Review The Occidental Belgian Beer Huis - Auckland Central

✈️If you’re an airline employee (flight attendant or pilot) for any airline, they give you a 10% discount on your entire bill!!!! Despite the discount, this is an absolute must visit in Auckland. We stopped by on a Tuesday evening around 4:30pm and it was PACKED! The entire time we were there, there was a constant stream of new guests coming into the pub. What an electric environment with great food, good drinks, and friendly staff. It located in the heart of Auckland’s City Centre and the street it’s located on is also very photogenic. There’s a mix of local business patrons and tourists. So much fun!

Full disclosure, an American visiting New Zealand, reservations recommended. The Occidental has a certain charm that is unique. From the old building to the staff am hard pressed to put the charm down to a single thing. It is the collection of characters, beers, and menu that as a whole was more than enjoyable. We had the grilled Oysters app, the fries, the fish of the day (Salmon), Mussels and Linguini. For drinks a cocktails and beer flight. To round it out the Sticky Date Pudding for dessert. Everything was cooked to perfection. I thoroughly enjoyed the beer flight, such a great sampling of Belgium beers. Definitely a place I would return the next time I’m in Auckland.

A must-visit restaurant in Auckland! I love their mussels, it’s tender, fresh and juicy, sifferent flavours to choose. Steak, calamari n fries are also nice. One staff with long hair who is funny, friendly and cute, his charisma lights up the restaurant. Look forward to visiting again

Popular pub serving crafted beers and mussels and other pub grubs. Can get crowded during dinner time. Service was friendly and good. We were promptly seated and food was served quickly eventhough it looked like a busy night for them. I'll come try other food besides mussels next time.

This is THE place. Food is amazing. Drink selection is phenomenal. It does full up quickly so if you are planning to eat here for lunch or dinner it wouldn't hurt to reserve a table. We ate here three times during an 11 day stay. It's that good.

Came here on a Saturday to eat some mussels. They also sell oysters, but mussels were cheaper. Place has a nice vibe and great selections of drinks. Last order was at 8pm, so plan accordingly if you plan to eat and drink here.

Met friends there for dinner. Place was very busy (always a good sign). Ordered the Fish Chowder and was able to get GF option too for the bread. Great presentation and taste. Really good dark ale followed.

Cannot go past this place if you want good food, great service, impressive drinks menu, and superb atmosphere. Tourists and locals both enjoy this stalwart of Vulcan lane, for a unbeatable all day steak deal on Tuesdays, pre dinner drinks, post evening nightcap, and everything in between. Can’t write highly enough about this place 👍🏽

This place is AMAZING!!! I've been here a few times and my bad for not writing a review earlier. The food is so incredibly YUM! This time I got the chicken schnitzel and it was out of this world. So juicy inside and crispy outside. The mussels are always a must, too. And the prices are super affordable with very generous portions. Plus, they were crazy busy and yet the service was so nice and the food and drinks came out so quickly. Our server, the girl with dark hair, cute bangs and glasses was such a sweetheart! Will definitely go back more often~

Found this place by accident walking back to our hotel. Had a great schnitzel special for a Wednesday night, and the food being served around us looked pretty good too. An amazing range of beers as well. Service was amazing from the delightful Ellie, the waitress from Belgium. Cozy European style decor, a really nice find.

Nice setting, big beers for cheap. Got the Belgian sausages with fries and gravy. Wasn’t a big fan of the food, fries were nice and crisp but the sausages lacked a lot of flavor and the gravy was a little too tart for me

Love coming here for a drink. Great atmosphere and great staff. Love the strawberry beer here.

The mussels are beautifully cooked as usual but front staffs are scary shocking service. I really enjoyed the mussels at the same time wanted to get out this restaurant as soon as I can. Very uncomfortable environment to me.

Went in to have some mussels for my relatives that came over from overseas.<br/>There was 8-9 of us, lucky we went in a little bit later (around 8PM) on a weeknight, otherwise we would have had no chance in getting a table.<br/>We ordered the Steamed mussels (white wine & garlic sauce 1Kg), grilled mussels (Mixed large platter), steamed shellfish pot, steak and seafood chowder. Fries and aioli are served with the steamed mussels which is a good deal. There wasn’t much different to the prices between the sizes of the mussels so we got the large for both steamed and grilled. The steak comes with mushrooms and chunky fries. There was plenty of food for all of us (we even had leftovers but seafood is not allowed to be taken away but for any other types of food it is OK). I always end up starting off with their cherry beer but they also serve wine by the glass too.<br/>They also serve Belgian waffles which are yummy yet affordable.<br/>Everything tastes delicious and this bar has daily specials that you can look forward to. Service was great, even when busy.<br/>Remember to take in your ID.

I love this place! It has a nice chill vibe and the food is amazing. The mussels are good - steamed or grilled - with a variety of flavours and toppings available. Their cherry beers are very good and I will definitely be returning :)

The Occidental has been around for decades & is a popular location for all occasions. <br/>What impressed us on this visit was not only the fantastic service but also the quality of the muscles that continues to be their signature dish.<br/>We sat out in the laneway trying their cocktail & Belgium beer menu (waiters are very knowledgeable so ask for recommendations), eating from their varied menu. Great people watching that way too.<br/>The inside is a little tired, but you can forgive them for that being a historic building

Had the seafood pot here and it was a pretty good portion - fed 3 of us. The seafood was fresh but just wish it had more flavour. It was good just wasn’t wow. Keen to come back try the baked mussels and sandwiches - they look delicious!!

This is a great place to hang out with funsters and drink beer whilst listening to live music. Not sure that the ribs we're 500grams though and it was a passable offering of slightly spiced rib falling of the bone. Just didn't look to be 500grm.<br/>On record is that the Gnocchi and Lamb was great.<br/>Now those beers is where it's at folks simply awesome Belgian offerings. I have always loved Leffe and enjoyed the Cherry Beer Belle Vue Kriek..and the Jupile Ale/Pilsener could have done with buckets of those.<br/>All up a great effort by the owners adding a must do on the Auckland pub scene.<br/>The live musicians really rocked this place this Saturday 24/08/2019.. and that was awesome..awesome..awesome.<br/>Staff really try hard and there is a good level of customer service.<br/>

This place has been one of the best places for mussels for a long time.<br/>Great selection of European beer, good food and good service.<br/>Probably one of the best Belgian Beer Cafe's in the country!!

Service is a highlight as well as the seafood platter. We couldn't decide which sources to go with. The waiter who is nice enough just brought two cups of sources to try. You can't miss Mussel pot!

Nice place to hangout and spend time with friends, great crowded and also they served amazing beer.. i love this leffe dark beer.. nice and best one

Visited a month ago. Always busy and packed so its good to make a booking beforehand.<br/><br/>Tried the taste of the land platter and was amazed at everything. It was perfect for us and it sure was filling.

