Family dining in Wellington

“We were on holiday in Lower Hutt and dropped in for a coffee. Terrific service and taste. The Chai Latte is unequalled. I got a coffee box cup, perfect for my work van, easy to drink from. I wish you guys were in the Waikato. Top job.”

“Being quite a high priced item, I had some misgivings about purchasing the Artsome Mossberg Vintage Cigar Tub Chair online without being able to physically see it. However, I've now received it, and am delighted with the quality. Sturdily constructed, excellent leather in just the colour I'd hoped for, and beautifully finished. Excellent service and communication from Hardings Furniture.”

“This is by far the best sushi on the Kapiti Coast . Fresh, clean, well priced, and so so flavoursome. It was such a rare delight to find this sushi place with such a high standard of quality best of all it’s locally owned and operated.”

“The Maori Sidesteps were wonderful. Great music, great comedy and some important messages to top it off.”

“Went here for my birthday. Tried a few of the starters, such as garlic bread, bruschetta, 3 cheese arancini, and the Provolone al forno. All were really good, and i could eat an endless amount of the Provolone al forno. I got the carbonara, and was nice and creamy. Tiramisu for dessert was good too.”

“We had huge, delicious portions of pastas here. There’s a live pianist as well that created a lovely ambience as we enjoyed our meal.”

“Delicious dinner! Came in without reservation and sat at the bar. We ordered the arancini, mushroom ragu, gnocchis and pancetta pizza, everything was delicious, would definitely have it again. The atmosphere is vibey and the service is really nice.”

“We visited this café twice based on a personal recommendation, and we were blown away. The decor is super fancy, rustic, and vintage. The service is outstanding and very attentive. The café is irresistibly delicious, and breakfast was incredibly tasty. There are also vegan options available. It’s a beautiful location filled with lovely details.”

“Incredible service and delicious food! All of the staff (especially the woman on the front till) were incredibly energetic, attentive, smiley and friendly. The food here is absolutely phenomenal - in particular, the waffles. For $25, the waffles were a great portion size, presented beautifully and was overall a 10/10 meal. It was like a churro in waffle form - super soft and chewy but still very light with that classic exterior cinnamon sugar crusted crisp that churros have. The plum mascarpone toned down the sweetness, the strawberries were a great addition and the maple syrup was the cherry on top. As I mentioned, the size of the waffles was very generous, and we still managed to finish them all as they were so fluffy and not dense whatsoever. The granola was really delicious and not like many others available in Wellington. Whilst also being presented beautifully, the house-made granola was abundant with chewy oats, sliced nuts, seeds and coconut, and was definitely binded with maple syrup which made it very soft, unlike typical granolas that are crunchy. I really liked this though - definitely one of the best granolas I have ever had. The sweetness was toned down by the greek yoghurt paired nicely with a berry jam, diced nectarine, sliced pear and maple syrup. They also offered milk on a side which was lovely. I did provide feedback to the waitstaff regarding the granola being a very minuscule portion which they very swiftly relayed to the chefs. The staff were very considerate and understanding, and ensured that I left satisfied. Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Egmont St. Eatery and I would highly recommend that everyone tries their waffles. They were potentially the best waffles I have ever consumed in my life. I did find the cafe itself a little bit loud due to the music volume and conversing patrons, but that is more just of a personal preference. Awesome work team. I was very blown away with the hospitality you provided. Keep it up!”

“First time at Apaches new location and wow it did not disappoint. The restaurant was buzzing, the staff were amazing and the food is just delicious. The food is fresh, tasty and portions are generous. The bar has a great range of drinks. Highly recommend!!”

“Will definitely come back again! Came here once because my friend recommended and now has become my favorite restaurant in welly. Staffs were friendly and great atmosphere to hang out with friends or family. The seats were almost filled around 20min after they open. Off street parkings are available around too. Love everything we order, especially the gnocchi with prosciutto! 3 people ordered 4 appetizers and a steak, very filling. Also the bacon marmalades on the bone marrow is yum!!”

“One of our favourite finds on our NZ holiday - great atmosphere and one of the best burgers I’ve ever had”

“Great place for a drink on a sunny afternoon in Wellington. Friendly staff, good ambiance, good music. Choose up or downstairs they even have a balcony. Makes you feel a bit like being in London with a touch of sunshine and clean air.”

“Many seating arrangements V good customer service Our food was devine. See pictures Good coffee Highly recommend Thanks!”

“I came to Antalya Kebab House for lunch, and I really enjoyed it. The kebab was big, had a nice amount of meat and veggies, and the hot sauce was nicely spicy. The chips were nice as well, and I appreciated the student discount. Will be returning.”

“We ordered Tom Yum Soup and Panang Curry with Rotis for dinner. The Tom Yum soup was delicious, great portion and done to perfection. I found the Panand curry too creamy for my liking, may be that's how it is prepared, the taste was good. Rotis and Satay sauce was very good too. Service was good. The new place on Cuba is lovely. The fan wasn't working so it was a bit smokey but the food made up for it! Overall we loved their food and definitely recommend if you like Thai food.”

“I spent 6 weeks in India, but this was the best curry I’ve ever had. Extremely flavourful and delicious, it tasted fresh and homemade in all the best ways. Fabulous little takeaway place and I will definitely be back! Thank you for the wonderful food!”

“Best Indian restaurant in wellington. Very warm welcoming staff. I ordered MALAI KOFTA with naan and is very delicious. Whenever I come to wellington from Paraparaumu I alaways prefer to have my lunch in curry heaven restaurant . I recommend to everyone to go to this restaurant. Thanks for delicious food.”

