Prohibition Smokehouse

About Prohibition Smokehouse

Prohibition Smokehouse brings a bold slice of the roaring 1920s to the heart of Dunedin's Octagon. Inspired by the Prohibition era and reimagined with a modern twist, it is a sophisticated dining room speckled with vibrant features — flamingos included — and service to match.

Meat is the story. The team has been firing up southern-style BBQ since 2016, and in 2019 the restaurant was reborn around dry-aging meat lockers that take every cut to new heights. Signature dry-aged cuts are crafted with care and served alongside the region's finest produce, with partner suppliers including Silver Fern Farms, Ora King salmon and Harbour Fish. The menu is developed from a refined paleo ethos and constructed with fine attention to detail.

Behind the bar, the speakeasy spirit continues with theatrically smoked cocktails like the Rosemary Gimlet and The Duck Hunter, classic cocktails on request, local beers and ciders, and a deep wine list that stretches from Central Otago favourites to a reserve cellar of prestige champagne. The venue is also an official Ardbeg Embassy, pouring peated Islay whisky and hosting Ardbeg events.

Function rooms are available for private events, and the team welcomes booking and function enquiries by phone or through the website. Prohibition Smokehouse is part of Dunedin's AND Group, alongside venues such as Vault 21, Catacombs and Pizza Bar.

Prohibition Smokehouse: Dry-Aged Cuts and Speakeasy Flair in Dunedin's Octagon

Step into the heart of Dunedin's Octagon and you could be forgiven for thinking you had wandered into the roaring 1920s — with a thoroughly modern twist. Prohibition Smokehouse has been part of the central city's dining scene since 2016, evolving from a southern-style BBQ kitchen into one of the city's most distinctive dining rooms, built around a simple obsession: the finest cuts of meat, dry-aged in the restaurant's own lockers.

A Story That Starts With Meat

Every story has a beginning, and Prohibition's starts with a love for the magic found in great meat. The team has been firing up southern-style BBQ hot off the grill since 2016, but 2019 brought the next chapter: a reimagined restaurant centred on dry-aging meat lockers, a process the kitchen credits with taking every cut to new heights before it ever meets the flame.

That patience is matched by sourcing. Prohibition works with partner suppliers including Silver Fern Farms, Ora King salmon and Harbour Fish, coupling its dry-aged beef with the region's finest fresh produce and seafood. The result is a menu developed from a refined paleo ethos, every dish constructed with fine attention to detail — southern BBQ tradition on the outside, fine-dining precision on the plate. In practice, that means meat treated as the centrepiece, supported by fresh regional produce rather than buried under heavy embellishment.

Theatre Behind the Bar

The bar programme plays full tilt to the speakeasy theme. The Rosemary Gimlet is served under a theatrical cloud of rosemary smoke, while The Duck Hunter stirs duck fat-washed bourbon with Amaretto and Cointreau, finished with a wisp of thyme or rosemary. Maple Moonshine shakes three-year Cuban rum with Glenmorangie whisky, lime and maple syrup, and the Purple Velvet arrives in a Nick and Nora glass crowned with crushed rose bud and an edible flower. Prefer something timeless? Classic cocktails are available on request — just ask the friendly waitstaff.

Beer and cider drinkers are well looked after too, with Heineken, Tuatara brews and Monteith's on tap. The wine list runs deep through Central Otago and beyond, from Roaring Meg and Te Kano pours by the glass to a reserve cellar featuring Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame and Kumeu River's Maté's Vineyard chardonnay.

An Ardbeg Embassy

Whisky lovers should come curious: Prohibition Smokehouse is an Ardbeg Embassy, one of the Islay distillery's spiritual outposts around the world. That means access to the smoky core range, new limited-edition releases and annual celebrations like Ardbeg Day, alongside gatherings for Ardbeg Committee members. Rally your fellow Ardbeggians and raise a glass — Slainte.

The Experience

Situated in the heart of The Octagon, the room is sophisticated and speckled with vibrant features and interesting delights — keep an eye out for the resident flamingos — with exceptional service to match. Function rooms are available for private events, and the team welcomes questions about functions and bookings by phone or through the contact form on the website. As part of the AND Group family of venues, alongside Vault 21, Catacombs, Graze & Glow and Pizza Bar, the hospitality pedigree runs deep.

