The Occidental
6-8 Vulcan Lane
Auckland 1010
(09) 300 6226
occidentalbar.co.nz
Score:
First timer friendly: Yes
Food: 8
Beverage: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Overall: 8
But was it a pub? Yes
Overview:
On my last day in New Zealand, I had about 8 hours to kill between getting booted from my hotel and having to catch a bus to the airport. I meandered around for a while and when I finally worked up an appetite, I decided to hit up the Occidental. It advertises itself as a Belgian Beer Cafe and that’s definitely accurate. I made sure to go at an off-time because it was normally far too packed.
Chris’ Opinion:If you like Belgian beer, you can find pretty much anything you might want at The Occidental. They had upwards of 25-30 beer options and other liquor as well. The food menu was a bit pricey but had a bit of everything. I got a platter of muscles that were AWESOME! Like I mentioned, I was there at an off-time and as a result, the wait-staff was very attentive and helpful. The decor in the 100+ year old building was awesome, it somehow managed to be both open/airy and warm/inviting. It seemed to be a major meeting place for locals and visitors alike and I could definitely see why.
The Rusty Alfa - Pubs 