The Turf Hotel is Stoke's local hub for great food, drinks and live sport, sitting on Songer Street just minutes from Nelson and Richmond. Open daily from 9am till late, it combines a warm, friendly Sports Bar with big screen TVs, TAB, pool tables, darts and pokies, a sunny Garden Bar and BBQ area, and regular live music on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. Locally owned and operated, The Turf has deep roots in the Stoke community and is a proud sponsor of the Tasman Mako.
Next door, The Bach Bar & Restaurant serves lunch and dinner Friday to Sunday from 11.30am until late — creative, contemporary cuisine prepared with the freshest seasonal ingredients, matched with a premium wine list of local wines, beers, cocktails and spirits. Set menus are available for larger groups, and bookings are recommended.
The Garden Bar is a favourite for casual lunches, family-friendly meals and group functions, and a playful kids' menu makes it easy to bring little ones along — children 12 and under even get a free kids' main with every adult main ordered. Whether you're in for the big game, a long lunch or a night of live music, The Turf has something for everyone.
On Songer Street in Stoke — just a few minutes' drive from both Nelson and Richmond — the Turf Hotel does what a good local pub should. It pours a cold beer, puts the big game on the big screens, keeps the BBQ area ready for sunny afternoons, and lets the kitchen at The Bach Bar & Restaurant turn out generous plates from Friday to Sunday. Open daily from 9am till late, it's the kind of place where a quick after-work drink has a habit of turning into dinner.
The Turf is locally owned and operated, with proprietor Stan at the helm and deep roots in the Stoke community. That local grounding shows in small ways: the team proudly sponsors the Tasman Mako, so provincial rugby days carry a real sense of occasion, and the venue regularly hosts the kinds of get-togethers a neighbourhood needs. Whether you're a lifelong regular or passing through, the welcome is the same — warm, unhurried and genuinely friendly.
The Sports Bar is the engine room of the hotel. Big screen TVs mean you won't miss a moment of the match, and if you fancy a flutter the TAB is right on hand. Pool tables and darts keep the competitive types happy, pokies are there for a quiet punt, and regular live music keeps the energy up — Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons are when the musicians roll in. The What's On page lists who's playing and what's coming up.
Out the back, the sunny Garden Bar is the venue's softer side. It's a favourite for a casual lunch, a family-friendly meal or a group function, with the BBQ area adding to the summery feel. Planning a birthday, work do or team celebration? The space is built for it.
Next door to the pub, The Bach Bar & Restaurant is the Turf's dining room — a warm, vibrant space open Friday to Sunday from 11.30am until late, serving both lunch and dinner from a kitchen that leans on the freshest seasonal ingredients. The menu is creative and contemporary, and it pairs well with a premium wine list of local wines, plus beers, cocktails and spirits. Set menus are available for larger groups. Bookings are recommended, especially on live music nights, when the busy bar and musicians next door add a layer of atmosphere to your meal.
Ask a regular and you'll hear about the lamb shank — tender meat on soft mash with a warm, hearty sauce and seasonal greens — or the seafood chowder, a cozy bowl of tender seafood in a smooth creamy sauce with golden toasted garlic bread. The ribeye arrives with a fresh green salad and golden fries, the chicken filo hides creamy brie and cranberry, and the pork roast comes topped with house gravy and pork crackle. Fish and chips, a Caesar salad and the pasta of the day round out the mains.
Entrees like garlic prawns, lemon pepper calamari and grilled halloumi with tomato and balsamic glaze are made for sharing, and there's chilli cheese garlic bread if you want something more indulgent. Save room for dessert: the chocolate brownie, apple and blueberry shortcake, sundaes and the dessert of the day all come with ice cream, whipped cream and your choice of chocolate, caramel, berry or passionfruit sauce.
Families are well looked after. The kids' menu — for ages 12 and under — is full of playful options like Clucky Crunchies, Wiggle Stick Woofers and Swimmy Chippies, and every child's first 7oz soft drink or fruit juice is free, as is a sundae. Better still, kids eat free: children 12 and under get a free kids' main with every adult main ordered, dine-in only, one per adult main.
The Turf Hotel is open daily from 9am till late at 228 Songer Street, Stoke, with The Bach serving Friday to Sunday from 11.30am. Call 03 547 7791 for The Bach bookings and functions, follow the hotel on Facebook for what's on, and make a night of it — catch the game, stay for the music, and let the kitchen do the rest.