The Rose Irish Pub is a Napier institution — the self-described friendliest little pub house in the city, sitting right in the heart of town inside the iconic Art Deco Masonic Hotel on Hastings Street. It oozes character and draws a broad crowd: young and young at heart, locals and tourists, families, Kiwis and international visitors, all there to meet friends, start a night out or linger over a hearty meal matched with a great range of beers and wines.
The kitchen turns out Kiwi pub favourites — fish 'n chips the pub bills as simply the best in town, a rich Beef and Guinness Pie with puff pastry and creamy mash, loaded wedges and jalapeno poppers for the table, and an oh-so-naughty chocolate brownie to finish. Behind the bar there's perfectly poured Guinness and Kilkenny, an ever-changing range of beers on tap, local wines, and dedicated lists of classic and signature cocktails, mocktails and shooters. Happy hour drinks run 4-6pm every day.
There's always something happening: Jingo music bingo on the first Monday of the month, the Mad Monday Hospo Quiz on the third Monday, free-entry Quiz Night every Wednesday at 7pm, Spin the Wheel Fridays, live music gigs and major sport on the big screens. Wi-Fi is free, the patio is made for a quiet ale, and a friendly welcome is guaranteed.
Step through the door of The Rose Irish Pub and it's easy to see why it has a reputation as Napier's friendliest pub. Tucked inside the city's iconic Art Deco Masonic Hotel on Hastings Street, this character-filled pub house is a genuine Napier institution — the sort of place where young and young-at-heart, locals and tourists, families and international visitors all end up at the same long table. It opens every day from midday, and it works just as well for a lingering lunch as it does for the first pint of a big night out.
The Rose oozes the kind of character you can't manufacture. Inside it's all quirky décor and warm banter; outside there's a patio that's hard to walk past, ideally positioned for a perfectly poured Guinness or Kilkenny. Being part of the Art Deco Masonic Hotel family gives the pub a rare setting, right in the heart of Napier. Free Wi-Fi means you can linger with a laptop as easily as with a pint.
The crowd is deliberately broad. On any given day you'll find workmates sharing loaded wedges, families working through the kids' menu, travellers resting their feet, and sports fans with eyes on the big screens. That mix is part of the charm — as the pub itself puts it, whether you visit for a quiet ale or join in the shenanigans, you'll always find a friendly welcome.
The kitchen keeps things honest with a menu of Kiwi pub favourites built for hearty appetites. The fish 'n chips is the headline act — beer-battered fresh catch of the Bay with salad and tartare, a plate the pub confidently bills as the best in town. The Beef and Guinness Pie runs it close, all puff pastry, chard and creamy mash, and on Tuesdays the Bangers & Mash — made with local Hawke's Bay sausages, peas and red wine jus — arrives with a house beer or wine as an all-day deal.
Share plates are taken seriously too: loaded wedges oozing with bacon, cheese and sour cream, and jalapeno poppers for the table. A chef's weekly special keeps things interesting, changing regularly and available all day, and Thursdays bring the famous fish 'n chips with a drink. Save room for dessert — the chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce is described, accurately, as oh-so-naughty.
Guinness is treated with due reverence here — the banner behind the bar claims it's simply the best in town, and there's even a Guinness Club for devotees. Kilkenny sits alongside it on tap, an ever-changing range of other beers keeps things fresh, and a selection of local wines is on hand to match the food. Cocktail fans are well served by separate lists of classic cocktails and The Rose's own signature cocktails and mocktails, with a shooters menu for rounds with the crew. Happy hour drinks run every day from 4pm to 6pm.
Midweek at The Rose is anything but quiet. The first Monday of the month brings Jingo — music bingo — at 7pm, the third Monday is the Mad Monday Hospo Quiz, and every Wednesday is Quiz Night from 7pm with free entry. Fridays feature Spin the Wheel, live music gigs roll through regularly, and major sports fixtures play out on the big screens. A loyalty club rewards the regulars.
It all adds up to a pub that works at every hour: a quiet lunch on the patio, a family dinner, a midweek quiz showdown, or the start point for a night out in Napier. Quiet ale or full shenanigans — The Rose has room for both.