Review Speight's Alehouse - Dunedin

Fantastic food and drinks. Our meals arrived quickly and were delicious. Rib-eye steak cooked to perfection. Generous portion sizes and the Salted Caramel White Choc Cheesecake capped it off beautifully. Excellent friendly service. Can be very busy so best to book in advance.

Awesume place for a family friendly place to have dinner. Staff was friendly and attentive. Food was really yummy. Great atmosphere

Tried Speights Ale House. Generally the food was good, however my colleague said the market fish was too greesy and with the chips was too much. The chicken burger was good not great but sufficient. It pairs better with the salad than the chips in my opinion Had a bottle of roaring Meg Pinot noir was pretty preeetty good. Recommendation. If you are staying at a hotel or motel ask for a card to give you a discount.

Steak was cooked nicely and the chips were hot and crisp. The recommended beer complemented the meal as well. Staff were friendly and the bathroom was very clean. Only con would be the difficult parking.

Love the Rataray Street ribs..so juicy and not gamey at all. Fall of the bone meat.. Mm.. The salted caramel cheesecake was a tad bit too sweet and not cheesy. Would do back again to try the lamb shank

Our meals were amazing. Huge servings with great variety. We had entrees sized meals and desert. Just a shirt walk in cbd.

I definitely give five stars to the garlic bread loaf here. It's seriously highly addictive. I love the modern rustic ambience here. I have noted these orchid flowers with their long stems were rolled into a coil placed in a rose bowl. The floral arrangement looks so elegent. Staff are friendly and smiley. Service was attentive. Food with a good value. Will absolutely come back again.

Nice place near centre of town to try their beers. If we know they had a good menu we would have gone here for lunch. Worth the effort if ou want to try their beers. Tasting palate was well worth it

It is a famous beer brand in New Zealand. You can also take a beer tour and drink fresh beer. A must visit if you are in Dunedin

I didn't come for food since 2016 because of terrible experience. I visited last night with my team for diner. Food quality is increased but the environment is still bad. Anyway it was worth to visit again.

Good pub style food with generous servings and you won't leave hungry. Great atmosphere for drinks, snacks, or dinner. This place doesn't have dedicated parking which is disappointing.

Nice to visit. The taste of beer is great. We got ribs, soup, and sausages . The sauce of ribs were great and I loved it, but the meat was a bit dry. I am not sure if they intend or not. Someone liked others didn't. Sausages was so yummy. They have 'Today's soup' I had pumpkin and coconut. I actually didn't like it that much since there were many spices which I don't like. Others loved it though. Food was inexpensive and the atmosphere was nice. I am willing to visit here again and have a tour for the brewery next this.

My gosh. I am not a local to Dunedin, and it's the first bar that I've ever walked into here, I certainly want to come back here when I am back in town. The atmosphere is amazing and the staff are great. 10/10 for it being a great first experience.

Delicious beer, meals were huge, friendly staff. Would 100% recommend. The tasting panel was well worth it.

The atmosphere was great. The food was also really good. The only that I wish they would of had on there menu was a nice burger because burgers and beer go really well together. Other then that I would definitely recommend this place. You won't be disappointed 😁

An awesome experience yet again, this establishment has never failed to deliver for me when bringing in a tour group. My group liked it so much they would have happily returned the next night had it not been booked out.

We had a fantastic time with a brilliant atmosphere. Huge meals and quite tasty, with the matched beers. The only distraction was being seated on the lower level, when tables were being moved around on the upper level and caused a lot of noise.

Been here to be a part of NZ History. Ordered a tasters pedal with wedges as there was no dinner menu on a Sunday evening. Good time. Nice ambience n feel.<br/>Worth trying once. Nothing exceptional.

Great place if you want to go celebrate! The food is so delicious. If you haven’t tried their load of garlic bread you are definitely missing out! Have been here multiple times and service has been amazing! The filos and ribs are pretty decent but not the best I’ve ever had. Steak is pretty good also! But definitely get the bread! The bread is very very good 😍. Only downside is it is a bit pricy!

