Review The Matakana Village Pub - Matakana

Awesome atmosphere, friendly staff and superb food. I ordered a tasty medium rare scotch filet, with roasted kumara and mushroom sauce. My wife asked for a parmegiana chicken, which was well served and delicious. My boys each requested mac and cheese, spaghetti and chicken nibbles, good sized. It must be quite. Ice in the summer because the outside area is huge.

We had Sunday lunch, good old kiwi staple of fish & chips. Food was very well done & yummy. Great outdoor seating, lovely atmosphere. Staff were very friendly & accommodating. Thanks guys.

Had the burger, and what a great decision. Hot chips, perfectly cooked and the best bacon. Lots of beer on tap and the food the others were all eating looked as good as my burger. Home made pie specials looked so good . Great chef who obviously takes pride in what they do. And parking out the back.

Two thumbs up! Scrumptious food ~ Great service ~ If you pass by this way just go and try

As a large group of 12 adults and 3 children searching for a late lunch, we couldn’t have found a better place. Rather than looking ‘put off’ by our group size, we were warmly welcomed to sit wherever we wanted. The service was impeccable, food was fresh and served within a short time. Highly recommend this place and we would like to thank them for being so family friendly. 👍🏾

We were here quite a few months ago (Easter weekend) so can't remember many of the finer details but, a conversation today jogged my memory that I forgot to write a review. The reason I have done was to compliment the waiter we had. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name but his service on the night was great, it was clear he had at some point in his life received traditional waiter training. Having worked at private functions in the UK, it was nice to receive as it's not often you get this type of service anymore.

Beautiful local pub which is busy at night - recommend bookings for dinner. The bbq wings tasted great - just that the wings were the smallest chicken wings I’ve seen! The bbq pork portion was also quite small. On the bright side, everything tasted great and service was friendly.

Best pub experience in a very long time. Beautiful location, kind staff, delicious and perfectly cooked meals and good beer.

huge portion, friendly staffs, cozy outdoor seats, all good, the food are tasty, beef cheek was a bit dry. house slaw is so good. btw, they surcharge 15% on holiday.

Had a really good experience at MVP after our group of 30 were rudely turned away from the Rusty Pelican next door because our group was more than 10. We offered to sit in groups of no more than 10 but that wasn't good enough. Told us to leave. Rudest operators ever! Well, we ended up next door at MVP. And what a blessing in disguise! The food was amazing! The fish and chips came with the best tasting chips we've had in a long while. The pork belly and pork ribs were good too. The staff were accommodating and friendly. We sat at 3 big tables, no issues whatsoever. We were happy to part with about $800 spend between us all. Thanks to the team at MVP!

Was very impressed with the food here at Matakan Village Pub. Great outdoor seating with plenty of spaces. Good on nice summer day but may be packed so be sure to arrive earlier. Amazing food and beautifully presented too with lots of choices on the menu. Will recommend to drop by if you are in the Matakana area. Great place for families and kids.

This is one of the best place around matakana! Dont miss it when you are around the area! They serve good steak and ribs and fish n chips! You can relax and feel the warmth even on the winter because they provide customer blankets and heater which is really good!

Popped in here for Sunday lunch on a sunny winter day. Lots of seats outside so I bet this is an excellent place to come in summer. Had the slow cooked beef cheek that was melt in your mouth. The truffle mash was amazing too. Would recommend. Minus -1* as the service was a bit slow, we were however warned about this.

Have eaten here twice and both times have been okay but not anything special. Not much selection on the menu - to the point where the kids menu has a better selection of food. Don't think I will be back as I've given it 2 chances now.

Matakana Village Pub damn just damn :( Came here with a friend for lunch and was very disappointed. There was nothing on the menu that sounded appealing on a super hot summers day after being at the beach all day. We ended up ordering the kids pizza because as the kids menu seemed to have a much better selection. The service was standard nothing special and the meal was obviously below average which we expected since ordered off the kids menu. won't be back there sis let me tell you. x

Stopped in for a quick lunch  and ordered the fish and chips. One very average piece of fish - both taste and size - and a mountain of chips for $24 dollars. A very underwhelming experience and one I won't be repeating. Value for money guys, it not hard. And the table was sticky!

A very long wait for our wine and then our food order We would have ordered a further wine if the first had been delivered when it should have been The food was tasty but unfortunately the table surface was sticky. The wait staff need more training however they were pleasant There is a lot of competition in Matakana

Well we drove up from the shore with three grandkids for what we thought would be a lovely lunch kids ordered hot dog and chips week it came out half the size of normal hotdog had a thin thin batter with herbs in it well sorry but a hot dog is sausage in normal batter of course they wouldn't eat it as don't Evan know what sausage it was waste of money

Food was Lovely. All 3 meals were very enjoyable. It was very busy and all the staff were great and nice to deal with. We highly recommend it.

