The 2026 Wellington An A Plate Lineup Just Dropped, Here Are Our Hot Picks For 2026
George Motz at Hamburger America
They say you can’t beat Welly on a good day, but we’d argue you truly can’t beat the capital city during its annual Wellington On A Plate (WOAP) festival. Since 2009, WOAP has been bringing the ‘Windy City’ to life with special one-off dinners, international guest chefs, and events celebrating the very best of dining in the city and around Aotearoa.
This year’s lineup is bigger and better than ever, not least because it features two heavy hitting American names—Hamburger America owner and all-round Hamburger legend George Motz, and pitmaster Rodney Scott who featured in the BBQ series of Netflix’s Chef’s Table. The former will present a riveting insight into the storied history of the hamburger, alongside sitting on the judging panel for Burger Wellington, while the latter will bring his lauded BBQ restaurant to Boneface Brewing in Upper Hutt for a one-night-only celebration of all things low and slow cooking.
Elsewhere, everyone’s favourite Tamaki Makaurau pasta restaurant, Pici, is making its way down south for a pop up at Dilly Dally across two nights; there’s an old school-style lock in harking back to the days of drinking pre liquor licenses; and four extra-special and extra-secret guest chefs taking on the pans at Supra over eight evenings.
With more than 95 events across the month of August, alongside the gluttonous celebration of all things buns with over 200 one-off burgers being created for the Burger Wellington competition, there’s a lot to filter through. We’ve done the hard work for you, rounding our pick of the best events to nab tickets for this year. Prepare your elasticated waistbands.
Wellington On A Plate Tickets
Information on ticketing and all events can be found at visawoap.co.nz.
Wellington On A Plate 2026 Dates
Wellington On A Plate 2026 takes place across the month of August.
Pici in Poneke
Dilly Dally, Fri 28 Aug & Sat 29 Aug
Ask any Aucklander where they go for a plate of pasta or a cheap and cheerful dinner (hello half price happy hour pasta) and it’s likely they’ll name check Pici on Karangahape Road. While living in London owner Jono Thevenard worked at much-loved casual pasta joint Padella which is known for its perpetual queues and deceptively simple pici cacio e pepe, and he saw a gap in Tamaki Makaurau’s dining scene for a similarly easy, breezy approach to good pasta and natural wines. And so, when he returned in 2020, Pici was born. Dilly Dally owners Bryn and Jesse love dining at Pici when they visit Auckland and figured, why not bring it south? For two nights, Pici comes to Poneke with a four course menu of its best hits.
The Flipper
LTD., Fri 7 Aug & Sat 8 Aug
The classic fish and chip shop is one of the key foundations of Kiwi cuisine. While our culinary scene has come leaps and bounds in the past few decades, there was a time when mussel fritters, crispy pieces of fried fish and perfect, plump chips were the true delicacies of our little nation. For two days, Nate Auld of Mr Go’s is taking us in a time machine back to the fish and chips shops of the 90s at LTD., complete with overpowering strip lights, laminated menus and paper-lined trays. Grab a drink from the chilli bin and tuck in for 1996’s best meal.
The Lock Inn
Thistle Inn, Sat 1 Aug
While we may be ardent pub goers now, there was a time when getting a crisp pint in Aotearoa was a little harder. Until the late 60s, pubs were forced to close at 6pm, and even when this was voted out in 1967, the closing time was only pushed back to 10pm. Naturally, though, a drinker’s thirst doesn’t simply dry up as the clock strikes 6.00, so locals and publicans would turn to sneaky measures to keep the night going,drawing the curtains, locking the doors, and settling in for a good old lock in. Thistle Inn is bringing back that sense of subterfuge with a locked door evening of revelry, including a five course feast, live band, and, of course, very good drinks.
