+64 9 280 1690 phil@thebirdcage.co.nz

‘THE LOCAL TO THE LOCALS SINCE 1885’

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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. 

‘ THE LOCAL TO THE LOCALS SINCE 1885 ‘

THE VENUE WAS FANTASTIC

“The venue was fantastic and I will be recommending it to anyone who has a function, staff were AMAZING! Everything from Video screens, spotify access to play the playlists I had set up, microphone and cake stand were exactly as we discussed and so easy to set up. I have had many compliments on the delicious food as well as the decor. Everything was brilliant!!“

Kelly
Dec 2021

ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE ALL ROUND

“Thanks for being a great host and making it a pleasant and enjoyable experience all round.  Our friends and family had a great time and we appreciate you accommodating us for this special event.  Yes, a lot of sore heads and tired girls today.  Your team on the night were excellent and very friendly to deal with.”
Jacinta
January 2021

WE HAD A GREAT NIGHT!

“Just a quick note from me to express how happy we were with how Libby’s 21st evening went. We had a great night. We really appreciated your experience and guidance in the lead up to the night. This helped us immensely and relieved some of the stress associated with organising the night. You and your team’s communication and willingness to help us has been faultless. Please pass on our thanks to your team. We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending you to others.”
Grant
January 2021

YOUR STAFF AND FOOD WERE EXCELLENT!

“We were very happy with Matt’s party on Friday. It’s a great venue and many people commented that having the big outdoor courtyard was a big plus and the giant jenga is also a fun addition. Both your staff and the food were excellent. 

We will be very happy to recommend the Birdcage as a great party venue and will certainly be keen to use it again when the opportunity arises.”
Anna
January 2021

YOU MADE EVERYTHING SO EASY FOR US

“Thank you so much for hosting my son, Qwan’s 21st. Everything on the night was perfect & went to plan from the moment we arrived to set-up right to the end of the night.  All our guests had an amazing time and commented all night on how great the venue & food was. Sadly I was too slow to try the prawns (apparently they were the stars along with the spicy chicken I was told).

James & I agreed that it was a huge success, mainly because of “you” 🙂 how attentive & informative you were, your guidance and sharing your knowledge/experience with us on how previous functions went, as well as keeping us updated throughout the night with the staggered timing of the food, bar tab, order of events, staff – everything!  I know all of this must just be 2nd nature & all part of the job for you, however, we are thankful & very appreciative of how you made everything so easy for us which helped in making our night go smoothly & stress free too”.
Trish & James
December 2020

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!

“The service, food and facilities were all absolutely incredible! Everyone has said they had a great night and loved the food. In particular, it was so nice to have the sit down dinner outside!

Thank you so much for all your help with making our Christmas party so successful :)”
Bella
December 2020

BEST GLUTEN FREE PIZZAS MY COELIAC FRIENDS HAVE EVER HAD

“We had a great time, thank you so much. I heard the food was amazing, although for some reason I only managed to have one piece of Calamari! My own fault entirely, I was just too busy talking when the platters came around!! My Coeliac friends specifically asked me to tell you that the pizza was one of the best GF pizza’s they’ve had – they said it was superb. I’ve had nothing but rave reviews of the food and the venue – and we all had a wonderful night. 

So thank you to you and to all your team for making it such a success and for making the organisation of it such a breeze.

I will definitely be recommending you to anyone looking for a venue, and I know my friends would too. And we’ll be back before too long because I understand the prawns in particular were superb, and I missed out!!”
Jude
March 2021

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AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE!

“Mitchell and I also wanted to say a massive thank you to you and your team for making our night so special. From the amazing customer service to the delicious food and all the drinks, you were all fantastic and everyone loved the night – so much that mum and dad said they are going to book you for their 40th Wedding Anniversary later in the year.”
Hannah
February 2021
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THE NIGHT WAS FABULOUS - COULDN'T FAULT IT

“THANK YOU so much for your incredible hospitality. The night was fabulous and we couldn’t fault it. Everyone raved about the food and we couldn’t be happier.

We look forward to coming back soon.

And thank you for the bottle of Moet. We can’t wait to enjoy it.”
Alaina
February 2021

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GREAT VENUE

“Many thanks to you and your staff for an excellent night on Friday.  Everyone commented on what a great venue it was. One of my mates now wants to host his son, Josh’s 21st there so expect a call. After posting photos on Facebook I had one of my friends tell me that he has booked his daughter’s 21st there in November and wanted to know what it was like. So I gave you guys a great review.