Pretty spacious, well set up eating space, good use of tables and well adjusted to accommodate for a large group of people. Speight’s catered well to our group of 15’s needs, and we were happily seated and set up in no time. Customer service was organized and prompt, and the team delivering our food were courteous. <br/>I ordered the large plate of ribs, and was pleasantly surprised by the arrangement which was well done and very appetizing. Even the medium plate was arranged well and this was a recurring theme amongst the other dishes my friends decided to order. <br/>I had high expectations for these as I’m always trying to scout the best ribs in town, however am disappointed to say that these did not meet them.<br/>The rib meat was overall mediocre, as it did not fall off the bone and a few pieces were exceptionally dry and difficult to chew, and soon became bland and stringy. I did like the size of these ribs as they were presented in long single bones, however the quality of the meat prepared was just not up to my standard. There was adequate sauce but it was just a standard bbq, and there seemed to be many cartilage bone present (or at least in my plate). <br/>The sides were decent-there were some bacon/sausage pieces which made the meal look better, but the taste wasn’t anything spectacular, although it was a nice addition. The fries were not made, straight cut and mostly crispy which were a pleasant find especially since they were buried underneath all the ribs and sauce. The salad was okay, I prefer coleslaw with my ribs, but the pieces of fresh veg on the side were a delight-love me some tomato, capsicum and radish slices!<br/>Overall, it was decent, a good portion for the price theoretically speaking, however for the quality you can definitely find better ribs in Dunedin and at a stellar price! 3/5<br/><br/>As of 6/5 rib ranking in Dunedin: Lone Star (need to visit again for update on consistency in quality) > Ratbags > 50 gorillas (may also need to visit their all you can eat as I hear inconsistencies in quality) > Speight’s

Embarking 15th April as the glorious day of my life because it’s my fiancé’s birthday. I loved every food we ordered and tasted. Taking a bite of the loaf bread took me back to my childhood memories. I would Love to come here soon ❤️

A place not to miss...always visit here when in town on business and it never fails to disappoint...this particular time we had a young waiter named Nick and he is a true credit to the establishment, nothing was too much trouble and had a genuine interest in customer care (which is very rare these days)...the garlic loaf is not to be missed and the meals are just superb and well priced....just wish the Speights houses up north did the same garlic loaf...can’t wait to be back....

Great food, great beer and great atmosphere!<br/>This traditional alehouse has a great atmosphere and the beer is excellent and reasonably priced. The food is very good and even though the restaurant was busy it came out very quickly. The service is great - the staff are very attentive!

After work drinks with colleagues brought me here. I've heard good things about this place, especially for dinner. But since we were there for a casual hang out, didn't really get to experience that. <br/><br/>Ordered a few platters to share. Not too bad. Quite average. Service a bit too slow for my liking. <br/><br/>May try this place again. Since dinner here is something else; So I've been told.

Speights Ale House ... great house brewed beer and food. We tried the ribeye steak, the venison and the highland lamb - all very good. <br/>The best is still the mud cake dessert with chocolate sauce that is so chocolatey and the sweetness is just right with a bit of bitterness from the thick chocolate sauce - great.<br/>Also tried their golf medal beer and old dark, both taste are super.<br/>.<br/>Food : 4/5<br/>Service : 4/5<br/>Price : $$$<br/>Place : 4/5<br/>.<br/>Halal<br/>Rest : Speights Ale House<br/>Location : Dunedin<br/>City : New Zealand<br/>.<br/>

I'm surprised at how easy this pub is to talk in as normally busy pubs are hard to hear at so it is nice. We shared the half loaf to start with which is lovely and fresh. For main I had the black cherry chicken with kumara mash. The mash was nice and so was the salad and its dressing. The chicken was well cooked but the bacon wrapped around it was fatty and not crisped up just soft. The cherry sauce was really nice but the flavour combination with the cashews was kinda weird. The best part was the speights cider. It awesome to be able to have a handle of it with dinner as most Auckland places just have crappy ciders. Love the atmosphere here too and excellent for a meal after the brewery tour

Popped in for lunch on a cold day. Nice and warm inside we ordered a burger and a schnitzel. The burger went down a treat my partner said it was a really good pub burger. I had the schnitzel and I enjoyed it I only wish the gravy came on the side so I could decide how much was on my schnitzel. Very large meals! Goes down well with a beer too.

Love the old style public houses of Dunedin, very cosy & dimly lit with that Scottish feel. They do good heart warming style food in generous portions to keep those chilly winds at bay. Then after your meal maybe a hot toddy would help even more!!

Great food. Went for lunch and it wasn't too busy. Was served very promptly. Food came out and was enjoyed thoroughly. Would recommend to family and friends.

My husband and I took the dinner package. Our guide Ross gave a knowledgeable guide. As part of the tour, we were allowed to be bartenders so we got to try 6 different beers. The portions was huge for the 2 course meal. The fish and chips were crisp and chicken breast was juicy. The seafood chowder was creamy and had nice flavour.

Fantastic atmosphere, great service, free wifi, and the food is as good as it gets for a pub meal. I had a sensational pumpkin soup with ginger and shallots followed by a melt in your mouth lamb shank with a big serve of vegetables! Highly recommended, also did the pub tour and a few lagers! Great value for money $58 NZ dollars for a tour, a free beer and two courses!

