The Dubliner is an Irish gastro pub on Methven's Main Street, greeting guests with 'Céad Míle Fáilte' — a hundred thousand welcomes. The kitchen serves what the team calls 'a little bit of Kiwi Irish': elevated gastro pub fayre alongside Irish classics inspired by Nanna and the food they grew up eating, with the ribeye with mash a particular reviewer favourite after a long day on the mountain.
The bar pours hand-selected New Zealand wines, a great range of Irish whiskey, beer from the big brewers, the team's favourite local craft on tap and Irish stout of course — including Cassels Pilsner and the much-loved Cassels milk stout. Happy hour runs 4pm-6pm every day on pints of Cassels Pilsner, house sav and pinot noir.
Cosy and inviting with the fire on, and dog friendly, The Dubliner is recommended by 96% of its reviewers with a 4.5 rating on Google and 4.6 on Tripadvisor. It opens from 4pm Monday to Friday and from midday on weekends, trading until late. Online bookings also unlock a 10% discount at ŌPUKE Thermal Pools and Spa from Monday to Thursday (T&Cs apply), and gift vouchers are available.
On the main street of Methven, The Dubliner greets arrivals with "Céad Míle Fáilte" — a hundred thousand welcomes. It is an Irish Gastro Pub in the fullest sense of the phrase: a cosy, inviting room where the fire is on, the staff are friendly and chatty, and the kitchen turns out elevated gastro pub fayre with a distinctly Kiwi accent. The team calls the style "a little bit of Kiwi Irish", and the phrase suits the place well.
Visitors keep describing the same feeling. One reviewer, ducking in after a rainy afternoon at the spa, found the pub "very cosy and inviting" with staff who were "lovely, very friendly and chatty". Another party came on a whim, found the fire roaring and "the best food we've had in ages", and reported that five days later they were still talking about it. A traveller from Australia, finishing a New Zealand holiday, wrote about discovering "a truly wonderful place" with outstanding food — "the perfect ending to our holiday".
The menu is built around two islands. There is elevated gastro pub fayre — hearty, properly cooked plates made for mountain appetites — served alongside Irish classics inspired by Nanna and the food the team grew up eating. It is comfort cooking done properly, the sort of food that makes sense when the weather has been sideways all afternoon.
The plate that shows up most often in reviews is the ribeye with mash, which one skier called "the best ribeye with mash I've had... perfect for a tired body, especially after a long day of skiing". Everything is served alongside hand-selected New Zealand wines, so there's a proper glass waiting whether you lean sauvignon blanc or pinot noir.
The bar is stocked the way an Irish pub should be. Beer from the big brewers sits alongside the team's favourite local craft, always on tap, and Irish stout — of course. Christchurch's Cassels brewery is a house favourite: pints of Cassels Pilsner lead the daily happy hour from 4pm to 6pm, alongside house sav and pinot noir, with Crate beers also part of the deal. Happy hour makes it easy to work your way around the list.
The Cassels milk stout has its own following — "we tried the Cassels milk stout and needed another as it was so good", one convert confessed. And if beer isn't your drop, there is a great range of Irish whiskey to explore instead.
Methven is a mountain town, and The Dubliner has quietly become part of its daily rhythm. It fills with skiers winding down after a long day on the mountain, spa-goers escaping the rain, and locals who simply want a good pint in warm company. Dogs are welcome, so the four-legged member of the family can settle in too.
There is even a built-in reason to make a night of it: book online at The Dubliner and you'll receive a 10% discount on bookings at the ŌPUKE Thermal Pools and Spa from Monday to Thursday (T&Cs apply) — soak first, then sup.
The numbers back the anecdotes. The pub is recommended by 96% of its reviewers, holds a 4.5 rating on Google and a 4.6 on Tripadvisor, and its review wall reads like a scrapbook of five-star evenings — warm fires, better food and staff worth chatting to.
The Dubliner opens at 4pm Monday to Friday and from midday on Saturdays and Sundays, trading until late. Tables can be reserved online, and gift vouchers are available for anyone who would rather give the perfect pint than wrap one. You'll find the pub at 116 Main Street, Methven — ring 03-302 8259 or email [email protected], and arrive hungry enough for Nanna's kind of cooking.