Have been here a few times now, and last time the meal we had was beautiful, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Average price in my opinion– not cheap, but not overly expensive either. Nice location and well-kept premises with some interesting memorabilia on display and a T.V. for sports nuts. A bonus was the kiddie-activity packs they bought out for the two kids in our party, complete with coloured pencils and activities– the kids were stoked, and it kept them happy for the entire stay. Not a favourite place food wise, but yummy enough and nothing to complain about– I’d happily go there again, especially with kids!
Hannah J V.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Portland, OR
The Barrel Inn is in the unfortunate position of having to jostle for position with Basalt around the corner. It’s clear that the clientele of the two bars is different, but I’d say if there wasn’t a Basalt, there’d be a few more people at Barrel Inn. A lot of people come here for the live music and end up grabbing something to eat with their drinks before the band comes on. I’ve never heard good things about the food so I’ve never tried anything off the menu, but from what we could tell when we were there, the food wasn’t exactly served with great haste. I looked through the menu and didn’t like what I saw, so I stuck to the wines. The wine selection is limited but if you want a cheap night out, these guys don’t charge too much for a glass. The Irish staple beers are of course on tap and are poured expertly, which is great — people come to Irish bars for the beer!
Linda Jane K.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Auckland, New Zealand
The Barrel Inn is okay. I was there recently for some drinks with friends and I’d go there again but it’s not the place I’d take visitors to show them a sweet pub in Auckland. It tends to have a slightly older crowd, which is nice if you want to go out for a drink later in the week and want to bypass all the young’uns at Basalt. When I went there during the Rugby World Cup(2011) and made the mistake of thinking they might have the Ireland game that was on that night(you know, being an Irish pub and all) but apparently popular demand had a Warriors game on instead. I guess it goes to show that money at the bar is more important than supporting your bar’s theme. Oh well.
Liv D.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Auckland, New Zealand
This is a local Irish bar spot for the people of Howick. That doesn’t mean it is all that though. The staff aren’t really known for their knowledge of the menu and details. Which makes for a lot of «I will just check that for you»(if even that). And the food is definitely overpriced and not up to par in terms of quality. Disappointing in that sense. Other than that it can be a nice place to be, to enjoy a few drinks(hard to mess that up) and enjoy the live bands and music that are often making an appearance. Also every Monday and Tuesday they have lunch specials, and on Wednesday they have dinner specials and a quiz night, which are always fun. So in terms of entertainment it is all go, in terms of service and food it is a bit average.