The Horse and Trap has been around for as long as I can remember. As a Mt Eden local, I still…read morerecall my parents leaving my siblings and I with babysitters while they went off for a night at The Horse and Trap. Since turning eighteen I've frequented the bar on a few occasions, and to be honest I was never overly impressed by it. Offering the usual beers and wines, bar food and casual bar atmosphere, there was nothing particularly distinctive or unique about my experiences at The Horse and Trap until recently. Last Saturday my friend held her 21st party in the function room downstairs of The Horse and Trap. And, in my opinion, this area is far cooler than the main bar upstairs. The room was plenty big enough to have a decent dance floor as well as some indoor seating and tables for presents and cake, there was a full bar with subsidized drinks (including house spirits), and the outdoor area was brilliant. Lots of tables, a TV perfect for playing photo slideshows (though on other days I imagine it would be used for rugby games and such) and fairy lights and lanterns hanging overhead - the set up was perfect. If anyone is looking for a venue for their 21st, work party, or other such function definitely check out the downstairs area of The Horse and Trap! Bonus: The Horse and Trap is located down the Symonds St end of Mt Eden so is really close to town - a nice cheap taxi ride is a huge plus!

Quiz night on Tuesdays is the perfect excuse to try out the Horse and Trap. Rigsy is a hoot on the…read moremike. And the bar food is well above average. Pizzas, burgers and salads mingle with steaks and pies on the menu and sit even better upon the tongue. Nothing original, but it's all done well. Just what one hopes for at a local. All that's left to achieve is that elusive 1st place...

I got high tea during their Christmas season, so the menu had some holiday touches with the food…read more I'll give a review of each dish below for any foodies. Atmosphere and service was good, very attentive and a good view. I also received some Manuka honey as an additional gift. Food review French earl grey tea: Very fragrant, light, and smooth with such a nice aroma. I highly recommend. Cured kingfish in puri: It was alright, not a lot of flavor but I could taste the coconut. Puri was not crisp but slightly chewy and the kingfish had a mild flavor. Prawn toast: One of the best savoury dishes, both buttery and savoury with a delicious touch of sour with the lime pearls that wasn't too overwhelming. Parmesan shortbread: A little dry, the ricotta did not balance the dryness of the toast enough but the pickled onions cut through the grease well. Wagyu sausage roll: Not a hit, the roll was dry and oily. The black garlic purée was nice but I did not like the flavor of the roll as a whole, I tasted a sour undercurrent that was not a good fit. Hoisin smoked chicken sandwich: Nothing spectacular, I could not taste much hoisin flavor and there's was a little too much sesame that it got everywhere as you ate. Christmas ham brioche roll: I was not that wowed, the roll was mediocre and no flavors stood out. The bread reminded me of something I could get at any Asian bakery. Scone: The scone itself was good but the whipped honey butter was too heavy with the dense scone, would have preferred clotted cream or more whip so that it was lighter. Christmas tree: The wafer was too sweet and made the whole dessert overly sweet since the mousse itself was already on the sweet side. Orange almond cupcake: it was alright, not dry and a refreshing fruit flavor. Too much cream though the bee was cute. Mango mousse: Beautiful presentation, mousse was light and I liked the sesame wafer. Cheesecake: My favourite as I liked the shape and the jelly was an interesting addition. Ice cream bon bon: very fun with the smoke Champagne: they offer a non-alcoholic version, which I opted for. Very delicious and bubbly.

Super nautical theme (in a good way) overlooking the water from the Hilton. We had the fish…read moresliders with fries and they were excellent. The staff was also very friendly and accommodating.

