13 Of The Best Sports Bars In Auckland So You Can Catch The Big Game In Style
Sport is basically a religion here in Aotearoa, and meeting your mates to share a drink and yell sports-themed profanities is a rite of passage. And when you can’t make it to a game, there’s no better way to experience the nail-biting action than with a drink in your hand at a local sports bar.
Walls covered in flat screens and all the emotions of like-minded fanatics and sworn enemies will make it a night to remember. Pair all that with pub grub and cold beer and you’re in for a huge dose of sports vibes. Whether it’s rugby, UFC or the English Premier League that tickles your fancy, you can now get your fix all year round, regardless of where the game is played.
Here are the best sports bars Auckland has to offer—now there’s no excuse to miss a major play.
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Tyler St Sport
46 Tyler Street, Britomart, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Tyler St Sport | Michael White
A sports bar for people who aren't totally sold on the idea of sports bars? Enter: Tyler St Sport. The official home for the newly formed Auckland FC. As such, the venue hosts regular game days and also offers a very affordable food/drink/transport package to punters heading along to home matches at Go Media Stadium. And while football is undoubtedly Tyler St's baby, rest assured that other sporting events will also be playing out live and loud across their super-sized, state-of-the-art TV screens. As for the kai, think pub grub but elevated: burgers stuffed with half a pound of premium wagyu beef, Korean chicken schnitty bowls, cheeseburger spring rolls; and more.
Insider Intel:
- Formerly the digs of Tyler Street Garage and (upstairs) a tiki-themed bar called Talulah, and a gorgeous cocktail bar called Portside, there’s layers of history in these walls.
Norma Taps
Shed 3D, City Works Depot, 90 Wellesley Street West, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Norma Taps | supplied
If you're after the game with a sensational eats, you ought to make a beeline for Norma Taps. With a spacious, sleek, mahogany fit-out inspired by Japanese listening rooms and a mid-century aesthetic plus a row of golden taps for beer (and kegged cocktails, just sayin'), the space is a visual feast that's prime for top tier viewing in great company. Don't leave without a round of spicy chorizo pizza which arrives topped with olive and pine nuts on a white sauce base. Bowl of fries, who?
Insider Intel:
- If you'd been waiting for a moonlit bottomless dining situation (on Friday and Saturday nights, no less), you've just found it.
Full Time Sports Bar & Eatery
498 New North Road, Kingsland, Auckland
Image credit: Full Time Sports Bar | Instagram
Takapuna Surf Club
111 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna
Image credit: Takapuna Surf Club | Jake Dennis
From the people who brought us Queens Rooftop and Wineshop, Saint Alice and Dr Rudi’s comes Takapuna Surf Club, a solid pick if you like your sports with a side of salty ocean air. And with a seriously good spicy marg (which, at present, arrives in a dashing watermelon edit). The menu is above and beyond, too, with all the culinary buzzwords–think wood fired puff bread, poutine, burrata and hand-stretched pizza–plus plenty of super cute fare for the little ones. As a bonus? The spot’s decked out with pinball machines, arcade games, automated dart lanes.
Insider Intel:
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Every Wednesday, this spot pops off with avid quiz-goers so if you think your crew has what it takes, sign up, stat.
Schapiro’s Sports Bar
224 Symonds Street, Eden Terrace, Auckland
Image credit: Schapiro's | Facebook
Cream of the crop and relative newcomer, Schapiro’s Sports Bar serves the full sports bar fantasy. Inspired by the classy joints in San Francisco, it’s the best sports bar to watch American sports in Auckland at. Expect cosy booths, ambient lighting and more sports memorabilia than you can swing a bat at (not that we recommend doing that, mind you). As an additional bonus, you’ll find all the libations to tickle your taste buds, with Dr Pepper and grape soda on hand for sober drivers. As for the food, it’s everything you’re hoping for with cheeseburger smashies, fried chicken wings and refreshing wedges of iceberg in green goddess dressing. Hot damn.
Insider Intel:
- Sharing an entranceway with Schapiro’s is an invite-only members club called Thursdays. You can try your luck at scoring an invite here.
The Clare Inn Irish Pub
274/278 Dominion Road, Mt Eden, Auckland
Image credit: The Clare Inn | Instagram
Five minutes up the road from Auckland’s sports sanctuary, Eden Park, The Clare Inn is perfect for a pre or post-match drink. In true Irish fashion, the pub features a stone and wood interior of curved doorways, timber floors and wall furnishings, hefty chairs and of course, a roaring fireplace. Claiming to serve “the best Guinness pint in all of Auckland” this gem also features a menu filled with hearty dishes like roasted lamb shoulder rack, plus (unsurprisingly) potatoes on top of potatoes. Next time there’s a game featuring the Irish, you know where to go for a taste of that Emerald Isle hospitality.
Insider Intel:
- The beef and guiness pies are so darn good you can buy a whole bunch to take home with you.