What was ordered: Beef Burger, Pulled Pork Burger w/fat chips & aioli.<br/><br/>This restaurant is beautiful and spacious. It has a huge amount of space both inside and outside. The outdoor area is equipped with umbrellas and also outdoor fires so clearly perfect and set up for all seasons. I visited on a Wednesday evening and it wasn't busy and the meal was enjoyed in peace! <br/><br/>The staff were funny and chatty, made a couple of jokes with us and were quick to give us service and drinks were bought out promptly! However they didn't check in on us during the meal and I think this is important especially to see if you require any water/drinks etc..<br/><br/>The beef burger was... a beef burger and although it was nice it wasn't anything that made me want to come back to have it again. I found that there wasn't enough sauce on the burger and so it was quite boring to eat especially compared to the pulled pork burger. I believe with a beef burger it always also needs a stronger flavoured cheese, edam etc. can be bland when thrown in with everything else. The pulled pork burger was superb, the pork was succulent and the sauce was perfectly complimenting the pork as well as the slaw. The burgers had beautiful brioche buns which weren't too heavy and so didn't make the burger challenging to eat. Both burgers were well sized and came with a reasonable portion of fries - the fries were my favourite part beautiful and thickly cut with the skin on! The presentation of both meals was suitable for the style of restaurant.<br/><br/>So overall it was a good experience, I believe for the area this is located the pricing is also fair. I would return again to try other things on the menu!<br/><br/>Customer Service: 7/10<br/>Food: 7/10<br/>Atmosphere: 8/10

Came here because a neighboring restaurant had shocking service and although the matakana village pub had great service their food was below par for me. I ordered their southern fried chicken with apple slaw and some kind of ranch dressing, the chicken had no flavour and was dry inside and their apple slaw was just some lettuce and apple grated in. Their ‘biscuit’ tasted extremely sour and bitter and for $26 I think it was much too expensive for what you got. Beef burger was ok their chips were probably the highlight.

Not satisfied at all. Payed $18 for tacos but didn’t get to eat them at all. Wasn’t told earlier that it’ll have beef filling in it. I don’t eat beef. When I told this to the attendant, she said “I thought someone must have told you what’s in the tacos “. She was the the one who served us at the counter. No need to be rude. With attitude she said “I’ll try doing a refund but I’ve never done that before”. Then she accused that we actually touched the food as well when we didn’t. Anyways we left the restaurant. We also got some fish and chips and chicken skewers for on the road. Chicken was dry and batter of the fish was filled with oil. All in all. Not happy with the staff or the service.

Nice play to hang around with your friends. Nice choice of local beers. Love the Wednesday quizz night! They have heater so it is warm even in winter. The staff is nice and helpful. Had some great nights over there.

Use to love this place to bits!!<br/>Good food <br/>Good beers<br/>Good company <br/>Just extremely overpriced drinks<br/>Very pricey nowadays<br/>But other than that awesome little place

Me and 3 other friends came here for a quick brunch after leaving omaha. We were welcomed at the door by the boss and it was a very serene and relaxing environment. Service was good and the food came at a quick time. I had the buffalo burger with beetroot, it was pretty good portions and had a nice juicy taste to the patty. Would definitely come back again for lunch/ dinner to try out other items. Also the lemon lime and bitters was too perfection.

It was clean but the waitress was very surly and brisk the food was really expensive. My girlfriends oysters were very small and put on a mountain of rock salt that made everything taste salty. My beef Burger was raw. The waitress told me that it was the paprika that made it look pink but everybody knows the mushy consistency of raw mince. I sent it back and got the same uncooked burger Pati. I'll never go back there again it's not worth the money to have raw meat and bad service.

We enjoyed a couple of very chilled out afternoons here. First time we ordered from the bar menu - chicken wings, mac n cheese and the tacos. They were a great combination. The mac n cheese was decadent and the tacos provided veges and crunch. The second afternoon we ordered from the lunch / dinner menu and had the scotch steak and BBQ beef cheeks. Again, equally delicious (especially the beef jus and the coleslaw). <br/><br/>Servings were just right for a substantial late afternoon lunch. <br/><br/>The service was friendly and attentive (thanks Sharon!).

Lovely setting and ambience with modern, outdoor furnishings, ideal for larger groups. The food is quite average, nothing special, just hearty, filling pub food. I ordered the fish tacos, I was expecting soft fish fillets with fresh herbs and a tangy dressing with some lime wedges but these ones were really bad, the fish was over cooked and it was basically just fish, mayo and some lettuce, no flavour at all and they were called 'spicy' fish tacos and were not spicy at all so I asked for Tabasco! The burgers and chips have always been quite good though.

