The Earl
restaurant — Howick · Auckland
About The Earl
The Earl is a bar, restaurant and rooftop on Picton Street in the heart of Howick village, Auckland — living up to its own promise of 'great food, cold drinks & good times on every level.' It opens seven days a week from 12pm until late, covering everything from long lunches and after-work drinks to proper dinners and late-night pours.
The kitchen centres on plates to share and pub classics done well. The shared-plates list runs from seared tuna tataki, market-fish crudo and salt & pepper squid to steamed mussels in Thai green coconut curry, hoisin-glazed pork belly bites and southern fried chicken with creamy buffalo sauce. Pub classics follow with beer-battered fish & chips, a wagyu burger, grilled sirloin and scotch, lamb rump, steak & stout pie and truffle risotto, alongside pizzas, bowls, sides and desserts like Belgian waffle and feijoa & apple crumble.
Behind the bar there's a full tap list of lagers, pale ales and ciders, low- and no-alcohol options, and a serious wine list spanning Marlborough, Waiheke Island, Hawkes Bay and Central Otago, with French champagne for celebrations. Spritzes and cocktails — including margaritas and espresso martinis on tap — round things out. Tables can be reserved online, and The Earl also hosts functions and sells gift vouchers.
The Earl Howick: Bar, Restaurant & Rooftop Serving Shared Plates and Pub Classics on Picton Street
Sitting on Picton Street in the heart of Howick village, The Earl does exactly what its tagline promises: great food, cold drinks and good times on every level. It's a bar, a restaurant and a rooftop rolled into one neighbourhood destination, open seven days a week from 12pm until late — which means it slots neatly into whatever the day calls for, whether that's a long lunch, after-work drinks, a proper dinner or a late-night pour.
What to eat
The menu is built around two ideas: plates to share and pub classics done properly. The shared-plates list leans bright and modern — seared tuna tataki with black rub, herb oil, kewpie miso mayo and furikake; market-fish crudo with perilla dressing and togarashi; salt & pepper squid in a chilli, soy and ginger glaze; and steamed mussels in a Thai green coconut curry. Crowd-pleasers sit alongside: bang bang prawns with chilli mayo, hoisin-glazed pork belly bites with kimchi, southern fried chicken with creamy buffalo sauce, spiced lamb meatballs with courgette tzatziki, and potato skins with parmesan and truffle aioli. Even the humble eggplant gets the full treatment, glossed in a spiced Asian glaze.
The classics section covers the pub greatest hits. Beer-battered fish & chips comes with slaw, tartare and lemon; the wagyu burger stacks cheese, bacon, pickles and tomato relish with chipotle and a side of fries; and a buffalo fried chicken burger holds its own next to it. From the grill there's a 250g sirloin and a 300g scotch, each paired with rosemary & parmesan potato gratin, balsamic cipollini onions and a red wine cherry jus, plus a Middle Eastern-rubbed lamb rump and crisp confit pork belly with cauliflower puree and burnt tamarilo. Comfort food lands as a steak & stout pie under puff pastry or a mushroom and parmesan truffle risotto.
Lighter paths run through the bowls — a cured-salmon poké bowl over sushi rice, or roasted root vegetables with goat's cheese, pomegranate balsamic and toasted pumpkin seeds — and the pizza list, from a classic margherita to truffle mushroom with bacon and rocket, and a garlic prawn & salmon with lemon & dill crème fraiche, chilli flakes and fried capers. Dessert is worth the save: a Belgian waffle with dulce de leche and caramelised banana, chocolate marquise with Central Otago black doris plum ice cream, or a proper Kiwi feijoa & apple crumble.
What's pouring
The taps lean familiar and friendly — Heineken and Heineken Silver, Tiger and Tiger Crystal, Murphy's Irish Stout, Export Ultra — alongside Tuatara's hazy pale ale, Regenerate pilsner and a rotating guest tap, plus Monteith's crushed apple cider and hazy lemonade. The bottle fridge adds low- and no-alcohol choices like Heineken 0.0% and Sawmill's 2.5% Nimble pale ale, and a run of Odd Company flavours for something fruitier.
Wine gets serious attention. The list sweeps through Marlborough sauvignon blanc and pinot gris, Waiheke Island sauvignon, Hawkes Bay chardonnay, Gisborne chenin blanc, Marlborough albariño and riesling, Provençal rosé, Clevedon's own M.A.U rosé, and a solid shelf of Central Otago pinot noir alongside Barossa shiraz and Hawkes Bay cabernet merlot. French champagne — including Veuve Clicquot — is there for the big occasions. Spritzes run from the classic Aperol to the house Earl's Spritz with Bulldog gin, lychee, yuzu and prosecco, and there are even cocktails on tap: a classic margarita and an espresso martini. Signature serves add a passionfruit martini, a strawberry & guava sour and a coconut margarita.
