The Ōkato is a historic hotel, restaurant and bar at 2502 South Road in Ōkato, on Taranaki's Surf Highway south-west of New Plymouth. The business is housed in a building dating to the 1870s and combines a bistro restaurant with a bar and events space known as Slippery Bill's.
According to a local listing, The Ōkato restaurant serves elevated bistro dining for lunch and weekend dinners, with a menu emphasising seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Slippery Bill's operates as the bar, and counter food includes housemade pies, cheese scones and desserts. The listing gives opening hours of 8am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm daily; these should be confirmed with the venue.
The hotel has six renovated guest rooms. The restaurant and accommodation are described as dog-friendly, and the property has mountain views.
The listing says the venue hosts live music nights, art shows, guest chef collaborations and monthly degustation dinners. Function capacity is not stated in the sources reviewed, so group organisers should enquire directly (027 602 7608 per the listing).
Regional heritage records from Puke Ariki say the Okato Hotel was established in 1875 by Robert Gray, a former soldier, and remained in the Gray family until 1909. It has operated under several names, including the Stony River Hotel and the Okato Tavern. The bar's name recalls William Emeny, who ran the hotel around 1912 and was known as Slippery Bill. The venue's own website could not be fetched, so this overview relies on these third-party sources.
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