What are the brewery tours?

Guided 45-minute experience daily at 4pm where you learn about craft beer, pour your own beer from the tap, and take home a 6-pack of your favourite. Tour price includes all of this. No booking required—just arrive at 4pm.

What are your opening hours?

Open 7 days a week, 11am to 9pm. Closed only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Day.

Do you cater to dietary requirements?

Yes. The menu clearly marks vegetarian (V), vegan (VG), dairy-free (DF), and gluten-free (GF) options. Many dishes offer substitutions. Tell your server about any allergies or dietary needs.

Where do your ingredients come from?

We partner directly with West Coast producers: Blanchfields bakery (burger buns), Blackball Black Garlic, Thomsons Hari Hari Butchery (sausages/venison/lamb), Your Farm (milk), and West Fleet Seafoods (gurnard). All ethically and fairly produced.

Yes. Reservations available through the website or by calling +64 27 444 9985. Walk-ins welcome subject to availability.

What makes Monteith's special?

We're the original home of craft brewing in New Zealand (since 1868), Qualmark Gold rated, and built on West Coast hospitality—manaakitanga. Award-winning beers, locally-sourced food, brewery tours, and genuine connection to community.

Do you have space for events and functions?

Yes. Monteith's offers private function spaces and can accommodate group bookings. Contact the team at team@thebrewery.co.nz or +64 27 444 9985 to discuss your event.

Monteith's Brewery

Name: Monteith's Brewery
Address: 60 Herbert Street, Greymouth, West Coast, New Zealand, Greymouth, Greymouth, NZ
Telephone: +64 27 444 9985
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.5

restaurant — Greymouth · Greymouth

About Monteith's Brewery

Monteith's Brewery in Greymouth is the original home of craft brewing in New Zealand and a recognised Qualmark Gold visitor experience. Founded with a spirit of West Coast hospitality rooted in manaakitanga—welcoming guests like long-lost friends and sharing stories freely—the brewery has become a destination that blends craft beer culture with exceptional food and genuine community connection. The on-site café and restaurant showcase a locally-inspired menu built on partnerships with West Coast producers: burger buns from Blanchfields bakery, black garlic from Blackball, sausages and venison from Thomsons Hari Hari Butchery, milk from Your Farm, and gurnard caught in the Tasman Sea by West Fleet Seafoods. Every dish reflects a commitment to ethical and fair production. Beyond the food, visitors can experience the free museum, enjoy a selection of award-winning craft beers and ciders at the bar, or book a guided 45-minute brewery tour (daily at 4pm) that includes pouring your own beer and taking home a 6-pack of favourites. The brewery also offers function spaces for events and a shop stocked with Monteith's merchandise and local products.

Monteith's Brewery: West Coast Craft Beer Pioneer with Farm-to-Table Dining

The Original Craft Brewery

Monteith's Brewery holds a special place in New Zealand's beer history. As the original home of craft brewing in the country, it has been producing beer since 1868 in the heart of Greymouth on New Zealand's West Coast. The brewery isn't just about the beer, though—it's about hospitality, community, and the spirit of the West Coast itself. That spirit is captured in the Māori concept of manaakitanga: welcoming guests like long-lost friends, sharing stories freely, and sending visitors away with a piece of your place embedded in their memory.

The Brewery's commitment to quality and its exceptional guest experience have earned it Qualmark Gold status, a recognised marker of visitor excellence. This isn't accidental—it's built on genuine hospitality, a fabulous menu, prompt service, and the stories behind both the beers and the food.

Craft Beer & Local Connection

Walking into Monteith's, you're immediately surrounded by the working brewery. The award-winning beers and ciders on tap tell the story of skill, experimentation, and pride in craft. But the brewery understood early that hospitality extends beyond the glass—it's about the full experience.

That philosophy extends directly to the kitchen. The café and restaurant showcase a locally-inspired menu where every major ingredient is sourced from West Coast partners: Blanchfields bakery provides fresh burger buns, Blackball brings black garlic (which the brewery also sells by the jar), Thomsons Hari Hari Butchery supplies the sausages, venison, and lamb, Your Farm provides milk, and West Fleet Seafoods delivers gurnard caught in the Tasman Sea. This isn't performative localism—these are relationships built on ethical and fair trading practices.

Food for Everyone

The menu balances approachability with sophistication. Light bites like Prawn & Ginger Dumplings or Coast Fried Chicken sit alongside more substantial plates: the Herbert Street Haul—a beer-battered gurnard with fries and tartare that captures West Coast fishing heritage—sits next to a 200g Canterbury Beef Fillet or a Moroccan Sunday Roast. Kids have their own menu featuring mini venison burgers and fish & chips. Vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options appear throughout, ensuring no one feels sidelined.

The Bangers & Mash deserves special mention: award-winning Hari Hari beef sausages served over creamy black garlic potato mash with house gravy and caramelised onion jam. It's comfort food elevated by ingredient quality and local pride.

The Full Experience

Monteith's offers more than a meal and a beer. The 45-minute guided brewery tour (daily at 4pm) walks visitors through the brewing process, includes a chance to pour your own beer from the tap, and sends you home with a 6-pack of your chosen brews—all included in the tour price. A free museum tells the story of the brewery and West Coast beer culture. The shop stocks Monteith's merchandise and local products.

The space itself welcomes families, offers private function rooms for events, and maintains an atmosphere that feels both destination-worthy and genuinely friendly. There's no pretension here—just people proud of what they make, where they're from, and happy to share both with you.