Whether you come for a slow evening over dry-aged cuts, the theatre of a smoked cocktail or a dram of peated Islay whisky, Prohibition Smokehouse makes a strong case for dressing up and staying out late in Dunedin. Bookings can be made online — worth doing ahead of a weekend or a special occasion.

Signature items

• Dry-Aged Cuts
• Southern-Style BBQ
• Rosemary Gimlet
• The Duck Hunter
• Maple Moonshine
• Ardbeg Embassy Whiskies

Menu

Red Wine

• Morton Estate Merlot — Merlot.
• Huntaway Merlot Cabernet — Merlot cabernet blend.
• Huntaway Syrah — Syrah.
• Pepperjack Shiraz — Shiraz.
• Te Kano Life Pinot Noir — Pinot noir.
• Black Quail Pinot Noir — Pinot noir.
• Roaring Meg Pinot Noir — Pinot noir from the bottle list.

Cocktails

• Aperol Spritz w/ A Twist — Aperol, sparkling wine and soda with your choice of passionfruit, watermelon or peach syrup.
• Purple Velvet — Tequila, butterfly pea syrup and lime, served in a Nick and Nora glass with an edible flower.
• Jalapeno Margarita — Jose Cuervo Especial, pickled jalapenos, smoked brown sugar and lime.
• The Duck Hunter — Duck fat-washed bourbon, Amaretto and Cointreau, stirred with thyme or rosemary smoke.
• Across The Pond — Vodka, cucumber and mint with elderflower liqueur, topped with champagne.
• Paradise Punch — Vodka and Cuban rum with mango, passionfruit, pineapple and orange juice.
• Rosemary Gimlet — Gin, rosemary syrup and lime, served under theatrical rosemary smoke.
• Maple Moonshine — Three-year Cuban rum, Glenmorangie whisky, lime and maple syrup in a cocktail tin.
• Smoky Mango Habanero Margarita — Mango-infused habanero whiskey, tequila, triple sec and fresh lime.
• Classics on Request — Ask the friendly waitstaff — classic cocktails available on request.

Reserve Wines

• 2012 Ostler 'Blue House Vines' Riesling — Off dry, North Otago, New Zealand.
• 2020 Wet Jacket 'Redemption' Riesling — Off dry, Central Otago.
• 2018 Amisfield 'Dry' Riesling — Central Otago.
• 2018 Two Rivers 'Brookby Hill' Pinot Gris — Marlborough.
• 2022 Wet Jacket Pinot Gris — Central Otago.
• 2022 Cascon 'Vino Dellamicizia' Pinot Grigio — Friuli DOC, Italy.
• 2018 Escarpment Pinot Blanc — Martinborough.
• 2020 Wet Jacket Gewurztraminer — Off dry, Central Otago.
• 2021 Fattoria San Lorenzo 'di Gino' Verdicchio — Marche, Italy.
• 2020 Fattoria San Lorenzo 'Le Oche' Verdicchio — Marche, Italy.
• 2013 Giesen 'The Fuder' Sauvignon Blanc — Marlborough.
• 2013 Dog Point 'Section 94' Fume Blanc — Marlborough.
• 2020 Marc Bredif Vouvray — Chenin blanc, Loire Valley, France.
• 2014 La Croix De Mounay Vouvray — Chenin blanc, Loire Valley, France.
• 2021 Ken Forester 'Old Vine' Chenin Blanc — Stellenbosch, South Africa.
• 2021 Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Syrah — Central Otago.
• 2016 Trinity Hill Montepulciano — Hawke's Bay.
• 2017 Kumeu River 'Maté's Vineyard' Chardonnay — Chardonnay from Kumeu River.

