Fantail Cafe is written here from the brand's own story: a whānau owned, fiercely independent bar, eatery and functions venue established in 2018 and built on an enduring friendship, guided by core values of manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga and whanaungatanga.
The kitchen runs a modern seasonal menu designed to be shared, with dishes arriving as they're ready — perfect for all-day grazing. Expect plates like creamed pāua on kawakawa fry bread, ika mata, Kawakawa Bay cockles, wagyu beef sliders and Hawke's Bay lamb rump, alongside a 'Not Quite a Kids Menu' for solo diners and the young at heart. A waste-free kitchen, free-range and house-butchered proteins, sustainably line-caught fish and herbs picked from on-site gardens underline a genuine commitment to sustainability and small local producers.
The bar pours fresh and local craft beer, real ale and cider from 15 taps, backed by an on-site microbrewery, a wide-ranging wine list, gins enhanced with botanicals fresh from the gardens, and bespoke cocktails. With architecturally designed spaces, extensive gardens, all-weather outdoor areas and the ability to host events for up to 600 guests, it's a destination for quiet catch-ups and big celebrations alike — and an award-winning one, named Supreme Winner & Auckland Champion at the 2024 NZ Gastropub Awards and Outstanding Local at the Lewisham Awards in 2023 and 2025.
Every great hospo story starts with people, and this one starts with two mates who met at 18 doing Army Officer training in Waiouru. Travis — the Fantail — and Troy — the Turtle — became best friends, sharing training, work, adventures and plenty of mischief on nights out in Auckland. When Troy passed away in 2006, he left his best mate a parting gift: a pikorua carving symbolising the enduring connection they shared. Today it is worn proudly on the team's uniforms and functions as the ampersand in the logo — a quiet promise that friendship sits at the heart of everything served here.
Established in 2018, the venue is whānau owned and fiercely independent, driven by core values of manaakitanga, kaitiakitanga and whanaungatanga. Those values haven't gone unnoticed: the gastropub was named Supreme Winner and Auckland Champion at the 2024 NZ Gastropub Awards, took out Outstanding Local at the Lewisham Awards in 2023 and 2025, and has collected finalist nods from the Hospitality NZ Awards for Excellence and the Best Places To Work Awards.
The kitchen runs on a simple idea: food tastes better when it's passed around the table. The modern seasonal menu is designed to be shared with friends, and dishes arrive as they're ready — perfect for all-day grazing. Expect plates like creamed pāua on kawakawa fry bread, ika mata cured in citrus and coconut, Kawakawa Bay cockles with prawn and chorizo, wagyu beef sliders, Hawke's Bay lamb rump and a madras-spiced grilled half chook. Plant-led eaters are well looked after too, with blistered broccolini, spiced cauliflower and salt-baked beets among the options.
Younger diners — and the young at heart — get their own chapter: 'Not Quite a Kids Menu' offers smaller plates like buttermilk chicken & chips, fish & chips and sticky date pudding. Every dish is labelled for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-not-added and dairy-not-added diets, and the team simply asks that you flag allergies or time constraints when you order.
Sustainability here is a practice, not a slogan. The kitchen is waste-free, repurposing whatever doesn't make it to the plate into stocks and sauces. Proteins are free range and house-butchered where possible, fish are sustainably line caught and processed whole on site, and herbs and greens are foraged or picked fresh from the venue's own gardens. Food scraps return to the earth through on-site composting, and small local producers who share the same values supply much of what lands on the table.
The bar is just as considered. Fresh and local craft beer, real ale and cider flow from 15 taps, backed by an on-site microbrewery — a six-tank SS Brewtech 50L setup that also hosts brewing masterclasses, corporate brewing experiences and local home brewing clubs. The wine list covers near and distant regions synonymous with varietal excellence, the gin list is enhanced with botanicals fresh from the on-site gardens, and bespoke cocktails carry the evening.
Architecturally designed by award-winning studio Izzard, the venue features extensive gardens, all-weather outdoor spaces and afternoon sun that seems made for long sessions. Multiple spaces mean you can settle in for a few quiet ones or take over a private area, turn the music up and let your hair down. Events run year-round — quiz nights, markets and long lunches among them — and functions scale all the way up to 600 guests, with a dedicated Functions & Events Manager working alongside you for a stress-free experience.
Whether you come for a tasting paddle straight from the microbrewery, a long shared lunch or a Sunday with a little live music, the promise is the one written into that small pikorua: genuine hospitality, done properly, for everyone who walks through the door.