Wellington

Logan Brown

In the former banking chamber of an historic banking building.

Mains around $40, early bird dinner special $45 per person

Aunty Mena's Vegetarian Restaurant and Cafe

Vegan Malaysian/Chinese food. Friendly staff & a homely atmosphere.

Lunch & dinner daily · $10-20 · Takeaway · Wheelchair accessible · Vegan options

Fisherman's Plate

Looks like your average family-run fish-and-chips shop, but they also do excellent Vietnamese food, with an emphasis on noodle soups.

Mo-Sa 11:00-15:00,17:00-21:00; Su,PH off · $5-15 · Wheelchair accessible · Vegetarian options

Boulcott Street Bistro

Modern bistro. Classic combinations, fresh ingredients, attentive service.

Bistro Lunch Mon-Fri from noon, Bistro Dinner Mon-Sat from 6PM, Wine bar all day Mon-Fri, reservations accepted for lunch only. Private room available for groups of 10-16 · Starters $14-21, mains $29-35

Great India

Very well-known restaurant. Has won the Wine & Food challenge for several years running.

Mo-Fr 12:00-14:00; Sa-Su 12:00-15:00

Pravda Café & Grill

Pravda means “The Truth” in Russian, but here it is a cafe, bistro, bar and restaurant. The coffee is strong, the food is diverse and of a high standard.

early to late · $8-40

Viva Mexico

Taco shop, rather than a full restaurant like the Newtown restaurant.

Tue–Sun noon-9PM · $10-20

Satay Kingdom

This is the student Malaysian restaurant. On most evenings you will find it overflowing with people coming in for its cheap and hearty food. But don't be put off by the large numbers, the service is incredibly fast with food often arriving at your table before you if you're not quick!

Indian Sweets and Snacks

A truly Indian experience, all traditional curries, and Indian sweets, very authentic, best place for a home-sick Indian.

Tulsi

Or takeaway in the BNZ food court. Their butter chicken was voted best in Wellington.

Satay Village

These guys do a good curry laksa. Locals love this place because the owner seems to be able to recall what people have ordered before with near perfect accuracy.

Planet Spice

Two doors down from Curry Heaven on Adelaide Rd, they have an upstairs area.

Mo-We 11:30-14:30, 17:00-22:00; Th-Fr 11:30-14:30, 17:00-22:30; Sa 17:00-22:30; Su 17:00-22:00 · Wheelchair accessible

Curry Heaven

A fantastic small traditional restaurant, the people are friendly and do takeaways, the Malai Kofta is excellent.

Limited wheelchair access · Vegetarian options

Harbourside Market

Lively market along the waterfront near Te Papa, every Sunday morning. All sorts of fruit/veges and other food supplies, but in terms of finding breakfast/lunch, there are a good variety of options in the $10-or-less range, including casual-yet-sophisticated, Kiwi-style barbecue stalls (look out for the pulled-pork-sandwiches place; fish is good too), plus Vietnamese, South Indian dhosa, Chilean hot dogs, South American churros etc. Everything finishes up by about 1-2PM.

Su 07:30-13:00

California Sushi

Yummy food and friendly shop owners. The place might not look like much, but they provide excellent service. Has been closed for health and safety reasons but is open again.

The Green Parrot

Opened in the 1920s and offers a very interesting atmosphere. Great food, large portions, open late, and serves free bread with every meal. The filet mignon is great.

mains from $24 · Limited wheelchair access

Cinta Malaysian Restaurant

Affordable Malaysian food with nice cultural decorations and cosy lighting.

Silverspoon

Fine dining with a sophisticated brunch menu. The food is on point though service can be slow.

The Backbencher

Dine with the political figures of the day, who have a menu to match their misfortunes (the desserts are named after has-been MPs - "still sticking around"). A light-hearted political/current affairs show is broadcast from the Backbencher on Wednesday nights (except in summer) and the bar will often be packed with Members of Parliament, Parliamentary staff, political activists, and journalists. Crowd participation is encouraged, with heckling common, but the audience are good-natured, as a camaraderie has developed amongst most activists, regardless of affiliation.

$23-33

Taste on Willis

There is a food court in the basement of the State Insurance Building (the big black square tower that looks like, in one architect's opinion, Darth Vader's pencil box). It has been neglected for many years and might not be the most pleasant place to dine, even if the stalls' food is good. It is mostly frequented by the many office workers in the area looking for a place where all co-workers can dine together happily. There is sushi, Indian, Greek, Turkish stalls, amongst others. There are few seats not taken at lunchtime, so you may want to just get take-away. Some of the stalls offer discounted food after 2PM, and are all closed by 3PM.

Flying Burritto Brothers

Wellington is the home of the first Flying Burrito Brothers with two floors of seating and an impressive range of tequila on the mirrored back wall.

Daily 5PM–late

Kazu Yakitori & Sake Bar

Japanese-style barbeque, fresh sushi, great selection of beer and sake.

5PM-late

Yoshi Sushi & Bento

Japanese cuisine. Enjoy the stylish and modern atmosphere. Choose from the vast array of Japanese sushi and sides starting from as little as $1 or enjoy a delicious Japanese bento (lunchbox), Japanese udon soup, salad, miso soup, or a combination of them all. Catering also available.

Mon-Fri 9:30AM-5PM

Sakura

Japanese cuisine, fresh sushi, great selection of beer and sake.

Tue-Fri 11:30AM-2PM, Tue-Sat 5:30-10PM · $15-20

Supply Room

Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with tap beer and cocktails. Tap takeaway lets you bring craft beer home.

Wellington Night Market

Nice selection of food stalls offering cheap food ($10-15 at most) from around the world, including Chinese, South Indian, African, Filipino, and Malaysian. Has a quirky, bohemian vibe; live music sometimes, and a few little crafty-type stalls as well.

Fri 5-11PM

Domo Sushi

Excellent, freshly made sushi served by a very enthusiastic and welcoming Japanese man. Mainly caters to the lunchtime office-worker crowd, being just off Lambton Quay.

Indus

They do delicious North Indian food, and their tandoori chicken is fabulous.

Little Penang

Cheap, very authentic Penang-style street food, run by a friendly family from Malaysia. Great for lunch or dinner. Some menu items are only available on certain days, so have a look at the menu board (assam laksa on Thursdays is especially good - spicy, sour fish noodle soup).

$2-15

Satay Palace

Don't let the run-down décor fool you, ultra-cheap, excellent food and service.