The Craic Irish Tavern

About The Craic Irish Tavern

The Craic Irish Tavern has been serving Dunedin from 24 The Octagon since it was established in 2005, offering warm and friendly service alongside a wide selection of New Zealand and international beers, wines, spirits and whiskies. Guests can settle in with a Guinness or Kilkenny by the open fire, enjoy a glass of Central Otago Pinot, or watch the hustle of the Octagon pass by from the outdoor seating area.

Open seven days a week, The Craic serves its full menu all day, covering brunch, lunch and dinner in one continuous offering. The food ranges from a Full Irish Breakfast and Eggs Benedict through to Irish stew pot pie, seafood chowder, lamb shank, and a signature Craic Burger, with a dedicated snack menu, sides, and a kids menu that includes a main, ice cream sundae and small drink.

The tavern does not add a surcharge on public holidays, and many dishes are available gluten free or with gluten-free options on request, making it a workable stop for groups with a range of dietary needs.

The Craic Irish Tavern: All-Day Dining on Dunedin's Octagon Since 2005

Right on The Octagon in central Dunedin, The Craic Irish Tavern has been pouring pints and serving hearty food since it was established in 2005. Over two decades in, it remains a warm, friendly fixture of the city centre, built around a wide selection of New Zealand and international beers, wines, spirits and whiskies.

Settle in by the Fire or Watch the Octagon Go By

Part of The Craic's appeal is the setting as much as the drinks list. Guests can enjoy a Guinness or Kilkenny by the open fire on a cold Dunedin evening, sip a glass of Central Otago Pinot, or take a seat in the outdoor area and watch the vibrant hustle of the Octagon pass by. It's a tavern built for lingering, whether that's a quick pint after work or a full evening settled in with friends.

One Menu, All Day

Unlike venues that switch menus by the clock, The Craic serves its full brunch, lunch and dinner menu all day, seven days a week. That means a Full Irish Breakfast — bacon, sausage, mushrooms, tomato, hash brown, black pudding and haggis with toast and two eggs — is available whenever the craving hits, alongside Eggs Benedict, a three-egg omelette, and American hot cakes with bacon and banana or fresh fruit.

Hearty Mains and Local Seafood

Moving into lunch and dinner territory, the kitchen leans into Irish comfort food and local seafood in equal measure. The Irish Stew Pot Pie packs a rich beef and Guinness stew under a puff pastry lid, while the homemade seafood chowder brings together prawns, mussels, calamari and smoked fish in a thick, creamy white wine base. A mussel pot of freshly steamed green lipped mussels, a slow cooked lamb shank, and a 300g beef rib eye round out the more substantial options, alongside a house-made Craic Burger, an open steak sandwich, and a Thai beef salad for something lighter.

Shared Plates and Snacks

For sharing, there's an antipasto platter loaded with chorizo, salami, ham, smoked chicken, mussels and three cheeses, breads and spreads with a range of dips, and Craic nachos with a vegetarian option available. A dedicated snack menu adds wedges and fries to share, plus salt and pepper calamari, useful for a lighter bite alongside a drink.

Families Welcome

The kids menu covers breakfast options like bacon and egg on toast, plus a lunch and dinner selection that includes a main, an ice cream sundae and a small drink as standard — options range from a kids platter and fish bites to mini nachos and bangers and mash.

Visiting The Craic

The Craic Irish Tavern is open seven days a week, with no surcharge on public holidays. Many dishes are gluten free or can be made gluten free on request, and vegetarian options are available on select dishes including the nachos and the Craic Burger. Whether it's an all-day breakfast, a hearty pot pie, or a pint by the fire while watching the Octagon go by, The Craic continues to offer a proper Irish pub experience in the heart of Dunedin.

Signature items

• Full Irish Breakfast
• Irish Stew Pot Pie
• Homemade Seafood Chowder
• 300g Beef Rib Eye
• Craic Burger
• Mussel Pot

Menu

Mains

• 300g Beef Rib Eye — Cooked to your liking, served with garlic butter, steak fries and garden salad; mushroom sauce or an egg can be added, GF
• Lamb Shank — Slow cooked in a red wine, rosemary, barley, tomato and vegetable broth, served on potato mash
• Fish & Chips — Local Blue Cod, pan fried or beer battered, served with garden salad, steak fries, lemon and tartare sauce, GF on request
• Salmon Caesar Salad — Hot smoked salmon on garden salad with crostini croutons, feta and a poached egg, smoked chicken option available, GF on request
• Open Steak Sandwich — Medium rare steak with caramelised red onion marmalade and tomato on a toasted panini with steak fries
• Irish Stew Pot Pie — Beef and Guinness stew topped with a puff pastry lid, served with steak fries and a choice of garden salad or seasonal vegetables
• Craic Burger — Homemade beef patty with bacon, tomato, onion jam, cheese, beetroot, gherkin and lettuce on a toasted bun with aioli and tomato relish, served with steak fries, vegetarian option available
• Thai Beef Salad — Marinated beef strips on garden salad with crispy noodles and a lime, ginger and coriander dressing, GF on request
• Bangers & Mash — Two locally made beef, onion and tomato sausages on mashed potato with onion gravy and garden peas
• Corned Beef Hash — Chunky seasoned fried potato, spinach and corned beef topped with a poached egg and balsamic tomato, GF
• Calamari, Fries & Salad — Salt and pepper calamari with garden salad, steak fries and aioli
• Full Irish All Day Breakfast — Bacon, sausage, mushrooms, tomato, hash brown, black pudding and haggis with toast and two eggs, available without black pudding and haggis

