The Capital Culinary Crawl: 48 Hours Of Wellington’s Best Eats

Compact, walkable and brimming with food-led creativity, it's easy to turn a single weekend in Wellington into a full-on taste expedition. From small batch spirits and sweet treats to world-class coffee and fine dining that'll mesmerise eyes and taste buds alike, consider this your guide to 48 hours of seriously good kai.

All that's left to do is to sprinkle in some activities of your choice, and for that, WellingtonNZ has you covered. 

August

75 Taranaki Street, Wellington 

Image credit: August 

Brunch is practically a religion in Wellington, so it makes sense to break the proverbial fast at August, a burgundy-hued cafe in front of a heritage-listed Methodist church. Boasting separate breakfast and brunch menus, expect Romanian, Greek and otherwise Mediterranean-influenced dishes like a riff on French toast featuring a Greek ‘tsoureki’ brioche. 

Pour & Twist 

13 Garrett Street, Wellington

Image credit: Pour & Twist 

Once you’ve had your fill, it’s time to participate in a central tenet of Wellington culture: coffee–or its new-age sister: matcha. Pour & Twist do both, and they do it well. The slimline coffee shop is the only spot in Aotearoa to do a fully manual brew, and their offering is an ever-evolving lineup of local and international coffee, so you can travel the world, one cup at a time. 

As for matcha, get your iced numbers dressed up with whatever lil’ sparkles they’ve got going in their specials, or wrap your mitts around a warm morale-boosting mug and you’re set for the day. 

1154 Pastaria 

132 Cuba Street, Wellington

Image credit: 1154 Pastaria | Instagram

Every city needs a solid pasta joint, and 1154 is our pick. From spaghetti to fusilli, linguine to rigatoni—the gang’s all there, as well as a whole segment affectionately known as ‘not pasta’. Must-orders include the garlic and rosemary roll (pictured) and their rocket salad, specifically for the walnuts. And if you fall head-over-heels in love, you can snag a pasta bag and re-live the dream at a later date from the comfort of your whare. 

Wellington Chocolate Factory

5 Eva Street, Wellington

Image credit: Wellington Chocolate Factory 

Done up in wrappers so beguiling it isn’t unusual to find them commandeered as wallpaper, Wellington Chocolate Factory bars are highly coveted. Ethically-made using beans from the Pacific Islands, classic flavours include salted caramel dark chocolate, kawkawa dark and manuka honey milk. You can even make your own bar, revel in tea and chocolate tastings or take a chocolate masterclass with co-founder, Gabe Davidson. 

Amuse Snack Bar

178 Willis Street, Wellington

Image credit: Amuse Snack Bar | supplied

An upbeat venue of European aperitivo meets Antipodean coffee culture, you could spend the entire day at Amuse Snack Bar with all manner of brunching, lunching and snacking plates, including the boozy kind. Think: warming porridge and toasties and bread baskets, spritz and ‘surprise me’ snack plates, plus baking you’ll want to eat on repeat. 

Hillside Kitchen

241 Tinakori Road, Wellington

Image credit: Hillside Kitchen | Facebook

If you’re ready to feast up big time, book a table at Hillside Kitchen. The award-winning plant-focused kitchen whips up seasonal, homegrown and foraged ingredients into extraordinary multi-course fine dining set menus that are a delight for both eyes and stomachs, and clock in at a rather reasonable $92-$127 per person. 

Puffin 

Inside The Intrepid Hotel, 60 Ghuznee Street, Wellington 

Image credit: Puffin | Instagram

Carry on into the early hours at Puffin, where organic and minimal intervention wines await you. You'll also find a host of other indulgent libations, along with a snack menu that delightfully promises "all the salty, tasty, umami, acid-driven deliciousness you could want."

Fred’s 

149 Cuba Street, Wellington 

Image credit: Fred's | Instagram

Whether a hangover’s got you feeling like the undead, or you’re just in need of a sando that slaps, head to Fred’s. Within those orange walls, you will be revived. You'll find classics like their iconic fried chicken sandwich to inventive specials like mi goreng toasties and hot cross breakfast muffins. P.s. They do gluten-free bread, too. 

Moore Wilsons 

Corner of Tory Street & College Street, Wellington

A mecca for foodies nationwide, 100-year-old food emporium Moore Wilsons is an essential stop in this culinary crawl, even if only to grab yourself a bottle of their fresh orange juice (which you’ll smell, muddled with the scent of freshly ground coffee, as soon as you set foot through the door). This is a great spot to stock up on highbrow picnic fare, too, or to locate hard-to-find ingredients for when you’re trying to impress your date with fancy recipes.  

Kisa

195 Cuba Street, Wellington

Image credit: Kisa | Alice Rich

Kisa has become a staple for every trip to Wellington, and they’re good at any hour of the day. But midday Wednesday through Sunday is the jackpot. Slap down a mere $24 and a jaw-dropping Middle Eastern mezze-style lunch plate will appear before you (available in meat and non-meat iterations), and you’ll toddle out feeling happily full to the brim, the food coma setting in before you’ve even finished the meal.  

Southward Distilling

35/70 Kingsford Smith Street, Wellington 

Image credit: Southward Distilling | Alice Rich

For fun, hands-on afternoon activity, skip along skip along to Southward Distilling’s Blend Your Gin tasting workshop, where you’ll sip your way to a bespoke gin, in great company. The workshop, which runs every Saturday at 1pm and 4.30pm, includes guided tastings, everything you need to make your own 500mL gin, and a shared grazing platter to keep you fueled.

The Ram

103 Cuba Street, Wellington 

Image credit: The Ram | Instagram

Sleek and sultry, The Ram is a firm favourite with menu highlights ranging wildly from double cheeseburgers to salt ‘n’ vinegar fried oyster mushrooms doused in tonkatsu sauce, both served on vintage-style plates. Or swing by just for their dreamy miso caramel tiramisu—event-worthy in its own right. And if you like Brussels sprouts, you’ll be immediately obsessed with their take on the controversial vegetable. 

Can't get enough of Wellington? Check out WellingtonNZ for even more of the best things to do, eat and experience in our gorgeous capital city. 

Image credit: Supplied