‘THE LOCAL TO THE LOCALS SINCE 1885’
Welcome to the Birdcage tavern
HISTORIC AUCKLAND TAVERN, SPORTS BAR & FUNCTIONS VENUE
The Birdcage was originally known as the Rob Roy Hotel, a wooden building erected in 1865, making it one of Auckland’s most historic taverns. The current building was constructed on the same site in 1885, when Victoria Park was a busy industrial area that included ship builders, sawmills, a brass and iron foundry and glassworks.
The hotel was designed by Edward Mahoney & Sons, who designed many of Aucklands early hotels, as well as St Patricks Cathedral.
Back in the day patrons could reach the hotel by road or water, as it originally sat on the Freemans Bay shoreline. The reclamation of the old bay was completed in 1901, and Victoria Park was created on most of the resulting flat area. The building is now owned by NZTA, who in 2010, famously moved all 740 tonnes, 40 metres in a painstaking process to make way for the Victoria Park tunnel project.
The tavern today is a designated heritage building and is regarded as being one of Aucklands top Gastro pubs. Beautifully restored to its former glory as a neighbourhood tavern under the stewardship of publican Phil Houston, it is a popular functions venue with a large north facing beer garden, serving excellent pub meals complemented by a great selection of NZ craft beers and wines, conveniently located within walking distance from Aucklands Sky Tower, Wynyard Quarter and Ponsonby Rd.