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The Brit Pub And Eatery
122 Quay Street, Auckland CBD
Image credit: The Brit | Facebook
Ever wished you could smash a foot-long stone baked pizza while watching UFC fighters hulk out on each other? At The Brit, you can. Snarfed that back and still have room for more? Keep energy levels high by treating yourself to the cheesecake of the day, or, if you're craving those vitamins, there are green bowls, poke bowls, katsu bowls and hellas bowls (with slow-cooked lamb shoudler, orzo annd Kalamata olives). This is sports viewing done right.
Insider Intel:
- The Brit claims to have "more screens than a sunblock factory" and we couldn't be more pleased.
Dr Rudi’s Rooftop Brewing Co.
Level 2/204 Quay Street, Auckland CBD
Image credit: Dr Rudi's | Instagram
Watch the UFC from a rooftop, and a gorgeous one at that. Enter: Dr Rudi’s Rooftop Brewing Co., one of our favourite bars that just so happens to also have bowling lanes and, of course, large TV screens that are perfect for watching all the sports. Oh, and their snack game is strong which is important because what’s a sports-viewing sesh without snacks? Miso honey butter-beer wings, beer glazed pork belly bites, chicken parma, three foot pizza, and more.
Insider Intel:
- This spot's got a bangin' dance floor (that's perfect for a celebratory after-party).
The Fox - A London Pub
85/87 Customs Street West, Auckalnd CBD
Image credit: The Fox | Facebook
Located on the Auckland viaduct, The Fox - A London Pub delivers on its name with quirky English-inspired interiors (check out Queen Lizzy with her tattoos and neon crown), this is one cool spot and is, in fact, a much more upmarket version of the London pubs you may have experienced on your travels. This top sports bar broadcasts all the major sports from rugby, to UFC, FA and UEFA championships. And, if there’s a sport they aren’t screening (unheard of), they’ve been known to broadcast on request. Known as a gathering spot for Liverpool supporters, The Fox is The Paddington’s arch-enemy, so don’t wander in wearing anything other than the Reds shirt.
Insider Intel:
- This place is so dedicated to sports even the bathrooms are equipped with live sound feeds, so there’s really no way of missing out on the action.
Malt Public House
442 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Image credit: Malt Public House | Instagram
Formally known as Malt Bar, Malt Public House is everything you want in a gastropub with sports a-plenty. Enjoy the game with an elevated pub feed with a build-your-own grill. Choose your cut of steak, specify how you'd like your potato (fries, garlic roasted new, or creamy mash), then slather it in a sauce to match your mood. The possie also boasts some great specials including a schnitzel night on Monday, steak night on Tuesday, burger night on Wednesday, tacos on Thursdays, $1 chicken wings on Fridays, and weekend roasts.
Insider Intel:
- Swing by on Thursday nights for live music and $15 jugs of sangria.
Lord Kitchener
6 Kitchener Road, Sandringham, Auckland
Image credit: Lord Kitchener | Facebook
For footie with a side of British fare—think beer-battered fish and chips with mushy peas, gammon steak, and shepherd's pie with minted lamb gravy—make a beeline to Lord Kitchener. It isn’t just traditional eats on the menu, either, no siree with vindaloo aioli and curry sauce both vying for your chips. Feast up large but whatever you do, save room for their sticky toffee pudding. Located in the heart of Sandringham this popular haunt has lashings of good vibes and is definitely one of the best sports bars in Auckland.
Insider Intel:
- Mondays just got a whole lot less horrific with 2-4-1 stonebaked pizzas.
The Paddington
117 Saint Georges Bay Road, Parnell, Auckland
Image credit: The Paddington | Instagram
Parnell’s The Paddington has a medieval-meets-industrial vibe with wooden pillars, tiled walls, numerous light fixtures and a warm ambience. Broadcasting everything from rugby and soccer to UFC, their bartenders get up seriously early to accommodate all sorts of sport-crazed fanatics. The menu mainly focuses on the classics like fish and chips, bangers and mash, buttermilk chicken and burgers. The drinks list is heavy on the spirits, featuring 20 Scottish whiskeys and more than 10 American whiskeys, a wide range of other spirits plus plenty of tap beer.
Insider Intel:
- Big on the English Premier League, The Paddington is known as a Chelsea supporter hang-out, so if you’re a fan of the blue lions this is the place for you.
The Cav
68 College Hill, Freemans Bay, Auckland
Image credit: The Cav | Facebook
Located in an 1860s heritage building, The Cav is one of Auckland’s oldest drinking establishments. Legend has it that The Cav is the very place where Auckland Rugby League was born back in 1910. Since then, the pub has seen its share of sports games and accommodated many a fan and in its current edit features contemporary design with light fixtures, funky tiles and huge windows that bathe the room in light. There’s a range of menus, from bar snacks and light feeds to more substantial meals and mouth-watering desserts. More importantly, their extensive craft beer selection will ensure you keep well hydrated during those nerve-wracking time-on moments.
Insider Intel:
- Wondering why this spot's called 'The Cav'? It opened as 'The Cavalier Tavern' but this was shortened to The Cav in 2014 to reflect its new era after a cheeky lil' glow up.
Want more? Check out:
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- Take Your Pup For A Walk At Auckland's Best Dog-Friendly Beaches
Main image credit: Tyler St Sport | Michael White.
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