THE MUSSEL POT, Havelock - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews

Does this restaurant specialise in New Zealand style food?

Yes

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Details

About

Havelock's iconic green lip (green shell) mussel restaurant.Casual and informal.The restaurant specialises in green lip mussels but also has a variety of New Zealand seafood, burgers, pastas, gluten free and vegetarian options all perfectly matched with famous Marlborough wines and New Zealand beer.Great outdoor seating through summer. Closed for winter.

PRICE RANGE

$6.00 – $31.00

CUISINES

Seafood, New Zealand

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Street Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

798 reviews

Excellent

536

Very good

185

Average

46

Poor

20

Terrible

11

Nortsoz

Darwin34 contributions

We Stopped off for lunch.

Feb 2020 • friends

We Stopped off for lunch. Ordered a kilo of mussels in white wine and garlic sauce between us. Read all the info. We were prepared for beards and little crabs. Rather counter intuitive, but A sign of freshness. The bread and butter was crusty and fresh. No beards apart from Dave’s and no crabs anywhere. It was like dining in France and we gladly paid cash as our bill was not enough to warrant a credit card. Very nice.

Written 10 February 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alistair Rowe

6 contributions

Consistent and delicious

Feb 2020 • none

If you like mussels, this is a great place to dine. Service is friendly and very efficient. Whenever I come to Havelock I have a meal at the Mussel Pot and it’s always good. The menu is also very reasonably priced and, if you’re with someone who doesn’t enjoy mussels, there are plenty of other dishes to choose.

Written 28 February 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sallie S

Austin85 contributions

Best New Zealand Mussels

Feb 2020 • couples

We were advised to stop by the Mussel Pot for green lipped mussels as we drove through Havelock on the northern part of the South Island of New Zealand. We did and 2 of our group got a mussel pot with different sauces and both people said these were GREAT mussels. The other two of us got calamari and declared them to be among the best we have ever had. It's no surprise that when we came through Havelock 2 days later, we stopped for lunch again at the Mussel Pot in Havelock ...and everybody had exactly the same thing! Great food! Don't miss it!

Written 2 February 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

863jo

Featherston8 contributions

Very average to poor

Jan 2020 • none

When I buy mussels in the supermarket I de-beard them, my plate arrived and at least half still had beards. What am I paying for if I have to do this myself? The waitress said it was natural, yes so are crabs but I found one of those too in a mussel. The sauce is obviously not cooked with the mussels and applied at the end so no real flavour is in the actual mussel. A long wait to eat and when it arrived, underwhelming. Cost $180 for three of us so poor value for money. Sorry but you guys need to up your game and stop relying on a good name.

Written 5 January 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tracy C

Thank you for your review. Yes if I am cooking them at home straight away I will de- beard them too. I would not de beard them and leave them for a few hours as this kills them and as you can appreciate this is where also sorts of food illnesses occur. This is explained in the information booklets - we guarantee your mussel is cooked from live and is the freshest it can possibly be. The mussels are taken out of the broth (they are steamed on top of the broth) and put in the serving dish, the broth is reduced down as green shell mussels produce a lot of liquid and then the broth is poured over. Green shell mussels don't absorb flavour unless they are marinated in it. Yes you may find a pea crab in your mussel....again explained in the information booklet. We do flick them out with our tongs if they are easy to get at, as we are serving them but some do get quite far into the mussel and I don't think customers would like the fact that we are handling their cooked mussels even with a gloved hand to get those little suckers out, not too mention the mussels would get cold. I have had customers quite disappointed when they haven't found a pea crab. Eating green shell mussels as naturally and as fresh as possible should be an experience (albeit a messy one) and I am sorry that you did not enjoy yours.

Written 5 January 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Henrik R

Kenilworth44 contributions

Fantastic food

Mar 2020 • none

Brilliant little restaurant, lovely outdoor area and beautiful polished wood tables. We came here on the advice of the lady in Thrifty car hire at Picton. What a great recommendation, we had the mussels platter with the add on chowder, absolutely delicious, the mussels were done 4 ways and each was deliciously different. The others in the party had a simple plate of mussels and the vegan burger and both were also declared delicious. The service was first class and very friendly. A visit is highly recommended, possibly the best mussels I've had.