The most amazing food!! I had the highland lamb and was the best lamb I think I have ever had. Such good value for the size of meal and just the most awesome salad dressing. Would recommend this to everyone under the sun, you cannot not like it.

Delicious meals! Great deal for your money. This restaurant is on the pricier side however it is definitely worth it. I'm vegetarian and love the veggie kebabs, my hubby is a meat lover and this restaurant is perfect for the both of us. Get the garlic bread!

Nice brewery feel and decor. Even though it's a brew house they had a good choice of wines to choose from. Comfortable family restaurant. Massive portions and well priced. The food tasted good.

This restaurant and bar has a cozy ambiance. While I and my husband had a dinner at a Friday evening, it was almost full. But, we are lucky to have delicious foods and drinks.<br/>I chose a small dinner, seafood chowder, which served with a soft bread. My husband had a marinated grilled pork ribs served with salads and chips. It's a big plate, even he ordered a medium size. We also had one portion of wedges and ciders.<br/>The seafood chowder was good. The pork ribs were awesome with the barbeque sauce taste. And for the wedges, it was the best wedges ever in NZ. It was so tasty and crisp. What a delicious dinner!

Was one of the best lunch meals I have had in a very long time, and was well priced considering. We dined in at lunch on the 17th of Feb. Based on the meal alone i would give the review a 4.5. However, the experience was very much so tainted for all four of us who dined in. We all were incredibly disappointed in the staff member who was our waitress. From the moment we entered, she was very disinterested and rude. We arrived around 11.40 and were told that the kitchen don't open til 12. Which was fine, of course. However, we sat for 20 mins with no offers for drinks or anything. When she came to take our order she was disinterested and obvious about it. However the meals did come, and eventually a drinks order was taken when we ASKED for some, rather than being asked. However. When she meal checked, we all turned to each other and actually laughed about how you could tell she really didn't care. She walked off before we even got a chance to answer and her town was horrific. I am reluctant to dine again due to this waitressing experience however the food was devine which saved the day. As a waitress myself, I was appalled by her behaviour (as was the rest of us diners) and cannot believe how disinterested and obvious she was being about her lack of interest in being here. Very disappointing sadly, as this is the first negative experience i've ever had here.

service5/5environment 4/5food 4/5cost perfomance4/5drink 5/5

Awesome food, was very tasty, large portions and great value for money, everyone at the table loved their food. Very fast service, very friendly. We did the brewery tour followed by dinner, and would highly recommend!!

Steak cooked to perfection best piece I've ever had. Tried a bit of the blue cod and it was amazing. Big meals and Great service and didn't have to wait to long for our meals couldn't have been better

Lovely meal, attentive waitress, steak was divine, all in all excellent. Only sad thing was, too full for the wonderful selection of desserts!

Service was not very good when I went. I was in a group of 5 and they got our drink orders mixed up - some of us had paid and they thought we hadn't. Also, we got told the kitchen was closing - but we had already booked a table! Not a good start......Anyway, the food was ok and reasonably priced for the size of it. Not keen to go back to be honest.

dined here on sunday night, and it was perfect. staff were very friendly. garlic bread was delivered in 5 mins. mains 10 mins later, abd we hadnt even finished our garlic bread. Mains were however PERFECT. i had blue and gold. fsh was cooked to perfection. My partner had the lamb, the meat was absolutley perfect. veges were delicious. Meals were too close together but other then that it was amazing. i would recommend to all.

We went in midweek and had no problem getting a table without a booking. Had a lovely hearty meal washed down with some good beer. The service was friendly and efficient (although we felt a little rushed) we also enjoyed the rustic environment. <br/><br/>The meals were a little pricey, but if you don't eat out regularly in Dunedin, this is a superb destination.

We are firm ale house supporters, it is one of our fav for family meals out. But I have to say our last meal was abit blah. the smokehouse platter was skimpy, my black cherry chicken was dry and lacking the lovely sauce, the pasta of the day - honey mustard and bacon was bland and the other meal of steak was nice, although the actual steak was on the small side, the meal was made up of mainly fries and veges. Is there a new chef?<br/><br/>The staff were as lovely as ever and the astosphere great

Really nice beer and food. Would definitely recommend the seafood!

Booked in for 7pm 22 aug, got there and were shown straight to a table, place was quite full some big parties. Ordered entree and it arrived very quickly. We felt rushed and then the mains arrived, my steak was undercooked asked for medium was a bit rare but edible. Again we felt rushed and were paying for the meal by 8pm did not stay for drinks as we felt gutted. We understand that they were busy and we are just a couple but I will not be going back there again. We were wanting a relaxed evening, if we wanted to be treated like cattle we would have gone to McD's.