Nice place to spend a few hours. Good range of beers on tap. Decent service. Food was quite good but I did think they could do with changing the oil in their fryer. I'm not a big fan of being asked to hand over my credit card before eating though, it just smacks of poor customer service/floor management.

Stopped off here on the way home from Omaha beach a few weeks ago and loved chilling on the cosy couch by the fire place (even though didn't need or have fire on at the time it is aesthetically pleasing). Amazing red wine so smooth -wish I remembered what it was! (think cab sav). Then had a delicious quinoa and beetroot salad -so flavoursome and fresh :) Yum! . wished I lived closer and would go regularly for that -best meal I've had out for a while -keep up the good work guys! :)

Been here a few times now. Friendly staff and nice beach pub culture. <br/><br/>I can't judge what the mains are like as we haven't been here for dinner yet. But always just stopped in when passing through for a wine and an entree. <br/><br/><br/>Chicken skewers really good, and I felt pretty good value for money at $12 <br/><br/>My wife's ordered the beef salad and the only comment to make was just a bit more salad. Granted it was an entree so they aren't wrong.... She was just hoping for more salad. <br/><br/>Over all a pretty good spot to eat. And I would have to admit it's more than "pub grub" <br/><br/>All up 2 starters, 1 small fries, and sparkling water $40 <br/><br/>

Very good beer list. Tasty and nourishing vegetartian options. The couches looked particularly enjoyable for whiling away a sunny afternoon.

Wondered in on a late Sunday afternoon after reading the menu outside. The place had a few tables but not overly busy.<br/><br/>Service was pretty much non existent. We asked for menus and water several times. <br/>After finally getting one of the waiter's attention we were told they only serve the original menu after 5pm ( this was NOT indicated anywhere on the menu or restaurant ) . <br/><br/>So we went for the safe choice, Buffalo Burger $23.50. Which we waited for a loooong time.<br/><br/>The Burger itself was average. The "buffalo" patty was so finely minced it tasted like processed sausage, it also did not balance well with the overly seasoned Beetroots. <br/><br/>One positive is their delicious "fat chips" , thick yummy potato chips with a nice crunch . <br/><br/><br/>

Delicious food - Fish and Chips. Friendly staff and Good Music. 10/10 for the ambience... Will definitely come back when we visit Matakana 👌🏻

Was a bit concerned about what I was getting myself into. When we arrived at noon on a Sunday afternoon the entire pub was empty apart from one couple, and this is a big pub with lots of outdoor and indoor seating. Best outdoor area I have seen in a long while. However I needn't have worried, by the time we had finished it was getting quite crowded. It has had an amazing refresh performed on the building considering it was established in 1903 and lots of quirky features to keep our unqualified amateur dining colleagues amused. My whitebait omelette was fantastic and the cherry and almond pudding dessert was a work of art that wouldn't have been out of place at Cibo. Definitely a highlight of Matakana!

When we visited the Matakana Village Pub for Saturday evening dinner there were quite many people but not full yet. The waitress told us that they had fully booked but if we could find any table outside in the courtyard we could take it. We then found a table and a waiter was standing in between our table and another table next to ours. On the other table there were some 8 to 10 20's adults, they were smoking, drinking and chatting very loudly. A young lady was talking to the waiter for so long and as if they did not discover we need the waiter's assistant at all. We waited for about 5 minutes, a lady from a table far away from us came and asked if we need a menu and she walked to the building and asked fire some menus. Was it weird? I believed she must be waiting too long until she lost her patience and decided to get the menu herself.<br/>After went through the menu I decided to order my meal at the counter, a waitress brought me to the counter and told me another staff would help me out with the ordering and she just walked away.<br/>Another lady in the bar counter took my orders then asked for my credit card. She asked if I would like to pay before my food was served or after? I said I preferred to pay after my dinner. She requested me to leave my credit card with her which I felt very strange and unsecured to do so, finally I paid before I had my food served.<br/>When I returned to my table my family members felt uncomfortable sitting next to the young adults so we shifted to a corner far away.<br/>There was an Indian waiter he was very helpful and polite. He was so happy to accommodate to any of our need. Not like the previous waiter as if we were transparent!<br/><br/>Very sad to say that the food was not up to expectation. We had pork hock, pork ribs, seafood spaghetti and kiddy meals. The spaghetti was too soft and tasteless. The pork hock was not salty enough. Only the ribs were good.<br/><br/>It was an unpleasant experience. <br/>I think it is better choice to try the food in other restaurants in Matakana village at least they provide better and friendly services.

Service is very friendly and the staff can and do make good recommendations on food, wine and beer. Atmosphere is stylish pub: it used to be a locals' watering hole and then the area exploded with tourists. Food was easy above average and much better than you'd guess. Local beers and ciders were outstanding.

