Review The Portland Public House

h bax

Grabbed a quick bite, good vibe and energy, if you want a decent burger then come here, they have regular burgers deals on too. About $50 for some burgers, fries and a couple for drinks PROS +Asahi and Tiger on tap + Excellent Burgers +Good range of cocktails +Even extra range of Gin Cocktails CONS -Maybe due to it being busy, but wait staff were not too attentive on the tables: after mains and drinks had been finished no staff follow up to see if we wanted more drinks or dessert (which we did)

Allena

Excellent bottomless brunch or chill drinks. Great value, excellent service. Food is yum and the drinks are refilled quickly.

Gillian Shine

Wonderful night, we had gone to watch a young niece playing her debut released and way out of our comfort level and late, I asked for a coffee but the machine was closed, 5 minutes later I was presented with a beautiful perfect flat white. Thank you Portland staff above and beyond. You were incredible on a hugely busy evening.

Courtney Pearce

Had a fantastic time at the open mic night! Real good vibes, performances and crowd! Highly recommended! I didn't eat this time but the menu looked great too

Mariah Templonuevo

The $8 burgers (+ drink) are still a solid deal. Happy with my chicken one. Service is fine. Would love a working lock in the women's bathroom. All in all a good time.

Faye O

I booked for Valentines day, first time to dine here and I can tell you..food is amazing, fresh and delicious! Great hospitality and service. I recommend booking a table as the resto is small and it gets full quickly.

Tulsi Khanna

Love the Portland, my friends and I go all the time! The staff is always lovely and friendly, drinks are fairly priced and live music always brings the best vibes! :)

Louis Freeman

Used to be at the open mic here every week! Great bunch of characters, staff were always awesome and the atmosphere here REALLY goes!! I would really recommend it if I ever got the chance :):)

Jenny Weren

Classic pub with good food and great live music. Excellent garden bar and the best thing about The Portland is the fantastic service. The bar staff are genuine, fast and friendly. Great to see a team working so well together, highly recommend. 👏

Bianca T

Great place! Very funky, has a indoor seated area for both non smoking and smoking with an addition of outside seating for summer. You will be nice and warm in winter as they have a heating system for the smoking areas. If the bands to loud down stairs and you want to escape, there's a quaint upstairs area where you can still chill and chat with friends. Food came out extremely fast was about a 5min wait time for burgers and fries. They offer table services for both drinks and food. Staff were friendly and warm. Overall recommend it for after work drinks or a quick bite and drink at the end of the day.

Rex Corbett

JULY 2023 A great place to visit after a sports event at Eden Park. The place was certainly busy after an International Soccer event and, the staff we working well to satisfy everyone's needs. The Garden Bar at the rear was very busy too. I would visit this Public House again just for the atmosphere. Well done to everyone on such a busy day. It's one of the closest bars to Eden Park.

浩哥-奥克兰

Located in busy Kingsland, went in and got no serviceZ helped ourselves to seat down, still no service. Food ok, nice to try new places. After we ordered everything was nice

Leese22

Love the live music and vibe of this place. Cocktails are on point 👌 Came on a Tuesday night. We only ate fries. I’ve eaten here before with a group of 4 people last year and loved the food. Really simple food but made to perfection. Good portions. Good service too.

Julian Eden (ConceptRat)

Catch-up with a friend here. We both had burgers and a beer. Tasty burger. Like the layout and space. Because my friend had brought her dog, we had to sit in the area out back which is technically outside but covered this time and considered a smoking area. A small nitpick was that unfortunately people were smoking constantly at both tables near us. I got home smelling of cigarette smoke. A bit more ventilation when covered would be good.

Navtej Singh

Great bar food, good portion size, a vast variety of menu options. Loved the environment and the seating area. Quite a lot of options of activities on different days. Staff was great and helpful.

Arosha Perera

Nice and cosy place where you can enjoy live music. Been there on Tuesdays nights. They make a nice hot toddy, helps to keep ourselves warm and enjoy the cold nights comfortably. Staff is nice and friendly, they personally let the customers know when the bar is closing during midnight. Definitely would go back again to enjoy a beautiful night with cool music.

Graeme Peter Howard

Was there for a InterNations gathering and just had one ginger beer. Is a very charming place, will definitely be back for a meal!

