The Kestrel

About The Kestrel

The Kestrel is a bar and eatery set on Devonport Wharf in Auckland, listed in the Estrella Damm Top 50 New Zealand Gastropubs 2025. It serves modern New Zealand pub food from a sun-soaked wharf-side location with views out over Auckland Harbour, the city skyline and the Harbour Bridge — a short twelve-minute ferry ride from the CBD.

The kitchen is built on ingredient quality: high-quality meats and produce, fresh line-caught sustainable fish, ethically farmed meats, and free-range chicken, pork and eggs. The menu spans a wide range of small and large plates — seafood, steaks, burgers, salads, winter warmers and beer snacks — with a children's menu also available.

As a free-house bar, The Kestrel pours over ten beers on tap with many more by the bottle, an extensive wine list featuring New Zealand wineries, house cocktails (including two poured straight from the tap) and a variety of non-alcoholic options.

The venue has a sun-soaked deck, an indoor garden bar with a pool table, live music every weekend, live sports events, and spaces for private and semi-private events.

The Kestrel: Wharf-Side Modern New Zealand Gastropub on Devonport Wharf, Auckland

On the water's edge at Devonport Wharf, The Kestrel does what few New Zealand pubs can: it pairs a serious gastropub kitchen with one of the best views in Auckland. Sitting at 1/1 Queens Parade, a twelve-minute ferry ride from the CBD, this sun-soaked bar and eatery looks across the harbour to the city skyline and the Harbour Bridge. The venue has earned attention of its own too — The Kestrel is listed in the Estrella Damm Top 50 New Zealand Gastropubs 2025.

Modern New Zealand pub classics

The kitchen works to a simple belief: the quality of ingredients always shines through. Meats are ethically farmed, the chicken, pork and eggs are free-range, and the fish is fresh, line-caught and sustainable. From that base comes a menu of modern New Zealand pub food — a wide spread of small and large dishes built to satisfy everyone, with a children's menu for younger diners.

The From The Sea section is where the wharf-side location really tells. Kestrel fish & chips comes with tartare, mushy peas and lemon, alongside a fisherman's basket, five-spice pepper squid, a prawn salad with chilli tamarind dressing and a fish curry with prawns, mussels, rice and roti — plus a market fish special that follows the day's catch. For colder days, the winter warmers include the Kestrel chowder of trevally, mussel, prawn and squid with toasted bread, a chicken, leek and bacon pot pie, and braised beef brisket with mushy kumara.

From The Land covers Caesar and coconut chicken salads, grilled beef skewers, beef noodles with shiitake and bok choy, and a proper steak lineup: a 250g Angus ribeye or a 350g on-the-bone New York strip, both with shoestring fries and peppercorn sauce. Burgers and sandwiches keep the pub classics front and centre — the Kestrel beef burger, a fried chicken burger with bacon jam and swiss cheese, a steak sandwich with chimichurri, and a roast duck roti roll. Beer snacks such as porkbelly bao buns, crispy cauliflower and the Kestrel spice bag are made for sharing.

Taps, wines and tap-poured cocktails

The Kestrel is a free-house bar, which means the taps pour what's good rather than what one brewery supplies. There are over ten beers on tap at any time — New Zealand craft from the likes of Sawmill, McLeod's, Cassels and Behemoth alongside familiar lagers and Zeffer ciders — plus many more by the bottle and can, and a rotating guest tap listed with the market specials.

Wine drinkers get a list that leans on New Zealand wineries, from Marlborough sauvignon blanc and pinot gris to Central Otago pinot noir and Hawke's Bay syrah, with Mt Edward house wines available by the glass and carafe. Cocktails run from a Canyon Aperol Spritz and a Canyon Nitro Espresso Martini — both poured straight from the tap — to margaritas in three styles, a rosemary and cinnamon old fashioned and a botanical sour, with a dedicated mocktail list and other non-alcoholic options alongside.

A venue built for lingering

Inside, the room has an open kitchen, green booths, hanging plants and pendant lights; outside there's a sun-soaked deck that must be one of the best spots on the harbour. An indoor garden bar with a pool table gives rainy days a home, and there's live music every weekend plus live sports events on screen. A variety of private and semi-private spaces means the team can host everything from small gatherings to larger functions.

Part of the appeal is how easy it is to reach: Devonport Wharf is a short twelve-minute ferry ride from Auckland's CBD, so lunch or a sunset drink here feels like a proper outing without any driving. Reservations can be made through The Kestrel's website, gift vouchers are available, and a newsletter keeps regulars across what's on.

Whether you come for the fish & chips, a slow afternoon on the deck or a weekend of live music with the city glowing across the water, The Kestrel makes a strong case for being Devonport's port of call.