This place has authentic Belgian beers to offer (as the name suggests) but what I would recommend if you do go here, would be the mussels. They have a royal platters with dozens of different kinds of mussels in them. They are a perfect treat for the taste buds and a feast to the eyes too. It can get VERY busy during the weekends so make sure you've booked a table before hand or reach early. Cheers!

Nice place and great collection of beers. Expensive though. Make sure to get some xtra money to spend coz it is not possible to stop after couple of beers.

It's sad that the service is definetely going down and my bf and I felt service differs by race of customer. When we went in, it was not busy at all. We went in around 8.30pm on Sunday. Could see lots of empty tables on the floor. Waited for someone to greet us as they normally leave "please wait here to be seated" or some sort. We looked around to see any waitress available but none. 5mins later someone came from outside area after wiping tables then gave us a table and menu. Straight after, European couple sat down next to our table and they ordered their food straight away to waitress1. The waitress1 brought the cutlery and have set up the napkins and cutlery nicely on their table. Then we wanted to order our food and she said she will be back soon. Supervisor kinda looking lady came and took the order. She came back and left the side plates, napkins plus cutlery on the corner of the table totally different service to the table next to us. We got our beer and LLB served by the bartender. Soon after table next to us got their meal. Then our one was being served by waitress2 it was very unpleasant as the dish included extremely hot iron skillet, served as if she's throwing the board with skillet at us. She did not say anything when she served our food. She left the dish in the corner. Second dish served ON TOP of the side plate given by the same waitess2. Unpleasant service...Complained after we paid our bill. But waitress1 was saying sorry instead of waitress2. She said she did not meant it and said they were busy during that time. I did not want to talk back as it was useless. Just want to let them know they have to polish their service I guess may be they dont really care as they are already popular. I do have eyes and common sense to figure out if they were really busy...Not sure if I want to go back anymore.

Food: 3.8/5<br/>Service: 3.5/5<br/>Overall: 3/5<br/><br/>A lot of my friends recommended the steamed mussels with blue cheese and spinach sauce here. One kilo of mussels is not that much tbh but they were really delicious. The fries were a bit soggy though. Tropicana mocktail tasted like a few fruit juices mixing together so was a bit disappointed.

Came here quite a few time for lunch and drinks. Always been a fan with their food, very delicious and fresh. There will be live music also on Sunday. Recommended for those who love seafood and bit of music while dinning!<br/><br/>Food 4/5<br/>Ambience 4/5<br/>Service 4/5

They are open on New Year’s Day!! This is my must go place for mussels. The mussel pot and grilled mussels are so fresh, yummy and to die for! Lovely place with great ambience too 😊

The cafe is in an old historic building, really good location where easy attracts tourists. The seafood are fresh and nice but the waitress looks a bit careless, we didn’t order any drinks and there is no water even been served.

Went on a Monday to try it out mussel. Ordered chips, grilled mussels and ribs along with the cherry beers. Food portion were big and the food was really nice as I thought it would be. Staffs were friendly and loved the decor of the place

Always busy, giant glasses of Stella on tap. Have really good live music on the weekends, staff are excellent, ample outdoor seating. Food is decent, had the mussels deal.

Good food, good service. Went on a Wednesday and used a Grabone coupon. Although they were out of gluten free bread the waiter offered and supplied a generous portion of chips instead.

I have been here 3times in a month:) i really like mussels n cherry beer here:) whenever i need to recommend good restaurant to someone, i just say occidental:) love it

The place was actually like an old historic building in Vulcan Lane including the tables/chairs and the bar.<br/>Ambiance was good, staff were ok. The service was prompt and food quality is quite surprising. Food portions were ok for my Salmon order but the pork ribs were good for 2 pax. They were delicious to my delight.....will try the beers next time, perhaps will visit dinner time.

Went here for breakfast. Overall pretty good but nothing amazing. Partner had the "big breakfast" which was good although the tomato and toast split opinions. They were too burnt for her liking and I can't disagree they were definitely "caramelised" but I don't mind that. I had bacon eggs and hash. The hash were definitely above average and the scrambled eggs were soft and creamy.

If you dont get here in time, you might find yourself waiting in line. Yesterday thankfully we managed to get a seat easily. Polite staff, warm cosy atmosphere, the mussels were devine. Had the 1kg grilled mixed platter and left nothing behind. So tasty as were the large steamed mussels sitting in sauce. I am definitely returning here!

Customer service was immaculate and the food spoke for itself! It’s a nice and warm environment, very cosy indeed. I would highly recommend. My favourite meal was the hot waffles for two, with caramelised banana and syrup finishing off with a glass of mango juice. Two thumbs up for effort, presentation and great service etc.

Great place tucked away in Vulcan lane. The menu is vast and the food is of high standard. The service is also really good. Their drinks list is really big!

Went here with my ex to have lunch and I got a salmon dish which was amazing. Then when i went back with my friends, they enjoyed the beer very much!

Perfect location, nice atmosphere, friendly staff.<br/>Big variety of beers, well done pork ribs :-)<br/>It is better to make reservation ahead, otherwise you can be waiting outside for 30 minutes to get a table.

Yammy! Friendly staffs and good mood.<br/>I had three dishes. Food was good (one of the dish was little bit under cooked but that’s fine).<br/>Willing to visit there again!

cocktail's were nice. Had cheese cracker board was good. Wedges were good. My favourite cocktail was the Blue Hawaii. Good place for mussel lovers. Even tho I didn't try any but seeing customers coming and going I knew it was good. Perfect atmosphere.

First Impressions<br/>This is not my first time going here and everytime I end up here there is a queue which is usually a great sign for a restaurant. You can hear the buzzing atmosphere from outside and you are quickly seen to by the on duty manager. Usually takes about 20 minutes to get a table even if you booked in advance.<br/><br/>The Decor<br/>It has an old school pub feeling to it with a booths and wooden high stools. The setting is that of an aged venue which suites it well.<br/><br/>The Menu<br/>You have a choice of a menu with many different dishes. From classic Belgium dishes, steaks, ribs, mussels etc. Also a large range of different beverages to choose from.<br/><br/>The Staff<br/>The staff were always there when you needed them and never had a problem with their friendliness. Even laughed and joked with us which was very welcomed.<br/><br/>The Food Itself<br/>I had ribs, steak and mussels from here and all them have been full of flavour and well complimented by a beer. The comes quite quickly and is always of the highest quality.<br/><br/>Final Thoughts<br/>If you looking for some good steak, mussels, ribs or even just a beer this is the place to stop by.

i had dinner on Monday which is half price of mussel. My friends and I had mussels and fish&chips. Mussels were absolutely amazing but the problem was battered fish. It was old and soggy that fish was the worst taste i've ever had. manager just said they are going to tell to the kitchen and they didn't even apologize us. furthermore, why is it so hard to call waiter even if they were not busy.