We had a great evening here! Plenty of room for parties of all sizes. We ordered various dishes and…read moreall were very good. Super kid friendly with the outdoor playground, sand pit, and trampoline. We sat outside nearby under a heat lamp area. Looks like they also have many events like salsa nights every Tuesday and trivia nights.

service was fast, food was great. waitresses were very friendly, especially Liga who attended to us…read morethe whole meal and made great conversation. I will definitely be coming back here again :)

Claddagh's in a nice Irish pub that's off the main road and out of the way, so you can enjoy an…read moreafternoon pint without the garrulous office types. It's as dark and calming as any Irish pub should be, about the colour of Guinness inside the bar. Or escape into the airy courtyard, enclosed with brushwork fence. This area looks better at night with it's dainty little fairy lights and minus the moving trucks in the background. The relaxed but respectful service is by far the bars best feature. The staff go beyond the standard salutations and engage in friendly conversation with customers, without interrogating them or becoming unprofessional. Platters coming out of the kitchen look enticing and are handled with skill by the waiters. A couple of days later, there wasn't a trace of the St. Patrick's Day carnage and the sunny courtyard only held the sound of an Irish fiddler. Fantastic.

New management, new lease on life. What used to be sticky, run down and lacking heart is back with…read morea new beat. Quiz nights, live sports, pub games, live music, good pub grub. What's not to love? Go find out.

Awesome place! Great drinks and great atmosphere. Good prices for the assorted range of drinks on…read moreoffer. Great place after work on a Wednesday and fridays are great too!

The food was incredible, they have a long menu of various different foods. Service was good, did…read moretake a little while to get someone's attention but it wasn't bad. The ambiance was nice although, we sat near the kitchen and it was cool seeing the chefs make the food. But there was music playing in the bar as well as different music in the kitchen which hurt your head after a while of hearing two different songs at the same time. But other than that I love this place, will go again!

Backyard Bar is a decent spot for a few quite drinks after work, or to watch some sports…read more The accessibility, just off the motorway at Northcote, and plenty of parking make it a pretty easy place to organise drinks with friends. There is a nice outdoor seating area, but it fills up pretty quickly so it's worth trying to book for that. The menu is pretty standard pub fare - burgers, steaks, salads and pizzas and the like. It's all perfectly, eatable, but nothing amazing. The calamari was pretty good, but to be honest you can get the same thing at almost every pub in Auckland these days. In short, I wouldn't let the food put you off a visit, but if you're looking for a special dining experience, look elsewhere. The service was friendly and attentive and overall the Backyard is a pleasant and convenient local. I'll be there again, particularly once footy season kicks off.

We had a function here for my sons 1st birthday and christening on Mothers Day…read more Absolutely Amazing day food was on point and fresh and hot. The staff were absolutely amazing we had about 80-100 people that day and it was just a great amount of space. One downside were the jugs its $20 for a jug of fizzy i mean really? Surely because we had a function there it would have been less than that and Alcohol was a bit over priced but i mean apart from that it was an amazing day especially the help from Monga he was just so brilliant that day thanks guys

I really like this bar. Unlike the Union Post it does not try to deafen you with dance music and it…read moreis nicely lit compared to the darkness of Doolin Brothers around the corner. The real winner for this bar is the cute outdoor area out the back. It has fairy lights (Who doesn't love those!), and the music level is perfect for chatting with friends. We went here on a Friday night and it was very quite. I'm not sure that it ever gets super busy because Iv only ever seen a handful of people here. Don't take this as a bad sign though! It is definitely worth a visit. They do cocktails and alcoholic milkshakes! Interesting concept but I haven't tried one

Great little bar in Ellerslie if you are looking for something with good atmosphere but a bit less…read morebusy and 'pubby' from The Post across the road. Staff are awesome!

Great Fish & Chips and friendly service!! Location is perfect for when you're touring about the…read morecity.

We walked into the Shakespeare about 7:15pm on Wednesday. The restaurant was closed but the bar was…read moreopen; we had to sit outside, which was just fine. There were four of us; we each ordered fish and chips and a drink and paid up front; the drinks were in our hands immediately. After half an hour of waiting for the food, I asked the manager what was going on and she told me "10 minutes". 15 minutes later, I asked again - this time, the barmaid went upstairs to talk to the cook and told me "10 minutes". 15 minutes later (an hour after ordering), I went back AGAIN and this time the manager went up and promised we'd have our food in just a few minutes; she offered us a free drink. We finally got the food about 70 minutes after ordering. To be fair, it was hot, fresh, and tasty - but it was NOT worth waiting that long for. Go for the beer; ask lots of questions about the wait for food.