Persian Foodie

Burgers were decent for $6 and you could get a no alcoholic drink with the deal. Would recommend the angus beef burger over the pulled pork. Maybe not much of a fan of the bread buns but it’s a minor thing. Loved the hand cut fries with aioli and paprika. Wasn’t a fan of the buttermilk chicken because it was dry and equivalent to a frozen chicken schnitzel. Nevertheless nice pub setting, lively, full of young people and have open mic nights and bands :)

Bella Qian

Love their outdoor area out back. The food is great - reasonably priced and generously portioned. Very chill and family friendly in the day. Will certainly be back to see what it is like at night!

Giraffe

Solid 6 dollar burger everyday between 4pm-7pm! Saw the post at Lazy Susan and gave it a try. The burger is good! I like their jalapeños poppers too!

Bluecrush

Now the food has never disappointed me! Great menu and so reasonable. The only bad thing was waiting 50 mins for my streak and my friends pizza and wedges. The place was busy but we had ordered food before everything picked up. Happy that my meal was still great and yummy!! I’ll be back...just wished it didn’t take that long...this also wasn’t the first time I had waited... Thanks though :)

HunsBuns

•Positives• - Have always been a huge fan of Porties. Especially after work for a few drinks or a Thirsty Thursday for the live band. Have been here on several occasions and the atmospheres never dull. The vibe is cool, the foods great and the prices are totally affordable. •Negatives• - Most of my time here is spent drinking but every now and then I’ll order a few things to eat in between. The wait time for food is the only thing I STRONGLY dislike about this place. In the past I’ve ordered bar snacks (fried food) that should take no longer than 15mins, however took 25mins (of course if it were busy I would understand) but it wasn’t. -Today I ordered wedges, a small spiced pepperoni pizza and a steak from the mains. Waited 47minutes for my food to come out only for the wedges to come first then the steak 5 minutes after and the same with the pepperoni pizza. I was frustrated and very annoyed at not only the wait time but the fact that the food came out individually. Nonetheless, I will continue coming back here but i hope the wait time on food improves. Steak 8/10 Wedges 8/10 Pizza 4/10

Shannon

This is the place to go for live music in Kingsland. Small, low key bar with a relaxed vibe. They have a good varied menu much better than the standard pub food. I’ve had the risotto balls here which were great.

Hayden Henderson

Had heard good things so thought we would try PPH. I ordered the chicken burger, my GF the chicken waffles (which were good). The waitress took my burger back straight away as the chef forgot the added bacon, this only took a minute or so but once I got my hands on it the bun was cold and ingredients lukewarm at best. I took it to the bar and advised the burger was cold, the waitress asked what would I like so I requested that its remade not reheated... Roughly 5 mins later it was returned, it had been reheated, I ate this burger as I did not have the patience to ask again or wait - it was crap. We got fries complimentary, which we had a couple but not my go to food....

Ming_Angela Y

Came here for the $6 burgers time. Bit of a crowd so probably led to a bit of a wait. The burgers were great though. Generous for $6, and tasted fresh and yummy. There was lots of salad in our burgers which was great, and the flavour came out well. We loved the bread - felt soft and complemented the ingredients inside.

Amelia Farrow

Portland is one of my favourite bars to visit regularly! I have Coeliac Disease and staff are always so helpful with any questions I have but I always go for the Nachos (without beef) and a margarita or glass of wine! Absolute bliss! If the margarita isn't quite right they are more than happy to impress and ensure you enjoy your drink, excellent customer service! I've brought a lot of friends along to try this bar and they all are pleasantly surprised at the value, quality of the food, atmosphere, indoor and outdoor seating options, great tunes and most importantly the lovely and helpful staff! Always gonna be my number one 😊

Julia Louise

$6 burgers (4pm-7pm) are awesome - great value for money and really tasty and gluten/dairy free available if you ask. Great place to sit and people watch with a glass of mulled wine.

RL.P

We went for lunch & Ordered pizza & fries. Pizza was average. Cheese, mushroom, olives toppings. Cool place & vibe. It’s usually very busy come night time but we left before. Would go back to catch the live music.