We had a l;ate lunch/early dinner here on Saturday afternoon<br/>A great atmosphere<br/>Felt welcome<br/>Lots of tourists<br/>Everyone seemed to be loving it<br/>Some excellent Belgian beers<br/>I chose Leffe Blonde<br/>My wife the excellent Stella Artois<br/>The food was also top-notch<br/>Chicken Schnitzel with vegetable roulade<br/>And Salt & Pepper Squid with frites<br/>We will continue to visit this splendid establishment

Went there with a friend around 4:30 so it as only starting to get busy.<br/>Food arrived in a reasonable amount of time and it was delicious. We got the Belgium fries and polenta chips.<br/>Staff were super friendly and the atmosphere was very warm and inviting.<br/>Will definitely go back

Went with my colleagues. I had steak which was ok. Mussels were really very good. The live music was great. It was a Saturday night, so it was super busy but still we got the meals in sensible time.

Had an incredible hot chocolate here, hands down best hot chocolate I have ever had. I don't remember the price but it felt worth it. Also had some chips that tasted nice. Atmosphere was great.

The seafood chowder has a great saltiness to it.  The mixed platter mussels are a great way to sample all the toppings - I preferred to miso, lime and watercress butter version.  The staff are what really make this venue.  They are warm, friendly and take pride in their venue.  They're very accommodating - stopping to have a chat and keeping up with service.  Very professional.  Family friendly too.

Very delicious😍😘 I really like it!! I like house smoked salmon🐟 next time I will come back again and try a new manu😘 I will try a Fish and chips.

Solid comfort food. Portions are amongst the biggest you'll find in Auckland and has a wide selection of international craft beer. Had the Belgian Sausages and fries twice now. Boy did it hit the spot! Will be coming back more than a few times still...

One of the travellers fav places. Great location but really BAD food and service. The male manager with long hair is rude and careless. Dirty table and glass. <br/><br/>Ordered medium cooked steak but came with rare steak. It's tasteless and not worth the money. Lucky they can't mess up the beer.

The food is fabulous! We ordered a mix plaster and one kilo steam mussel and could not finish. I love the mix plaster with different flavors. The beer is also very original. Love it!!

Good selection of beers, and I like the fact that this place is open on public holidays with no surcharge. However, I wouldn't recommend eating here. I've had maybe 3 or 4 meals here, ranging from average to disappointing. I also had a friend get food poisoning a few years ago after eating the seafood chowder. A couple of weeks ago I was here for a few drinks, and almost had to leave as someone ordered mussels at the table next to us and they STUNK. They were definitely if not completely off then well on the way. Just stick to the fries and this is a good place to have a few beers at.

This place is great!<br/><br/>Great beer, location, and ambiance! Staff is very friendly and prompt! On one of my visits I went on a Sunday afternoon and there was jazz band playing. Very enjoyable!<br/><br/>I haven't tried much of the food, only some fries/chips and they were really good. The aoli that they come with is one of the best I've tried! <br/><br/>If you're in the mood for a beer (which let's be honest its always) I recommend getting the 500ml glass. You get your bang for you buck and the beer is delicious! My favorite is the Leffe blonde. <br/><br/>I will definitely be going back to this place soon!<br/><br/>

I've been craving seafood chowder for months while away in France. The Belgian cafés in Auckland do them best. It's a massive bowl, filling enough to be more than a meal. Would be better with a side of bread slices, because the two aren't enough. There are locations in four NZ cities, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch. I said Auckland is the best because that's the only place I tried them. Out of the five possible Auckland places, I like the Occidental the best. This is where I have been the most. It's on one of my favourite streets in the CBD area. For brunch, lunch, and dinner. I have tried all of their beer. Love.The Occidental6-8 Vulcan LaneAuckland CityAucklandPh. +64 (0)9 300 6226

5 tiny girls and one kilo of mussels per each. I had grilled mussels with garlic, butter and herbs! Amazing! <br/>The bartenders are so friendly and chatty! Excellent recommendation regarding wines. We loved your choice! <br/>Buzzy atmosphere! Definitely recommend! <br/>P.S. It was very busy and we had to wait for a table for about an hour. Likely there was a place by the bar! <br/><br/>

I love this place! :) :):) good food, beer and music.. Sunday afternoon is my favorite day! Music live, jazz is amazing and very relaxing!!!!!

Better to book a table since it gets a little crowded at night time. They will need to see ID before they bring you to a table but that means once you're in you can drink to your heart's content. I'm not a beer enthusiast but their Malibu and lemonade is lovely and so are their cocktails. I got beer battered fish and chips which were cooked beautifully while my friend got a chowder. The staff are very friendly and attentive and the best thing about this place is the lively atmosphere. A little pricy though so save for special occasions

Great hangout place to have belgian beers. Ordered tasting beer and ribs. Good combination for tasting beer. The ribs sauce was the best so far i've tried in auckland. Although its a shame the ribs could have been better - it was overcooked, too soft. The staff service was excellent! very thoughtful to provide plates for sharing dishes. Recommended to try!

Great place if you are really into beer and is willing to spend some dollars to try the amazing Belgian ones.<br/><br/>Unfortunately I can't say the food has the same standard as the beverages. I tried a mussels platter and fish and chips. Most of the versions in the platter killed the flavour of the sea food, and the chips were a bit saggy.<br/><br/>About the service, I like it friendly, but when the guy told asked if I could move from the table and go to the counter cause they were "busy" I think he went too far.<br/>

Excellent food and good portion sizes. The fries are a bit too salty, but when eaten with spear ribs (which comes with a really nice sauce - no strange spices and only slightly spicy)  tastes great together. I heard the beer is also really nice (I don't drink, this came from a friend.) The mousse tastes like good quality chocolate ice cream, however the portion is a bit small for the price. The waffles are very crispy, so if you like fluffy waffles like me then order another dessert.

Hired out their Tin Tin room last year for my 22nd birthday for a murder mystery party. I had phoned around to hundreds of different venues and every manager turned their noses up to me doing a murder mystery using their venue (I wanted to hide clues, have a tape outline of where the body was etc). When I contacted the Occidental they were very happy to supply a room and were excited to watch the murder mystery happen! They were totally cool with me hiding bloody weapons, putting paper clues anywhere I wanted in the room and putting tape on their floor. They catered for my 20 murder mystery quests and some of their staff joined in on our little after party karaoke we did in the room. Fabulous food, enthusiastic staff and a great atmosphere!

Excellent...fantastic selection of Belgian beers outside Belgium...the ambience is superb, the wait staff are very friendly...and oh yes the food is terrific...I'm a foodie and usually shun pub grub, but this place rocks...the NZ steak is cooked to perfection!!! Definitely a place to eat/drink in Auckland NZ

Well I'm really surprised at the last review which was complaining about burnt waffles and small portion size. You must be kidding. The best waffles I've had in years and the quantity is amazing. We had lunch for 2 adults and 2 kids and it was quite affordable for good quality food.

