Around 20 to 30 people were involved in a fight which erupted outside Vodka Room in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby.

An alleged racist incident at a popular central Auckland bar resulted in about 30 people brawling on Friday night.

According to a witness, the fight started at Vodka Bar, in Ponsonby, after 10pm. A group of men and women, who were described as "caucasian", started yelling racist comments at staff who were of Indian descent.

The group then allegedly started shouting abuse to people at a nearby table who appeared to be of either Middle Eastern or Asian descent.

SUPPLIED About 30 people from two groups clashed in Auckland on Friday after an alleged racist incident.

"They were making remarks about non-New Zealand residents in New Zealand," the witness said. "'Go back to your country' and things like that, really."

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One group thought the other group didn't "look like New Zealand citizens", according to the witness.

Staff at the restaurant asked the abusive group to leave, but they allegedly refused. A fight then broke out between a caucasian man and an individual from the other group.

Police and security were called to the scene and turned up later in the evening.

But the fight had exploded into an even bigger one by the time they arrived, according to the witness.

The brawl moved out of the bar and into the wider Ponsonby area as both groups punched and shoved each other into the middle of Williamson Ave.

At one point, a man of non-caucasian appearance looks to have been thrown to the ground in Rose Rd.

The witness said the fight "calmed down" after the authorities arrived on the scene.

"Vodka Room is deeply saddened by the incident on Friday," the bar's owner said in a statement.

"We are proud to oppose all forms of bigotry and xenophobia. Consideration is being given to extending private security at the venue, though it troubles us deeply that such a thing needs to be considered."

A police spokesperson said they received a call-out for a "disorder" at 11.09pm on Friday.

"There were no injuries, and it was reported to police as 'no physical violence'."

The spokesperson said police talked to a witness but "the groups involved had dispersed".