Signature items

Brewery Tours
Herbert Street Haul
Bangers & Mash
Award-Winning Craft Beers
Locally-Sourced Menu
Free Museum & Shop

Chilli Cheese Garlic Bread — Ciabatta loaf, sweet chilli sauce, mozzarella (vegetarian)
Beer Battered Fries — House seasoning, garlic aioli (dairy-free, vegetarian)
Shoestring Fries — House seasoning, garlic aioli (dairy-free, vegetarian or gluten-free)
Prawn & Ginger Dumplings — Five dumplings with chilli soy dipping sauce, sesame, spring onion (dairy-free)
Coast Fried Chicken — Sriracha buttermilk chicken, ranch dip, gravy (or gluten-free)
Garlic Prawns with Mango & Chilli Salsa — Prawns, garlic, sweet chilli, coriander, mango salsa, jalapeño mayo (dairy-free or gluten-free)
Spicy Fish Tacos — Two tacos with Golden Lager battered fish, slaw, chipotle and jalapeño mayo, coriander (dairy-free)
Fiordland Mini Venison Burgers — Three burgers with juniper spiced venison, mesclun, chilli jam, aioli, Swiss cheese, brioche buns

Kids Menu

Kids Mini Venison Burgers — Two burgers with juniper venison, mesclun, chilli jam, aioli, Swiss cheese, brioche, fries
Kids Herbert Street Haul — Battered gurnard, coleslaw, fries, tartare sauce, lemon (dairy-free)

Light Plates

Winter Energy Bowl — Parsnip, nadines, carrots, roasted chickpea, mixed greens, lemon, tahini maple sauce (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free)
Bangers & Mash — Award-winning Hari Hari beef sausages, creamy black garlic potato mash, peas, house gravy, caramelised onion jam
Thai Red Beef Curry — Beef fillet, baby corn, mushroom, capsicum, red curry coconut sauce, scented rice

Main Courses

Phoenix Chicken Burger — Sriracha chicken breast, honey mustard slaw, chilli jam, ranch dressing, Swiss cheese, Blanchfield's brioche, fries, aioli (or gluten-free)
Pulled Pork Burger — Slow roasted pork shoulder, house spices, pickles, red onion, apple, slaw, turmeric brioche, fries, aioli (or gluten-free)
Vegan Burger — Pumpkin quinoa patty, spinach, roast capsicum, caramelised onion, tahini sauce, turmeric brioche, fries (dairy-free, vegetarian or gluten-free)
Herbert Street Haul — Golden Lager battered gurnard, coleslaw, beer battered fries, tartare sauce, lemon (dairy-free)
Canterbury Beef Fillet — 200g beef fillet, brown butter swede puree, pesto potatoes, creamy mushrooms, roasted greens, berry jus (gluten-free)
Sunday Roast — Moroccan slow roasted lamb shoulder, maple carrots, pesto potatoes, roasted brussels, cauliflower, gravy (dairy-free)
Baked Salmon Fillet — Oven baked salmon, sweetcorn puree, maple carrots, zucchini, roasted greens, lemon crème fraîche (gluten-free)

Frequently asked questions

What are the brewery tours?: Guided 45-minute experience daily at 4pm where you learn about craft beer, pour your own beer from the tap, and take home a 6-pack of your favourite. Tour price includes all of this. No booking required—just arrive at 4pm.
What are your opening hours?: Open 7 days a week, 11am to 9pm. Closed only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years Day.
Do you cater to dietary requirements?: Yes. The menu clearly marks vegetarian (V), vegan (VG), dairy-free (DF), and gluten-free (GF) options. Many dishes offer substitutions. Tell your server about any allergies or dietary needs.
Where do your ingredients come from?: We partner directly with West Coast producers: Blanchfields bakery (burger buns), Blackball Black Garlic, Thomsons Hari Hari Butchery (sausages/venison/lamb), Your Farm (milk), and West Fleet Seafoods (gurnard). All ethically and fairly produced.
Can I book a table?: Yes. Reservations available through the website or by calling +64 27 444 9985. Walk-ins welcome subject to availability.
What makes Monteith's special?: We're the original home of craft brewing in New Zealand (since 1868), Qualmark Gold rated, and built on West Coast hospitality—manaakitanga. Award-winning beers, locally-sourced food, brewery tours, and genuine connection to community.
Do you have space for events and functions?: Yes. Monteith's offers private function spaces and can accommodate group bookings. Contact the team at team@thebrewery.co.nz or +64 27 444 9985 to discuss your event.

Tips

{"body":"A 45-minute guided experience that teaches you about craft beer, lets you pour your own, and includes a 6-pack to take home. The best introduction to Monteith's.","title":"Book the 4pm brewery tour"}
{"body":"Every major ingredient tells a story. Ask your server which local producer each component comes from—it deepens the meal and supports West Coast producers.","title":"Try the local partnerships on your plate"}
{"body":"Golden Lager battered gurnard with fries and tartare. It captures what West Coast fishing and hospitality are about. A must-try.","title":"The Herbert Street Haul is the heritage dish"}
{"body":"Catch the 4pm tour, then relax with a meal at the restaurant afterwards. It's a full evening experience in one place.","title":"Arrive around 4pm for brewery + dinner"}
{"body":"Beyond the printed menu, each table has a hand-written list of daily specials and seasonal dishes. The kitchen's creativity shines here.","title":"Check the Chef's Playbook on your table"}

Good to know

{"beers":"Award-winning craft beers and ciders, available for tasting or in the 6-pack tour special","tours":"45-min guided brewery experience daily at 4pm, includes beer pour and 6-pack take-home","family":"Family-friendly dining with kids menu, spacious restaurant, relaxed atmosphere","museum":"Free to visit—tells the story of NZ craft brewing and West Coast heritage","location":"Greymouth on the West Coast, South Island—a destination in itself","local_sourcing":"All major ingredients from named West Coast producers—see transparency in every dish"}