The Sandbar is a friendly, locally owned and operated sports bar and restaurant on Mana Esplanade, Porirua, overlooking Porirua Harbour and Mana Island. The fully licensed restaurant and bar stocks an extensive range of alcoholic, low alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks, and also offers TAB, a gaming lounge, and live coverage of sports games and events.
The Sandbar runs a daily Happy Hour from 4pm to 6pm covering beers, wines and more, and serves food across several sittings: snacks and drinks are available from 11am till late every day, breakfast and lunch runs from 11am until 2.30pm daily, and dinner is served from 5pm until 8.30pm daily, extending to 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Live music plays every Friday, and there's a courtyard for relaxing and enjoying the harbour view.
As a local bar, The Sandbar is committed to supporting its community, helping individuals, charities and sports teams with fundraising events such as quiz nights, raffles, golf days and poker nights. A loyalty programme is available to customers who ask at the bar, offering benefits and discounts. Being a licensed venue, any minor under 18 not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian is unable to dine in, and ID checks are enforced as required by law.
On Mana Esplanade in Porirua, The Sandbar has built its reputation as a friendly, locally owned sports bar and restaurant with a view worth the trip - overlooking Porirua Harbour and Mana Island. It's the kind of venue built around being genuinely local, from its community fundraising support to its daily rhythm of happy hour, meals and live sport.
The Sandbar operates as a fully licensed restaurant and bar, stocking an extensive range of alcoholic, low alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks. Food runs across several sittings throughout the day: snacks and drinks are available from 11am till late every day, breakfast and lunch runs from 11am until 2.30pm, and dinner is served from 5pm until 8.30pm daily, stretching to 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays for the weekend crowd. A dedicated kids menu is also available for families.
One area where The Sandbar has clearly put in the work is its low-carb and low/no-alcohol drinks selection. On the beer side, Speights Summit Ultra offers a crisp golden lager with 75% less carbs than the average NZ beer, while Steinlager Ultra Low Carb brings NZ Pilsner and Munich malts together for a refreshing, hop-touched finish - both sitting at 4.2% ABV. For something closer to alcohol-free, Mac's Freeride delivers a full-flavoured hoppy Pale Ale under 0.5% ABV, Corona Cero offers a Vitamin D-enriched non-alcoholic take on the classic Corona Extra, and Steinlager Zero keeps the brand's signature crisp finish without the alcohol. Steinlager Pure Light and Speight's Mid Ale round out the lighter end at 2.5% ABV, giving drinkers a genuine spread of options rather than a single token low-alcohol choice. The wine list follows suit, with a Hawke's Bay Lost Garden ZERO Rosé and an Australian Edenvale Shiraz, both under 0.5% ABV.
The Sandbar runs a daily Happy Hour from 4pm to 6pm, covering beers, wines and more - a reliable window for locals to drop in after work or before dinner without waiting for a special occasion.
Beyond food and drink, The Sandbar offers a TAB and gaming lounge on site, along with live coverage of sports games and events for anyone wanting to catch the action. Live music plays every Friday, and the venue's courtyard gives guests a place to relax and take in the harbour view. The bar also runs a loyalty programme, available to anyone who asks at the bar, offering ongoing benefits and discounts.
As a local bar, The Sandbar takes its role in the Mana community seriously, supporting individuals, charities and sports teams with their fundraising events - quiz nights, raffles, golf days and poker nights among them. It's framed less as a marketing gesture and more as an ongoing part of how the bar operates.
Because The Sandbar operates under a liquor license, minors under 18 who aren't accompanied by a parent or legal guardian are unable to dine in, and staff are required by law to check ID - a policy the venue is upfront about on its website, asking guests not to take offence when asked.
With its harbour views, broad drinks range, daily happy hour, live music and genuine community involvement, The Sandbar offers Mana and wider Porirua a proper local sports bar experience, open every day from 11am till late.