Beers & Ciders

• Heineken — Draught lager on tap.
• Heineken Silver — Crisp lager on tap.
• Tuatara Hazy Pale Ale — Hazy pale ale on tap.
• Tuatara Regenerate Pilsner — Craft pilsner on tap.
• Monteith's Crushed Apple Cider — Apple cider on tap.
• Monteith's Black — Dark beer by the bottle.
• Heineken 00 — Zero-alcohol lager by the bottle.
• Heineken Lite — Light lager (2.5%) by the bottle.

Sparkling Wine

• Moet & Chandon Imperial — Champagne.
• Veuve Clicquot Brut — Brut champagne, by the glass or bottle.
• G.H Mumm Grand Cordon Rosé — Rosé champagne.
• G.H Mumm Cordon Rouge — Brut champagne.
• Daniel Le Brun Rosé — New Zealand sparkling rosé.

White Wine & Rosé

• Vavasour Chardonnay — Chardonnay from the house list.
• Roaring Meg Chardonnay — Chardonnay from the house list.
• Roaring Meg Sauvignon Blanc — Sauvignon blanc from the house list.
• Te Kairanga Sauvignon Blanc — Sauvignon blanc from the house list.
• Wither Hills Early Light Sauvignon Blanc — Lighter-style sauvignon blanc (9.5%).
• Opawa Pinot Gris — Pinot gris from the house list.
• Roaring Meg Pinot Gris — Pinot gris from the house list.
• Te Whare Ra Dry Riesling — Dry riesling from the house list.
• Te Kano Life Riesling — Riesling from the house list.
• Te Kano Rosé — Rosé from the house list.
• Mt Difficulty Rosé — Rosé from the house list.
• Whispering Angel Rosé — Rosé from the bottle list.

Reserve Champagne & Sparkling

• NV Quartz Reef Methode Traditionnelle Brut — New Zealand sparkling.
• NV Moet & Chandon Imperial Champagne — Champagne, France.
• NV Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne — Champagne, France.
• 2015 Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Brut — Champagne, France.
• Moet & Chandon Magnum Brut — Champagne magnum, France.
• 2012 G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut — Champagne, France.
• 2012 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Brut — Prestige champagne, France.
• 2012 Dom Perignon Brut — Prestige champagne, France.
• 2007 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque — Prestige champagne, France.
• 2002 G.H. Mumm Cuvee Lalou Prestige Brut — Prestige champagne, France.
• NV G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Le Rosé — Rosé champagne, France.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Prohibition Smokehouse located?

At 10 The Octagon, Central Dunedin, Dunedin 9016 — in the heart of the city.

What is Prohibition Smokehouse known for?

Southern-style BBQ served since 2016 and, since 2019, signature dry-aged cuts matured in the restaurant's own meat lockers, with a menu built on a refined paleo ethos.

Do I need a booking?

Bookings are recommended. You can book a table online through the website or call 03 479 2018.

Can the venue host functions or events?

Yes — Prohibition has function rooms. Contact the team by phone or via the website contact form to discuss your event.

What is an Ardbeg Embassy?

Prohibition is an official Ardbeg Embassy — a spiritual outpost for the Islay whisky brand, offering the smoky core range, limited editions and annual events like Ardbeg Day.

Does the menu suit particular diets?

The menu is developed from a refined paleo ethos with careful attention to detail, built around quality meat and fresh regional produce.

Who supplies the meat and seafood?

Partner suppliers include Silver Fern Farms, Ora King salmon and Harbour Fish.

Tips

• {"body":"Reserve a table online or call 03 479 2018 — a prime Octagon location like this fills up, especially for occasions.","title":"Book ahead"}
• {"body":"The Rosemary Gimlet and The Duck Hunter arrive with tableside smoke — worth ordering for the show as much as the drink.","title":"Order the theatre"}
• {"body":"Classic cocktails are available on request, so just ask the friendly waitstaff if your favourite isn't on the list.","title":"Ask about classics"}
• {"body":"As an Ardbeg Embassy, the bar pours the smoky core range plus limited editions, with annual events like Ardbeg Day.","title":"Whisky pilgrims, note"}
• {"body":"The signature cuts aged in the in-house meat lockers are what the restaurant is built around — start there.","title":"First visit? Go dry-aged"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Menu developed from a refined paleo ethos; ask staff about options"}