Cozy old school pub restaurant which was has a nice and they were quite busy for a Monday night and service was still okay. Started with mini cup of chowder which was creamy and tasty the bread was slightly burnt and no butter but we also got a garlic loaf and that was good so made up for it, my main was spicy pork ribs which was true to its name very spicy and abit bitter the pork meat was falling off the bone however because it's the end of the rib this makes it very fatty and a lot of that white soft grainy bone (not sure what it's called) but I don't like to eat it so made this dish average for me and will not order it again, for desert I had the chocolate & hazelnut torte which was a very small slice and it just tasted like a brownie and not as moist as I expected also the whipped cream was from a can which is okay if I was at Denny's my friend had the Belgian waffles was nice and 3 minis was nice but the vanilla bean ice cream is cheap vanilla ice cream was expecting the stronger vanilla bean flavour the menu had implied very disappointed, will recommend for chowder and beer from the rain but that's it.

Soggy waffles... burnt to almost black hash browns...and amount too little for its price. really speechless. We thought it'd be a good since there's always so many people sitting outside.

Had the mussels. Lots of flavors of sauce to choose from. Came with fries as well. Very filling. Good value for the price. It's a bar atmosphere so very casual dining. Lots of beer to choose from if your a lover of beer. Even have one beer for over 100 dollars for 330 ml.

I bought vouchers on GrabOne, which were good values of money. I and my friend shared a small platter of mixed mussels and Caesar salads, my friend got sausages with fries and I had a seafood chowder. The chowder tasted amazing, but other dishes were just average.

If you love Mussels then I would highly recommend visiting The Occidental where the mussels are fresh and served in a variety of ways. We tried the Mussels in white wine and cream sauce, and grilled mussels with Cheese, Spinach and Bacon. The pub itself has a great atmosphere with an interior that would not be out of place in Brugge itself.

Oh.. great service first of all.. the food was amazing.. with the price and a nice place to hang out with your crew with some chilled beers and ciders.. 20% for Emirates crew Face card.. yayyy...

The steamed mussel with creamy sauce was great but slightly salty so I had to eat all of the chips with. The interior looked so traditional and deemed.

The staff were rude and slow at service.<br/><br/>The food wasn't fantastic. The burgers were expensive and the beers very average. <br/><br/>My friend got some fish and chips which costed around $22. I feel you can get better elsewhere for half the price.<br/><br/>Overall, this is an expensive price for below average food and below average service.

Lots of years passed by since I came here<br/>the last time and I ordered the same dish....Steamed Mussels (creamy white wine and garlic) served in the classical pot and if it is not enough for you please order tomato herbs and parmesan grilled mussels simply delicious! Wide variety in beers and fast and friendly service.

This place has a good selection of beers and a good environment to enjoy them in. The food is also quite good but the beer is the highlight. The salt and pepper squid was very soft but a bit underseasoned.<br/><br/>However if you are eating outside look out for the pigeons, they will not hesitate to attack your plate

Loved our evening ! Had a bunch load of different beers and the place was vibrant lovely and most importantly not absolutely loud <br/>I love the steam mussels in white wine and garlic. Cooked to perfection.

The busiest store on Vulcan Lane, always packed 😊 Not only do they have a very colourful and interesting selection of alcoholic drinks but they also make delicious food. While my friends enjoy their beers, I only come here for the grilled mussels with garlic, herb butter and breadcrumbs ☺️ so so delicious. Other dishes I love are the fish sliders, salt and pepper squid, steak frites and Belgian waffles. The portion is generous, the flavours of main ingredients stand out and the price is reasonable. The only complaint I have for The Occidental is the long waiting time, so long sometimes I want to get up and leave. Overall, this place is definitely not ideal when you are starving but total perfect if you just want to chill, share some food platters and drink with friends.

My friends have been telling me about this place and i decided to try on my 4th visit to aukland.the place was so full when we entered.yet the manager mateo managed to sit all 11 of us in 10 mins.very good first impression.we ordered plenty of food -mussles ( 5 kgs of diff sauce each pot) plus some other dishes.we get our food literally within 15 mins.. i am in love with this place.the staff were very helpful & friendly.

We went here for lunch and a few drinks the other week. We ordered tapas and shared it between us. We had the arancini, squid and sliders. The arancini and sliders were lovely but the squid a little less so. I thought it was a little over priced for what it was but we still enjoyed it.

Visited there with a $20 for $40 lunch voucher. Just spent a few but enjoyed stake, creamy steamed mussel and chips there. What a awesome lunch!

I think they forgot to bring out our mains, took well over half an hour after we finished our entrees, and the food came out very cold...<br/>The entrees were pretty good but the mains were a bit disappointing.

Food is great, portion is quite big. They are well-known for their mussels. We tried the steamed mussels with creamy white wine and garlic which was really good. Service was quite slow though.

Came here in the evening for some casual drinks along with some food. It was really busy and it took us about 15 minutes to get table, usually I would have gone elsewhere but the waiter who was looking after us was doing all he could for us, top notch service. We got mussels, bacon wedges and some fries for food. For drinks we had the beer sampler and a jug of Jupiler. Every was really good. Great atmosphere and food. Pricey but that's what any student would say. Would go again.

Belgian Beer Cafes are becoming increasingly popular in Auckland. And this one is pretty solid. We went here with a voucher a few weeks back. My friend ordered the fish 'n chips and I had the kilo of mussels. Obviously, we had a beer each to wash down the seafood. <br/><br/>Both dishes came with fries on the side. I was very impressed with the mussels. These were a monstrosity - one kg of fresh mussels cooked and served in a tangy broth. They were delicious. I would recommend ordering half a kilo though so you get to actually enjoy the mussels rather than having to finish them like a chore. The fish was good but nothing special.<br/><br/>Service was good - didn't feel like we were getting the grabone/groupon treatment.<br/><br/>They also have a number of specials here throughout the week, which will keep me coming back for more.

Great beer tasting and plate. Very delicious. 200ml 6 beers to taste. We were not particularly hungry, so this was just perfect. The muscle and other food on the plate was so good. Want to come back this place next time to try other food as well. We went there for music and the band, forgot the name.., but was very good, too. Good atmosphere, good food, music and service.

Went here for some lunch and had the mussels in white wine sauce with a Leffe. Really good amount of food for the price. Wasn't expecting so many mussels and also came with fries. The sauce was delicious and the mussels were really large. I'd recommend it. The only criticism is that the mussels had a few of those mini crabs in the shells - but that might be me being picky. I came back later in the same night and there was a band playing who were really fun!