Serena L

A really nice restaurant with reasonable price & friendly service. We got pizza, burger and taco, they all taste real good. Environment is nice, sometimes they have live music. Service: 4.5/5 Food:5/5 Would definitely visit again!

Zaine Williams

Went for dinner after seeing their ads pop up on Facebook and im so glad I did! The food was delicious and the service was so friendly too. Even had a live DJ playing! Will be back in no time

Joe Roberts

This place is great. Good selection of beers, and you can't beat their every day burger deal! Buttermilk chicken burger is pretty unbeatable 👌cool having the garden bar too

Elise5234

I saw the menu and photos and I was so excited to eat here. Hands down the worst dining experience we have ever had. I would have had a more enjoyment burning the $76 we spent on the meal. Really uncomfortable seating and the tables are so sticky. The food was really average. The staff where horrible! extremely dismissive and rude. Seriously never had a meal this bad it was the whole package the staff really made it exgpecetionaly awful. Don’t eat here.

Mojo Jojo

Amazing buttermilk chicken burger and poutine. The portions are generous and we didn't have to wait long for our food. Also love the jalapeno poppers. Will be back to try the other burgers.

Huia O'Sullivan

Always a good time here, great location,ambient vibes and live music that you can spend a whole evening with.The food is consistently good and the outdoor area out the back makes it a nice little haven in Kingsland.Plenty of lowkey space to share conversation or high key to have a dance.Check it, it's a goodie 👌🏽

Tessfrank

Had a pretty average experience eating at Portland recently. Went for burgers, and the food was pretty good and there was a good range of beer on offer. The service was unfortunately the downfall of the experience. I am well over 18 and my friend turned 18 earlier this year, but when both of us were ID’d separately (he arrived after me) by two different staff members, we were treated rudely and made to feel unwelcome. My ID was scrutinised for upwards of 30 seconds while she tested it at every angle, as if there was no possible way I could be 18, and another staff member had to put my friends birthdate into an online calculator to figure out if he was 18 (my friend was born in 2000, it’s now 2018, so it really shouldn’t be rocket science) and then interrogated about which order the months of the year fall in. To top it all off, the staff at the bar spent the next 60 minutes staring at our table, couldn’t get out of there quick enough. Probably wouldn’t rush back because this was such a rotten experience, it really ruined the feel of the evening. A pity because the food and drink is good value for money.

Rosanne Choy

Went in yesterday night for dinner. Got the buttermilk chicken burger for $6 only. Chicken was crispy and thick. Three pieces were stacked on top of each other and burger was huge. Got some fries as a side. They were super thin and crispy. We also ordered the chicken and mushroom arancini. IT WAS AMAZING. Tasted extremely cheesy and delicious. Would definitely order this dish again. Also wanted to try the pumpkin risotto balls but they ran out.

Miura Elikana

The decor in this place is eclectic and the DJ was great. The staff were friendly and service good. They have a great deal of $6 burgers from 4-7pm. So we all ordered burgers with fries and others ordered pizza. We didn’t wait too long for the food either. The only reason I didn’t give this a full 5 star was that we were disappointed because 3 people that were late from our group weren’t able to order burgers and it was only 5pm. I would have expected them to have enough burgers to last the 3 hours. We did have a big group of 12 people.

Marnelli

The $6 burgers from 4-7pm are the champions. Quite literally a steal because they’re amazing and for that price... whuuut. The jalapeno poppers and shoestring fries are pretty addictive as well and would come back just for those. Definitely keen to try more of their menu. Also pretty good selection of drinks, especially the beers so extra happy for that. There’s always an event happening on any given time (came on tuesday and it was open mic night) of the week so that’s another thing to look forward to if you’re in need of a cool hangout place.

C Cruises

We have always liked Portland & particularly the live music. However that was under the previous owners and unfortunately now the new owners have no idea of customer service, we found them to be rude, it's a long story and not really worth too much time explaining but unfortunately we won't be going back.

