The Best Beer Gardens In Auckland New Zealand

Blessed with a lovely temperate climate, northern New Zealand is a country made for beer gardens in the summertime. The combination of warm weather, blue skies and cold beer is one that anyone can appreciate. Here are our top picks for enjoying an al fresco beer in Auckland.

1. The Brother's Brewery and Juke Joint

Gastropub, European, American

Smoked Brisket | © Danielle Scott / Flickr

2. Citizen Park

Bar, Pub Grub, Beer, Wine, Cocktails

Citizen Park has cemented itself as a hot-spot to gather at when the sky is high and blue and you find yourself in need of refreshment. It doesn’t have a ‘garden’ in the traditional sense, but you can sit outside on a nice day. The outside roof is rolled away, the picnic tables are brought forth and have umbrellas unfurled over them. It’s an oasis in the middle of the city, and one where you can pass many pleasurable hours with a beer in hand.

3. Hallertau Biergarten

Brewery

The Hallertau Biergarten is somewhere that you’re going to want to take the shuttle out to (unless you’re a West Auckland local). They brew their own beers here, having six or so different varieties on offer. The beer garden itself is built around a central bar, from whence you can avail yourself of the impeccable fresh beer. There is also a pizza oven that cranks out some decent pizzas. Food-wise, this is slightly beyond your average pub grub, and overall it is well worth the half hour trek out from the Auckland CBD. Our recommendation is to come out for a long lunch and make sure that you have a ride back so that you can sample as much of the fine beer as you are able.

5. Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room

Brewery

Sawmill produce some of the best domestic beer in the country, so it makes sense that they’d also have one of the best beer gardens in town. Matakana, where the brewery is based, is usually famed for its wine, but those days could be numbered if more people come to hear of the lovely, large courtyard that is full of long tables and leaners. There are few spots around the city where you can find such ambiance whilst indulging in a glass or two of some of the best craft beer that the country has to offer.

6. The Lumsden Freehouse

Bar, Gastropub, Pub, European, Pub Grub, Italian, American

Fifteen rotating taps; 12o craft beers in the fridge; truffle fries and pizza. It’s no wonder The Lumsden is considered one of the coolest hangouts in the central city. The food and drink are edgy and hip in the way that you expect from the latest fashionable place in Auckland, while still old school with a new-age twist. Eating the truffle fries, for instance, feels like eating the equivalent of the mismatched furniture and battered leather armchairs you find in so many trendy coffee shops. The beer garden is really just an outside strip of umbrellas, but there’s no place quite like it for indulging in a bit of good old-fashioned people watching.

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