The Duke Hotel is a country pub hotel on Abercromby Street in Pōrangahau, a small coastal settlement in Central Hawke's Bay, rated 4.3 from 161 Google reviews. Reviewers praise the welcoming staff, friendly locals and cold beer, and say the food — seafood especially — is well worth the trip, with some advising that the seafood platter be ordered days in advance. A good rural hotel wears several hats at once: locals' living room, traveller's dinner stop and the only place for a proper meal and a pint. The best of them let the coast lead the menu, which is why small seaside pubs can serve seafood that city restaurants would envy. Kitchens in towns this size keep limited hours and popular dishes run out, so phoning ahead is wise. And expect company — in a country pub, conversation comes with the counter meal. At the end of the road in Pōrangahau, The Duke is a pub worth the drive.