Had lunch here today, sat inside as my sister was a little cold. Loved the atmosphere. I had steak which was cooked well the side of potatoes were delicious & the house jus was divine. My sister had the chowder & also enjoyed her meal.

Great burger, could have been a bit more generous with the fries! The service was friendly and casual. Exactly what you'd expect from a decent pub!

I had some fat frys to begin with, which were not quite crunchy enough but the aioli sauce was amazing and super tasty. Main was a braised lamb pot pie with silky buttered mash. Both had so much flavour and the lamb literally melted in your mouth. So good!! To finish off had creme brûlée for desert. Possibly a touch too big but the best I have ever had by far! Truly fantastic wait team and the overall devour if the place was really nice. I will be dinning in there again.

Drove up from Auckland today for lunch. Have been several times but I just love the feel of this pub. Food and service were excellent. Had the Matakana oysters and the mussel and leek fritta, and of course the obligatory fat chips. Could easily have settled in for the afternoon and stayed for dinner. Next time.

Had a group dinner here a week ago. The pub was really busy, and expected pub grub at best. The food and service were outstanding, especially given how busy they were. Had a selection of entrees, and the oysters were delicious, followed by the lamb for two. To our surprise we were then offered free desserts as our per head spend exceeded $40.00. Amazing sticky toffee pudding! There is a talented chef hiding out the back of this place! To completely seal the deal for us, we asked the waitress to order us a cab back to Mangawhai, she said we have a courtesy car for that... And proceeded to drive us home! We will be back!!

The Villa Maria specials and the tapas are amazing value - 6 tapas for $60 or $20 for a glass of wine and 1 choice to choose from 3 options for your main. I got the lamb and couscous! Soft tender lamb was to die for!!! The oysters werent to bad either! Must go pub! Love that this place is an old villa! Also it has an outdoor fire which creates the perfect atmosphere.

Went last night for dinner. I had fish and chips (would have liked some salad with this), and my friend had their special- beef short ribs. The food was good; unexceptional. Service was good. Nothing remarkable. Good variety of wine and beer. Nice place.

Visited on a Sunday a few weeks back for lunch, and to our surprise, we had a pleasant meal. Staff were quite friendly. We had ordered the pulled pork, corned beef, and the clams. Both the meat dishes were very well done, both being well balanced, as well as our favourites. The clam dish however didn't hit the spot, perhaps too much white wine. However, we had a lovely meal here and would love to come back.

We stayed away from the pub because we'd heard some bad stories about meal quality and pricing but decided after 6 months that we should form our own opinion.<br/>The food was fast.... tooo fast.... probably microwaved.<br/>It was also small and bland. <br/>I like gnocchi but it is one of those dishes that that are either perfect or not. These were ordinary. It is also the first time I've had them where I could actually quickly count them on my plate (10). The rest of the dish consisted of a meagre amount of ... Spinach?.. with a mashed up fig and a few specks of what the menu told me was probably Blue cheese in a jus.<br/>How a dish with blue cheese could be bland I don't know but it managed. And all for only 23.00<br/>We wont be back in a hurry.<br/><br/>

Don't know what's happened there in the last 6 months but something has and it's all good. After the refurbishment the setting was great but the food and service was letting it down. Now is a different story and certainly upped the anti. The service is much more onto it and the menu and quality of food coming out of that kitchen us up there with best. Thoroughly recommend it to all and we just keep going back. Oh, and don't forget the best fries in the country!

We enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Matakana Pub on Friday.<br/><br/>The only complaint was the woody clumps of rosemary in my pasta dish, but everything else was top notch! <br/><br/>To see photos and read more about our meal visit http://celestereviews.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/bugger-this-lets-get-a-beer/.

Had a late lunch here on Sunday with my family, and whilst the atmosphere and new decor was great, the food lacked inspiration and was in my opinion a bit overpriced for what it was (we also heard the table beside us say similar things amongst one another). Overall the mussel dish lacked flavour, the olive oil tasted a bit rank to us (but that could be our individual tastes), but the calamari is highly recommended, (despite the split aioli!), the kids really raved about their beef skewers and f&amp;c's - so they were happy. A nice arvo none the less... but won't be hurrying back.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. Love the alterations and staff could not be more pleasant. Food not perfect and a bit pricey for a pub but great meeting place to have tapas and nice wine by fire. <br/>Have been back a couple if times since. Always improving.

Love the renovations, really nice location and outdoor area. Shame about the food. We had Burgers and chips, the beef pattie was really greasy and soaked the bottom of the bun which was quite unpleasant to eat , the beef pattie was also a bit undercooked in the middle. We were also disapointed with the service from the waitress. Really nice place to sit and have a drink though so we will definately be back for that.

Menu read tenders and chips, but kids only got 1 tender and chips - bit misleading! Could not accomodate a group of 9 and meals took a while to come out. Great pub if not raining outside.