Best restaurant in Wellington

“A hidden gem right in the heart of the city. You’ll miss it easily as it sits on the 1st floor and only noticeable from the menu and sign board which leads you up a flight of stairs. This place has been around for such a long time and it used to be a haunt with my mates during our uni days which was a couple of decades ago! A great selection of food and they don’t disappoint. What I’m impressed is that the consistency is still the same from day 1 and portion sizing is generous. They have a toilet available but you’ll need a key behind the counter and it comes with a super large keychain! Since nothing much has changed, the place is slightly run down and would definitely benefit from a little makeover.”

“This place has the best food I’ve had in Wellington. The flavours are amazing and the portions are gigantic. The staff are really nice and there’s a lot to choose from. It came out very quickly”

“The place is really lovely, the food is exceptional, and the staff are super kind! Highly recommended!”

“Absolutely flawless, perfect 5 stars! Despite arriving quite late, around 8 pm, I was greeted warmly by the staff, all with genuine smiles. The restaurant's atmosphere was cozy and spotlessly clean, with plenty of seating available. The menu was impressively extensive, and the staff graciously guided me through the options with clear explanations. Opting for (Hainanese) chicken rice, I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived promptly in just 5 minutes. The presentation was stunning, and the taste surpassed all expectations. The chicken was juicy and bursting with flavour, complemented perfectly by the fresh and crispy fried onions, freshest sliced cucumber and the subtly tangy soy-based sauce. The homemade chili sauce was also very authentic and a delightful touch. The accompanying chicken soup was also delicious and showcased the freshness and quality of the ingredients. At $22, the meal was not only delicious but also amazingly good value. Both the attentive waitstaff and the friendly chef made me feel incredibly welcome, leaving me eager to return. With so many enticing dishes left to try, I'm already looking forward to my next visit.”

“Best banh mi and summer rolls in wellington! Always get lunch here when I can.”

“We love this place, food is always great, hot and fresh. They cook it in front of you and it’s very entertaining, kid friendly or fun for a few drinks as the start of a good night”

“OMG the "Pasion Ardiente (Burning Passion)" cocktail is the absolute BEST! Can ask for it to be less spicy if you want. Have never had such a delicious cocktail before, apart from my usual Pina Coladas. 1st time here, can't wait to come back. Great staff, atmosphere, and food looked amazing. We just came for drinks this time.”

“Just had the tastiest meal from here! I ordered 4 spring rolls and the satay chicken with extra meat. It was all ready in 10 minutes, and the staff was so friendly. I was given 2 spring rolls for free and the satay chicken was amazing. If you pay for extra meat, you really get a lot! Big portions and so, so tasty. So happy to have found this little place, was so pleased with food, keep up the great service!!”

“Went here for my mum's birthday today and was very impressed by the food. Up there with the best Cantonese style food in Wellington. Really varied menu with some unique dishes that I haven't seen on menus before. We ordered a lot of dishes and every dish was fresh and delicious. Highlights were the roast pork, beef with ginger and spring onion, stuffed eggplant and pepper, fried dumplings and the chicken stuffed with shrimp paste and topped with almonds. Can't wait to come back and try the soups.”

“Irish people come here! The spice bag is class. Curry sauce and all.”

“I loved this restaurant as I’m coming first time to this place. The staff Govu Sundar chef, as well as he was service staff as well. Govu Sundar was extremely good with his cooking skill and serving skills. He was the only one attended us. I strongly recommend this restaurant for everyone out there to experience Authentic taste of Indian food. I have tasted before but this is pure Indian taste. Govu Sundar is the great asset for this restaurant.”

“We had a really beautiful lunch at the Japanese restaurant upstairs here. The food was beautifully presented and the flavours were exquisite - and super fresh! The menu has a good range and the staff were very friendly. The set meals are quite generous. Go hungry or share, which is what we did. 5 stars.”

“We had the absolute pleasure of being looked after by Tapan at Jardin Grill, and he truly made the entire experience exceptional. From the moment we arrived, his warm welcome and genuine attentiveness set the tone for the evening. He struck the perfect balance between professionalism and friendliness, making us feel both valued and comfortable. Tapan’s knowledge of the menu and recommendations were spot on”

“We had a lovely time, two mornings in a row. Great service, great food. Amazing coffee. Value for money and opens at 7AM!”