Once Upon a Time in Wellington
Supra, Tue 4 Aug, Wed 5 Aug, Fri 7 Aug, Sat 8 Aug, Wed 12 Aug, Thu 13 Aug, Fri 14 Aug, Sat 15 Aug
Rumours! That’s the go at Supra with their super secretive guest chef lineup. With code names and vague descriptions being the only guidance for which of the four chefs to pick, the team have encouraged WOAP visitors to ‘speculate, believe the rumours, start the rumours!’ The first guest has collaborated with Supra before, the second is a ‘lover of restaurants and a wizard with words on paper’, the third is visiting from Hawkes Bay and considered the pinnacle of modern cooking in NZ, while the fourth is nicknamed the Bighorn Ram and is described as a chef who was pivotal in developing Wellington’s restaurant scene. A real life choose your fighter, the gastronomical edition.
Pāua to the People
Cambridge Road Vineyard, Sat 1 Aug
One of the great things about WOAP is it isn’t just about restaurants. It’s also designed to celebrate everybody involved in getting the food onto your plate, the growers, farmers, fishermen and more. Pāua to the People is a great example. This one-off event at Cambridge Road Vineyard celebrates all things pāua, with fisherman and foragers on hand to provide the ultimate masterclass in how to best prepare and cook pāua, discussions around the significance of this significant seafood, and a communal feast celebrating our best kai moana.
Beervana
Hnry Stadium, Fri 21 Aug, Sat 22 Aug
A legendary part of WOAP, Beervana returns to Wellington on August 21 and 22 with more than 60 breweries pouring a huge range of beers. With brewers from across NZ and the world exhibiting some of their wildest beers and special edition brews, Beervana has become legendary among pint aficionados. It’s renowned for being a little weird, a touch wild, and a whole lot of fun. It’s best to arrive thirsty and expecting anything.
Rodney Scott: Pitmaster
Boneface Brewing Co, Sat 8 Aug
If you’ve watched Netflix’s Chef’s Table BBQ season, then this international guest will need no introduction. If you haven’t, then the cliff notes are that Rodney Scott is easily one of America’s best pitmasters; a true BBQ legend who has been cooking meat low and slow since he was 11 years old. A slew of awards have solidified his status, from being named Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2018, to being formally inducted into the BBQ hall of fame and winning a Michelin bib gourmand, it’s safe to say Rodney Scott knows his way around a BBQ. The renowned chef is coming down to Poneke for one night only, turning Boneface Brewing Co into a steamy slice of South Carolina.
Babette’s Feast at Jano Bistro
Jano Bistro, every Tuesday in August
Few films are more outrageously gluttonous than Babette’s Feast. The 1987 comedy is a true celebration of food, and it ends with a feast of biblical proportions. Every Tuesday at Jano Bistro in August, you can step through the screen and into the 19th century with a menu celebrating chef Pierre’s mum’s favourite film. Expect caviar, quail, truffle and more in this indulgent multi-course menu that will transport you to France’s delicious shores. Francophiles, get booking.
From the Fishers Mouth
Graze Wine Bar, Mon 31 Aug
Cole Robinson and Tom Strawbridge started Strait Speared in 2022 when, on recreational dives, they saw an abundance of butterfish in the Cook Strait that wasn’t being fished due to the 2020 ban on set netting. The duo were avid spearfishermen and turned this hobby into a successful business supplying Wellington restaurants with local butterfish once again. As both an homage to the fish and an insight into sustainable fisheries, Graze Wine Bar are partnering with Cole and Tom on a nine course degustation utilising all elements of the butterfish, from gill to tail. Diners will have the chance to chat to both the fishermen and the chef throughout the dinner to find out how we can truly treat our seafood with care.
George Motz: Burger Scholar
The Opera House, Tues 25 Aug
Take Burger Wellington one step further and get yourself to The Opera House on 25 August to get a full insight into this food that we all know and love. George Motz has rightfully earned the title ‘Burger Scholar’ thanks to his lifelong work tracking the history of the hamburger through writing, film and his restaurant, Hamburger America. He’s going to share that knowledge in a riveting presentation, Q&A session and mouthwatering Oklahoma Onion burger demonstration. Good thing there are more than 200 special burgers being cooked across Poneke for you to feast on afterwards.
Image credit: Visa Wellington on a Plate 2026, Andrew Bisdale