Split Bar and Restaurant is a modern European bar and restaurant at 15 Rathbone Street in central Whangārei. It was established in 2007 and reimagined under new owners in 2024. The menu is built around small plates, with fresh local seafood, premium New Zealand meats, desserts and handcrafted cocktails and wine.
Guests praise the braised lamb shoulder, the apple beignets and a green goddess salad, and say the steaks are cooked well. Several said the menu has improved since the change, with new desserts such as a passionfruit caipirinha, and they describe the staff as friendly. One regular said they had been coming back often. The garden bar is dog friendly, with dogs entering through the back from the Farmers carpark side. Private functions and parties can be booked. Open Locally lists 11 other restaurants within a kilometre, and the four nearest, including Dickens Inn and Pure Bar and Grill, are all 0.2 kilometres away and have no rating on Open Locally. Our view is that it is a good choice for a dinner with drinks in Whangārei.