Three Wise Birds Pavilion
What makes your venue the Best Gastropub in New Zealand?
At Pavilion, formerly known as Portside, we transcend the ordinary, redefining the modern sports bar experience along the picturesque Marine Parade waterfront in Napier's CBD. Our customers escape the ordinary and immerse themselves in a space carefully crafted for relaxation, enjoyment, and social engagement. Portside is not just a bar; it's a destination where sports enthusiasts, food lovers, and socialisers converge for a multifaceted experience.
Describe the experience your customers have at your establishment – what is your food and beverage offering and why do people come back for more?
Step into Portside, where the excitement of sports takes centre stage. With a commitment to providing diverse sports coverage beyond the conventional, we invite you to indulge in the thrill of the game, from international rugby fixtures to local sporting events. Our state-of-the-art screens ensure an immersive viewing experience, creating an atmosphere that captures the essence of each match, tournament, and game night.
We are focused on being more than just a sports bar, and Portside is designed for socialising. Our inviting ambience, characterised by contemporary design, comfortable seating, and ambient lighting, encourages patrons to linger, connect, and savour the moment. Whether you're here to cheer on your favourite team, enjoy a delightful meal, or share cocktails with friends, Portside offers a space where camaraderie flourishes.
With over 20 tap products, we have a range of beers, ciders, and vodka sodas designed to cater to all, from standard lagers to the more craft in style. Portside has a focus to support local producers within the industry. Our food offering is designed to complement the sports focus with burgers, sandwiches and snacks, making it easy to enjoy the food without missing a moment of the action. The menu also compliments our summer alfresco dining experience with beach views.
Tell us how you showcase NZ produce / offerings? Does your menu change with the season and how is it locally influenced. How do you accommodate allergy and dietary requirements?
As Portside has a sports focus in the CBD our food is created to match the atmosphere we have established. Our menu changes with the seasons in order to best fit the experience and customer base. We have created a menu to cater to all, from tradies, port workers, and young professionals to the summer tourists and vacationers on the many cruise ships that embark on Napiers CBD.
We support local produce and meat vendors to the same extent that the bar supports local breweries, cideries and wineries. We use local grass-fed beef in our smash patties, and all produce we use is Hawke's Bay grown.
We are, for the most part, allergy-friendly and have the ability to adapt to most people’s requirements as needed.
What are your key points of difference and how have you managed to deliver them?
Inclusive Atmosphere: Portside is a haven for all, breaking away from the exclusivity often associated with traditional sports bars. Here, everyone is welcome, creating a space where partners, friends, and families can share in the excitement together.
Modern Elegance: Portside exudes a fresh, modern and upscale vibe, differentiating itself from the outdated sports bars, typical of Hawke’s Bay. Immerse yourself in an environment where contemporary design meets the timeless thrill of sports.
Culinary Excellence: Beyond the sports action, The Pavilion delights the palate with a culinary experience that transcends typical bar fare. Our diverse menu, curated with quality ingredients and culinary innovation, elevates your dining experience while enjoying the game.
Best Known for:
Modern sports bar experience
Diverse sports coverage
Over 20 tap products
Please describe your commitment to sustainability.
We're big on keeping things green at the Three Wise Birds Garden Bar. We love using local and seasonal ingredients to support our community and reduce our carbon footprint. Plus, we're all about recycling and cutting down on waste wherever we can. We are constantly tweaking the products and services we use to improve our impact on the environment. Our energy-efficient setups help save resources, too.
Have you won any awards in the recent past?
Hawke's Bay Hospitality Awards- Best Bar
Please describe how you create ambience.
The bar’s ambience brushes over the customers as soon as they enter; a range of house, soft rock, reggae, alternative rock and acoustic tunes engulf the bar and resonate out onto the deck and into the garden. Music is selected to be the background whilst being loud enough to create a positive atmosphere.
The bar itself is designed to let as much natural light in as possible, bringing in warmth as well as enticing the indoor outdoor flow. A scattering of leaners, bespoke locally crafted picnic tables, beanbags as well as the option to sit on the grass 'picnic style'; introduce our customers to the relaxed environment that is the Garden Bar, this creates a state of enjoyment, all adding to the positive friendly and fun ambience.
Have you created a recipe that pairs with Estrella Damm?
Tostada
Toasted tortilla topped with a garlic shrimp and chorizo sofrito, romaine lettuce, salsa and ricotta.
