by Bohemian Settlers

Puhoi's story is unlike most in New Zealand. On 29 June 1863, after three months at sea, the first group of Bohemian emigrants was paddled up the river by Maori and landed on the muddy banks below the present Centennial Hall, where two nikau whares and a cold winter awaited them. They had been drawn by an offer of 40-acre sections from the New Zealand Government — a scheme instigated by Captain Martin Krippner of Mantau, Bohemia, and his brother-in-law Pynson Wilmot Longdill. The land, they discovered too late, was mountainous and heavily forested. From that hardship grew a determined, close-knit community with music, faith and its own gathering places.

The pub's own lineage runs through that era: an Irishman, Andrew Meaney, took up a bush licence around 1873-75 and opened a shanty known as the baby saloon; Clark's saloon fared a little better; then came John Schollum's German Hotel — later renamed the Puhoi Hotel — and Vincent Schischka's hotel store and boarding house, established in 1876. The Puhoi Pub Hotel & Stables carries that heritage forward from its 1879 founding, and the Bohemian character of the village still figures strongly in the community today.

What's on the Table

The kitchen keeps things hearty and generous. Mornings bring the Puhoi Big Breakfast — bacon, creamy mushrooms, sausages, tomato, hash brown and eggs with toast — along with bacon and eggs and waffles with bacon and maple syrup, available until midday. After that come the classics: beer-battered fish and chips, steak with garlic butter or mushroom sauce, seafood chowder with garlic bread, salt and pepper calamari, pan-fried garlic prawns and baked brie with cranberry and crackers. Burgers span a bacon and beetroot cheese burger — optionally topped with Puhoi Valley blue cheese — to chicken with sriracha mayo and a fish burger, while pizzas run from Neapolitan to Italian meat and a chicken version with Puhoi Valley brie and cranberry.

For sharing there's a mixed platter, a seafood platter and a Puhoi Valley cheeseboard, and on Saturdays and Sundays only, pulled pork tacos with fries, slaw and pickled onion. Behind the bar the pub pours its own house beers — Puhoi Pub Lager, Ale and Light — alongside tap staples like Heineken, Asahi, Tuatara Hazy and Guinness, plus wines, bubbles, ciders, RTDs and non-alcoholic options. A kids' menu covers the under-12s, and the kitchen notes that during busy periods food may take a little longer — part of the country pace.

Settle In and Stay Awhile

This is more than a lunch stop. The pub offers accommodation, so a visit can easily become a weekend of village wandering — historic streets carved out of the bush by those first settlers, and the slow, meandering river that started it all. If you can't make it just yet, the website even offers a 3D view of the bar. Doors open from 11am Monday to Thursday and from 10am Friday to Sunday, and the shop sells pub-branded tees, hoodies, signs and other merchandise to take a bit of Puhoi home with you.

Whether you come for a long lunch, a pint of the house lager, a cheeseboard with friends or a night's stay in the old hotel, the Puhoi Pub does what it has done for well over a century: give the village — and everyone who visits — a proper place to gather.

Signature items

• Puhoi Pub Lager
• Puhoi Big Breakfast
• Beer Battered Fish & Chips
• Seafood Platter
• Bacon & Beetroot Cheese Burger
• Baked Brie

Menu

RTDs

• Long White — Chilled ready-to-drink
• Brookvale Alcoholic Ginger Beer — Chilled ready-to-drink
• Brookvale Vodka Peach Ice Tea — Chilled ready-to-drink
• Gordons G & T — Chilled ready-to-drink
• Gordons Pink Gin & Soda — Chilled ready-to-drink
• Coruba — Chilled ready-to-drink
• Canadian Club — Chilled ready-to-drink
• Jack Daniels — Chilled ready-to-drink
• Woodstock — Chilled ready-to-drink
• Jim Beam — Chilled ready-to-drink
• Smirnoff Red — Chilled ready-to-drink

