Food

A wide range of ‘pub grub’ favourites, as well as antipasto platters (might want to change the spelling on your website, guys), pizzas, roast carving boards and regular mains. We ordered the salt and pepper squid entrée size which was perfectly fine, and the classic burger which was not – in fact, it was bordering on dull. Beware paying extra for cheese (it’s the plastic variety) and fries ($4 for around 9 chips). A shame as you would hope that somewhere like this wouldn’t muck up a burger

Drinks

A good selection on tap, including pear and apple cider. The wine list is small but has one or two good drops within.

Vibe

Very open and roomy, with a comfortable feel, The Zookeeper’s Son was great on a sunny Saturday afternoon, but is slightly lumbered with being right next to a busy Mt Albert Rd. It also doesn’t have the best view (a McDonald's and car park), but these can be ignored if you’re relaxed enough

Service

Good, though it did take some time for our meals to come out and the aforementioned cheese threw our waiter quite a bit when questioned. No offer to replace or refund which probably wouldn’t have been taken up but would have been appreciated. Or am I just becoming a snob?

Highlights

The relaxed atmosphere and the wide selection of areas to sit. Seriously, it’s nice to be able to choose how you sit for lunch. Sometimes, a barleaner will not do.

The Bottom Line

A nice spot to enjoy a pint, perhaps slightly let down by its location. They need to work on timings and getting the basics right (like nailing a good burger), but it’s definitely got something and with some work it’ll be great.

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