The Broken Lantern interprets the neighbourhood tavern through Ponsonby's cocktail culture, combining a restaurant, bar and beer garden inside a century-old building. Brick, gallery lighting and a laneway-influenced interior give the rooms a strong visual identity, while rotating work by New Zealand artists feeds into seasonal food and drink themes. It is an adults-only venue, and the private function room adds its own bar, server and pool table for groups wanting a space apart from the main crowd.

Food is designed chiefly for sharing, with comfort and creativity given equal weight. Smashed burgers and pizza provide familiar anchors, fried bar snacks keep smaller orders sociable, and a changing set of seasonal dishes lets the kitchen move with weather and local supply. The format supports several kinds of visit: a quick burger, plates passed around over drinks, or a longer meal that explores the current theme across snacks and more composed dishes.

Weekly specials give each service day a different rhythm. Tuesday centres on burgers alongside discounted gin and whisky, Wednesday pairs a changing parmigiana with beer, and Thursday turns to steak and cocktails. Friday is built around chicken wings while they last. Sunday's Irish spice bag combines chips, fried chicken, onions, peppers, seasoning and curry sauce, a deliberately casual finish to the week that sits neatly between a bar snack and a full shared meal.

The drinks programme is as deliberate as the kitchen. Local, family-run and boutique producers are prominent among the craft beer selection, while the wine list looks towards organic and natural bottles from New Zealand and abroad. Bespoke cocktails lean strongly into gin and whisky, and boilermaker combinations pair beer with a measured spirit and a small savoury accompaniment. That range makes the venue coherent: food, art and drinks all change, but the modern-tavern idea remains constant.

Address: 198 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011, New Zealand

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The Broken Lantern Menu Menu updated on 18 Sep 2026

Bites

Whiskey Jerky

Jameson Whiskey dried peppered beef (DF)

Pork Belly Bites

$16

Fried pork belly, garlic soy chilli caramel, chilli crisp, pickled onions

Mac & Cheese Bites

$15 / ADD EXTRA MAC & CHEESE BITE + $5

Marinara, parmesan, ranch (V)

Cheeseburger Spring Rolls

$15 / ADD EXTRA SPRING ROLL + $7

100% beef mince, American cheese, burger sauce, pickled onions

Fried Chicken

$20 / SWAP TO BUFFALO SAUCE + $2

Gochujang and maple BBQ, pickles, ranch

Fries

$13 / ADD TRUFFLE PARMESAN + $4

Roast garlic aioli (V)

Bread & Dips

$14

House made focaccia, truffle butter, cashew cream, house dip (V)

Fry Platter

$55

Pork belly bites, fried chicken, cheeseburger spring rolls, mac & cheese bites

Made to be Shared

(V) Vegetarian; (VE) Vegan; (DF) Dairy Free; (NUTS) Contains Nuts

Oysters

Te Matuku Oyster, classic mignonette, lemon (DF) (served individually)

Scotch Egg

$15

Fennel and herb salad, hot English mustard, brown sauce

Crudo

$22

Market fish, thai nam yum, coconut milk, crispy shallot (DF)

Sauteed Greens

$18

Pan fried brussel spouts, ricotta, pancetta, walnut dressing (Contains nuts, vegetarian on request)

Cauliflower

$19

Charred cauliflower, almond and tahini crema, gremolata (VE) (NUTS)

Chopped Salad

$17

Chopped lettuce, feta dressing, radish, pickled beets, chives (V) (Vegan on request – swap feta for vegan cashew cream)

Burrata

$30

Tomatoes, chilli crisp, focaccia (V)

Cheeseboard

$20

Choose 3 for 20-00. Served with lavosh & honeycomb. Soft cheese, hard cheese, prosciutto, salami, pickled vegetables, marinated olives

Ploughman’s Platter

$60

Soft cheese, hard cheese, salami, prosciutto, pickled vegetables, olives, toasted bread, lavosh, jam, honeycomb, roasted nuts, jerky (NUTS)

Mains

*Served with your choice of shoestring fries, hand cut chips or garlic mash

Gnocchi

$24 / ADD TRUFFLE PARMESAN + $4

Beef and Guinness ragu, potato gnocchi, ricotta

Battered Fish & Potatoes

$33

Hallertau beer battered fish, potatoes, gribiche

Chicken Parm

$32 / SWAP CHICKEN FOR EGGPLANT (V) $22

Panko crumbed chicken breast, marinara, mozzarella, ranch slaw

Pork Belly

$36

Panko crumbed pork, spiced apple puree, mulled wine glaze, braised red cabbage

Steak

$38

250g striploin, brandy peppercorn sauce, sauteed veg

Lamb

$38

Roast lamb rump, cucumber labneh, crumbed eggplant, edamame, red wine and balsamic reduction

