Had lunch here today. Ordered 2 steak specials. Asked to swap chips for vegetables but refused as they don't change specials. It came with very salty coleslaw. My steak was suppose to be med/well but it was rare & grissly so left most of it. Ordered a soda water which was all ice with 3 mouthfuls of soda water. What a waste of money. The guy at the bar said sorry about steak but that was it. Much better pubs to eat in nearby.

Staying at Ramada just almost next door, been here every night this week. Great staff, the food is way beyond pub food, superbly executed simple classic dishes, really enjoyed it here, nice friendly atmosphere. And did I mention the food…If there was one criticism it would be another couple of dessert items on the menu. Otherwise a prefect 10/10.

Horrible customer service. Asked for a replacement drink after a fly dropped into my drink, they just said “you need to pay for the extra drink”

Got the $10 steak lunch special, which is fine. Liked the garlic butter. Unfortunately the experience was soured by the staff. Not great treatment, especially rude to scold your customers when we were just trying to sort out a mistake with the order.

An excellent place to enjoy inner city Auckland . The staff really welcomed us -Adding an element of fun and vibrancy which we enjoyed .Friendly relaxed atmosphere.Music they were playing was just right for our time here . ‘Outstanding ‘( husbands words ) -quality beer battered fish and chips and beautiful salmon risotto .Food at the Empire Tavern is cooked with integrity and passion .

Had breakfast here and they did not disappoint. The meal was delicious and coffee was well made. Service was also very friendly and prompt. I got the big breakfast and felt the serving was a good size and fulled me up well. Highly recommend this place!

First impressions not amazing. Walked in and stood at the bar for a minute(i was the only one at the bar) Had a few staff members walk by me to clear some tables. Just gave me a look and they didn’t say hi or acknowledge me. After waiting around a bit longer i just gave up Unfortunately nobody came behind the bar to serve me. Went to the craft beer bar on the corner opposite and was warmly greeted. I operate a bar myself in Australia and even if myself or my staff are sweating balls trying to get things done, we always make an effort to greet people with a smile and make them feel welcome as soon as they enter the premises.

Lively atmosphere. The setup of the place was the best part. Service was good, food was ok. We ordered the $10 steak, fries and coleslaw with the purchase of a full priced drink. Margarita was average but the mango drink was awesome!

Cosy and warm. Husband had the steak special. Done perfectly to his specs, tasty and tender. I had the bangers and mash special. A smaller portion size, a little bit more mash to go with the gravy, peas and sausages would have been good. Quite tasty. Came back for breakfast 2 mornings. Good coffee & bap deal. Omelette was also delicious. Friendly and fast service.

It's generally very good, in the past, food has been well priced and the service good. I've never had a problem, and if there ever was a problem it was always addressed and compensated for. During the past year, I've noticed there isn't quite the same attention to detail as there was in the past. Staff don't ask if you're happy with the meal once served liked they used to, and they don't come round and ask if you want another drink. The cost of food has skyrocketed, they used to do a special $10 steak deal not long ago. Now, the same meal once you add sauce, plus a beer is now $47. The last meal I had was so heavily seasoned I could hardly eat it. I noticed the chips were soaked in salt, maybe the coleslaw was salty too. I can't remember. The pepper sauce, was exceptionally peppery. So much so I could hardly eat it.

The food was excellent, but there is room for improvement in their service. Upon entering, no one greeted/guided me where to seat (for first timer). Our food arrived promptly however the drinks took 15 minutes due to a shortage of staff at the bar, as explained by the waitress.

My colleagues and I have after work drinks or lunch here about once a month. It's always been decent, just not overly amazing. Today we went for Christmas lunch and ordered a few share plates. The pork belly was slightly overcooked. Beef skewers were good and tender. Nachos was fine, but jalapenos that came with it was more pickled than hot. Broccoli was good - and it was spicier than the jalapeno. Drinks were okay. Slightly overpriced and not much skills/thought put into it but typical of Auckland CBD bars. It's a good, casual, spacious place to hang out though.

Super underrated place in my opinion. Place has a cafe, massive bar with an upstairs rooftop area, and even a burger joint attached. Always come for the $25 Tiger Jugs (they are $50+ anywhere else on Ponsonby) Would recommend for some drinks as a pre-going out spot. Usually have some great deals on mixed drinks too if you’re into that.

An awesome, unassuming pub with some of the best food around. The service was great and the courtyard out back with a covered roof is a great place to get some fresh air but escape the rain

Great food tastes really good

Excellent food, drink, atmosphere and service. He had bangers and mash with a glass of Murphy Ale. I had a lemonade and a garden salad (not pictured)

Consistently delicious menu and attentative, friendly service. Always a fave for meeting up with friends or business lunches. An icon of Auckland!

