The Whitianga Hotel has been Whitianga's local since 1869 — a proper New Zealand pub on Blacksmith Lane that runs as two spaces under one roof: the Sports Bar and the Garden Bar. It's the kind of place built for lingering, with cold tap beer, food available all day, live sport on the big screen, live music, a TAB for the racing and pokies for those who like a flutter.
The kitchen keeps things honest, built around proper pub classics done well: slow-cooked lamb shank on mash, beer-battered gurnard and chips, wood-fired pizzas and burgers with fries or onion rings. Seafood from the doorstep of Mercury Bay earns its place too — the seasonal mussel pot steams fresh mussels in a Thai green curry sauce, and mussel fritters, lemon pepper squid and shrimp cocktail anchor the snacks list. There's an all-day breakfast for late risers and a proper kids' menu for the little ones.
Every day of the week carries its own special, from combo deals with a tap beer or house wine to free nibbles on Fridays and 30% off pizzas all day Sunday. The hotel opens seven days from 11am until late, and sits alongside its sister venue Salt Restaurant & Bar just down the lane.
Some towns keep their history in museums; Whitianga keeps its in a pub. The Whitianga Hotel has been the town's local since 1869, and today it trades on everything a great New Zealand pub should offer: cold tap beer, food all day, live sport on the big screen, live music, a TAB for the races and pokies for a flutter. You'll find it on Blacksmith Lane, where it runs as two spaces under one roof — the Sports Bar and the Garden Bar.
The kitchen doesn't chase trends; it does the classics well. The slow-cooked lamb shank comes served on mash spud and peas, the beer-battered gurnard and chips is the Kiwi classic exactly as it should be — with chips, salad and tartare sauce — and wood-fired pizzas and burgers round out the greatest hits. For something more substantial, the Hotel Scotch Fillet is cooked your way and lands topped with onion rings, with mushroom sauce, onion gravy or garlic butter to choose from. The Steak and Guinness Hot Pot, The Hotel's Pork Ribs slow cooked in the house's secret sauce, home-made beef lasagne and Marry Me Chicken fill out the mains, and there's a mushroom-risotto stuffed capsicum with polenta fries for vegetarians.
Mercury Bay is on the doorstep, and the menu knows it. The seasonal mussel pot steams fresh mussels in a Thai green curry sauce and arrives with toasted ciabatta, while the snacks list adds rustic mussel fritters with garlic butter, home-made lemon pepper squid and an old-fashioned shrimp cocktail.
Breakfast isn't just for early risers either: the Whiti Hotel All Day Breakfast — sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, baked beans, creamy mushrooms, fried eggs and toast — is on the menu all day.
The pizza section tips its hat to the address. The Blacksmith Carnivore loads salami, pepperoni, chorizo, bacon and red onion onto a BBQ-sauce base; the Blacksmith Triple C pairs chicken, cranberry and camembert with spinach and red onion; and the Blacksmith Vego covers spinach, capsicum, mushroom, sliced almonds, feta and a herb blend oil. Add the Hawaiian, the Double Pepperoni and a garlic and rosemary pizza bread with aioli, and there's something for every table — including a maize and rice flour gluten-free base. Burgers keep it simple: a double beef and bacon cheeseburger and a crumbed chicken burger, each served with your choice of fries or onion rings.
Younger visitors get their own menu — cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, fish and chips or cheese pizza — and Saturdays are kids-eat-free day for under-12s when a main meal is purchased. Desserts are proper pub sweetness: sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce, a chocolate brownie with chocolate and caramel sauce, and the Hotel Sundae, a waffle basket loaded with ice cream, brownie pieces, sauces, nuts and whipped cream.
Few pubs run a special every single day, but this one does. Mondays bring a bangers and mash combo with your choice of tap beer or house wine; Tuesdays it's pork ribs and fries; Wednesdays take 30% off any main meal from 5pm; Thursdays are lamb shank combo day; Fridays mean free nibbles from 5pm to 5.30pm; Saturdays are kids-eat-free day; and Sundays take 30% off all pizzas, all day.
When the food settles, the entertainment starts. The Sports Bar's big screen carries the live sport, the TAB covers the racing and the pokies hum along for those inclined. The Garden Bar gives you a more open-air perch, and live music features on the calendar — the venue's What's On page lists what's coming up.
The practical bits are easy. The hotel opens seven days from 11am until late, takes bookings online and by phone on 07 866 0013, and shares Blacksmith Lane with its sister venue, Salt Restaurant & Bar, at number 1. If you have allergies, plan ahead: the kitchen works with wheat, dairy, shellfish, nuts, milk and eggs and can't guarantee any dish is completely allergen-free, so flag it with the team before ordering. Then it's simple — pull up a stool, order a tap beer and settle in like a local. Because around here, that's exactly what this place is for.