New Zealander Restaurant & Pub

This is CLOSED. I passed by last night to see some guys hauling heavy crap into a huge truck.
All the alcohol behind the counter was gone.
I passed by three guys in their 20s who were across the street and pointing and laughing. One said to his friend, «The lady who bought the place from Clive didn’t have her money together. They asked my ass back and I said no.»
RIP. It was good while it lasted. Twice.

The food is decent, nothing spectacular. I had the chicken and mushroom pie, and was surprised at how small it was (for a guy of my size). I knew I’d be hungry so my buddy and I split a lamb burger with all the toppings. The idea was great, there was a fried egg, some beets, something that tasted like sheep cheese, a thick piece of ham — all within this burger! The thick cut fries were delicious, but me not being a huge fan of lamb, didn’t fully enjoy the burger.
They have a great selection of beers on tap and a couple of TVs where you can watch the game of the moment.
The reason for the low rating is their service… it was horrible. My party of 5 was the only other table occupied at the New Zealander, yet service was painfully slow. The beer I ordered took 10 mins to come out. The extra napkin I requested never showed up b/​c the server was chatting it up w/​her bartender buddy. I walked up to the bar and grabbed a handful of cocktail napkins. A few minutes latter the waitress comes w/​a stack of napkins saying she’s sorry, she was taking orders… in an empty restaurant? Hmmm
The kicker was when we received our bill, there were three pints charged to us that shouldn’t have been — caught by my keen-​eyed friend (I would have never thought to check for stuff like that)… they fixed the check but at the end of the day, left a bad taste with the venue. Meh.

Unassuming on the outside … a gem on the inside.
Read the menu for a history of the building and the bar (the mirror, the bar counter, the stained glass etc).
$ 10 for a pie and pint. Makes me wish I still drank beer.
Service was wonderful. She was busy … but zoomed around and took care of everyone without appearing frazzled. We really appreciated a sampling of the cream of celery soup (which was delicious!).
The meat pies (I had the chicken & mushroom and Fred had the spinach and feta) were both tasty. The chicken and mushroom was more saucy. Fred thought the quantity of food was perfect — he was happily content after the meal … this means that I probably ate too much.

I’m a total fan.
The pies: so different, so tasty!
The beer selection: HELLO!
The stained glass windows and history of the building: delightful!
Can’t wait to go again. Next time, I’ll eat at the bar though. The room seems too large for how homey I feel when I’m there.

A classy atmosphere surrounds New Zealander, as if James Cook never left the island (NZ not Alameda). New Zealander is a tastefully decorated tavern with a yummy menu. Apparently New Zealander received the memo, brown is the new black. A dark brown scheme dominates the décor with sprinkles of beautiful Polynesian art. The mask and paintings aren’t over kill and fit the theme very well.
New Zealander’s menu turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Giant burgers with eggs immediately caught my eye (other options are available). An egg on a burger might sound odd but it’s a good combination, like pineapple and ham (an odd couple). Vegetarians don’t have many options but a veggie burger is available. The Veggie burger is bland and a lot could be done to spruce-​it-​up, but as always, it is better than nothing.
New Zealander offers a unique array of beers. The dark beast they call «Old Rasputin Imperial Stout» is delicious, comparable to Guinness beer but with more nitrogen (heavy stuff). Lightweights not looking for a new patch of chest hair should opt for the Delirium Tremens Belgium Ale. The Ale’s range of flavor is very entertaining and demands a unique cup. The pink elephant will walk you though the flavors found in the ale.
I enjoyed New Zealander and plan to return.
Note: The Kiwi is the most ancient bird found in New Zealand. It has been around for over 60 million years and is unique to New Zealand (the country not the pub).

My new favorite place on the Island!
I’ve been here a couple times since it reopened, and I’m in love.
Saturday nights they have live music. Plus, Delirium Tremens on tap. That alone is worth 5 stars to me, but I thought I’d wait until I tried the food to review.
Stopped in with the puppy today. The back patio is really nice, and it’s great having another pet-​friendly option near by. They are few and far between on this side of the island.
Look out for the margaritas! They are tasty, delicious, and potent. Way above expectations, had at least one more than I planned on. Mussels were great, and minted lamb pie also really good. There are so many good-​looking options on the menu, I can’t wait to try them all.
Also, reasonably priced, especially for the quality.
Service is great. Everytime I go in there I feel really welcome. People are friendly without being overwhelming, and nice and down to earth.
So happy to have a classy place within walking distance of home.