Wine

• Stoneleigh Light — By the glass or bottle
• Squealing Pig Sauvignon Blanc — By the glass or bottle
• Squealing Pig Pinot Gris — By the glass or bottle
• Squealing Pig Chardonnay — By the glass or bottle
• Squealing Pig Rosé — By the glass or bottle
• 19 Crimes Red Blend — By the glass or bottle
• 19 Crimes Pinot Noir — By the glass or bottle
• Lothlorian Feijoa Dry Mini — Feijoa wine, mini bottle
• Lothlorian Feijoa Medium Mini — Feijoa wine, mini bottle
• Lothlorian Feijoa Medium 750ml — Feijoa wine, full bottle
• Edenvale 0% — Non-alcoholic wine

Cider

• Monteiths Apple — Apple cider, each
• Somersby Apple — Apple cider, each
• Somersby Pear — Pear cider, each
• Somersby Blackberry — Blackberry cider, each

Pizza

• Neapolitan — Ham & pineapple
• Italian Meat — Ham, salami, meatballs & sausage
• Chicken — Puhoi Valley brie & cranberry
• Salmon & Capers — Topped with salmon & capers
• Vegetarian Pizza — Seasonal vegetables — upgraded base available

Sides

• Basket of Fries — With aioli
• Toasted Sandwich — Ham, pineapple, cheese, tomato or onion — add fries
• Garlic Bread — Warm, buttery classic
• Side Salad — Fresh greens on the side
• Gravy — Add to any plate
• Bacon + Egg Bap — Breakfast roll on the go

Salads

• Israeli Couscous Salad (V) — Vegetarian salad — add salmon for an upgrade
• Crispy Thai Beef Salad — Crispy noodles, green salad & Puhoi Pub dressing

Bubbles

• Deutz — 750ml bottle
• Lindauer Brut — Mini or 750ml bottle
• Lindauer Fraise — Mini bottle
• Lindauer Pinot Gris — Mini bottle
• Squealing Pig Prosecco — 750ml bottle
• Brown Brother Prosecco — Mini bottle
• Lothlorien Feijoa — Feijoa sparkling
• Moet Mini — Mini bottle of Moet
• Moet — Full bottle
• Bollinger — Full bottle

Burgers

• Bacon & Beetroot Cheese Burger — With fries — or topped with Puhoi Valley blue cheese
• Chicken & Sriracha Mayo Burger — With fries
• Fish Burger — With fries

Spirits

• House Spirits — See the bar for the full range
• Shots — Ask at the bar
• Port — A glass of port
• Red Bull & Vodka — Classic energy combo

Desserts

• Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream — Ask the bar for the current selection

Platters

• Mix Platter — Sausages, meatballs, spring rolls, samosas, chips & crumbed chicken
• Seafood Platter — Fish, squid, mussels, garlic prawns & chips
• Puhoi Valley Cheeseboard — Local cheeseboard for two or four to share

Tap Beer

• Puhoi Pub Lager — House lager — pint or jug
• Puhoi Pub Ale — House ale — pint or jug
• Puhoi Pub Light — House light beer — pint or jug
• Puhoi Beer Pilsner — House pilsner
• Heineken — On tap
• Asahi — Japanese lager on tap
• Tuatara Hazy — NZ craft hazy — pint or jug
• Balter XPA — Craft pale ale — pint or jug
• Guinness — The black stuff on tap
• Lion Red — Kiwi classic — pint or jug
• Export Ultra Low Carb — Pint or jug
• Somersby Apple Cider — On tap — pint or jug

Kids Menu

• Hot Dog on Stick & Chips — For kids 12 and under
• Cheeseburger & Chips — For kids 12 and under
• Fish Bites & Chips — For kids 12 and under

Bar Snacks

• Chips — Chicken, salt & vinegar or ready salted
• Peanuts — Bar-side staple

Merchandise

• Original Pub T Shirts — Classic pub-branded tee
• New Style T Shirts — Latest design pub tee
• Polo Shirts — Pub-branded polo
• Singlets — Pub-branded singlet
• Hoodie — Pub-branded hoodie
• Vest — Pub-branded vest
• Puffer Jacket — Pub-branded puffer
• Straw Hat — Summer straw hat
• Caps — Pub-branded cap
• Magnet — Fridge magnet souvenir
• Small Cooler — Small chilly bin
• Small Pub Signs — Take-home wall sign
• Large Pub Signs — Take-home wall sign

