The Monarch

About The Monarch

The Monarch has been a fixture of Pukekohe's King Street for more than 27 years, and in that time it has become the town's local favourite restaurant — a place where weekend brunches stretch long, weekday lunches feel like a treat, and dinners mark the moments that matter. The team here believes dining out is about more than delicious food and great drinks: it's about creating lasting memories with the people you love.

The menus run from leisurely weekend brunch and casual weekday lunch through to a seasonal dinner menu that's always evolving. Share plates might include pork dumplings, tiger prawn yellow curry with homemade roti or house-made duck liver and mushroom brandy pate, while the Premium Cuts selection — grass fed eye fillet, aged sirloin and scotch fillet — comes with seasonal vegetables, truffle fries and onion rings, plus a choice of red wine jus, mushroom, peppercorn or café de Paris butter. Market fish changes regularly, and vegetarian and gluten free options are available on request.

Families are well catered for with a dedicated kids menu for under-12s, and the drinks list covers everything from Marlborough sauvignon blanc and Central Otago pinot noir to French champagne and a cellar selection. Whether it's sun-soaked cocktails, a business lunch, a family gathering or a romantic dinner for two, The Monarch aims to make every visit feel special.

The Monarch Pukekohe: 27 Years of Steaks, Seasonal Dinners and Family Favourites on King Street

For more than 27 years, The Monarch has been welcoming Pukekohe through its doors on King Street, growing into the town's local favourite restaurant along the way. The idea behind it is a simple one: dining out is about more than delicious food and great drinks — it's about creating lasting memories with the people you love. That philosophy shows up in everything from the relaxed, unhurried service to menus designed to suit almost any occasion, whether that's a business lunch, a family gathering, sun-soaked cocktails with friends or a romantic dinner for two.

A Menu for Every Occasion

The Monarch runs separate lunch, brunch, dinner, dessert and kids menus, alongside a wine list and a regularly updated specials board. The dinner menu is seasonal and always evolving, and it opens with a generous line-up of plates to start or share: pork dumplings with soy ginger chilli dipping sauce, tiger prawn yellow curry with homemade roti, salt and pepper calamari, lamb cutlets in a parmesan crust, and pork ribs in plum bbq sauce. There are also more indulgent options — sweetcorn jalapeno cheddar croquettes with chipotle mayo, mushroom ricotta tortellini in burnt butter, and a house-made duck liver and mushroom brandy pate served with toast and date jam.

The Famous Premium Cuts

Steak is at the heart of both the lunch and dinner menus. The Premium Cuts selection offers a 220 gram grass fed eye fillet, a 300 gram aged sirloin and a 300 gram scotch fillet, each served with seasonal vegetables, truffle fries and onion rings. Diners choose a sauce to match — red wine jus, mushroom sauce, peppercorn sauce or café de Paris butter — and can add an egg for good measure.

Beyond the steaks, dinner mains include a 12 hour roasted lamb shoulder with smoked carrot puree, raita and zesty tomato mint Israeli cous cous, and a confit duck leg with sour cherry pomegranate jus, celeriac puree and charred broccolini. Pasta lovers are covered by a rich linguine alfredo and a rigatoni bolognese made with slow cooked wagyu beef, red wine and gremolata. The market fish changes regularly — your waitperson will advise what's on — and can be served beer battered with artisan fries and tartare, or pan seared with a lemon crème fraiche risotto, seasonal vegetables and a lime pistachio salsa verde.

Lunch, Brunch and Little Ones

Lunch takes a more casual turn, with a steak sandwich on scotch fillet and garlic aioli, an open chicken caesar sandwich topped with a poached egg, a beer battered gurnard fish burger and the house Monarch beef burger with a smash pattie and mustard mayo. Lighter plates include a prawn and avocado salad with marie rose sauce and a pan seared lemon chicken and avocado salad with green goddess dressing. Weekends kick off an hour earlier, with brunch served from 11am on Saturdays and Sundays.

Families are genuinely looked after here. Kids under 12 have their own menu featuring crumbed chicken tenders, ham and cheese pizza, fish and chips and the Monarch junior burger, plus weekend-only treats like bacon and eggs with toast soldiers and French toast with strawberry jam, cream cheese, peaches and crispy bacon. A double-scoop ice cream sundae or an 'icy slicy' finishes things off nicely.

The Wine List and Planning Your Visit

The drinks list leans heavily on New Zealand producers — Marlborough sauvignon blanc from the likes of Dog Point and Misty Cove, Central Otago pinot noir from Black Cottage, Lake Hayes and Chard Farm, and Hawke's Bay chardonnays and merlot blends — alongside French bubbles, Australian shiraz and a cellar selection for special occasions.