Hi,<br/><br/>Last few months I’ve loved visiting your restaurant especially for the delicious food. It would be always exciting to visit you guys everytime (with my husband)<br/>Hence, when I got my “First job in New Zealand” because of a friend who referred me in her company, I decided to treat her and my flatmate at your restaurant on 22 Nov (Sunday). I had already told her how amazing is your place hence she and my flatmate were all very excited.<br/><br/>Imagine My BIG Embarrassment that each one of us were asked for Identity proofs soon after we were seated !!!  <br/><br/>None of us had our proofs since me and my husband were never asked for any identification in last so many months at your place…Even though I told your staff that we aren’t gonna order any alcoholic drinks, but just food & also, that we’ve never been asked for any identification before …but we were still denied service.<br/><br/>I felt so bad for my friend; because of HER I got my first job in NZ and now she had to walk out.. this ruined our lunch party. Thanks to You.<br/><br/>Next, On 28 Nov (Saturday) I visited you guys again this time with my husband, as usual, ordered our food, served as well and No One asked for any identification!!<br/><br/>FYI : I feel this was very unfair and unjustified.

This place is a mixed bag. Went there tonight, took them over 40 minutes to serve the food. Voiced our concern to one of the staff, the staff said "it is coming" without even checking with the kitchen staff. You should only Come here for the beer, don't come here for anything that requires more than 3 ingredients and requires more than 3 actions from the staff. <br/><br/>Moving on to the food. We ordered the beef burger just because we have tried their famous mussels a number of time. The burger was really ordinary, nothing special about it that is worth commenting on. The beef patties broke into parts very easily, it felt like I was eating mince. The Mayo was about a tea spoon, this was accompanied by a single piece of lettuce. The buns were not toasted or warmed up, it was cold and soft. The best tasting thing on my plate was the tomato sauce - I am not exaggerating.

We went here for our birthdays. Group of 10 including 2 children aged 3 & 8. Was quite noisy for dinner but that's expected as it is a bar. If you order from your table you can't split the bill. However, if you order at the bar you can pay individually. Staff were friendly. <br/><br/>I chose this restaurant as I love seafood and my partner loves steak. The wide range of mussels and the 500g rump on the menu made it a must try. <br/><br/>I had read on Zomato that meals take a while to come out so as soon as we arrived I ordered a bread and dip platter to tide people over until the mains came out. I didn't look at exact times but would say it was roughly 25 mins until entrees came out then further 30 mins until mains came out. <br/><br/>Entrees - they didn't have have entree size mussel dishes so we ordered two servings of mussels. Garlic, butter and breadcrumb (grilled) platter small. Came with about 18 mussels. Spinach and blue cheese (baked). Came in a bucket 1/2kg, forgot to count sorry :( both servings were cooked well and delicious! <br/><br/>Mains - scotch (rare), ribs, gnocchi & chicken Schnitzel were all yummy. Kids meals were also great. I found it odd that all the adults meals came with thin fries and the child's fish and chips meal came with very large chunky hand cut wedges/fries. Both fries were delicious however trying to get a 3 year old to eat those large chips, wasn't going to happen. We swapped and she was stoked. <br/><br/>The down side - my partner ordered the 500g rump (medium). This came out very rare (borderline blue) and was sent back twice. It still came out rare the third time and went un-eaten. Given the time already spent waiting nothing else was ordered. The staff took it off the bill & better burger across the way got my partners business that night. <br/><br/>All in all it was nice, food tasty, but given the chefs inability to cook a medium steak, 3 times, we would probably not go back again.

Very nice and cozy. Perfect for some drinks and catch up with friends on a cold night or sunny afternoon. Wide variety of beers. Muscles are too die for!! 👍👍

Great vibe with super friendly staff. Perfect for any beer lover. I'm not the biggest fan of beer but the cider and food kept me happy. Bread and dip with calamari mmm 🍤

Went there today for lunch with some uni friends, as I got the voucher on grabone . The interior decor is just like the Belgian beer cafe in mission bay.<br/><br/>We order the large grilled mussels with cheese and bacon, was absolutely amazing, lots of cheese but not enough bacon, but pricey 29 dollars for around 23 pieces. The fries was worth it. 8 dollars for a large portion with garlic mayo.<br/><br/>Would definitely Come again

This place has it going on for them! great location and really does feel like a little bit of Europe on our doorstep. The food is good ol pub food and enjoyed every bit of my time here

Typical pub like atmosphere. Good cross section of food on the menu. The mussels are what they are known for so we had to try them and they are expertly cooked. My companion had the Caesar salad and it was nicely done. Tip: ask for the dressing on the side as they give you quite a lot

Great ambience, great food. We waited for almost two hours for two tables. But it is totally worth it. Particularly, their white wine mussels. Enjoyed it very much. Big portion big flavor. The prices also quite reasonable.

Went there twice.<br/><br/>Monday is "Mussel Mania", all mussels are cheaper than usual. We had to wait bout an hour to get a table but it was definitely worth it. The mussels were massive and the sauce tasty. We took the dessert plate which was huge and hard to finish!<br/><br/>Tuesday is Steak Night, big piece of tender meat for less than $20 with a few chips. No waiting time to get a table.<br/><br/>Overall the staff is quite friendly and the atmosphere very warm. We'll for sure go again!

Drove here from the Shore for their Leffe Brun and Parisian Croquettes.<br/>Order placed and taken. Five minutes later waiter pops 2 glasses of Leffe Brun (small) in front of us, no explanation why we didn't get the mediums we ordered. I asked, answer 'as we have no medium glasses we just gave you these...'.<br/>Then another five minutes later we were told 'we ran out of croquettes.... ' that's TWO definite no-no's in my book.<br/>Been coming here 15 years but this is worst EVER. my Arancini balls were liluke warm and underwhelming to say the least.<br/><br/>Sorry but just not good enough

We spontaneously decided to come here one day. When we arrived, we noticed how busy the bar/restaurant was. It took a while for our orders to be taken and it took three times longer for the food to come out. Seriously I think we waited 35-45 minutes for a couple of burgers and fries! Luckily the burgers were incredibly delicious. I can remember the soft buns, juicy meat patty and all the right fillings - delicious! Just a shame the service was slow. <br/><br/>I don't think I would come back, only because the loud pub/busy bodies/restaurant scene makes me feel unrelaxed and uncomfortable.

Terrible service. The bartender lady had a very stroppy attitude. I ordered a round of 8 jupler beers... she delivered 8 hoe garden beers. Then she tried arguing with me in front of my friends about it... when it came to taking the hoegarden she was very forceful and rude about it. To top it off she gave us a steamed mussel pot when we ordered a baked mussel platter... the mussels had a spoon of tinned tomatos on top and the pot was half filled with water. Very disgusting! I will never return to this bar and will continue to use the Belgium beer cafe in mission bay where they take pride in what they do!