The service here is some of the worst I’ve had in a while. After the first time when a server spilled ice water all over my boyfriend’s lap and barely apologized nor thought to compensate any drinks or food, we still decided to give it another chance. The second chance was no better (well, aside from the absence of ice cold water), after being told they are out of some drink ingredients I asked which specifically, to which our server responded simply with «Things.». I gave up and ordered a margarita, which was $ 9, compared to the $ 5 they cost everywhere else on this street. We got charged wrong, coughed on, and so forth.
I give it two stars rather than one because the food is not awful, and I think the staff are likely just young and inexperienced rather than intentionally obtuse.

I actually liked this place a lot prior to the new ownership. My family and I gave this place a lot of business, due to the convenient location and bar. Also the fries and the meat pub pies (lamb curry, etc) were yummy. One thing that would bring back a star or three?
* Dimmer lighting, at least by the bar area; after a long day, you don’t want to go to a bar with super bright lighting. It’s just hard on the eyes! The new ownership made it much brighter… no good. Please change this!

I used to eat at the New Zealander once or twice a month as I live right down the street. I’ve always enjoyed the food, the relaxed atmosphere and the friendly staff. It was a place that I would frequently take friends and family visiting from out of town and was always well received.
Earlier this year it closed it’s doors for a remodel/​management change. I decided to try it out again recently and was sorry that I did. While the furniture and décor seem to have gotten a tasteful upgrade, the food seems to have gotten worse.
My guest and I both ordered the $ 10 burger with New Zealand cheddar done medium, and a side of the roasted red potatoes. Upon requesting a bottle of Watties tomato sauce for the roasted reds, I was informed that they were currently out of it. How can this happen at a place which specializes in NZ pub fare? In all of the years that I’ve come here in the past, I’ve never once been told that they were out of Watties.
The real problem however was with the burgers. Instead of having a nice layer of melted cheddar on top, both of them had what looked like a «grilled» piece of cheese. Call me crazy, but a hard crunchy charred piece of what was once cheese on a burger is not appetizing. Also, both burgers came out well done, not medium as we requested.
When we brought this to our server’s attention we were told that the «chef was new» and no offer was made to make the situation right. Mind you there were only three other tables in the entire restaurant with people eating, so it wasn’t as if the kitchen was busy. I guess new chef=a $ 10 completely dry hockey puck burger.
Since the burger situation wasn’t rectified, and nary a sincere apology made, we fully expected one of the burgers to be comped on the bill. Much to our surprise, both were present so I ended up paying $ 20 for two bone dry burgers. I won’t be returning, ever.

Apparently someone from the restaurant did not like my review and sent me a nasty note through Unilocal messaging system.
Sorry, the food just wasn’t to my liking.

I wanted to grab a beer and some grub. However, I didn’t want to drive and since The New Zealander Pub has reopened last April since being closed for about five months (new owner/​same chef)
I decided to give this place a try…
Staff and bartender appeared to be friendly, I asked them if they could change the channel to the San Jose Sharks game since they were about to advance to the NHL Western Conference title game and they obliged.
The building is situated in the corner of Webster st. and Central avenue and is a unique institution that was has been here since 1883.
«For over one hundred years, Croll’s Bar was a popular drinking establishment for sailors, longshoremen, and fishermen residing in Alameda. Many sailors, soldiers, and marines had their last drinks there before shipping out to foreign ports or combat zones of the Spanish-​American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. The bar’s close proximity to the Alameda Naval Air Station made it a first stop for many of the military returning from those historic events.»
It has a beautiful bar, raised ceilings and large windows, the New Zealander offers an attractive and spacious setting with that historical feel.
I Had the Lamb mint pie ($ 6.95) which goes with a side salad and soup for an additional $ 2. The ground Lamb was organic and delicious and the flavor wasn’t overpowering.
Beer pints are $ 5, they have a happy hour from 4 – 6 p.m. However I am not sure of the prices at this times.
I heard the chef does a good job on the New Zealand burgers and fish too — I might try that next time