Sides

• Crisp Steak Fries — Served for one; aioli or onion gravy can be added
• Steamed Seasonal Vegetables — Side dish
• Side Salad — Side dish

Brunch

• Toasted Bagel — Served with cream cheese and jam, or cream cheese and basil pesto
• Corned Beef Hash — Chunky seasoned fried potato, spinach and corned beef topped with a poached egg and balsamic tomato, GF
• Full Irish Breakfast — Bacon, sausage, mushrooms, tomato, hash brown, black pudding and haggis with toast and two eggs; available without black pudding and haggis
• Baked Eggs — Homemade baked beans with chickpeas and spinach topped with two eggs, baked in a casserole dish, served with ciabatta bread
• American Hot Cakes — With bacon and banana or fresh fruit salad, served with maple syrup and cream; children's size available
• Fresh Fruit Salad & Muesli — Seasonal fruit salad and natural yoghurt
• Bacon and Free-Range Eggs — Choice of two poached, scrambled or fried eggs with bacon, served with ciabatta toast
• Eggs Benedict — Two poached eggs on toasted ciabatta with hollandaise, or a GF hashbrown option, with wilted spinach, bacon or hot smoked salmon
• 3 Egg Omelette — Free range eggs with a choice of 3 fillings from tomato, ham, mushrooms, cheese, spinach or onion, served with ciabatta toast, GF on request

Kids Menu

• Bacon & Egg on Toast — One egg poached or fried with one piece of bacon on toast
• American Style Hot Cakes — With bacon and banana or fresh fruit salad, served with maple syrup and cream
• Kids Platter — Cheese sandwich, yoghurt, raisins, a piece of fruit and marshmallows
• Fish Bites — Served with fries and tomato sauce
• Ice Cream Sundae — Two scoops of vanilla ice cream, sprinkles, wafer and a choice of chocolate or strawberry sauce
• Bangers & Mash — Mashed potato and sausage served with tomato sauce or gravy
• Mini Nachos — Corn chips topped with chilli mince, sour cream and melted cheese

Brunch Sides

• Homemade Hash Brown — Brunch side
• Black Pudding — Brunch side
• Sausage — Brunch side
• Bacon — Brunch side
• Spinach — Brunch side
• Haggis — Brunch side
• Mushrooms — Brunch side
• Homemade Baked Beans — Brunch side
• Ciabatta Toast & Butter — Two slices with butter

Snacks To Share

• Wedges to Share — Seasoned potato wedges with sour cream and sweet Thai chilli sauce; bacon and/or grated cheese can be added
• Fries to Share — Crispy steak fries served with aioli and tomato sauce

EntréEs & Shared Plates

• Garlic Bread — Shared starter
• Salt & Pepper Calamari — Crunchy deep fried calamari with lemon and aioli
• Breads & Spreads — Fresh and toasted breads with hummus, basil pesto, tomato pesto, and olive oil and balsamic, GF option
• Antipasto Platter — Chorizo, salami, ham, smoked chicken, mussels and 3 cheeses with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, pickles, nuts, dips and fresh and dried fruit, served with bread and crostini
• Craic Nachos — Corn chips topped with chilli mince, sour cream, melted cheese and tomato and capsicum salsa, vegetarian option available, GF
• Smoked Chicken & Cranberry Doorstop Sandwich — Smoked chicken, brie, cranberry sauce and aioli and salad in American rye bread, served with fries, GF on request
• Soup of the Day — Served with toasted ciabatta bread and butter
• Homemade Seafood Chowder — Thick and creamy white wine chowder with prawns, mussels, calamari and smoked fish, served with bread and butter
• Mussel Pot — Freshly steamed green lipped mussels in a white wine, garlic and red onion reduction, served with garden salad and toasted ciabatta, GF on request

Frequently asked questions

What are The Craic's opening hours?

Open seven days a week; hours vary seasonally, generally from 8am or 9am on weekends and around 9-11am on weekdays, through to late.

Is there a surcharge on public holidays?

No, The Craic does not add a surcharge on public holidays.

Does The Craic serve breakfast all day?

Yes, the full brunch, lunch and dinner menu is served all day, seven days a week.

Are there gluten free options?

Yes, several dishes are marked GF or can be made gluten free on request.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, the kids lunch and dinner menu includes a main, an ice cream sundae and a small drink.

What drinks does The Craic serve?

A wide selection of New Zealand and international beers, wines, spirits and whiskies, including Guinness, Kilkenny and Central Otago Pinot.

How long has The Craic been open?

The Craic Irish Tavern was established in 2005.

Tips

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• {"body":"The outdoor area overlooks the Octagon, good for people-watching.","title":"Grab an outdoor table"}
• {"body":"A rich beef and Guinness stew under a puff pastry lid.","title":"Order the Irish Stew Pot Pie"}
• {"body":"Several dishes can be adjusted for gluten free or vegetarian diets on request.","title":"Ask about GF and vegetarian options"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids menu includes a main, ice cream sundae and small drink","dietary":"Many dishes are GF or available gluten free on request; vegetarian options available on select dishes"}