Find The Monarch at 1 King Street, Pukekohe, Auckland 2120. It's open seven days — from midday Monday to Friday and from 11am on weekends. Vegetarian and gluten free options are available on request, and for same-day bookings the team asks that you phone 09 238 3232 rather than email. Follow The Monarch on Facebook for the latest specials and updates.

Signature items

• Grass Fed Eye Fillet
• 12 Hour Roasted Lamb Shoulder
• Confit Duck Leg
• Monarch Beef Burger
• Fish Burger
• House Made Duck Liver Pate

Menu

Lunch

• Ciabatta — With garlic and chilli infused olive oil
• Bruschetta — Vine ripened tomatoes, basil, parmesan, balsamic
• Ham & Cheese Toasted Sandwich — Three-cheese blend, roasted champagne ham, gherkin, crispy sourdough fries
• Steak Sandwich — Scotch fillet, dijon mustard, garlic aioli, rocket, tomato, fries
• Open Chicken Caesar Sandwich — Crispy bacon, poached egg, baby cos lettuce, aioli, fries
• Pork Dumplings — Asian greens, soy ginger chilli dipping sauce
• Salt & Pepper Calamari — Rocket, garlic aioli, lemon
• Prawn & Avocado Salad — Cos lettuce, marie rose sauce, red onion, cucumber, chives
• Pan Seared Lemon Chicken & Avocado Salad — Green goddess dressing, pistachio
• Fish Burger — Beer battered gurnard, tartare, lettuce, tomato, brioche bun, fries
• Linguine Alfredo — Chicken, bacon, mushroom, sage cream
• Rigatoni Bolognese — Slow cooked wagyu beef, red wine, tomato, gremolata
• Monarch Beef Burger — Smash pattie, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard mayo, brioche bun, fries
• 220g Grass Fed Eye Fillet — Premium cut with seasonal veg, truffle fries and onion rings
• 300g Aged Sirloin — Premium cut with seasonal veg, truffle fries and onion rings
• 300g Scotch Fillet — Premium cut with seasonal veg, truffle fries and onion rings
• Market Fish — Beer battered with artisan fries and tartare, or pan seared with lemon crème fraiche risotto

Sides

• Salad — With vinaigrette
• Fries — With garlic aioli and ketchup, small or large
• Seasonal Veg — Market-fresh vegetables
• Onion Rings — Golden and crispy

Dinner Mains

• 220g Grass Fed Eye Fillet — Premium cut with seasonal veg, truffle fries and onion rings
• 300g Aged Sirloin — Premium cut with seasonal veg, truffle fries and onion rings
• 300g Scotch Fillet — Premium cut with seasonal veg, truffle fries and onion rings
• 12 Hour Roasted Lamb Shoulder — Smoked carrot puree, raita, zesty tomato mint Israeli cous cous
• Confit Duck Leg — Sour cherry pomegranate jus, celeriac puree, charred broccolini
• Linguine Alfredo — Chicken, bacon, mushroom, sage cream
• Rigatoni Bolognese — Slow cooked wagyu beef, red wine, tomato, gremolata
• Market Fish — Beer battered with artisan fries and tartare, or pan seared with lemon crème fraiche risotto

Kids Desserts

• Ice Cream Sundae — Double scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate or raspberry sauce
• Icy Slicys — Vanilla ice cream sandwiched between pink wafer biscuits

Wine List – Reds

• Clearview Merlot 2021 — Hawke's Bay merlot, Cape Kidnappers
• Pask Gimblett Gravels 2019 — Hawke's Bay merlot and cabernet
• Craggy Range Te Kahu 2020 — Gimblett Gravels merlot and cabernet blend
• 30 Mile 2020 — Multi award winning South Australian shiraz
• St Hugo Barossa 2021 — Grenache shiraz mourvèdre blend, Australia
• Wild Folk Shiraz 2021 — Barossa shiraz
• Fire Road 2020 — Marlborough pinot noir
• Black Cottage 2021 — Central Otago pinot noir
• Lake Hayes 2019 — Central Otago pinot noir
• Chard Farm Finla Mor 2021 — Central Otago pinot noir

Kids Menu (Under 12)

• Crumbed Chicken Tenders — Served with fries
• Ham & Cheese Pizza — Served with fries
• Bacon & Eggs with Toast Soldiers — Weekend lunch only
• Bacon & Cheese Pasta — Pasta in a creamy sauce
• Fish & Chips — Classic battered fish with fries
• Monarch Junior Burger — With fries and tomato sauce
• French Toast — Strawberry jam, cream cheese and peaches, crispy bacon, maple syrup — weekend lunch only

