Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is located in the south of the North Island and is often referred to as ‘The Coolest Little Capital In The World’. Rightly so! The city is as much about numerous beaches, cool coffee shops and an artistic vibe as it is about food. Actually, I’d argue that every foodie out there would be more than satisfied with the varied (and seemingly endless) choice on hand.
The city has got more than 300 restaurants, cafés and bars, that’s supposedly more per capita than New York City! That fact alone is mindblowing. And the truth is, the longer you’re there, the more places you try the longer your list gets! On top, there are new eateries continuously popping up, almost one per week.
1. The Botanist
For all vegans (or vegan food fans) – the one place I suggest you go to is The Botanist. Located near beautiful Lyall Bay beach, this is a buzzing restaurant with lots of plants, cool tiles and insanely delicious plant-based dishes.
The one dish you have to try is their buckwheat banana pancakes! They both got salted caramel cream cheese (to die for!) on it and you choose between either apple & pear saffron compote or banana and facon (as in, fake bacon).
All vegan, and gluten-free on request! Another dish you can’t go wrong with is the ‘Veganise Me’. Packed with avocado, facon, hash brown, wilted spinach, roast tomatoes and spicy beans, it’s a dish that fuels you for a day of exploring!
The Botanist
219 Onepu Road, Lyall Bay
Once you’re ready for the day, you should incorporate a yoga session in one of Wellington’s stunning yoga spaces. Head over to the full post here!
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2. Egmont St. Eatery
Tucked away in a laneway, this little gem offers high-quality seasonal ingredients and makes the ideal Saturday morning stop. If you are having a sweet tooth, make sure to try their ricotta pancakes.
Topped with pecan brittle, summer berries, strawberry curd and ginger mascarpone, it’s a delightful dish. For something savoury, order the eggs on housemade toast and add a side of salmon. The bread is super crispy and the salmon dissolves on your tongue. The food here is unbeatable!
Egmont St. Eatery
11 Egmont Street, Te Aro
3. Mockingbird
This hip place is a winner when it comes to casual lunch dates or dinner & drinks on the rooftop. Their specialty is vegan burgers, Buddha bowls and more vegan dishes such as spirulina dumplings or popcorn tofu.
The one burger I swear by is the Frida, made with black bean, chickpea & corn patty, cheese sauce, avocado, lettuce, tomato & pickled onion with a side of their kumara (sweet potato) OR truffle mayo curly fries.
The bun can be gluten-free or swapped with lettuce! The Jack Jack Jackie with pulled BBQ jackfruit or the K-POP made with Korean crumbed seitan ‘chicken’ and housemade kimchi is also very worth trying! Also, make sure to get a bottle of Tuatara Hefeweizen beer to accompany the dish – there is no better combo!
Mockingbird
8 Courtenay Place, Te Aro
4. Ombra
Situated up on Cuba Street, Ombra is inspired by the bacari of Venices and makes a perfect place for a date night! The menu is made for sharing, so between two people 3-4 dishes are advised!
A filling cicchetti (small bites) to start should be the baccalá mantecato crostino. It’s super creamy and the bread is divine! The best main dish by far is the gnocchi with kale and hazelnut. It’s just a dream!
Apart from that, I’d suggest ordering the chickpea polpette which comes with coconut, dukkah and pear compote (all vegetarian and gluten-free). To finish off with something dolce, make sure to order the Whittakers chocolate volcano with vanilla gelato. There is nothing better!
Ombra
199 Cuba Street, Te Aro
5. Customs by Coffee Supreme
No visit to Wellington would be complete without checking out one of its premier coffee shops. Not only do they serve fantastic coffee, but they also partner with Little Dough Co, serving the prettiest and most indulgent doughnuts on the weekend.
They tend to run out by midday, so getting up early to grab one is a must and oh so worth it! The doughnuts change every week, so it’s always a surprise waiting for! My favourite was this Valentines one, glazed in strawberry rose, sprinkled with rose pedals.
If you want to go all-in, they also featured ones filled with velvet cheesecake, peanut butter creme or some fancy Fijian vanilla and matcha cheesecake. Do I need to say more?
Customs by Coffee Supreme
39 Ghuznee St, Te Aro treet, Te Aro
PS. For all coffee lovers, keep reading here: A journey through the best coffee shops in Wellington.
There are easily 20+ more places I could have listed on here that I loved and everyone would have been worth trying! There are fabulous fine dining places, tasty seafood restaurants near the harbour, petite restaurants that change their menu daily and an array of Asian joints. With that being said, don’t miss out on the rich craft beer scene or the natural wine tours.
For some more casual food inspo, follow me on Instagram and check out my daily stories!
About Christin, the Author of this Post
Christin is a destination photographer, travel blogger and yogini – currently settling in beautiful Canggu, Bali. Camera in hand, she has travelled to 73 countries, and lived in 6 of them.
She loves collaborating with other creatives and brands to create some cool content – whether that be on the beach, in the jungle or involving an infinity pool featured villa.
Writing contributions on travel blogs, sharing travel knowledge with friends & readers alike is what makes her happy – besides a daily coffee & being surrounded by good company. For enquiries please contact her on Christin Theilig and follow her Instagram feed for travel tips & inspiration
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