A fun pub restaurant.<br/><br/>We were seated on the upper level, so you had to walk a bit more than you want to get to the bathroom. But it is pretty isolated if you don't want to be surrounded by the bar customers. It's also very spacious, so you get plenty of options for seating.<br/><br/>The service was pretty good. Food was good. I ordered the Hog, and my husband got Black Cherry Chicken. They were both tasty - It's something I would never make at home, so it was good to see a few things on the menu that required effort.<br/><br/>It IS a pub though, so if you are not into that atmosphere, this restaurant isn't for you.

Not too bad of a spot. Decent without being great. Bit like a Lone Star I guess or a better than your local pub meal, but then the price is quite a bit more hefty as well. <br/>Lots of TVs everywhere, not everyones cup of tea.

Great food . . . though a couple of lunchtimes I've been there it was pretty full, and so a bit noisy.

We ate at Speights Ale House Dunedin City Centre a couple of weeks back. We always try to go to at least one Speights when in the South Island -the food is NORMALLY great. This time it was not, it was truly awful. My husbands steak was a gristle fest, and my platter -a medium so-called smokehouse -very large, which meant that as I ate very little of it, a lot went into the rubbish. The selection was rubbish -dry roasted chicken (not smoked), dry cooked salmon (not smoked), a choice of highly processed cheese -basically it was their kitchen left-overs. And the response by the waitress? No one has ever complained before -really? I find that hard to believe. Mind you, this was the waitress who explained that lambs fry was no longer on the menu because they couldn't keep it fresh! Speights everywhere else EXCEPT Dunedin from now on...

Fantastic food and atmosphere. Great service. Well worth a visit if you are in Dunedin. My Australian friends want to go again when they are over in March. The seafood chowder is the best I have tasted and the lamb shanks, well what can I say, melt in your mouth, the beer ain't bad either. Take the brewery tour, well worth the time and you can serve yourself some beers afterwards, free of course.

Sorry but was disappointed in this one. Ordered a meat &amp; cheese platter from the menu but the food was not very well thought through. The medium sized option had enough meat for 3 people so couldn't eat it all, there were no condiments to accompany the meat, some relish or mustard would have been nice. Some of the meat had that fridgy rancid taste. The beer saved the day!

My partner and i dine at Speights Ale House every year for our anniversary and it has never failed to impress! i order the same thing EVERY time..(Chicken Parcel's) ooohhhh 2 die for =*) the whole experience is always outstanding. However there has been only 1 time (partners 30th with his close family) where the main meal plates were cleared before every1 had finished eating, this made the 1 person feel very uncomfortable and pushed her plate away without finishing and she was only 1/2 way thru her meal which she was thoroughly enjoying =(. was a lil disappointing. BUT we will always be a fan and will return many times and this is still my fave restaurant! tops

This place needs no more recommendation. ALWAYS good! The one time when things went a little awry, a free meal was given and complimentary drinks for the whole table. Excellent.

excellent food, great service and reasonable price. i love the highland lamb, tender and succulent

The food is great! good sized meals with really reasonable pricing. Have been back heaps! Try the Black cherry chicken.

My family and I loved it. Coming down from Auckland for my graduation, I had forgotten to book us in for dinner here, but Wendy was able to get us in early and my parents loved it. The atmosphere was comfy, the food was great, and the service was top notch! Great Dunedin experience eating here.<br/><br/>Thanks again Wendy!:)

Lunch was okay, nothing terribly special

My friends and I dine out once a week and, while we occasionally like to try different places, we always find ourselves coming back to the Ale House.<br/><br/>Why? Because the food is consistently excellent, the staff are all friendly, efficient and accommodating, the menu has enough variety to suit all tastes, the meals are generous for a very reasonable price and not once - even when they're incredibly busy - have we had to wait an excessive length of time for our meals.<br/><br/>I'll happily recommend the Ale House to friends, family and strangers alike.<br/><br/>p.s. Try the Black Cherry Chicken or the Chicken Phyllo Parcels -- yum!

We have just eaten at the Ale House this past weekend, 6th April, one of us is strict vegetarian, he had the spinach and pinenut filo parcels, his meal was a piece of art, and he said he would put it down to the best meal he has ever had for taste and presentation. I had the lamb shanks - best lamb shanks I've had. And my partner had the drunken steak and he was very impressed. The meals are large,very satisfying and beautifully presented. Top effort to the chefs and the staff involved. We will be back! Many thanks.

You could say that its expensive pub food, or a cheap restaurant. I think it's found it's way beautifully down the middle. Great for catching up with friends over a good meal, and good beer.