Pizza

Margherita

$32

Marinara, mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella, basil (V)

Pepperoni

$33

Marinara, mozzarella, pepperoni

Buffalo Chicken

$36

Marinara, mozzarella, fried chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch, pickles, crispy shallot

Pancetta

$34

Pancetta, rocket, pesto, rocket leaves, ricotta, walnuts (NUTS)

Veggie Supreme

$32

Marinara, mozzarella, olives, capsicum, feta, onions, mushrooms (V) (Vegan option available)

Burgers

Smash Burger

$20 / ADD SMASH PATTY + $7 / ADD BACON + $5

120g 100% beef mince smash patty, burger cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, burger sauce

Chicken Burger

$20 / ADD BUFFALO SAUCE + $2 / ADD BACON + $5

Buttermilk fried chicken, bacon crack, tomato, lettuce, ranch dressing

Orchard Smash Pork Burger

$20

120g pork and fennel patty, Swiss cheese, apple bacon jam, rocket, garlic aioli

Vegetarian Burger

$19

Beetroot and lentil patty, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, big mac sauce (NUTS) (Vegan option available)

Add Fries to Any Burger

After Dinner

Sticky Toffee Pudding

$16

Salted butterscotch, vanilla ice cream (V)

Hazelnut Tiramisu

$17

Mascarpone, Nutella, coffee, sponge fingers, cocoa (NUTS)

Cocktails – Fun & Fizz

Mango Number 5 Spritz

$19

Chi Chi Vodka, bianco vermouth, mango, cranberry, orange blossom, tonic

Razz My Berry

$20

Bulldog London Dry Gin, aperitif wine, prosecco, raspberry, kiwifruit, tonic

Pornstar Spritz #2

$22

Vanilla Skyy Vodka, bianco vermouth, raspberry, passionfruit, citrus, soda

Violette Femmes

$19

Bulldog London Dry Gin, crème de violette, blueberry, vanilla, citrus, tonic

Cocktails – Espolon Tequila Garden

Tropical Margarita

$22

Espolon Blanco Tequila, pineapple, guava, orange, passionfruit, lime, Caribbean spices

Loco Coco Margarita

$23

Coconut Espolon Blanco Tequila, orange, agave, lime, cherry bitters, honey

Selva Negra

$22

Espolon Reposado Tequila, Shanky’s Whip, blackberry, rosemary, lime

Non Alcoholic

A Sober Fantail

$13

Guava, pineapple, passionfruit, peach, Fanta

Razzle Basil

$13

Raspberry, kiwifruit, tonic, basil foam

Matcha Wish Your Mocktail

$13

Coconut water, strawberry syrup, clarified soybean, matcha cloud

Tap Beer

15 beers on tap. We rotate our other 9 taps after each keg, showcasing the best beers NZ has to offer. Full menu available on our website.

Hallertau Granny Smith Cider

$14 / $49

Hallertau Low Carb Lager

$13 / $46

Hallertau 09 Lager

$13 / $46

Hallertau #5 Pilsnah

$14 / $49

Bottle Beer

Steinlager

$12

Classic Lager, 330ml – 5%

McLeod’s Northern Light

$11

Lager, 330ml – 2.3%

Lion Red

$18

Lager, 745ml – 4%

Sawmill Bare Beer

$11

Pale Ale, 330ml – 0%

Sparkling & Champagne

Bandini Prosecco DOC

$15 / $75

NV, Veneto, Italy

Cloudy Bay Pelorus Brut

$22 / $105

NV, Marlborough, NZ

Moet & Chandon Imperial

$30 / $160

NV, Epernay, France

Billecart Salmon Rose

$235

NV, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, France

White Wine

Twin Islands Sauvignon Blanc

$13 / $19 / $55

2024, Marlborough, NZ

Swift Sure Sauvignon Blanc

$15 / $22 / $65

2025, Marlborough, NZ

Villa Wolf Pinot Blanc

$16 / $23 / $68

2021, Pfalz, Germany

Spy Valley Pinot Gris

$14 / $20 / $59

2024, Marlborough, NZ

Red Wine

Greystone ‘Nor’ Wester’ Pinot Noir

$18 / $27 / $80

2023, Waipara, NZ

Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir

$105

2022, Marlborough, NZ

Paloma Old Vines Tempranillo

$13 / $19 / $55

2023, Castilla La Mancha, Spain

Ring-Bolt Cabernet Sauvignon

$14 / $20 / $59

2021, Margaret River, Australia

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Margherita pizza Typical in Auckland: $26.00 $32.00
Pepperoni pizza Typical in Auckland: $27.50 $33.00
Chicken parmigiana Typical in Auckland: $32.00 $22.00

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The Broken Lantern Menu