Punakaiki Tavern Accommodation & Bistro - Punakaiki Tavern Accommodation & Bistro Owen Street

Went for dinner and a drink and waited 2 hours for the food of which was very poor quality. Could see our mussles being microwaved when walking past the kitchen to use bathroom then when we got the food the fries were some how piping hot but still hard and what seemed to be still frozen. Also the lemonade out of the tap was flat and ordered 2 vodka lemon, lime and sodas and tasted like bitter watered down vodka. Wouldn't recommend

HIGHLY DISGUSTED... and to be honest, my friend and I felt COMPLETELY disrespected by the two women who worked today (one being the owner). We had just came into punakaiki after walking for two hours, walked into the tavern for an iceblock and could never have expected to receive service like that. The women didn't even bother to greet us as we walked in... surprising, as the place was completely empty. As a kiwi, I am proud of our friendly culture but this place gave us a bad name and made me feel ashamed for this beautiful little town. We walked over to get ice blocks and the ladies rudely demanded where our masks were and if we were vaccinated (I have a mask exemption). No welcome or greeting, just a rudely toned demand. The lady herself didn't even have her mask on and we watched as she slowly put it on during the short conversation. Ironic? They then said they didn't want to see us back unless we had our masks, vaccination passes and ID's. We understand the mandates but this is NO WAY to treat customers... the least you could do is greet us and ask nicely. We would have happy complied. We left promptly as we are not the type to waste our money on businesses who blatantly disrespect customers like that. Soon after the owner wandered into the backpackers where we are staying... and we shared our disappointment with the service we received. She became VERY heated, saying that she is 'Sick and tired of asking people to put on their f*cking masks and that instead of going to get an iceblock we should have come up to them first'. It was horrible... angry and harsh swearing the whole time. We explained that we have mask exemptions and she laughed in our faces, writing it off!! Unbelievable. I have traveled the whole world and have never felt as disrespected as this. I feel for any tourists stopping by expecting the typical kiwi welcome, only to be treated as second rate citizens. We DO NOT support this place and will spread the word of our experience. By reading the other reviews here it looks as though there is a common theme. Time to face up team and start taking some responsibility for this terrible service. Your excuses aren't warranted anymore ladies. A smile and 'hello' goes a long way.

This would have to be one of the worst places I’ve ever had the misfortune of eating at. We weren’t expecting much, but this was terrible. Flat beer. $12.50 for six lumps of jalapeño bites taken out of a packet and chucked in the oven. $22 for pasta which was $1 packet fettuccine, a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce and a handful of melted cheese. And we waited 50mins for it. If you need food in Punakaiki, you’re better off having some two minute noodles.

Wonderful hosts, beautiful food, and an amazing ambience about the whole place. We couldn't fault anything about this really delightful place to dine and eat. A thoroughly most enjoyable experience all round. Can't recommend it highly enough.

If you are familiar with Cowboy Paradise consider this the culinary equivalent. It's really hard to know where to start with what's wrong with this place but let's just talk about the people rather than the disgusting and overpriced food. Rude, arrogant, hostile and not in the least interested in their customers. The beer is flat (possibly watered down), Gilmours .50c pies, nachos with nothing other than beans, corn chips and sour cream. We avoided the main menu and were thankfully out for only being fleeced for $50 rather than $150. If you genuinely hate people this much, please just stop and find another job. As a kiwi this place is an embarrassment.

Wow! Cozy, comfy and clean - lovely motel. Great food in the fire-warmed Tavern including fresh salad. Hosts and staff welcoming and friendly. All this in the magnificent, jaw-dropping scenery in and around Punakaiki. I'll be back.

Good atmosphere, friendly barman. I had a beef burger, was good enough but bit pricey at $21 - nothing fancy. Had a weird request to leave, as they had 6 parties waiting for tables, if we had known there was a time frame on dining it would have been understandable, but just seemed a tad out of sorts with no prior warning? The young waitress was very pleasant about it, thank goodness!!

Loved it here! The food is standard pub grub (But tasty) and it’s not posh but that’s the best thing about it. It’s quintessential New Zealand. It’s the kind of place that you instantly feel at home in. Great feel and atmosphere and the owners are good value! Would recommend in a heart beat!