I’m going to talk to my work’s social club about hosting a night there.  It couldn’t have gone better.”
Mike
April 2021

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THANKS FOR BEING SUCH A PROFESSIONAL HOST

“What an epic night. So many awesome comments from people. Stunning venue, amazing staff (I felt like the Queen), quests raved about the food. Thank You soooo much for being such a professional host. You sure know what to do and you’re amazing at it. Would love to use your venue again in the future so watch this space. Will post a glowing review ASAP and of course spread the word”
Louise & Ron
April 2021
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EVERYTHING WENT PERFECTLY

“It was an amazing night and the whole lead up and on the night everything went perfectly because of you and your team.  The venue was amazing, the staff were amazing, the food was amazing and everyone raved about it.  Just a massive thank you to you guys and please send me any links for places I can write a review because it was overall just amazing.”
Brearna
May 2021
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EXCEEDING EVERY EXPECTATION

“Thank you so much for the amazing celebration on Saturday. It was the best celebration, exceeding every expectation and imagination I had. All the guests said the exact same thing!”
Paris
Dec 2021
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YOU TOOK ALL THE STRESS OUT OF IT FOR ME

“From the very first email to walking out at the end, I felt your service was top class!!  The whole experience was faultless!  Speedy responses, clear comms, and on the night it was fantastic having you take the lead in the evening and all the stress out of it for me.”
Robyn
July 2021

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EVERYTHING WENT LIKE CLOCKWORK

“Thank you for a wonderful evening yesterday. Everything went like clockwork, PA system worked well, Spotify easily provided our own playlist, friendly service at the bar and the food served in good time. We’ve had nothing but very complimentary feedback from our guests who enjoyed the food and venue tremendously.”
Kevin
July 2021

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THE BEST 21ST VENUE I'VE BEEN TO

“I had much feedback on how amazing the food was and how great the venue was, I had a friend say “that’s the best 21st venue I’ve been to so far” so everyone was definitely impressed including myself and my family! I found your service was very accommodating from the first venue viewing to actually making my vision come alive”
Brookelyn
July 2021

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SUPER LOW STRESS FOR US

“We had a brilliant night and it was really very near perfect. You guys handled everything so well and we really appreciated the staff, food and how everything was so well organised and prepared.  Super low fuss for us and no stress so thanks to you and the team for making it a great night!”
Steve
Jan 22

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LOCATION, FOOD, ATMOSPHERE, LAYOUT PERFECT!

“On behalf of my family and I, we would like to thank you and your staff for your amazing service on Saturday. Everything ran perfectly and everyone enjoyed their night and a lot of that is thanks to you. The location, food, atmosphere and layout of the tavern was perfect!!!”
Kiriana 
January 2022

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YOU WERE INCREDIBLY ACCOMMODATING

“The only comments I have are that you were amazing. Our group was a lot and so a huge thank you to you and your team for putting up with all of us for the night. Comms was super clear, you were incredibly accommodating for all the chopping and changing from our end, having spotify available was awesome and the food was great! We will definitely be back for future events. “
Charlotte-rose
January 2022

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FANTASTIC EVENING

“We all had a fantastic evening. The food was great, the staff were incredible and everything went off really, really well!!!!  Thank you so much to you and your team!! The junior docs are still talking about it!  See you again in Jan 2023!!”
Andrea
January 2022

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EVERYONE COMMENTED ON YOUR DECORATIONS

“Thank you very much for hosting our engagement party on Friday evening. We had a great time and your hosting, catering, and ambiance were fantastic. Everyone commented on your decorations and how great the food was. We really appreciate your work and will be recommending you to everyone!”
Ana
January 2022

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MAKES PLANNING AN EVENT LESS STRESSFUL

“We celebrated my husband’s 40th at Birdcage Tavern. From the moment I walked in, I was blown away how beautiful the venue looked. The guests were raving about food and how spectacular the venue looked. The service from the staff was top notch and Phil was very accommodating to each and every request which makes planning an event less stressful. If you’re thinking of hosting your event at Birdcage, do it, you won’t regret it.”
Yashmeen
Feb 22

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EVERYONE WAS IN AWE OF THE NIGHT

“I just wanted to say a huge thank you to you & your team for a fantastic night.  Your team was incredibly customer focused & nothing was too much for them to assist us with. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you. All guests were very impressed with the venue & menu & each had wonderful experiences with your team. Everyone there was in awe of the night.”
Rach
March 2022

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I LOVED THE DECORATIONS

“You and the team did such a splendid job and I could not fault a thing. The venue is such a handy central location with tonnes of free parking on site. I loved the decorations, we really didn’t need to do anything ourselves. The function room was the perfect fit for the crowd we had and it so great to have all the little extras (table linen, mic, sound system, projectors) with no hidden extra hire charges. The staff were so friendly & accommodating. The food was delicious and portions so generous.”
Zoe, Jeff & Cerhys
March 2022

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THE PLACE WAS SET UP AMAZINGLY

“Many thanks to you and your team for creating a memorable evening for our daughter, Joanna’s 21st celebration on Saturday. The place was set up amazingly, it looked fantastic. The team was so helpful, efficient, friendly and organised everything perfectly. The food was delicious and well timed, very impressive. We received so many positive comments from our guests regarding the staff, the venue and the food.”
Sue & Mile – March 2022

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