Food.review.nz

Looking for a cosy place to have a drink and snack on good food? Make your way here any night to be surprised! Not only is the food absolutely delicious, but they have special events happening most nights with a live band on Friday nights - which is the night I went. They also have $6 burgers happy hours as well which is a huge bargain! Their food portions are generous and I was incredibly full by the end of it. I personally enjoyed most of their snacks and ordered a few to share. We ordered wedges served with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce - you can also get it with bacon and cheese which sounds amazing. We got buttermilk chicken, which is a bit spicy but I liked it as it gave it extra flavour. We also got their calamari - a must for me to order anywhere I go. It tasted good however, it could have been more crispy and crunchy. From the mains, we ordered the falafel burger with skinny fries - again the portion was generous and tasted amazing. It was juicy even though it wasn't real beef. What I will never forget is how cool it was for my drink to be served in a measuring cylinder!! As someone who studies Science, I was super excited to see my mocktail served that way. I think this place has real creativity - their seating is comfortable with neat lights and their interior decor is unique and creative. Food 8.5/10 Ambience 8/10 Service 7.5/10 Price 7/10

Ameri Lim

The special burger promotion $6 is a bargain. I order the crispy chicken and fish burger. Despite the reasonable price, these are the best gourmet burger I have tasted in Auckland. Highly recommend it and will definitely return again. I

Raissa Radhika Correia

We have always loved Portland’s, in special when live gigs were on. Last night, we were there early, having a few drinks and chips, and looking forward to the jam session. Everything was great, we had a table close to the stage, the musicians were setting up, and we moved our table away from the stage as much as we could. Once the music started, we were surprised by the bar staff very rudely wanting to take away our tables and chairs, even though we still had food and drinks on the table! And by the way, the venue was only half full, so that was totally unnecessary. I’ve tried to negotiate with the staff, as I couldn’t understand why he was being so harsh with us, after we were there for a couple of hours enjoying our food and drinks. I’ve asked if he could just leave one table and our 2 chairs while we were finishing our food, but he totally shoved us out. Our chips ended up wasted on the ground, and we had to leave. We were never before treated so badly, we were very upset. We went back in to ask him the reason, and he said the sax player, who was the leader of the band, pressured him to do it! A SIMPLE WARNING WHEN WE FIRST SAT ON THE TABLE, LETTING US KNOW BY 9PM WE WOULD HAVE TO VACATE THE TABLE, WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE. The whole chaos ruined our night, and we won’t be returning to Portland’s ever again. No matter the reason behind it, nothing excuse treating customers (or any decent human beings) this way.

Charlie.havefun269

The best burger I have tried so far, the texture of bun and meat was marvellous. Live band its just give a mean atmosphere. No doubt if want to give a shot here, the price wise is quite reasonable and worth a dollar value.

Riddhi

Went for a late lunch today around 2.30. Was initially planning on going to another place but their kitchen had already closed. We ordered 2 sets of the fried chicken burger with chips. Also got the chicken salad. Prices for this place were really reasonable, $12 for burger and $4 to add fries. The burger was delicious! Came with 2 patties and the sauce was super good. Wish it had a bit more salad though. The fries were the highlight, super tasty and the aioli they gave was some of the best aioli I’ve had. My friends chicken salad had lots of chicken cooked really well and she really enjoyed it too. What I like about this place is the little things they do service wise. One of my friends didn’t order a drink but they gave her water in a mason jar too so she didn’t feel left out with us other 2 having drinks. When we also asked for takeaway boxes they packed our chips and gave us extra little containers of tomato sauce and aioli which most places wouldn’t do. Service in general was super friendly and polite. Would love to come back as they have cheaper deals for pizza and burgers from 4-7 everyday!

Juliet

Great place to come for a beer/cider and live music. Also big fan of the $6 burgers. Good bang for your buck! Living just up the road, am quite a regular at this place

Emz

I always come here for a drink or two a and tasty bite after work or a weekend arvo. Usually order a mulled wine in winter and the boyfriend gets a beer. Fill selection off spirits and the cocktails are nice too. Always order the Poutine and chicken quesadilla

Aacesh Molz

😊😊😊😊😊Wide range of craft beers🍻🍻🍻.Outstanding food and friendly staff 😊😊😊😊.Will reccommend to everyone.🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺

Lalit Arora

Good Food, Good Beer and Good Cheer. Best pub in Kingsland. Open Mic Night every Tuesday and over 35 craft beers. Reasonable price for the food and drinks.