Friendly staff. Great pub food. I had pork and fennel sausage with mash, peas and gravy. Delicious!

Went on a Wednesday night for a meal .Very quiet not a lot of patrons about. Ordered the Scotch fillet pepper gravy chips and slaw . Nicely cooked steak adequate portion size.

Small pub in a great central location. Nice atmosphere with dark timber and red leather studded booth seating. Enjoyed a prawn cocktail, but unfortunately I didn't have time for anything else on the menu. I walk past often and love the music they play.

We were fortunate to host a 21st birthday party in the “garden bar”… what an amazing experience. The guidance from Colin was comforting. What a super host. Staff were amazingly friendly and helpful and the food spectacular. A night to remember. Thanks team. We’ll be back!!

This is great pub food ans atmosphere with excellent service... can be loud but to be expected! Easy parking too (free after 6!)

Had a wonderfully cooked eye fillet steak for $30. Great value. Really nice atmosphere and friendly staff

These guys were amazing. There for 12 hours as part of Day in Loo and was blown away with everyone. And thanks for letting us use the venue ♥️

Attended a Private room booking for a 21st. The Bar tender in this section provided excellent service and was awesome to deal with. The food was delicious 🤤

My wife having drinks there with some friends, I went to pick her up but she was drunk as a skunk. While leaving trying to get my wife home they accused me of trying to abduct her. Way to go for responsible serving of alcohol and patron awareness. I was sitting with her for almost an hour. I guess it's public humiliation for me and Empire. Thanks.

Had my 40th here and the staff made it super easy and fun. The platter menu was absolutely excellent and I would highly recommend it as a venue.

Amazing cafe in town. One of best food n customer service. If u follow me or read my review, price,customer service n food key to cafe business. How critics I can be. So this is highly recommended. Regularly here for great 5 dollars bacon n egg muffin with salad. Where can u get this kind of price. Have I mentioned large coffee only 3.5 dollars. Plus even it’s cheap but damn the food quality is amazingly great. Come n enjoy.

Amazing food. Came in at happy hour got a jug ordered some food for the family. $20 steak special. Absolutely amazing.

I happened to stumble across the Empire looking for dinner as the hotel didn't have one. What a gem, a classic example of simple done very well. Steak cooked perfectly with just enough smoky taste from the grill, great selection of beers, amazing dessert and the service on point: there when you need it, but not intrusive. Highly recommended

Writing review as a supplier for a corporate that had an event here. Colin and the team really made what is usually a hassle at most city venues a dream. Great communication and can-do attitude. Loading zone right by the door. This place is CLEAN and well run(and I've seen a few event venues). If the coffee is anything to go by I'm guessing the menu is decent too. I can certainly recommend this location to event organizers, or anyone for that matter.

A huge thanks to Colin and fantastic staff for providing such a warm inclusive venue for Jamie’ birthday party Saturday 17 th of September . The food was sensational, the service couldn’t have been better. Our friends of all ages and whānau from Australia absolutely loved the experience. We can’t recommend the Empire tavern enough for a fun evening . Ngā mihi Jamie and Kate Delves

Teina Reid served me. And he was the sweetest male I've ever met. Hopefully he can marry my son

There breakfast was surprisingly good, amazing eggs, nice bread and juicy sausages.

Wedges and fried chicken were yummy :-))

Foods was awesomely tasty,coffee, and as well the service!

I never realized how big this place inside. It was quite noisy and the acoustic was not ideal. It was really hard to hear each other. My friends ordered pizza that was decent. And I had a very tasty citrus light beer.

Nice people and nice beer. Amazing BBQ area and very relax environment. Go there and enjoy the most nice snacks and good workers on the bar.

Held my daughters 21st last night and can't thank the staff enough for their excellent service. Awesome venue, beautiful food and great location .

I ordered the chicken parmi. For it's price, the meal was small and not very filling. I expected more for the price. I was also disappointed that there was no chips with the parmi and just truffle dressing on salad. The enviroment was nice and the bar was large in size, plenty of seating available. I still recommend visiting this place for a quick feed.

Food is much better these days. Service can get a bit spotty when very busy. The atmosphere is great when it is almost full.

Excellent place right in the heart of CBD. The Best place to visit for lunch, dinner or if ur after beer and bites after work, have plenty of variety of tap beers. Even if you are after breakfast, this place will provide you variety of options and will not disappoint you. One of the BEST mocha in the town. I will definately recommend this place.

Great pub, decent prices and you can get an amazing burger next door at Black Dog and eat it in the pub. Friendly staff too and the pub quiz looks to be a good one