Having just arrived in Paihia (after driving from Auckland to Bay of Islands), we were hungry and weary. One of my traveling companions spotted the sign for Mako Beach Bar, and the menu enticed us to find a table and order a fish and chips meal, which was outstanding! A delicious welcome to beautiful Paihia!

The Mako Beach Bar is in a wonderful location, right across the road from the waters of the Bay of Islands. It has a great outdoor sitting area to enjoy the views and do some 'people watching' but I was disappointed in the service. With this location, this place could be a 'gold mine', but I never saw the place... More

A casual pub style eatery, popular with backpackers due to the casual friendly style and the value for money menu. When I arrived and ordered my food, there was the small problem that the chef chose the middle of service to clean out the deep fat fryer so our menu choice was limited. My choice of vegetarian nacho's are not... More

We thought this was a great little bar. The position is tops with rustic outdoor seating overlooking the bay. The food was casual and fairly priced. No-one from our group of six were disappointed with their meal. We all like the casual feel to the place and felt it had great atmosphere. We have been back for a drink and... More

We stopped here two evenings in a row to enjoy happy hour, bar snacks, and great music. Comfortable; relaxing; good service; reasonable prices.

stayed here for drinks at happy hour, great service and even better views over the water. loved it there just chilling with a beer.

The staff were very friendly, service was quick and the food was wholesome and great value. Not going to win awards for cordon bleu cooking but you know that from the picture menu. WYSIWYG and plenty of it served with a smile.

All i will say about here after a day out on the best trip i have had in ages a daytrip on a trimaran was a lovely COLD BEER well 4 of them but who's counting thanks for your ICE.

If you are looking for cheap and cheerful, Mako Bar is the place to go in Paihia. We went here 3 times on our 5 night stay as the beers were cheap at around $6 and bar meals were huge and great value at around $12. It's not the prettiest place but I liked that it was unpretentious. They have... More