The experience
True to the 'every level' promise, the venue spans bar, restaurant and rooftop, so one visit can move from a proper dinner to a nightcap in the open air. Reservations can be made online, and the team takes enquiries for functions — gift vouchers are available too if you're buying for someone who'd rather be handed a steak than a scarf. Follow along at @theearlhowick on Instagram, or reach the team at hello@theearl.co.nz or 09 533 0081.
Open 7 days from noon until late, The Earl has positioned itself as Howick's all-occasions answer — lunch with friends, drinks in the sun, or a celebration with champagne and shared plates. Whichever level you end up on, the brief stays the same: great food, cold drinks, good times.
Signature items
- Tuna Tataki
- Pork Belly Bites
- Wagyu Burger
- 300g Scotch
- Beer Battered Fish & Chips
- Earl's Spritz
Menu
Fizz
- Le Dive Prosecco DOC Brut — Italian prosecco
- Nautilus Estate Cuvee Brut — Marlborough sparkling brut
- Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut — French champagne
- Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut — Classic French champagne
- Veuve Clicquot Champagne Rosé — French rosé champagne
Bowls
- Poké Bowl — Cured salmon, sushi rice, edamame, cucumber, avocado, slaw, kewpie mayo
- Roasted Root Vegetables — Rocket, toasted pumpkin seeds, goats cheese, pomegranate balsamic
Pizza
- Margherita — Mozzarella, basil
- Sicilian — Spiced sausage, pepperoni, olives
- Truffle Mushroom — Bacon, rocket
- Garlic Prawn & Salmon — Lemon & dill crème fraiche, chilli flakes, fried capers
Rosé
- Terrior Project Rosé — Marlborough rosé
- Le Petite Laurette Rosé — Rosé from Provence, France
- M.A.U Rosé — Rosé from Clevedon
- Te Kano Blanc De Noir — Central Otago blanc de noir
Sides
- Fries — With aioli
- Rocket & Pear Salad — With parmesan
- Broccolini — Buffalo sauce, crispy shallots
- Truffle Mash — Creamy mash with truffle
Dessert
- Belgian Waffle — Dulce de leche, caramelised banana, berry, vanilla ice cream
- Chocolate Marquise — Pistachio, katafi, Central Otago black doris plum ice cream
- Feijoa & Apple Crumble — Fig & honey ice cream
Classics
- Beer Battered Fish & Chips — Slaw, tartare, lemon
- Wagyu Burger — Cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, tomato relish, chipotle, with fries
- Buffalo Fried Chicken Burger — Cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, tomato relish, buffalo sauce, with fries
- 250g Sirloin — Rosemary & parmesan potato gratin, balsamic cipollini onions, red wine cherry jus
- 300g Scotch — Rosemary & parmesan potato gratin, balsamic cipollini onions, red wine cherry jus
- Lamb Rump — Middle Eastern rub, grilled zucchini, tzatziki
- Crisp Confit Pork Belly — Cauliflower puree, burnt tamarilo, jus
- Steak & Stout Pie — Puff pastry, mash
- Truffle Risotto — Mushroom & parmesan
Red Wine
- Terrior Project Pinot Noir — Marlborough pinot noir
- Kin Pinot Noir — Central Otago pinot noir
- Nevis Bluff 'The Bluff' Pinot Noir — Central Otago pinot noir
- Langmeil Hangin' Snakes Shiraz — Barossa shiraz
- Abbotts and Delaunay Cab/Sauv — French cabernet sauvignon
- Angove Mclaren Vale GSM — South Australian GSM blend
- Te Mata Estate Awatea Cab/Merlot — Hawkes Bay cabernet merlot
- Te Kano Land Northburn Cab France — Central Otago cabernet franc
- Mojo McLaren Vale Shiraz — South Australian shiraz
- Alamos Malbec — Argentine malbec
Spritzes
- Earl's Spritz — Bulldog gin, lychee & yuzu, lime, prosecco, soda
- Aperol Spritz — Aperol, prosecco, soda
- Italian Spritz — Limoncello, prosecco, lemon, basil, soda
- Island Spritz — Vodka, creme de peche, passionfruit, mango, soda, prosecco
White Wine
- Walcliffe Bay Sauvignon Blanc — Marlborough sauvignon blanc
- Auntsfield Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc — Single-vineyard Marlborough sauvignon blanc
- Man O'War Sauvignon Blanc — Waiheke Island sauvignon blanc
- Paritua Stone Paddock Pinot Gris — Hawkes Bay pinot gris
- Paddy Borthwick Pinot Gris — Wairarapa pinot gris
