Wellington restaurants have it all. Our favourites are comfortable, somewhat casual, and always serving great food. The city offers traditional, international, and eclectic options. Wellington may be a city known for its coffee but take a look at some of the food we tried at several Wellington restaurants and see if you agree it is also a city for eating.
Our recent trip to New Zealand’s capital city allowed enough time to visit a few old favourites and discover a few new Wellington restaurants too.
Viva Mexico
I have been talking about this Mexican taco shop since we discovered it over a year ago. I had eaten here on a mummy/daughter trip with each of my girls. Finally, hubby got to discover what we have been raving about all this time. Authentic flavours, plates full of food, and a friendly atmosphere, no wonder Viva Mexico is my favourite of the Wellington restaurants. It’s located down an alley off Cuba Street. I apologise to the people of Wellington if I am sharing a local’s secret with the world.
Enchiladas with mole sauce. Yummy! This is my favourite dish from Viva Mexico.
Inside Viva Mexico, my favourite of the Wellington restaurants, and my first eatery stop on every visit.
Karaka Cafe
An iconic waterfront location, huge bean bags, and table seating both indoors and out make Karaka Cafe a great place to relax. It features New Zealand flavours surrounded by traditional Maori decor.
OMG – this is quite the salad. Everything at Karaka Cafe is delicious. We tend to order from the display cabinet rather than the menu.
Egmont Street Eatery
Another alleyway eatery, this restaurant is located in a former car park – although you would never know it when you were there. Modern and delicious, the portions are made for sharing, and we just kept on ordering. It wasn’t all salads; we had a bit of everything.
Egmont Street Eatery is a new spot for us, which quickly made it to our favourite Wellington restaurants list.
Picnic Cafe in the Botanic Gardens
We were not planning on eating here, but rather just to enjoy the colourful Wellington Botanic Gardens. Then I saw this salmon salad served to someone else. I was hooked.
Can you believe I got a salad this great at the Botanic Garden Cafe? Everything that came out of the kitchen looked this good, and the sunlight, big shade umbrellas, and nearby rose garden made this fabulous meal. (Officially it is called Picnic Cafe.)
Kaffee Eis
What could be better than a place specialising in boutique coffee and gourmet gelato? We sat at the counter. Hubby had the best of all worlds – an affogato (coffee and gelato in one cup).
Ask my teens and Kaffee Eis will always be on their list. Best ice cream in Wellington – and they make a great cup of coffee so I could stick to my food plan. Our former favourite dessert place that has since closed was Strawberry Fare.
Thistle Inn
The Thistle Inn is New Zealand’s oldest surviving tavern and restaurant operating from its original site, holding the country’s second oldest liquor license.
Coffee Houses
It is a city known for coffee, and to date, we have not had a bad cup anywhere. Our favourite coffee spots are:
- Plum Cafe – located in the pedestrian-only portion of Cuba Street, I prefer their outdoor seating.
- Mojo – while the coolest Mojo is probably the one located in the old St. James Theatre, we also enjoy sitting outside at the one across from Shed 13 on Customhouse Quay. We even enjoyed a self-guided tour and watched Mojo roasting coffee.
- Photo Espresso – delicious coffee and an enclosed counter filled with old cameras. Although, we were a bit surprised to see the camera model I recently passed down to Sarah in the case.
- Arabica – friendly staff and a great cup of coffee. Popular with locals, so you know it’s great.
If you are headed to Wellington or anywhere in New Zealand, don’t forget to pick up a copy of Lonely Planet’s New Zealand Travel Guide or enjoy a tour of Wellington from Viator.
Did we visit your favourite Wellington restaurants?
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Well this food looks amazing, particularly the sale from Karaka Cafe. The salmon and the poached egg is interesting, in a very good way.
Everything on here was delicious.
I wish i had known these places before going to wellington. Strawberry fare would be probably my favourite as i love dessert!
There is always next time.
Oooo everything looks so yummy! Especially love the asian salad from Egmont Street Eatery. Looks delicious!!!
That salad was so good, and so fresh. I was really glad we found that place, and ventured out to try somewhere new.
You just made me very hungry.
The Mexican restaurant looks like a hole in the wall, and often those kinds of places serve the best food.