Came here for lunch on a weekday with two other friends ( I think a wednesday) as I had purchased a voucher from grabone :D We had decided on the seafood platter to share ( Taste of the sea), and for two people, this was definitely a sufficient amount. All the components on the platter were delicious, however the standouts for me was probably the mussels that were cooked in the pot; I now knew why people came here for their mussels :) The grilled mussels were really good too and it was great how you could try a variety of flavours. $40 was a reasonable price to pay for such a yum platter, highly reccomend the mussels tho!!

Great spot that always has good food and service. Be careful though - the place is so popular it can be super hard to get a seat at peak times! Tried the cherry beer on my last visit - pleasantly surprised! I'm not a beer drinker normally. My last meal there was the calamari which was cooked nicely. The chocolate mousse is heavenly and a must-have if you have a sweet tooth :)

Good spot in the city, always busy around dinner time. <br/><br/>First time I was there, I ordered large plate to share, 'Taste of the sea' which was good mixed of seafood and good for sharing with friends.<br/><br/>Second time I just felt like having their signature dish which is mussels, so I just ordered large mixed platter grilled mussels and chips. The oriental is my favorite out of 4 choices. Personally I don't like ginger but this one has good balance with mussels and soy sauce. The other 3 are alright...actually the cheesy spinach one is my second favorite. I love the chips I had though! They were so yummy; crunchy, good amount of salt and the sauce that came with chips was good too.<br/><br/>Service was alright, price is little bit too high I think; $29 for 22 mussels. Anyway I think it's worth to go and try their mussels!

Òne of the best restaurant to drink Belgian beer with their famous mussels and their tastiest chips. Coconut cream and lemongrass curry is the best, its very flavoursome and not too acidic. The taste reminds me of an Indian curry. Although the restaurant is dark, but hey that's the best way to enjoy the beer with good company of your best pals.

These Belgian Beer Cafe's used to be an exciting dining spot - now they seem to be mere shadows of their former selves. The restaurants feel tired and old - the manager constantly tries to up sell (this isn't McDonalds by the way..). Food is acceptable at best but in all honesty, you'd do better at Elliot Stables where competition is fierce between each restaurant in there. This is the second 'Belgian Beer Cafe' I've been disappointed by now, balls in your court De Fontein.

Really disappointed. Better service here compared to The Belgian Beer Cafe at Mission Bay as it was not peak time, but food was not as expected. The mussels - flavorless and one of the "mussels" in the dish was just a full shell - no mussel inside. Waffles were to standard - fluffy and flavorsome. The inside environment: very dark, tables could have had another wipe down (table was a bit sticky), but good live music. Also - no takeaways allowed for leftovers...hmm?

Have been here a few times and really enjoyed the food. Most recently visited with a grabone voucher and found the menu had changed and didn't include the open steak sandwich we used to like. We ordered the squid, flemish stew, fish and chips, salmon salad and the food was still served in generous helpings and tasted pretty good although not as good as before. The place had a bit of a stench though, from the smoke outside drifting in which wasn't ideal with a baby at the table. It was a bit dark and dingy inside and very noisy.

Came here a few weeks back on an in between uni study break with a friend. I ordered the salt n pepper squid which was really yum, friend got wedges those were really good too. Service was great only downfall was that no water was served beforehand. But that's okay - the food and service was great!

Am a big fan of Jupiler and Belle-vue-kriek so a big thumbs up to that! I have visited this place numerous times so is hard to pinpoint one particular experience. Overall, this place provides good food and drinks. Wouldnt really recommend the breakfast dishes but the mussels here are delicious!! I would recommend the kilo of 'italiano' in the grilled mussels sections as well as 'creamy white wine and garlic' and 'lobster and brandy bisque' in the steamed mussels section. For meat lovers, try their steaks! They are quite tender when considering how thick the meat is (for the 500g steak) but is a bit too salty to my liking (I believe they have specials on Wednesday for 500g of steak at less than $20 bucks! Thats a pretty good deal!). If you're into seafood, try their 'taste of the sea,' is not filling for two, but has bit of a mixture which is always good.

Went there on Queens Birthday weeknd service was quick & friendly, all the food was delicious, steak cooked to our liking, seafood chowder was good. Food a bit pricey though.<br/>Would definitely go back.

Been here quite a few times but less so than previously. Nothing wrong with the place but the range of beers is limited - suggest they offer more NZ craft beers and they are being outdone by Vultures' Lane next door.Hearty food which is basic but true to label - the mussel pots are a speciality and the large sausages a reliable option.Worth a try.

Been coming here for many years now. My friends and I are regulars, and why not? Good food, friendly staff, and they even do live music. The menu is a little pricey, but since my favourite meal are the mussels, and their mussels aren't too expensive, then that works out just fine by me. I also appreciate their large range of alcoholic beverages. My only problem with the place is that it gets a bit crowded at times, and when the music is on it gets super loud and I can barely hear myself talk. But then again, it's in the CBD - but hey, not much I can do about that.

All meals I've ordered from here have been great but the place could do with a huge spring clean as it smells worse than crusty. It seriously could do with a good spruce up otherwise its a good place for a good feed of mussel and frites, a good bottle of wine and great company.

We came here for breakfast as we got the voucher from grabone. The place always seem to be busy for lunch. However we were disappointed. Our meals were mediocre. Nothing to write home about..underseasoned. and when I asked for a fluffy for my son, the waitress looked at me blankly and asked what is that. We couldnt believe they don't know what a fluffy is. But she must have felt bad as she gave my son a drawing pack afterwards. Maybe the place is better known for its lunch

호가든을 마시기위해 물어 물어 찾았던곳 분위기 좋고 젊은 사람보다 다소 30대 후반?이 주 고객 층이었으며 아시안 비율이 적었다. 술맛은 비슷하지만. 분위기는 정말 좋았던. 음악도 라이브로 신나던. 기분좋은 공간이었다. 다시 방문하고 싶다. 다음에는. 홍합이 유명하다는데 꼭 먹어봐야지

been here a few times now for breakfast and lunch.. the caeser salad was delicious and the prawns done in butter served in a small hot pot were finger licking good and they came out sizzling hot.. the ribs were a small size but worked well for me as I'm not a big eater.. next time I go will definitely try a mussel pot that my sister keeps saying is delish..

I've always enjoyed their extensive food menu options and interesting atmosphere. Love the sausages menu and the popular baked mussels. Good for a nice lunch and tea or even dinner and just casual beers. Service on the other hand though, is getting less and less attentive each visits for the price of how much we pay. I hope this is just due to the shortage and staff and hope for better service in the future.

I've eaten here a number of times over the last few years and have always thoroughly enjoyed the food and service. Most recently in August 2013, I had an open chicken pie (can't remember the exact name from the menu) and it was delicious! The Belgian chocolate mouse here is one of the best I've tested anywhere! You have to try it... Atmosphere is always good and service great, can be very busy quite early on so get there early if you want a table for dinner.