Written 24 March 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steven O'B

Whangarei23 contributions

So good, we had to go the next night as well.

Jul 2020 • none

The Mussel pot was warm, clean & comfortable, with great food. The Mussel platter was a great way to try all the different options and then the next night we chose the dish we like the best. Our only regret was not knowing our waitress's name, even though she was very busy, she had the gift of making you feel welcome & special. Thank you for two nights of tasty dinning.

Written 10 July 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

trevord612

Auckland Central71 contributions

Yum yum

Dec 2020 • couples

My wife and I found ourselves in Havelock for the night. Havelock is the centre of mussel farming so naturally we had to have mussels for dinner. The first place we saw was the Mussel Pot. Knowing nothing we took a punt and it did not disappoint. The service was swift but also warm and personable, the range of drinks was just right and menu even extended beyond mussels. I had 1kg of steamed mussels in green curry sauce. They were delicious. Recommended 👍

Written 27 December 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Neil A

Wellington45 contributions

Nice food - rushed service

Mar 2021 • none

Last night's dinner at the Mussel Pot should have been a leisurely experience. Saturday night in Havelock - we arrived for our 7.15pm dinner booking. Staff and service overall was cordial. And the food was good. However the pressure to order very quickly, and the extremely speedy delivery of food and drink made it clear that the restaurant wanted us in, and then out, very quickly. Even though it wasn't rude - we felt uncomfortable and unwelcome - just another 'tourist transaction'.

Written 20 March 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pip L

Wellington247 contributions

Yummy food and good service

Jan 2021 • family

Stopped in to Havelock for dinner on a warm summer night. No reservation, but luckily could get a table - sat outside. Excellent service, especially our young waiter, very good mussels, and really good prices. Shared grilled mussels, then on to steamed mussels in tomato sauce. Burgers and calamari also good. Highly recommended.

Written 2 January 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pat C

5 contributions

Dinner for Two

Jan 2020 • couples

As always the Mussel Pot can be relied on for consistently excellent fare. Steaks cooked the way they were asked for, smart service, friendly staff and a wine choice for everyone. Acoustics allow a conversation to be had without having to yell at each other or keep saying pardon. We cannot recommend the Mussel Pot enough - definitely the best spot in Havelock to eat at. Does pay to book at peak times to avoid disappointment. Al kudos to Tracy and her team professional

Written 12 January 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

av106

Bristol130 contributions

Superb mussels. However wide

Feb 2020 • none

Superb mussels. However wide range on menu of other foods. Wines are good. Preferred the musselpot wine and it went well with the mussels. Famous New Zealand green lipped mussels cooked various ways all delicious I’m sure. I had traditional garlic with cream. Loads of sauce to eat afterwards. Think ordering garlic bread would have been better rather than bread as not of high standard. Wish they had good sourdough or crusty french stick instead. I would go there again.

Written 15 February 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Felicia

Singapore24 contributions

Loved the battered mussels~

Jan 2020 • none

Food was a little pricey for me, but was well worth for the quality. Had the mussel chowder and battered mussels which were delicious and unique. Def would recommend their home brand white wine that goes perfectly with their mussels.

Written 21 January 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Thomas Wohlmut

Santa Fe330 contributions

Only steps from ocean to plate

Jan 2020 • couples

This is the best restaurant to experience New Zealand Green Lip Mussels. Raised locally these mussels are so fresh you can really taste the difference. My suggestion is to get the steamed mussels with blue cheese. It melts in your mouth and will put a smile on your face. A must visit if you are in the Marlborough wine region.

Written 29 January 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sharon & Kevin

Nelson14 contributions

Friendly efficient staff provided superb service

Jan 2021 • couples

Great service, food arrived quickly and was delicious We didn’t book but well timed as people were turned away not long afterwards. We enjoyed a shared plate for 2 with two small chowders. Hubby ordered fries too but struggled to finish these. Staff friendly and welcoming Food arrived after a very short wait Highly recommend to all

Written 3 January 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gillian P

16 contributions

Sea food Heaven

Dec 2020 • none

We stopped here for lunch whilst in Havelock. The mussels were cooked various ways and every dish was delicious. They also service battered fish which was delicious. They have a lovely courtyard at the back with shady unbrella's. The staff were so pleasant and friendly.

Written 31 December 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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