“Five months ago I had a bad experience here, the quality was far from it's former glory. However, I went back today and I am pleasantly surprised. The quality of the food has been restored. The fish was battered and cooked to perfection and the chips were hot and crispy. Will definitely be going back. I am not sure what has changed, but I hope it continues. Very satisfied”

“Visited the Greek Food Truck outside the railway station a couple of weeks ago after hearing good things. And let you know if I was not disappointed at all. I ordered the chicken souvlaki, which tasted incredible. Staff here were also super friendly. Will definitely be back again for a tasty Greek meal!”

“We hosted our book club in the upstairs room on a Monday night and Colin was super helpful, so accommodating and it was a good central spot for those working in town, while still feeling like we could escape for a couple of hours! We worked our way through a few of the non-alcoholic beer and gin offerings too; appreciated having options for those driving.”

“Great food—the chicken burger is fantastic and the portions are large. Convenient parking and lovely service from our server, Sharron. Will definitely return!”

“A great place to chill and enjoy the crowds (or army of suits). Very easy to get to, via bus or rail. Food was great beer was too only downside no Stella. Will come again soon :)”

“A wonderful birthday lunch at Picnic! I cannot thank Picnic Cafe enough for an absolutely fabulous 70th birthday lunch! It was Wellington on a good day and the roses were in full bloom. This is such a fantastic venue for Welly locals and especially for visitors. The service was outstanding with the manager and his staff graciously, attentively and very efficiently accommodating 26 exuberant family and friends. It worked beautifully for the group that each could select what they wanted for lunch and the atmosphere was relaxed and, well, picnic-y. It couldn't have been better! Highly recommended. Thank you to Paul Lester and J Paul and Picnic! Mary Dec 2025”

“One of my favorite places! Bagels here are very tasty, crunchy and fresh. I also love shakshouka and smoothies!”

“Absolutely amazing! The staff are lovely, kai was top quality, you will not regret eating here. As a Maori the environment and energy made me feel right home!. ✨❤️ Gorgeous ocean view whilst eating was just a bonus☀️ Ngā mihi nui ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”

“The grilled pork on rice was absolutely incredible. It was seriously the best I've had in the city. I also grabbed some spring rolls for an appetizer, and they were a delicious way to kick off the meal. Overall, a fantastic experience. Great food, friendly service”

“Outstanding service and food. My partner and I came here because we were looking for a steak house within the Lower Hutt area to try. We were blown away with our rib eye steaks and desserts. I loved the mushroom sauce which came with the rib eye steak. For dessert I had the lemon tart which was delicious!! My partner had the Whitakers chocolate dessert; he loved it! It was too rich for me, but if you’re a sweet tooth you’d love it!”

“The most beautiful kebab that I have in Wellington and Porirua area. They have choices of falafel, chicken, or lamb. You can also have it combine for extra dollar.”

“This place doesn’t deserve a 5 star it deserves a 10!! The food was extremely delicious! The staff were on point. The food wait time was just perfect. You guys deserve nothing but a 10 out of 10! Thanks for the amazing hospitality! Definitely see you next time! So much to pick from. Worth a shot on everything. We had 5 things and everything was perfectly cooked.”

“Today we visited with a couple of locals stating this Fish & Chip shop was amazing, We arrived to see quite a few people waiting outside, It’s a small but very busy shop, it took about 40 minutes for our order to be ready and it was worth the wait, We ordered a fish burger, crabmeat stick, crumbed fish, nuggets and cheeseburger for the kids and Garlic Butter Fries full scoop. Everything was amazing, a normally fussy child finished the cheese burger without a problem, the fish burger was great, and everything else was too! The surprise was the Garlic Butter Fries! They were amazing! Highly recommended if you ever visit here! There is some seating out the front, a little park across the road where you can sit and enjoy your meal or you can take it just around the corner near the water and watch the sunset. While waiting a lady mentioned she drove from upper hut to come here for the fish and chips as she use to live in the area many years ago which is about a 28 kilometer drive which is just over 17 miles. This is an online version of their menu, it is definitely worth the wait! https://qrmn.co/u3wwlq”

“Salmon was delicious and came out super fast. Very friendly service. Indoor and outdoor seating options with a gorgeous views!”

“The atmosphere at this cafe was great for brunch and the food was delicious. The black pudding extremely delicious! The staff were externally friendly. I disagree with previous comments about small portion sizes, all the portions were generous Just a note that I think things are unsalted intentionally but this wasn't a big issue at all, plenty of salt on the table”

“Greeted by a lovely guy who was very friendly. Decided to sit outside despite the overcast weather instead of waiting for an inside table which turned out to be a good decision. The food & coffee was great. The staff were very helpful. Will definitely be back.”