Signature items

• Kestrel Fish & Chips
• Kestrel Chowder
• Kestrel Spice Bag
• Kestrel Beef Burger
• Canyon Nitro Espresso Martini
• Angus Ribeye

Menu

Rosé

• Rockferry Rosé 2023 — Marlborough rosé
• Escarpment Rosé 2025 — Martinborough rosé

Sides

• Slaw — Toasted seeds and miso mayo (gluten-free ingredients)
• Chargrilled Broccolini — Miso mayo and crispy shallots
• Chips — Roast garlic mayo and malt vinegar; gravy on request
• Skinny Fries — Parmesan and truffle oil (gluten-free ingredients)

Bubbles

• Villa Sandi Prosecco — Italian prosecco by the glass or bottle
• Quartz Reef Méthode — Central Otago sparkling by the glass or bottle
• Kumeu River Cremant NV — Kumeu sparkling wine

Red Wine

• Monte Christi Pinot Noir 2024 — Central Otago pinot noir
• Three Paddles Pinot Noir 2024 — Martinborough pinot noir
• Craggy Range 'Te Kahu' Bordeaux Blend 2024 — Bordeaux blend
• Bilancia Syrah 2025 — Hawke's Bay syrah
• Trinity Hill Merlot 2024 — Hawke's Bay merlot
• Decibel Malbec 2023 — Hawke's Bay malbec
• Quartz Reef Pinot Noir 2022 — Central Otago pinot noir
• Escarpment 'Kiwa' Pinot Noir 2022 — Martinborough pinot noir
• Millton Clos du St Anne Syrah 2021 — Gisborne syrah

Mocktails

• Pina Col-Nada — Pineapple juice, coconut milk, lime juice and lemonade
• Ed Sheeran — Karma gingerbeer, passionfruit pulp and Fee Bros bitters
• Ginger No-jito Cooler — Muddled ginger and mint, lime, Gingerella and soda water
• Feeling Fruity — Cranberry, pineapple, orange, grapefruit and passionfruit
• Virgin Bloody Mary — Tomato juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce, lemon and chilli rim

Tap Beers

• Kirin Hyoketsu Green Apple — Japanese flavoured beer on tap
• Kirin Hyoketsu Mandarin — Japanese flavoured beer on tap
• Kirin Hyoketsu Lemon — Japanese flavoured beer on tap
• Peroni — Italian lager on tap
• Peak Pilsner — Hawke's Bay pilsner on tap
• Sawmill Prysma Hazy IPA — Matakana hazy IPA
• McLeod's Howling Wolf Pale Ale — Waipu pale ale
• Cassels Nectaron IPA — Woolston IPA
• Behemoth Hazy Pale Ale — Auckland hazy pale ale
• Cassels Nitro Milk Stout — Woolston nitro stout
• Steinlager Classic — Auckland lager
• Zeffer Crisp Apple Cider — Hawke's Bay cider
• Guest Tap — Rotating guest beer — see market specials for details

House Wine

• House Rosé — Mt Edward, Central Otago — glass, large glass or 500ml carafe
• House Chardonnay — Mt Edward, Central Otago — glass, large glass or 500ml carafe
• House Pinot Noir — Mt Edward, Central Otago — glass, large glass or 500ml carafe

White Wine

• Massey Dacta Sauvignon Blanc 2025 — Marlborough sauvignon blanc
• Rockferry Trig Hill Pinot Gris 2024 — Marlborough pinot gris
• Greywacke Pinot Gris 2024 — Marlborough pinot gris
• Bilancia Chardonnay 2023 — Hawke's Bay chardonnay
• The Landing Boathouse Chardonnay 2023 — Chardonnay
• Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay 2024 — Kumeu chardonnay

Beer Snacks

• Edamame Beans — Edamame beans with miso chilli dressing
• Mushroom Parfait — With sourdough bread and pickles
• Crispy Cauliflower — Korean chilli sauce, spring onion and kimchi
• Tempura Mushroom — Whipped feta, sriracha and toasted sesame
• Prawn Crackers — Served with sweet chilli mayo
• Jalapeno Poppers — With capsicum apricot relish
• Fried Chicken — Hot honey sauce, ranch and pickles (gluten-free ingredients)
• Porkbelly Bao Buns — Hoisin, pickled cucumber and onion, chilli oil
• Kestrel Spice Bag — Chicken or porkbelly with chips, onions, peppers and curry sauce

Coffee & Tea

• Espresso Coffee & Teas — The usual suspects available — check with your server

From The Sea

• Market Fish — See market specials for the day's catch
• Kestrel Fish & Chips — Tartare, mushy peas and lemon; gluten-free on request
• Fisherman's Basket — Fish, mussels, squid, prawns and tartare sauce
• Prawn Salad — Green papaya, cashew, tomato and chilli tamarind dressing
• Five Spice Pepper Squid — Miso mayo, wakame and slaw
• Fish Curry — Prawn, mussels, rice and roti

