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In Wellington, restaurants, cafés, and sports bars spring up overnight like mushrooms. Although you'll never be without the classic meal of steak, fries, and ale, city eateries have also embraced more adventurous fare. Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Malaysian, Mexican, and Italian cuisines are increasingly common. Indigenous food, too, is appearing in restaurants around the city—native plants might be paired with traditional seafood or made into sauces to accompany meat or sweet-potato dishes.
In rural areas outside Wellington, the wine industry has revolutionized local tables, with excellent dining and wine-tasting spots. In the Wairarapa, restaurants are winning a reputation for creative cuisine.
Generally, lunch runs from noon until 2, and most restaurants close for a few hours before opening for dinner around 6. On Monday, many restaurants are shuttered. Dress codes are still really relaxed; jeans would be frowned on only in the top restaurants.
Famous for its "2-4-1" Thursday burger night and Sunday dessert night, this casual place is often packed to its brightly painted rafters from brunch until dinner. Upstairs, the restaurant offers a great selection of hearty meals, small plates, and quick cabinet food (sandwiches, scones, and cakes) for all dietary needs, along with tasty cocktails and coffee. Downstairs, the cabaret kiosk sells gelato, coffee, and doughnuts for those on the go.
Part café, part cakery, Tomboy is a great spot to grab a sandwich, scone, or pastry, or some delicious breakfast fare. For refreshment, try one of the freshly made juices, coffees, or the famous beetroot-based latte.
Duck's pink and yellow pastels feel like a warm, cheeky smile between its "cool" Cuba Street counterparts. With 40 ice creams on rotation and 24 on show, you'll struggle to pick between your nostalgic favorites and their experimental flavors. A must-try is Duck's twist on the Australasian party staple, fairy bread (white bread with butter, topped with sprinkles). There's another location on Willis Lane.
In this city of coffee fanatics, Peoples is one of the most beloved coffee brands. Its trademark organic and fair-trade beans are found across the city in a number of outposts, and this bright, airy café on Luke's Lane is one of the best for sampling the range of brews and pairing them with fresh cabinet food (sandwiches, scones, cakes) from local bakeries.
