The Landing Restaurant & Bar occupies one of Auckland's most historic pub buildings: a harbourfront hotel sitting right above Onehunga Wharf, first opened as the Manukau Hotel in 1865, destroyed by fire in 1879 and rebuilt immediately. It is the only surviving pub from the heyday of Onehunga as an important port, and a familiar sight to anyone driving to or from the airport along the edge of the Manukau Harbour.
Inside, a single bar and dining room carry a nautical theme that suits the building's Victorian bones. The 2000 restoration brought the old double fireplaces back to life, polished the kauri floors until they glow, and reshaped kauri timber salvaged from old outbuildings into the bar and tables. Historic photographs of old Onehunga line the walls, including pictures of rival hotels long gone. Local lore adds a flourish: two ghosts, a woman and a man, both dressed in Victorian clothing, are said to haunt the first floor — though they never venture downstairs.
The kitchen keeps a steady daily rhythm: bar snacks from opening till late, lunch from 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM and dinner from 5:30 to 8:30 PM, backed by a wide selection of beverages. Happy hour runs daily from 3:00 to 6:00 PM. Weekly highlights include poker nights every Tuesday and Sunday, free ice cream with every kids' meal, and free venue hire for functions. With plenty of parking, a motel right next door and the airport close by, the Landing is an easy stop for travellers — and delivery is available on Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Perched above Onehunga Wharf on the southern edge of the Manukau Harbour, The Landing Restaurant & Bar is a building many Aucklanders know without ever having stepped inside. Anyone who has driven to or from the airport past Onehunga will recognise this old pub hugging the harbour's edge — a survivor from the days when Onehunga was one of the country's important ports. Step inside and you'll find polished kauri, old fireplaces and more than a few stories.
The story begins in 1865, when the building opened as the Manukau Hotel. Fire destroyed the original structure in 1879, but it was rebuilt immediately — a quick recovery that says much about how vital the spot was. When the tram terminus from Auckland city sat opposite the hotel near the wharf, the surrounding streets hummed with commercial activity, and the Manukau stood at the centre of it. Every other pub from that heyday has since vanished; this is the only one left.
As Onehunga declined and the area became more industrial, the Manukau Hotel followed the fortunes of the town. Its luck held, though. While all of its rivals disappeared, the old hotel was rescued and totally renovated in 2000. Restorers uncovered and revived the double fireplaces, the fabulous kauri floors were brought back to a warm shine, and kauri timber from old outbuildings was given a second life as the bar and tables. Renamed the Landing, the pub kept its bones while stepping cleanly into its next century.
Where the building once held two public bars, a private bar and upstairs accommodation, today there is a single bar and a dining room, both decorated in a nautical theme that sits comfortably with the Victorian style of the old hotel. On the walls hang detailed historic photographs of old Onehunga, including portraits of rival hotels long gone — worth a slow wander with a drink in hand.
And then there is the pub's most talked-about detail: two ghosts, a woman and a man, both dressed in Victorian clothing, said to haunt the first floor. They have never, it seems, ventured downstairs.
The kitchen keeps a simple, generous rhythm. Bar snacks run from opening until late, lunch is served from 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM, and dinner from 5:30 to 8:30 PM, with a wide selection of beverages behind the bar. Happy hour runs daily from 3:00 to 6:00 PM — an easy excuse to settle in as the harbour light changes. Whether it is a long lunch, a post-work drink or dinner before a flight, the old hotel keeps its hours seven days a week. Families are well looked after too: every kids' meal at lunch or dinner comes with a free ice cream.
There is a steady beat of weekly happenings. Poker night runs every Tuesday from 7:00 PM and every Sunday from 6:00 PM. For anyone planning a function, the Landing offers free venue hire, with hall bookings available alongside regular table reservations — a character-filled setting for birthdays, work dos and family gatherings.
Honesty first: the motorway has marooned the old pub from Onehunga itself, and the team readily admit it is not the easiest place to reach on foot. They also call it a little gem of old Auckland that is well worth the effort — and with plenty of parking, arriving by car is simple. For travellers it is remarkably convenient: the airport is close by and a motel sits right next door, making the Landing an easy stop for flights, accommodation and a proper meal. If you would rather stay in, the kitchen comes to you via Uber Eats and DoorDash.
As the team puts it: "We are your local restaurant and bar with great food and wide selection of beverages. Sitting proudly next to the Onehunga Port since 1865."