ShoRt

What a surprise in here, cosy setting and a lovely courtyard out back. I only came here for a drink this time but the food menu looked good and reasonably price too. I thought the bartender wasn't the most friendly though. But will try again next time!

Alas

Very good menu. Looking around $40 with dinner and a couple of beers. Good range of beers and wine. Burgers were pretty good. Sides is a good variety. Good vegetarian selection as well. Nice atmosphere.

Vibha Sekhar

For vegetarians Food - I had a Portland Real Spiced hand cuts, vegetarian burger with fries. It was really tasty and a full meal. Ambience - This place had nice loud music and probably a live band (which I missed). Nice place to hang out with friends. Only wish it had been better lit as I felt it was quite dark in the night. Service - extremely quick service in spite of being medium crowded. No delays and order was promptly taken. Do visit!

Disha Arora

It is the best place to chill and just have fun. Doesn't give you a hole in the pocket too. Friendly staff n excellent service.Such a cool bar. Loved it. Visit atleast once.

Frank T

The best place for tasty well priced burgers on the West side of town. Have been here 3 times now and food is always consistent and staff friendly and fast. A great pit stop for a quick easy dinner!

Alex Leonard

Ambiance is pretty good and the drinks are nice - the bartender knew his stuff (I wish I got his name!). The best part about this pub is the open mic night, if you like that kind of thing (which I do). It's small and intimate, close to the train stop, and there is street parking but it's pretty limited depending on the night. I can imagine it being a bit claustrophobic on busy Fridays, so I prefer going on weeknights. Not a bad stop if you're in the area.

I'm Hungry

Had a mad time here on Friday night. Lovely live band till late and the music continued for the open dance floor. Epic service inspite of being extremely crowded. Bartenders worked like machines to get drinks on the counter quickly. Do not serve cocktails late night but we had a few rounds of bourbons and beer.

Jess Philpot

Delicious food and an amazing singer! The price is extremely affordable especially for a poor student such as myself! Was a really enjoyable meal.

Miss T

I Ordered the vegetarian quesadilla with mushrooms, jalapeño, refried beans, mozzarella and sour cream ($10) and pumpkin and mozzarella risotto balls with aioli ($9.90) and both were extremely delicious. Great value for money also. I would definitely recommend this place. Also pleased to see 5...

Chumq

Cool hip place. Love the vibe and the cool dude with long hair serving us was awesome! The pumpkin and mozzarella risotto was a good choice and very delicious. Loved the music they played here. Cool hip place to check out.

Melanie Grace Ritchie

This is a great trendy bar in Kingsland, come early to get a seat. Have been here a few times for some gigs like Albi and the Wolves very cool band and a cool venue. The bar staff are always friendly as well. Came here to try the fried chicken I had heard so much about. It was really nice and it wasn't greasy, comes sitting on a coleslaw. Good but not the best in Auckland. Also tried the pulled pork quesadilla which was really delicious!

Holly D-T

I can only comment on the Saturday drinks I enjoyed here but great little place and they had live music! Very hipster with great ambience - food smelled amazing so would love to come back and try!

Abbey Lissaman

We came for casual $6 burgers on a weeknight. The bar was pretty much empty so food and drinks came quickly, except for one of our friend's drinks which she had to ask staff about more than once before it arrived. The burgers were great value, and were filling and tasted good, but lacked a little flavour. Fries cost extra but the burger seemed to be enough for a quick, cheap, casual meal. The rest of the menu is mostly bar food, and the restaurant was very casual, not overly clean, but again fine for us as we only wanted something cheap and easy. Overall not too bad, but the tables could have been less sticky and food could have had a bit more punch.

Matthew Sanders

I've only been here once and to be honest, it was nothing that special at first. I ordered some drinks and fish of the day special. Cosy is the word to describe the place, good dining environment. It was pretty average until one of the waitress served the food to my table. Never in my life have i seen someone that pretty before. Asian, blonde hair and pale skin, just like a goddess. She was very friendly and i can tell that she's not from around this area because of her accent. She smiled and we made eye contact when she delivered my drink and as she walked off to serve other customers, my mind went blank. The food was average but excellent service and staff recruitment. 10/10. Keen to see her again the next time i dine here.

A

I've only been here for drinks during gigs but I will definitely be back to try the veggie burger and the farmhouse spuds. Really chilled and fun atmosphere.