I live just down the road and after moving here just a few weeks ago I have been CRAVING a good spot to call my own.
I purposefully avoided «Pre-​Yelping» this place to avoid tainting my first impression. OK so here’s the skinny.
Star #1 — I was warmly greeted by Diana and then the bartender, and then the owner… felt like I belonged here.
Star #2 — The Bartender is… a BARTENDER not a person mixing drinks. Wanna see if a bartender knows his craft; ask for the most classic cocktail.
He asked «What would you like?»
I said «Old Fashioned»…“Brandy…sweet“
He knew what I meant!
I asked «What Brandy do you have?»
He knew!
I got my cocktail… tasted it… it was really good but I noticed the was no muddled Orange and asked about the missing ingredient.
He said «I didn’t have oranges so I used a little Orange Juice»
Nice recovery. Instead of panning it off and just giving up — he found a way to overcome the obstacle. Perfect.
Star #3 — I asked for a recommendation concerning the Meat Pies on the menu and he offered some; I took my own lead and ordered the «Minted Lamb» meat pie. Ta-​Dahhhhh, what a wonderful gem this was for dinner. The crust was flakier than Lindsay Lohan on a Saturday night. The filling was a perfectly seasoned ground lamb in a creamy sauce, with just the right mint component. It came with a nice green salad and when I asked if I could get a little more vinegar for my salad the owner brought me both white and balsamic (how thoughtful).
Star#4 — Overall experience
Oh I’ll be back for that Rack of Lamb — or the Pork Chops — or that Rib Eye — or that 3AM White Lady special — or that Lamb Burger
Oh yes I’ll be back

A friend invited me last a couple of days ago for dinner to the New Zealander. I usually don’t post reviews in general (though love to read ‘em), but after tasting the Ba Ba Burger, I just had to go on Unilocal.
I’m a lamb lover, so I know how good lamb is supposed to taste like and man — the Ba Ba Burger was amazing! The meat was cooked medium and it was juicy and so flavorful! Just thinking about it makes me hungry again. lol. The salad on the side had a yummy vinaigrette and the home fries were one of the best I had. I definitely will be back — Can’t wait to try out the rack of lamb.
I noticed some reviewers complained about their higher prices. Well, given that a lot of the food cost went up, I think they are pretty reasonable. And it’s not just the good food you pay for — a cozy atmosphere and friendly staff are just as important for a pleasant dining experience!

A friend of mine from New Zealand brought me to this restaurant because he’d been to it once a couple years ago and had liked how authentic it was. He was disappointed in this new and «improved» version of the restaurant. Not one New Zealand beer and the pub pies (we ordered three different ones) were horrid.
Yes, it’s a very pretty bar, and the people are nice, thus the three stars instead of two or one… but really, to claim it’s a kiwi bar is just wrong.

Camille and I stopped in the other night — yes, the New Zealander has reopened. Same chef, different owner, later hours, expanded menu. The prices are a bit higher but whatever — the pub pie cost $ 6.95 with a side of soup or salad for $ 2 when I moved to Alameda almost four years ago and the price hadn’t changed in all that time, stuff ain’t getting any cheaper and folks gotta make some money. They still have the pies and the 3AM burger, plus at least twice as many offerings as they had before.
A lot of the extraneous furniture has been removed, so it’s nice and open and looks twice as big. The staff are exceptionally friendly. They’re still unpacking but had a decent, small selection of drinks AND they are going to be open later — no more rolling up the sidewalk at 9 p.m. on weekends!
Very happy to have them back.

Just got a gift certificate to this place via
…went there twice in the last 2 weeks… both times closed, no sign, lights off… looked in the window and a guy from the business next door said «its closed for spring cleaning and not sure when they’re opening». Hmmm, does «spring cleaning» = health violation?
I’m thinking they might be closed temporarily (since i noticed the restaurant website is slowly getting revamped) but at least PUT A SIGN ON THE DOOR [something] for potential customers!

Lamb burger was good.