Went there monday afternoon, walked in and made eye contact with the staff member who did not greet us, instead just looked away with a cold stone face. The food was really good though however that one staff (one with the ginger hair) pretty much ruined the experience.

This place is great for after work drinks. Quite packed on Friday night but worth the weight for the great Bellevue cherry beer and muscle pots. A great atmosphere, where you can socialise and chill out after a long day.

I am not a mussel fan... But WOW, that changed when I dined at The Occidental! I had the mixed platter of grilled mussels and each flavour was absolutely beautiful! I loved my experience here... I'll definitely be coming back again soon!

The best mussels I've ever had. The place seems a bit dodgy and dirty, doesn't look like much other than a regular pub but the mussels are beyond DELICIOUS. Had the blue cheese and spinach as well as the creamy garlic and white wine. Both were excellent but a preference for the blue cheese. Great value for money too!

Love this cute little alleyway pub in the central business district. It has become my regular for lunch and after work drinks on fridays. Love the staff and the live music, adds to the atmosphere. Feels like your in london! Awesome place

Loved this restaurant for their ribs and mussels but my latest visit was a let-down. Service was not prompt, maybe due to the busy hours. Ribs was serviced tough unlike my last 2 visits which were off the bones. <br/><br/>Was really a disappointment for my friends as its their first visit. Told the staff about it but was only replied with ' i will feedback to the chefs.'. Sounds pretty indifferent to me. But mussels are still really good. <br/><br/>Recently I had a chat with my colleagues and they seems to have similar 'rib' experience. Hoping that the food will improve so that i can go back for my favourite rib place in town.

Had dinner with a friend there last night, food was great and all the girls were very friendly. However this blond chubby waiter was ruining my night. He did our payment at the bar, with no smile no patient, he had to change the eftpos roll, without any information we were just stand there and wait didn't know what was going on. Finally he threw the keypad to us and that was it. No "Thank you"! Man you don't belong there! Get yourself another job and good luck for your life! This is totally personal and occidental still a good place for food and beer.

On a Friday afternoon my friend (who was a regular) and I decided to use a GrabOne voucher worth $40.  When we walked into the cafe it seemed popular,  all available tables were dirty and we literally had to hunt down someone to  clean a table for us. We asked a waitress what the conditions on the voucher were, she did not bother to mention that drinks were not included ( which we found out upon settling our bill, I'll take the blame though for not reading the GrabOne fine print) . Service was very slow and the waitress made it seem like she was doing us favours. Where was her smile? <br/>I ordered the chicken sliders which arrived promptly and tasted alright. I had also asked the waiter to recommend me one of their alcoholic hot chocolates  which was presented stunningly but ended up being a huge let down in terms of taste , it was served optionally with 3 chocolates ( at an extra cost) that were mundane and seemed supermarket bought. My friend's waffles were served with an unfavourable amount of citrus fruits that drenched the waffles in sour juices. <br/>Upsettingly, the barista didn't follow my friend's preference of having  sugar mixid into the  coffee upon order, it was served with the sugar sachets on the side and that has never happened  before at The Occidental. Upon our departure, for the sake of future improvement  we let the waitress know about our concerns,  but she was disinterested and continued  to maintain her obnoxious attitude.  Better service and food available elsewhere with a free smile inclusive, I forbid my friend from dining there again.

Delicious food. Laid back yet professional service. Food and beer is reasonably priced. Great location and nice decor to suit.

I had my 21st birthday in the tintin room last year. I really loved the service and the food. Everyone was reallly satisfied, and the mussels topped it all. Loved the cherry beer as well.<br/>But recently, I went there for the mussels again, my 4th time, the quality of the food has deteriorated. I am craving for the yummy good mussels that I used to have last year.

Dined here on Wednesday 27th August 2014 for lunch. I wasn't overly impressed with the service nor the food this particular day, in fact I was rather appalled by the waiters attitude when my friend stated that her char grilled steak that she ordered tasted really burnt.I tried it and to be honest it tasted like it had been cooked on a dirty grill. It was really burnt and very unpleasant to the taste. The waiter stated when we brought this to her attention that this is how its supposed to be cooked. Having worked in the top restaurant in Auckland for a period of 10+ years I am well aware of how cha rgrilled steak should be and this is one time it was over cooked to the extent of being inedible. Needless to say my friend was unable to eat it. We were not offered a replacement nor for it to be cancelled off the bill and the staff basically looked at us like we had no right to complain at all. I have dined here many times over the years and never had any problems. I am not sure if its under new ownership or not but I can say that I honestly will never dine here again nor will I ever recommend this place to anyone.

After a nice beer we decided to order dinner, lamb shanks, whiich was one shank not 2.  Enjoyed our meal but drinks abit expensive and as it was early in the night we dicided to move on.  Thanked the staff and started walking down the lane.<br/>Suddenly a woman who claimed to be the manager came running after us saying could we please go back and pay for the meal.  After explaining that I had already paid for it we went back to the bar and I once again explained that I had paid and I didnt appreciate the tone or manner or the fact that I was being accused.   I am a business woman and felt very insulted by thiis woman who then told me I wasnt welcome back in the bar.  No opologies were offered and when we left the young man who I had paid was outside and said he was sorry he should have said something.  I would not recommend this place when Auckland has sooo many nice little bars and restaurants, why would you bother .  I think the previous reviews about the staff are self explanatory when you see the way the manager acts.

service 3/5environment 4/5food 4/5cost performance 4/5drink 3/5My order ( 1 kiro mussle white wine & garlic)

Food was really nice and good size portion. However, the way the food was plated wasn't practical. Ordered the pot of mussels and was given a plate that was too small to put the empty shells which ended up all over the table. A bowl would have been better. Also we were not given the usual bowl of water to clean your fingers. The dish came with side of fries and 2 of us had ordered the mussels pot, so our fries came in 1 big bowl to share, except we were seating at opposite end of the table with 6 people in between us. I would go back but probably not very often.

This establishment was the single worst restaurant/cafe I have ever been to. <br/>It all started when we walked in the door and stood awaiting service while another couple complained about something (unfortunately I didn't overhear what their complaint was about)<br/>We were seated promptly enough but were not provided with cutlery and the table was not wiped down properly. We ordered meals and coffees and after being served our coffees we waited for our food. And waited. And waited. I ordered a second coffee and was assured our meals were "not too far away now". After a wait of much more than an hour and having watched two tables, one larger and one smaller than ours, be served meals before us despite having arrived after we did, we left without having ours arrive (the large table was even finished eating and left in the time we sat waiting for our food)<br/>There was 0 explanation as to why our meals were taking so long and I find this inexcusable, it's not like our order was complicated or exotic (waffles, pancakes and a cooked breakfast)<br/>We will never be back and will warn all of our friends, family and co-workers to not visit this place.