Alana Rose Gray

We had won a bar tab so after reading mixed reviews on here regarding both service and food we decided to just give it a go. We were pleasantly surprised! Beer selection is great with craft beers on tap. The service was super friendly and relaxed which I think adds to the whole vibe of this place. Now to the food - we ordered the Ceviche and fried chicken. Ceviche is probably one of my most favourite foods and Portland Public House served me the best one I have ever had from a restaurant. The chicken was perfectly crisp and cooked to perfection. We will definitely be back for beers and ceviche soon as I can't stop thinking about it! Thanks guys!

Maggie B

Go here for a wonderfully cosy atmosphere while drinking on a rainy day but don't order food. It was very overpriced and offered poor value for money. We ordered the ribs and some wedges/chips on the side. The ribs were 3 very small tapas style offerings with far too much sauce. The chips were ok but were served in a miniature bucket (the kind you put pot plants in...) I personally like my food served on a plate but I could have compromised BUT they put the utensils down next to the food and they were placed in exactly the same type of bucket as the fries. It was really off-putting to be honest. Service was ok...if you want a drink great but don't go there for food - even bar food.

Ky

Went here was so packed great atmosphere! Ordered the fried chicken it was amazing so tender yet crispy and the ribs were delicious as well. Definitely would come back and highly recommend!

Cole

I don't care what others say. You are my local and I love you. You are like the gig I am always on the door list for and the permanent house party on my block. The Portland belongs to those who are in no hurry. Service can sometimes be on the tardy side... but just relax. This is a haven for the weary. Let the vibes heal your restless soul... or go to Ponsonby. I've had a range of experiences with food here... mostly good and really good. I like that I never know what the menu will be (it changes frequently) and every chef gives their own twist on it too. Shot, guys. Thanks for all the good stuff.

Andrew @anjeats

It's hard to find places that play good live music and serve decent food and drink, so it was refreshing to come here on several occasions and have a satisfying time. Cosy is probably the best to describe this place - there is retro furniture scattered around the room, mixed in with memorabilia from yesteryear (board games anyone?). Some of furniture is a bit rickety so make sure you choose your spot wisely. The menu has kiwiana classics and the hand cut chips with Maorioli sauce are a moreish treat. The buttermilk chicken is tasty too and goes down well with a tap beer. This is the place to come if you want to hear great live music up close - my personal faves are The Gramophone Band whose vintage sounds brought retro swag to Kingsland. Follow the Portland Facebook page for updates on upcoming performances.

John Kemp

What's this I hear this venue pulling a fast one on the music group this is bull s*/ht if you don't get your act together I will shoot to social media where our friends are not so friendly believe this is not a dam joke shoot down my favorite group punks. Pay up what you owe...

John Wallace

Um - who on earth charges $18 for some ham and cheese in a tortilla? Top points for creativity but - budget ham described as cured meat? Ambiance good but completely undone by overpriced and bad food. Really disappointing

Thai Qn

Awesome, Fush Mornay.. and Maoriri Sauce Kiwi inspired meals.. yes the Kitchen looked a bit untidy, but I haven't found any bad things in my food!! Chef is probably a Jamie Oliver's Cousin For a Total Kiwi experience, I found the food great!! Well at least NOW it is.......... Jazz/Funk/Blues on Sundays? Esther Stephens?? I hope so

Blair Lapslie

Portland house has been a regular stop for nearly two years and has become my local. To me it is the embodiment of kingsland; multi cultural, alternative, relaxed and friendly. Portland is the place to come wether it be for an after work drink, incredible food (try the buttermilk chicken!!), or to meet new people. There is no pretence here. I had one occasion where i was playing cards over a beer and a few random people asked to join in! Brilliant atmosphere. Totally worth a visit if you really want something more than just a pub experience. Big thumbs up!

Rosalie Bay

Ridiculously bad bar service, filthy basin in the downstairs loo, uncomfortable seating. Server wandering around aimlessly with someone's food not knowing where to take it. Customers having to get up and find their own cutlery. It's as if the proprietors watched a few episodes of Portlandia and a re-run of Slackers under the misapprehension that they were documentaries rather than savage satire and decided to join in.

Review The Portland Public House - Auckland Central