Bottled Beer

• Corona — Stubby, served cold
• Steinlager — Kiwi classic stubby
• Stella Artois — Stubby, served cold
• Heineken Light — Lower-alcohol stubby
• Heineken 0% — Zero-alcohol stubby
• Export Citrus 2% — Low-alcohol stubby
• Peroni 0% — Zero-alcohol stubby
• Big Bottles — Lion Red, Export Gold, Tui, Waikato Draft & Speights
• Premium Big Bottles — Steinlager big bottle

Non-Alcoholic

• Soda Cans — Coke, Coke No Sugar, Fanta, Sprite & L&P
• Soft Drink Pint — Pint glass of soft drink
• Juice — Orange, apple, cranberry, pineapple or tomato
• Bundaberg Ginger Beer — Brewed ginger beer
• Bundaberg Lemon, Lime & Bitters — Classic mixer
• Bundaberg Passionfruit — Fruity favourite
• Red Bull — Energy drink
• Kombucha — Fermented, refreshing

Brunch & Mains

• Puhoi Big Breakfast — Bacon, creamy mushroom, sausages, tomato, hash brown, eggs & toast — until midday
• Bacon and Eggs — Classic breakfast plate, available until midday
• Waffles with Bacon & Maple Syrup — Sweet-savoury waffles, with optional banana
• Loaded Fries — Topped with nacho mince, cheese & sour cream
• Beer Battered Fish & Chips — Crispy battered fish, served with salad
• Steak, Chips & Salad — With garlic butter or mushroom sauce
• Seafood Chowder — Creamy chowder with garlic bread
• 2 Pulled Pork Tacos & Fries — Shredded slaw & pickled onion — Saturdays and Sundays only
• Baked Brie — Warm brie with cranberry & crackers
• Salt & Pepper Calamari — With aioli
• Pan Fried Garlic Prawns — Served with salad
• Beef Nachos — Smashed avo, sour cream & jalapeños
• BLAT — Bacon, lettuce, avocado & tomato with fries

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Puhoi Pub Hotel & Stables?

At 5 Saleyards Road in Puhoi Village, about half an hour from Auckland city via the motorway.

What are the opening hours?

Doors open at 11am Monday to Thursday and from 10am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Closing times aren't published — call 09 422 0812 to confirm.

Does the pub offer accommodation?

Yes — the historic hotel offers accommodation. See the accommodation page on the website or phone to enquire.

Is there a kids' menu?

Yes, for children 12 or under: hot dog on a stick, cheeseburger or fish bites, each served with chips.

Are there vegetarian options?

Yes — a vegetarian pizza, an Israeli couscous salad (V) and more. Note that meals may contain traces of gluten, dairy, nuts, soy or other allergens.

What beers do they pour?

House beers include Puhoi Pub Lager, Ale and Light, plus Heineken, Asahi, Tuatara Hazy, Balter XPA, Guinness and more. The drinks menu may change and is subject to availability.

When are the pulled pork tacos available?

The pulled pork tacos with fries, shredded slaw and pickled onion are a Saturday and Sunday special only.

Tips

• {"body":"The pulled pork tacos with fries, slaw and pickled onion only appear on Saturdays and Sundays.","title":"Weekend-only tacos"}
• {"body":"The Puhoi Big Breakfast and other breakfast plates are available until midday, so plan your morning around them.","title":"Don't miss breakfast"}
• {"body":"The pub asks for understanding when it's busy — food may take longer than usual.","title":"Be patient at peak times"}
• {"body":"Pub-branded tees, hoodies, caps, signs, magnets and coolers are sold on site as souvenirs.","title":"Take Puhoi home"}
• {"body":"The village is only about half an hour from Auckland by motorway — pair a long lunch with a stroll around the historic Bohemian settlement.","title":"Make it a day trip"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids' menu for ages 12 and under","dietary":"Vegetarian dishes available; meals may contain traces of gluten, dairy, nuts or soy"}