“Excellent food and an excellent night. Kate creates a great atmosphere and she and her staff did a fine job handling our various food preferences. We didn't want to leave!”

“Great meal at Noble Rot. Scallops were fresh and delicate, the proteins were cooked perfectly, and the sauces were rich and well-balanced. The crispy-skin fish was a standout. Some dishes leaned a bit classic and could use more colour or acidity, and the dessert felt slightly heavy, but overall a very well-executed, enjoyable dinner.”

“What a lovely place. We’re passing through Welly and with our ferry delayed we looked for a spot for brekkie, picked the best place. Service so friendly and they were accommodating to our little Maltese girl. Delicious pastry and food in general.”

“The Hyderabadi dum biryani is a must try here. It feels very authentic and feels like from Hyderabad. The mutton haleem is very special here and one of the only places it is available in Wellington. All other Hyderabadi style curries are delicious. My wife liked it a lot as well.”

“Amazing atmosphere and real, authentic Indian cuisine. If you are a real fan of proper spicy food (and you can really handle the heat), mention "Indian hot" with your order. The staff were very polite and the owner came around a few times to ensure that we had everything we needed. Thank you for a slice of tasty spice wonderland in Wellington! Will be back for more when we visit NZ again.”

“A great restaurant, excellent food and great atmosphere. Remember to take your own alcohol as it’s a byo. Overall great value and would definitely visit again”

“Very generous portions, delicious, and top class service. Really nice experience. Plenty of space between tables too and very reasonable pricing.”

“Muay bien! A hole in the wall serving the best Mexican in Wellington (and maybe even NZ). Love the delicious soft corn tortillas and that the fillings are all cooked with coconut oil. Perfect takeaways to enjoy a sunny afternoon on the waterfront. Andres the chef who hails from Mexico is an absolute cracker.”

“We were in a pineapple mood, so tried the pineapple stirfry with chicken and a red curry and pineapple with chicken. Both came with a small amount of rice. If you enjoy rice with more than half your bites, order an extra side. The chicken satay skewers were an ok way to start the meal. The real stars were the pineapple dishes! Service is good and the food was delivered quickly.”

“Good service and food was delicious. I hadn't realized that some of the dishes needed to be ordered in advance but our group of 7 were very happy with the dishes we were able to order tonight. They didn't have savignon (which is what I normally drink), but I tried the pinot gris and liked it, so all good.”

“Makara Beach Cafe (Wharekai) is a special place. It’s in one of the wildest parts of New Zealand. The cafe is open Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays (subject to management’s discretion) from 11am till 5pm (again… it can change!!). It’s actually a really hard place to run a cafe because of its location. You either drive through Takarau Gorge (a narrow, winding road through an active fault from Johnsonville), or Makara Road via Karori (more friendly for inexperienced drivers). While only 15-20 minutes from the city, it is considered remote. There is very little infrastructure out there. No town water services exist, there is a public toilet block with 2 loos and a change room. They are connected to a septic system and there is no drinkable public water supply (byo or buy one at the cafe). Everyone working here is a local resident. The current proprietors have dedicated their lives to serving their community. They are the local posties, working 7 days a week…. Ronnie and Mark decided to take up the lease of the cafe post-covid. There is nothing else anywhere nearby. The nearby Makara Beach walkway is the busiest public recreational walking track in the whole Wellington Region! Ronnie, once the catering manager with Cook Strait ferries, brings her epic culinary skills to creating and cooking everything on the menu personally, in a very small kitchen. She batters the fish as ordered, making some of the freshest and most delicious fish and chips you will ever have. Her Lasagne is legendary, Toasties are a very popular mainstay (if you are Coeliac, you can even have a Gluten Free toastie!!!). The Big Beefy Burger is always a winner after doing an epic walk to the gun emplacements. I personally can’t get enough of the Bacon and Egg Butties! Ronnie has an extensive menu, catering for all tastes and levels of hunger, including those of our most precious Tamariki (children). The cafe’s busy-ness is directly linked to weather conditions and time of the year. On a sunny day with little wind, you can guarantee the Makara Beach area will be very busy. It is advisable to take this into consideration when trying to park, use the bathrooms and the cafe. Obviously, you may need to wait for services.. including the toilets!!! Perhaps consider whether you should visit the area on such days if you are likely to be frustrated by waiting in queues. The services here are provided by Wellington Council. It is almost impossible to consistently predict the numbers of visitors to the area and visitors need to plan accordingly. This can result in the cafe being closed with little warning if the weather is terrible. There is very little shelter outside the cafe. During summer’s hot days please ensure you have sufficient water, sun cream, hats and shelters. Also respect the residents and the animals (including the recently released Kiwi) who reside there. Park in allocated spaces along Makara Road or in the carpark behind the toilets. Don’t block driveways or the boat ramp access or park on septic tanks and planted areas. Don’t use people’s homes as a urinal and please dispose of your rubbish in the bins provided. Ronnie, Mark and staff do everything they can to make the best food and drinks, and provide the best experience possible for visitors. Their hearts are in everything they do, stop by for a chat and say hi!”

“Saturday lunchtime was an awesome quiet chill vibe for us to have a Japanese Meetup event. Karaage Tofu Poke bowl was delicious! And one of the servers was vegan so she helped with some recommendations. Tried the Umeshu Plum wine tasting platter and it was oishiiiiii desu! Worth a visit anytime for lunch or dinner during the week, weekend. Highly recommended.”