From The Land

• Caesar Salad — Egg, bacon, croutons and parmesan
• Coconut Chicken Salad — Onion, peanut, chilli coconut dressing, crispy wonton, coriander
• Grilled Beef Skewers — Sweet soy, peanut, pickled mushroom and chilli
• Beef Noodles — Shiitake mushroom, bok choy, oyster sauce and crispy shallot
• Angus Ribeye 250g — With shoestring fries and peppercorn sauce
• New York Strip 350g — On the bone with shoestring fries and peppercorn sauce

Non-Alcoholic

• Soft Drinks — Coca-Cola, Coke Zero Sugar, Sprite, L&P, Schweppes ginger ale and soda water
• Karma Gingerella — Ginger beer soft drink
• Juices — Apple, orange, pineapple, cranberry or tomato
• Antipodes Sparkling Mineral Water — 1L bottle

Winter Warmers

• Butternut Squash — Fried halloumi, pomegranate, mint, toasted seeds and harissa
• Kestrel Chowder — Trevally, mussel, prawn and squid with toasted bread
• Chicken, Leek and Bacon Pot Pie — Served with rosemary gourmet potatoes
• Braised Beef Brisket — Mushy kumara, burnt shallot, broccoli, beef jus and crispy shallot

House Cocktails

• Canyon Aperol Spritz — Aperol spritz on tap with orange garnish
• Canyon Nitro Espresso Martini — Nitro espresso martini poured straight from the tap
• Gin Swigmore — Pineapple gin, malibu, passionfruit, lemon and prosecco
• Margarita (Classic, Chilli or Chilli Passionfruit) — Tequila, orange liqueur, lime and sugar
• Flat White Martini — Coffee liqueur, butterscotch, espresso and sugar syrup
• Rosemary & Cinnamon Old Fashioned — Bourbon, rosemary syrup and cinnamon bitters
• Botanical Sour — Aperitivo botanical, triple sec, rosemary syrup, lemon and egg white

Bottle & Can Beer

• Zeffer Limoncello Spritz — Hawke's Bay spritz
• Sawmill Bare — Matakana low-alcohol beer
• Garage Project 'Tiny' Hazy IPA — Wellington low-alcohol hazy IPA
• McLeod's 'Northern Light' Lager — Waipu low-alcohol lager
• Corona — Mexican lager
• Speight's Gold Medal Ale — Dunedin ale in a 745ml bottle
• Speight's Summit Ultra Low Carb — Dunedin low-carb ale in a 745ml bottle
• Zeffer Hazy Passionfruit Cider — Hawke's Bay cider
• Zeffer Zero Alcohol Crisp Apple Cider — Hawke's Bay alcohol-free cider

Burgers & Sandwiches

• Trevally Sliders — Three sliders with tartare and rocket
• Kestrel Beef Burger — Cheese, bacon, special sauce and fries
• Fried Chicken Burger — Ranch, bacon jam, swiss cheese and fries
• Steak Sandwich — Chimichurri, aioli, onion and fries
• Roast Duck Roti Roll — Hoisin, cucumber and spring onion

Frequently asked questions

Where is The Kestrel and how do I get there?

It sits on Devonport Wharf at 1/1 Queens Parade, Auckland — just a short 12-minute ferry ride from the Auckland CBD.

What are The Kestrel's opening hours?

The Kestrel is open Monday to Sunday from 11am until late.

Is there a children's menu?

Yes, a children's menu is available — you can find it in the photo section of The Kestrel's website.

Can dietary requirements and allergies be catered for?

Dishes made with gluten-free ingredients are marked GFI on the menu, and some dishes can be made gluten-free on request. Let the staff know about any allergies and they will do their best to accommodate you.

Can I make a reservation?

Yes, reservations can be made through the reservations page on The Kestrel's website, and gift vouchers are also available.

Is there entertainment at The Kestrel?

There is live music every weekend and live sports events are shown, alongside the deck, garden bar and pool table.

Can The Kestrel host private events?

Yes — the venue can accommodate a large variety of private and semi-private events across its different spaces.

Tips

• {"body":"Devonport Wharf is a short 12-minute ferry ride from the Auckland CBD, and The Kestrel is right on the wharf.","title":"Catch the ferry over"}
• {"body":"The sun-soaked deck has views out over Auckland City and the Harbour Bridge — ideal at golden hour.","title":"Grab a deck seat"}
• {"body":"There's live music every weekend, and live sports events are shown regularly.","title":"Time it for the weekend"}
• {"body":"It's a free-house with over 10 beers on tap and a rotating guest tap — check the market specials board for what's on.","title":"Explore the taps"}
• {"body":"The From The Sea section includes a market fish special that changes — see the market specials for the day's catch.","title":"Ask about the market fish"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Children's menu available","dietary":"Dishes made with gluten-free ingredients are marked GFI; tell staff about allergies"}