Wine List – Whites

• Bishops Leap 2022 — Marlborough sauvignon blanc
• Misty Cove Landmark 2023 — Marlborough sauvignon blanc
• Aotea Seifried Family 2022 — Nelson sauvignon blanc
• Vavasour 2021 — Marlborough sauvignon blanc
• Dog Point 2023 — Marlborough sauvignon blanc
• Misty Cove 2022 — Marlborough rosé
• Carrick Banockburn 2022 — Central Otago rosé
• Maison Fortant 2021 — Provence rosé, France
• Rockburn Stolen Kiss 2023 — Central Otago rosé
• Clearview Estate Coastal 2022 — Hawke's Bay chardonnay
• Misty Cove Landmark 2022 — Marlborough chardonnay
• TW Reserve 2021 — Gisborne chardonnay
• Craggy Range Te Kidnappers 2021 — Hawke's Bay chardonnay
• Grove Mill 2022 — Marlborough pinot gris
• Misty Cove 2023 — Marlborough pinot gris
• Soho Jagger 2023 — Central Otago pinot gris
• Chard Farm 2021 — Marlborough riesling
• Loveblock 2021 — Marlborough gewürztraminer
• Lake Hayes Noble Pinot Gris 2019 — Central Otago dessert wine

Wine List – Bubbles

• Veuve De Vernay — French sparkling
• La Gioiosa Prosecco — Italian prosecco
• Mumm Grand Cordon — French champagne
• Bollinger — French champagne

Dinner – To Start Or Share

• Ciabatta — With garlic and chilli infused olive oil
• Bruschetta — Vine ripened tomatoes, basil, parmesan, balsamic
• Toasted Flat Bread — Whipped feta, ricotta, crème fraiche, prosciutto, pomegranate honey
• Tuna Tartare — Guacamole, micro coriander
• Tiger Prawn Yellow Curry — Served with homemade roti
• Lamb Cutlets — Parmesan crust, salsa verde, lemon
• Pork Ribs — Plum bbq sauce, cucumber and red onion pickle
• Salt & Pepper Calamari — Rocket, garlic aioli, lemon
• Pork Dumplings — Asian greens, soy ginger chilli dipping sauce
• Mushroom Ricotta Tortellini — Burnt butter, crème fraiche, crispy sage
• Sweetcorn Jalapeno Cheddar Croquettes — With chipotle mayo
• House Made Duck Liver & Mushroom Brandy Pate — Served with toast and date jam

Wine List – Cellar Selection

• McPherson 'Don't Tell Gary' Shiraz 2021 — Australian cellar selection
• Bogle Phantom Chardonnay 2017 — Californian cellar selection
• Te Mata Estate Awatea Cab Merlot 2019 — Hawke's Bay cellar selection
• Man O War Ironclad 2020 — Waiheke Island cab franc malbec
• Chard Farm The Viper Pinot Noir 2020 — Central Otago cellar selection

Frequently asked questions

Where is The Monarch located?

The Monarch is at 1 King Street, Pukekohe, Auckland 2120, and can be reached on 09 238 3232.

What are the opening hours?

The Monarch is open 7 days — from 12pm Monday to Friday, and from 11am on Saturday and Sunday.

Can I make a same-day booking?

Yes — for same-day bookings, call 09 238 3232 and the staff will assist you, rather than emailing.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, there's a dedicated kids menu for children under 12, including chicken tenders, pizza, fish and chips and a junior burger, with weekend-only items like bacon and eggs and French toast.

Are there vegetarian or gluten free options?

Yes — vegetarian and gluten free options are available on request; just ask the team.

What is The Monarch known for?

It's a Pukekohe favourite of more than 27 years, best known for its Premium Cuts steaks served with seasonal veg, truffle fries and onion rings, its evolving seasonal dinner menu, brunch and a substantial New Zealand-focused wine list.

Does the menu change?

Yes — the dinner menu is seasonal and always evolving, there's a regularly updated specials board, and the market fish changes, with your waitperson advising what's available.

Tips

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• {"body":"Brunch and lunch service begins at 11am on Saturday and Sunday, an hour earlier than the weekday 12pm opening.","title":"Weekends start earlier"}
• {"body":"The fish changes regularly — your waitperson will tell you what's on, served beer battered or pan seared with lemon crème fraiche risotto.","desc":"","title":"Ask about the market fish"}
• {"body":"Premium Cuts come with a choice of red wine jus, mushroom, peppercorn or café de Paris butter — and you can add an egg.","title":"Pick your steak sauce"}
• {"body":"Alongside the regular menus there's a specials board updated regularly — see the Specials page on the website before you visit.","title":"Check the specials board"}

Good to know

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