- Isabel Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Gris — Marlborough pinot gris
- Brookfields Chardonnay — Hawkes Bay chardonnay
- Fat Bastard Chardonnay — Californian chardonnay
- Matawhero Church House Chenin Blanc — Gisborne chenin blanc
- Nautilus Estate Albarino — Marlborough albariño
- Two Rivers Juliet Riesling — Marlborough riesling
Shared Plates
- Cheesy Garlic Pizza Bread — Pizza bread topped with melted cheese and garlic
- Bang Bang Prawns — Chilli mayo, sesame
- Salt & Pepper Squid — Chilli, soy & ginger glaze
- Tuna Tataki — Seared tuna, black rub, herb oil, kewpie miso mayo, furikake
- Crudo — Market fish, perilla dressing, togarashi, radish, coriander
- Steamed Mussels — Thai green coconut curry, coriander, crispy shallots
- Pork Belly Bites — Hoisin glaze, sesame, kimchi
- Southern Fried Chicken — Creamy buffalo sauce
- Spiced Lamb Meatballs — Courgette tzatziki, sumac
- Eggplant — Spiced Asian glaze
- Potato Skins — Parmesan, truffle aioli
Bottles & RTDs
- Heineken — Lager by the bottle
- Heineken 0.0% — Non-alcoholic lager
- Sol — Mexican lager
- Sawmill Nimble Pale Ale 2.5% — Low-alcohol pale ale
- Odd Company Pineapple & Passionfruit — Pineapple & passionfruit RTD
- Odd Company Mandarin & Yuzu — Mandarin & yuzu RTD
- Odd Company Raspberry & Lemon — Raspberry & lemon RTD
Cocktails On Tap
- Classic Margarita — Espolón blanco tequila, orange liqueur, lime, agave — on tap
- Espresso Martini — Skyy vodka, cold drip coffee — on tap
Beer & Cider On Tap
- Heineken — Classic lager on tap
- Heineken Silver Low Carb — Low-carb lager on tap
- Tiger — Crisp lager on tap
- Tiger Crystal — Smooth-filtered lager on tap
- Murphy's Irish Stout — Irish stout on tap
- Export Ultra — NZ lager on tap
- Tuatara Hazy Pale Ale — Hazy pale ale on tap
- Tuatara Regenerate Pilsner — Pilsner on tap
- Tuatara Guest Tap — Rotating guest beer
- Monteith's Crushed Apple Cider — Apple cider on tap
- Monteith's Hazy Lemonade — Hazy lemonade on tap
Signature Cocktails
- Passionfruit Martini — Vanilla vodka, passionfruit, pineapple, lime
- Strawberry & Guava Sour — Bulldog gin, strawberry, guava, lemon, egg white
- Coconut Margarita — Espolón tequila, Cointreau, coconut, lime, agave
Frequently asked questions
- Where is The Earl located?
- The Earl is at 127 Picton Street, Howick, Auckland — in the heart of Howick village.
- Is The Earl open every day?
- Yes — The Earl is open 7 days a week from 12pm until late.
- Can I book a table at The Earl?
- Yes. Reservations can be made online via the Book Now page on The Earl's website.
- What kind of food does The Earl serve?
- Shared plates and pub classics — think tuna tataki, pork belly bites and bang bang prawns, alongside wagyu burgers, grilled steaks, pizza, bowls and desserts.
- Does The Earl cater for functions or events?
- Yes — The Earl hosts functions. Enquire through the Functions page or email hello@theearl.co.nz.
- Does The Earl sell gift vouchers?
- Yes, gift vouchers are available via the website.
- What's there to drink?
- Tap beers and ciders, a wide wine list spanning Marlborough to Central Otago plus champagne, spritzes, and cocktails — including margaritas and espresso martinis on tap.
Tips
- {"body":"Seats can be reserved online via the Book Now page — worth doing for dinner and weekends.","title":"Book ahead"}
- {"body":"The shared plates are made for grazing — mix a few like the tuna tataki, pork belly bites and salt & pepper squid.","title":"Order for the table"}
- {"body":"The venue spans bar, restaurant and rooftop — settle in for a meal, then change levels for drinks.","title":"Move with the day"}
- {"body":"The wine list runs up to French champagne, so it's well set up for birthdays and milestone dinners.","title":"Celebrate properly"}
- {"body":"Doors open at noon every day, so it works for long lunches as well as dinner and late drinks.","title":"Open all week"}
Good to know
- {"dietary":"Vegetarian-friendly dishes such as truffle risotto, roasted root vegetable bowl, eggplant and margherita pizza; low- and no-alcohol drinks available."}