Guidebook for Wellington
Drinks & Nightlife
One of Dave's favourite places to have a drink. Has a roof top bar and the staff are great.
17 locals recommend
The Hop Garden
13 Pirie StOne of Dave's favourite places to have a drink. Has a roof top bar and the staff are great.
A really vibrant little bar in Newtown. Quite often busy with a cool atmosphere.
19 locals recommend
Bebemos
88 Riddiford StA really vibrant little bar in Newtown. Quite often busy with a cool atmosphere.
Retro styled space (I'm talking formica tables and shabby orange sofas) with cheap(ish) eats and live music/dance-offs most nights of the week till late.
41 locals recommend
Laundry
240 Cuba StRetro styled space (I'm talking formica tables and shabby orange sofas) with cheap(ish) eats and live music/dance-offs most nights of the week till late.
Perfect place for dancing, pizza, and (craft) beer all year round! Also good for sipping drinks in beanbags during Summer.
46 locals recommend
The Rogue & Vagabond
18 Garrett StPerfect place for dancing, pizza, and (craft) beer all year round! Also good for sipping drinks in beanbags during Summer.
Best bar staff in town and their customised cocktails are spot on. Its kind of like a 1930's gentlemen's club meets Speakeasy joint. I recommend sitting at the bar and interacting with bar tenders while they're mixing your drinks.
53 locals recommend
Hawthorn Lounge
82 Tory StBest bar staff in town and their customised cocktails are spot on. Its kind of like a 1930's gentlemen's club meets Speakeasy joint. I recommend sitting at the bar and interacting with bar tenders while they're mixing your drinks.
Food Scene
Their food is yum. It's a very relaxed vibe there and has a large outdoor area for sunny brunching. They do live local music on a Friday night too.
27 locals recommend
Baobab Cafe
152 Riddiford StTheir food is yum. It's a very relaxed vibe there and has a large outdoor area for sunny brunching. They do live local music on a Friday night too.
Fine cafe dining. Great service. Lots of veggie options. They won best burger 2016. What else is there to say?
21 locals recommend
Egmont Street Eatery
11 Egmont StFine cafe dining. Great service. Lots of veggie options. They won best burger 2016. What else is there to say?
Quality but relaxed fair. Their gourmet burgers and chips are the best in Wellington (in my humble opinion)! Plenty of interesting beer choices for those hops lovers. Freshly made lemonade is pretty fine too. Perfect for lunch and dinner.
15 locals recommend
Grill Meats Beer
227 Cuba StQuality but relaxed fair. Their gourmet burgers and chips are the best in Wellington (in my humble opinion)! Plenty of interesting beer choices for those hops lovers. Freshly made lemonade is pretty fine too. Perfect for lunch and dinner.
New Orleans and Mexican home-styled cooking that doesn't cost the earth. Plenty of GF options. A sunny spot on a relaxed weekend morning. Try the Eggsadu (cheesy scrambled eggs with chili, mmm)
29 locals recommend
Sweet Mother's Kitchen
5 Courtenay PlNew Orleans and Mexican home-styled cooking that doesn't cost the earth. Plenty of GF options. A sunny spot on a relaxed weekend morning. Try the Eggsadu (cheesy scrambled eggs with chili, mmm)
Fresh Asian Cuisine in a relaxed modern environment. I lvoe the set up here - really cool. Yummy cocktails. They do 2 for 1 food on Mondays and 2 for 1 cocktails on Saturday. Gold!
39 locals recommend
Chow Tory
45 Tory StFresh Asian Cuisine in a relaxed modern environment. I lvoe the set up here - really cool. Yummy cocktails. They do 2 for 1 food on Mondays and 2 for 1 cocktails on Saturday. Gold!
It has the cutest outdoor area. I suggest dining out there in the bar area and not in the restaurant out the front. Their Asian Cuisine is divine - great for sharing. Weekends they usually have a DJ.
49 locals recommend
Dragonfly
70 Courtenay PlIt has the cutest outdoor area. I suggest dining out there in the bar area and not in the restaurant out the front. Their Asian Cuisine is divine - great for sharing. Weekends they usually have a DJ.
Best pizzas in town - maybe even NZ! Bonus is that you can have a beer at Goldings Free Dive across the laneway and they will deliver your pizza there (you can order from Goldings too).
20 locals recommend
Pizza Pomodoro
13 Leeds StBest pizzas in town - maybe even NZ! Bonus is that you can have a beer at Goldings Free Dive across the laneway and they will deliver your pizza there (you can order from Goldings too).