New Zealand tends to use nicer expressions than hole in the wall, but yes it is. A perfect locals hangout, with superb flavours.
Pineapple on a hamburger? Americans would call it heresy but I can kind of see it. Should I find myself in your part of the world I would certainly seek these places out.
Actually, that was cheese. I didn’t eat those, as I had my own meal. I just didn’t have room to put all the food photos here, so you get the highlights.
Oh the food all looks so good. I want to try all of them. Great shots too. Makes my mouth water.
Have a fabulous day. 🙂
You can’t go wrong with any of them.
You should have written this before I left for Wellington two years ago 😀
LOL – Two years ago I hadn’t discovered most of these places yet.
Even though I just ate this post still makes me hungry! Bookmarked for our next trip to New Zealand:-)
Glad I am successful. It should make you hungry.
You definitely got my attention with this post. Sometimes a decent restaurant is the hardest thing to find when you travel.
True. We have been really lucky in Wellington. About half the places we ate at didn’t make this list. And our list was pre-loaded with favourites from our last visit.
oh man! How good do those salads look??
I am amazed at how delicious healthy choices can be. I feel better when I travel now that I eat like this.
Not only does the food look delicious, but each dish has great and vibrant colors! Karaka Cafe sounds amazing!
They are all amazing.
Yum Yum Yum!! I hope I get to Wellington to try some of this delicious food soon! I am coming to Queenstown in May but I don’t think time will allow a trip to Wellington. 🙂
Queenstown is such a wonderful city. You will love it. There are plenty of great places to eat.
oh those look soooo good! glad it’s not just me that takes photos when we go out to dinner, trip adviser is very handy too 🙂
LOL – I didn’t used to, it’s a new thing for me to photo my food. But I am doing it so much now that my family doesn’t eat until I have taken the shot.
Looks good. Save me a seat.
Hurry up . . . before it melts or get colds depending on which one you want.
Oh Rhonda, I LOVE your food photos. Every meal looks so delicious. If I ever get to Wellington, I now have a list of great restaurants to visit 🙂
And they are all great!
All the food look amazing!They are beautifully presented…
Yes, the food looks as good as it tastes.
OMG that food looks amazing – piece of arts…. Salmon is my favorite, and yes please – love how they made it there… And with that dessert….. Hold a chair for me please- on my way:-) 🙂
I think it is a bit ambitious to eat that salmon salad with the dessert. You will be stuffed!
Hi Rhonda – gosh they all look delicious and I’d love to try them all … wonderful photos too … the Mexican, the Botanical Garden and the Karaka Bar .. all especially good … cheers Hilary
I see you prefer the savoury to sweet.
Your food pics are wonderful! I love Mexican food, but every plate your photographed looks fabulous! And I love the Thistle Inn, too. Those old-fashioned wood interiors always make me feel I’m dining in a comfortable and homey place. 🙂
I love that place too. I didn’t show it, but it has the original cellar. There is a glass section of floor so you can see into it. Really cool.
Seems like great places to have some food.Viva Mexico has some unique interior…
I think it feels a bit like a back road place in Mexico.
These dishes certainly look so delicious that they make your mouth water. No wander it’s your favorite restaurant. You take so great food picture that the restaurant should definitely hire you for advertising.
LOL – While I think I have figured out how to take a food photo, I am no where near the professional status – but thanks for the compliment 🙂
Perhaps I should have come by after breakfast tomorrow morning, Rhonda. It is half past midnight and your post made me hungry 🙁 Just coming over from Sarah’s post and between the two of you….my heart is full. (my tummy isn’t!)
Hugs! Love the photos. First thing I’d do in Wellington is visit those coffee places! ♥
LOL – come by after dinner for my food posts.
Ohh, looks like another great food city to add to my list. That salmon salad looks (I love salmon). I would like to see how the Mexican food tastes there.
This is the best Mexican food we have found in New Zealand – so far. We frequently choose Mexican if it is available.
Yum, I want all of it.
I did it, so can you.
Yummy, all this food look so delicious!
I hope you are well Rhonda
xxx
http://www.travelera.es
All good here. Thanks.
Rhonda, These all look superb! I’ll hopefully get to try them out sometime.
I know you travel for food 🙂