Wellington Destinations

Astoria Espresso & Wine Bar

Italian with a different accent – this capital-city player uses ingredients imported from Italy made local with the addition of those sourced from independent farms and artisan producers. Pop in for a morning coffee or, if you’re eating, start with the sourdough bread, baked fresh every day. Sometimes the staples are the best.

Chaat Street

A homage to homesickness. Vaibhav Vishen was determined to bring us the north Indian street food he missed from his childhood. The result? Fluffy dumplings, puffy puris, tasty curries, fabulous flatbreads – in their truest form. Everyone’s talking about it.

Cinderella

It’s a bar. It’s a bistro. It’s in the very capable hands of the Yu Group, which raised this beauty from the ashes of The Bresolin. Lunch and dinner menus get equally thoughtful attention; there’s a Sunday roast special, too. You’ll live happily ever after.

Daisy’s

The beloved Asher Boote (he’s got Hillside, too) is the dude behind Daisy’s – named after radio personality Aunt Daisy. In that vein, Boote epitomises homely, honest food that reverently recognises the restaurant’s namesake, while acknowledging modern cross-cultural takes on our ever-developing palates.

Damascus

Syrian classics – courtesy of ex-pat Hasan Alwarhani and Argentinian partner and pastry chef Florencia Quintana – steal the show. She does the sweet stuff; he’s in charge of the savoury. You can savour every taste, while saluting their transformation from pop-up to permanence on Tory St.

Dragons

The definitive dumpling and yum cha address: the place where you can feast on a multiplicity of menu items true to their Chinese origins. Sunday lunch is peak traffic time at this family-owned restaurant. Can’t decide? Don’t fret: platters and tasters allay any indecision.

Duke of Wellington

Duck into this gastro pub on your way home from work and you’ll be guaranteed a warm welcome. Good vibes are matched by a menu that ranges from bar basics to more elevated fare and the duke has done the hard part of matching meals with a fine wine or craft beer. Cheers.

Egmont St Eatery

This laneway restaurant serves a contemporary menu with a presentation that is as pretty as a picture. Beautifully styled decor and fresh, simple, seasonal eating make this a loved-by-the-locals place for brunch (the waffles come recommended), lunch or a pre-show dinner.

GPO Intercontinental

As you’d expect from a restaurant inside an upmarket hotel, touches of luxe abound including marble-topped tables and hand-crafted Temuka Pottery dinnerware. The menu leans into the Mediterranean with the fruits of the sea platter a glorious showcase. Nip in and take a journey on a plate.

Great India

When you’ve been in business for 30 years, you must be doing something right. Perhaps it’s a menu that features 60 dishes ranging from traditional classics to more modern delicacies. Whether fragrant and familiar, or exotic and exciting, the dishes are all handcrafted for happy times.

Havana

No bar and restaurant that takes its name from this Cuban city would be complete without music – and that’s what you can expect here several nights a week. Enjoy tapas and grooves in the bar or venture next door for their sharing plates. Cuba is surely the cocktail capital of the world. Make ours a mojito.

Kisa

Middle Eastern cuisine is only the start of it on this wildly imaginative menu which reinvents traditional cuisines. Consider, for example, the Adana kebab: muttony tahr rather than the customary minced lamb. Since landing on Cuba St, Kisa has asserted its presence with ample oomph.

Koji

Pan-Asian perfected: sweet, sour, salty, spicy notes are captured in every dish at this hot favourite of the dining scene. If chilli is your BFF, you’ll be in nirvana (even the wine list is skewed towards aromatic whites to offset the bite). A guaranteed way to give your tastebuds a big wake up call.

Liberty

Stamped with a Logan Brown pedigree, and with head chef Alex France at the helm, Liberty has plenty in its favour even before you settle into its sophisticated surrounds. The main menu thrust is French-Italian-Spanish, delivered by talented veterans, with knowledgeable newbies alongside.

Loretta

The ever-changing menu has all the bases covered – from breakfast to lunch and dinner seven days a week. There are traces of Ottolenghi in the rustic salads and woodfired sourdough pizzas but there’s always a new temptation among the day’s specials (flans, tarts and cakes), displayed on the long, central table.

Noble Rot

When a restaurant boasts one of the biggest wine selections in the country, it’s no surprise that the menu is built around classic matches with full-bodied fare taking a starring role. The atmosphere is buzzy and exciting and you can book in for an education workshop with the sommeliers.

One80

The view across the sparkling lights of the city makes dining at this Oriental Bay restaurant a visual treat. Pull up a stool at the bar for some all-day bites or take the full 180-degree plunge with a feast that teams progressive Indian influences with French techniques.

Salty Pidgin

Head chef and co-owner Amy Gillies likes to cook what she likes to eat. And we love to eat what she turns out in this hallmark address. Bar snacks, pides, mains and more: Amy works magic throughout. It’s enough to spark neighbourhood envy.

Shed 5

If ever there was an oldie but a goodie, it’s this (age 31). Fish, naturally, is predominant, given the wharfside setting. They take their catch so seriously, they’ve even got their own fishmonger. Chef Geoff Ngan’s menu balances flavour, texture and indulgence without pretence.

Spring Kitchen

Located inside a bijou boutique hotel, the food that arrives at the polished-marble tables shakes up the stereotype of hotel fare. It teams Asian flavours with New Zealand produce in dishes that aim to offer a delightful diversion from the norm. It’s fine dining but not as you know it.

WBC

A raw board at this former boot factory kickstarts the experience at this classic bistro and oyster bar. The space offers a window to both streetscape and a busy, bustling kitchen. Fragrant, fresh and flavoursome food is sized to suit all degrees of appetite.

We’d love to know about your favourite spots.
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