Have been here many times and enjoyed the food, however, this experience was very bad. We had 5 people at our table for some waffles at lunch time. Wasn't very busy yet it took over 1 hour to get 5 servings of waffles and a plate of chips out. We ended up having to get it takeaway which took another 15min and eating the chips and food cold. There was no explanation for the delay or apology and we were still expected to pay full price. Very disappointing.

Great surroundings.<br/><br/>I like the rustic look. Very few drinking place has this yesteryears charms.<br/><br/>Nothing unusual on the menu. Good variety of drinks.<br/><br/>Great night out.

Great place for Belgium beer, and not having the need to drive to Ponsonby or Mission Bay.<br/><br/>Their beers are superb for an after work drink with friends or co-workers. And their special movie ticket deals allow you to buy one get one free.<br/><br/>Great steak, great mussels, simple things that make everything else awesome :)<br/><br/>Great customer service too (most of them)<br/><br/>Cheap, good value for money

Update: Decided to go here again and was pleasantly surprised. The salmon was melt in your mouth good! Good service too! Definitely would go again

This is my #1 choice for Friday drinks. It gets really busy but if you can find a seat it's worth it. I hardly order food because beer + frites is pretty much all you need. <br/><br/>The only problem is that they are not big enough! They get so busy there's hardly anywhere to sit - I know this is not their fault but last time I was there they asked us to shift tables to an empty one next to us so they could take our table away when they could have just taken the one that was already empty! Don't know what they were smoking but overall an awesome bar with a lot of atmosphere.

Came here during a public holiday, even with the huge holiday tax it was a pretty good experience! My meal wasn't that amazing (salmon with kumara), tho it was tasty, i thoroughly enjoyed the huge pot of mussels and my bf's pasta! Lovely place with a slightly expensive menu but you do get what you pay for. The service was OK, nothing to complain about.

Great food, great beer, great prices.<br/><br/>Have been here a few times now, and it has not disappointed me yet. Great service, the staff are particularly friendly and go out of their way to help you.<br/><br/>The Occidental has a really nice vibe about it, been here with a few of my mates and it's been a great place to catch up and have a beer. <br/><br/>Try a Belgian beer they are delicious.<br/><br/>Very highly recommended, will definitely become a regular.

My friend and I came here for lunch today for some mussels. We asked the waitress when we ordered if it was half price for mussel dishes today, she informed us it was. When we came to pay, the lady at the tills told us because we had ordered a half kilo it was NOT discounted. This means that we paid more for less, had we been informed when we ordered we would've ordered the 1 kilo option. <br/><br/>Update: it was staff misinformation that resulted in this error which they have since rectified, hopefully they will put up better signage regarding their deals in the future. The food itself was quite nice. We had one dish of steamed mussels and one grilled. We found the steamed one much nicer. <br/><br/>So, while the food is quite nice make sure you check the bill and only the 1 kilo mussel option is half price on Monday's.

Felt really disappointed today, I've been there couple of times and ok, I knew service isn't that great, but today was just ridiculous. Arrived there for lunch with my partner, we got stand for more than 10 min, while the waitress was chatting with a couple aside us and didn't give a sh*# we were there waiting, then we decided to take a table, I'd to clean my table, got the menus and wait, wait, wait and no one came to get our order. So we left the place...<br/>Come on, the place wasn't full... <br/>I think the staff should be more professional and perhaps go to a hospitality course and learn how to do customer service properly, or just find another job if you are not happy doing it. Shame on you. <br/>I'll come back cos I like the food and I really hope the manager can fix this situation.

Excellent place to go. Good value for my money. Great Food and fantastic range of Belgian Beers. Staffs were friendly and efficient. Live music on Friday &amp; Saturday were the best in town. I think they were Recliner Rockers and KGT. My favourite place when I am in the CBD.

Great Food, Fantastic Beers!!!!!<br/>The staff was really friendly though they are super busy....<br/>Highly recomended, absolutely my favorite bar!

The Occidental was always a favourite of ours, but over the past couple of years has really gone downhill. We had boycotted coming here for dinner as there was always something wrong with the food (eg seafood chowder full of veges with A mussel). But lunches were ok until recently we noticed just how filthy the place really is. It perpetually stinks, and is full of flies. Disappointing.

1. Great mussels<br/>2. Great service<br/>3. Great location<br/>4. Great prices<br/><br/>Six of us arrived and sat at a small table because it was so busy, just after we ordered the bartender offered us a larger table because our food would not fit on our table, it was very kind, and he was right.<br/><br/>Another bartender came up to us during our dinner and offered us a loyalty card this put 10% of our meal onto the card for next time, you can also add to this card every time you go. This was great, because we had just spent so much money, we automatically gave us a free meal for our next visit.<br/><br/>Highly recommended.

The food at Occidental Belgian Beer Cafe is always great and their belgian beer is always nice and cold

I find the Belgian Beer Cafe chain slightly overrated; food and drinks are good enough but not exceptional for the heavier price tag. On my last visit I tried their calamari and found the taste to be one-dimensional, and quite oily. They are pretty generous with portions though, and I love their specials days (half price a kilo mussels on Mondays for example), that's when you can get value for money I reckon. The Occidental does quite good belgian waffles and decent bangers and mash. They also have really good beer selections so this place is perfect for happy hours and nibbles in my book!

Beautiful food and beverages . Needa work on th air con thou

Really popular little bar/restaurant in the heart if Auckland. Every Friday evening you can bet that this place is buzzing with music and people. The atmosphere is really good and the food is pretty good too. The only thing that disappointed me was the staff. They didn't seem to take much interest in serving guests, perhaps because it was really busy, but even so they should probably have made more effort. Other than that, I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a after work drink or weekend catchup. Woof.

I came here as part of a group of six for breakfast, using GrabOne vouchers. We ordered coffees, which weren't bad, and most of us ordered waffles while others ordered the Belgian Breakfast and the bacon and eggs.<br/><br/>There are not many/any options for people who are on gluten-free diets, but the chef kindly changed the toast in one meal to a potato mash called Stoemp, which was quite tasty. The Belgian Breakfast included Stoemp, two poached eggs, hollandaise and optional bacon. It was all right, I would probably not choose it again though.<br/><br/>The waffles were quite stodgy, not crispy as we had thought they would be. They were very filling, however.<br/><br/>Afterwards we tried the cherry beer on tap - very interesting, perhaps one for those with a sweet tooth!

I like the beer,but cannot rate the establishment very well. On more than one occasion <br/>I have visited and found the staff more interested in themselves than the customers. The location is excellent and the food is not bad, but it is badly let down by the staff on occasion.

This place is definitely occidental. <br/><br/>Once upon a time, me and my mates while walking on queen street; stopped at this beautiful lane called Vulcan lane surrounded by pubs on all side. This place then became a common meeting / hangout spot for our group. Loved it because of the ambience and the funky jazz. <br/><br/>For a great welcome, good belgian beers and fun visit this place - never tried the food so cannot comment.