I found this on place on
I’ve been to New Zealand 1, 2, 3, 4, yeah that’s right, 4 times. To me, NZ food consists of pies, fish n chips, lamb (there’s more sheep than people in NZ), sausage rolls… similar English & Australian type foods.
On my last trip, I couldn’t get enough of their pies & kumara fries SO GOOD. I wanted to bring some home with me, but I couldn’t.
I decided to take my mom to this place for her birthday. I normally don’t go to pubs, but this one seemed special & unique so I wanted to go. I called or emailed for reservations a few weeks ago, and they said I don’t need it and I could just come in.
They had WEET-​BIX on the menu, GROSSSSS!!! They’re the Wheaties to the kiwis. If you think Cheerios are tasteless & bland (I like any kind of cheerios, even original), these are SOOO NASTYYYYY. They have them in NZ, I guess that means this place is authentic. You just add milk to them or you can eat them like that, I wouldn’t do either.
They’ve got Vegemite or Marmite sammiches, my mom use to eat that. I brought some back the last time I went to NZ and she didn’t eat her Vegemite, must be kind of gross, to me it just smells salty.
This place doesn’t have kumara fries!!! WHY NOT!!! OR FRIED OYSTERS!!! Fritters??? Where was all this?
We ordered:
~Sausage Roll with the soup of the day (carrot & ginger): sausage roll had a lot of meat & was just ehh, I prefer the one my mom makes. I like the soup, even though it looked sort of like baby food.
Sausage Roll:
Soup:
~Steak & Cheese Pie with salad: pie was crispy and good, but so small for the price. You can buy a pie in NZ that tastes better & cheaper, twice as cheap & twice as much sauce/​flavor or whatever.
~The Aucklander 3AM White Lady Special with salad: is the Kiwiburger I can find at McDonalds in NZ, same ingredients without the pineapple & ham. This was probably the best item they had.
~Clive’s Ba Ba Burger with salad & choice of fries, roasted reds or potato salad, chose fries: lamb burger with tomato, nothing else… it was just ehh, tasted kind of dry. The fries were good with Wattie’s Sauce, the ketchup brand in NZ. I think it’s a bit too vinegary? or something to me, they also had Heinz but since I was here, I chose Wattie’s for the real NZ feel.
~NZ Grass Fed Rack of Lamb: 4 lamb chops with garlic mashed potatoes & veggies. The best part of this entrée was the mashed potatoes, it was chunky and smooth. Lamb was ok, not as amazing as I hoped.
~Milo (hot): nothing special
~Arnold Palmer: I prefer Arnold Palmer from Arizona brand.
I had my
coupon, so it was cheaper. I didn’t realize they added both tax & tip to the total (until I came home to recalculate, because it didn’t show tax. So I guess I tipped an additional $ 10 making it $ 70 with my coupon. If the guy was nice, I wouldn’t have minded accidentally tipping extra, but he was just not the nicest server I’ve had lately.
They also had a live jazz band in this pub. It was too loud for my liking.

Even slathered in Wattie’s and washed down with Speight’s the food at The New Zealander is quite simply unremarkable. The fare is neither God awful nor heaven sent, resulting in an overall underwhelming pub experience. Despite their presumed best efforts the service was as poor as the meal.
I wanted to like this spot but the lamb loin was meager, without the flavor explosion and richness I desired. Lamb is not beef and should never ever taste like such. The five thin slices of lamb loin arrived room temperature (cold) without the blackberry demi-​glaze, along with a cohort of questionably roasted slightly soggy red potatoes which tasted as though they had been lightly reheated from the day’s lunch leftovers (perhaps microwaved for 35 seconds?). The final let down, the greatest disappointment, were the pub pies, which the menu touts as their specialty.

As a pub, the New Zealander seems like a nice place to hang out and have a beer, and I have a feeling that if I go back and enjoy it in that context I’ll might bump it up a star. Because I’m currently obsessed with breakfast, this is a review more about that aspect of the New Zealander.
I love the space — really a charming and beautiful room, and I love the stained glass ceiling. Given a bit more attention to the décor, lighting, and general repair of the place, this could be transformed into a real destination gastropub and brunch place, something that the neighborhood could frankly use. At the moment, they’re just going for pub not gastropub, and given the fact that the menu is limited and the food is just ho-​hum they’re achieving the pub goal rather well.
The eggs benedict is the bellwether of any brunch restaurant — a simple thing but very hard to do well: if they can nail the hollandaise, the place has definite potential (kind of like tamago at a sushi bar — don’t trust a sushi chef who can’t make good tamago). Unfortunately, while the muffin, ham, and egg were fine, they scored fairly low on the hollandaise test. The basic hollandaise sauce should have egg yolk, butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and you should be able to taste all of these. The hollandaise at the New Zealander tasted like egg yolk and butter, but lacked any lemon or salt or pepper so it was surprisingly flavorless and didn’t add the necessary zing to make the benedict stand out.
On the plus side, the home fries were simple and very good, and the waitress we had was very nice and gets major points for noticing that the bacon she brought out was a bit overdone and offering to get some new bacon for us (and it was quite good bacon). The menu was pretty limited, I’ve never been to New Zealand, but, apart from the lack of black pudding, it was a typical English-​style breakfast menu with 3 – 4 good sounding things and 3 – 4 things seemingly intended just to scare you, including beans and toast, some gross-​sounding canned spaghetti and toast, and probably Vegemite/​Marmite if you really wanted it.
I really do think that if they brought in a chef with a solid vision, and cleaned up and modernized the room just a bit, they could turn this place into something special. At the moment, it’s a pretty but fairly average pub, and honestly there’s really nothing wrong with that either.