Best fine dining in Wellington. The service is impeccable and so is the ravioli.
41 locals recommend
Logan Brown Restaurant
192 Cuba StBest fine dining in Wellington. The service is impeccable and so is the ravioli.
Friday nights on Left Bank, off (107) Cuba Street or Saturday nights at bottom of Cuba Street. Perfect for quick dumpling, taco, chimney stack, or other snack after work or between bars!
33 locals recommend
Wellington Night Market
Service LnFriday nights on Left Bank, off (107) Cuba Street or Saturday nights at bottom of Cuba Street. Perfect for quick dumpling, taco, chimney stack, or other snack after work or between bars!
Quite simply, the food is amazing and the setting is lovely in an old villa up Mount Victoria. We tend to go here for special occasions and usually enjoy pre/post drinks at Slim Davies next door.
57 locals recommend
Ortega
16 Majoribanks StQuite simply, the food is amazing and the setting is lovely in an old villa up Mount Victoria. We tend to go here for special occasions and usually enjoy pre/post drinks at Slim Davies next door.
Best and fanciest fish n chips shop in town. Panko crumbed, gluten free, paleo, and kumara chips to die for. Get it take away and eat it down by the waterfront in Oriental Bay.
34 locals recommend
Mt Vic Chippery
5 Majoribanks StBest and fanciest fish n chips shop in town. Panko crumbed, gluten free, paleo, and kumara chips to die for. Get it take away and eat it down by the waterfront in Oriental Bay.
Prefab
14 Jessie StBest cafe in town.
Shopping
This is the alternative side of the city but there are a fantastic mix of clothing stores, markets, buskers as well as restaurants and bars. Definitely the place to be and explore.
170 locals recommend
Cuba Street
151 Cuba St This is the alternative side of the city but there are a fantastic mix of clothing stores, markets, buskers as well as restaurants and bars. Definitely the place to be and explore.
It has designer stores inside a beautify historic building and where you can find Dee's favourite shoe store; I Love Paris.
14 locals recommend
Old Bank Shopping Arcade
233-237 Lambton QuayIt has designer stores inside a beautify historic building and where you can find Dee's favourite shoe store; I Love Paris.
Parks & Nature
Wellington Botanic Garden
101 Glenmore St Views = stunning! Calm beauty in the Capital.
Dee's favorite walking track in Wellington. Brings you along the back of the baboon's enclosure of the zoo.
19 locals recommend
Southern Walkway
Dee's favorite walking track in Wellington. Brings you along the back of the baboon's enclosure of the zoo.
Our newest and most glorious park very close to the apartment and offers lovely new perspective on Wellington. Check out the museum while you're there!
27 locals recommend
Pukeahu National War Memorial Park
State Highway 1Our newest and most glorious park very close to the apartment and offers lovely new perspective on Wellington. Check out the museum while you're there!
ZEALANDIA is the world’s first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary, with an extraordinary 500-year vision to restore a Wellington valley’s forest and freshwater ecosystems as closely as possible to their pre-human state. The 225 hectare ecosanctuary is a groundbreaking conservation project that has reintroduced 18 species of native wildlife back into the area, 6 of which were previously absent from mainland New Zealand for over 100 years.
255 locals recommend
ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary
53 Waiapu RoadZEALANDIA is the world’s first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary, with an extraordinary 500-year vision to restore a Wellington valley’s forest and freshwater ecosystems as closely as possible to their pre-human state. The 225 hectare ecosanctuary is a groundbreaking conservation project that has reintroduced 18 species of native wildlife back into the area, 6 of which were previously absent from mainland New Zealand for over 100 years.
Sightseeing
Walk up the Southern Walkway track in the town green belt or drive up to the top - choice is yours but a must do as views are 360 degrees of Wellington.
178 locals recommend
Mount Victoria Lookout
Lookout Road Walk up the Southern Walkway track in the town green belt or drive up to the top - choice is yours but a must do as views are 360 degrees of Wellington.
Arts & Culture
They have something for everyone and fantastic harbour views. Check out Gallipoli: The scale of our war exhibition where Weta Workshop's sculptures are soldiers captured frozen in a moment of time on a monumental scale – 2.4 times human size.
222 locals recommend
Cable Street near Te Papa Museum
They have something for everyone and fantastic harbour views. Check out Gallipoli: The scale of our war exhibition where Weta Workshop's sculptures are soldiers captured frozen in a moment of time on a monumental scale – 2.4 times human size.
Located in the heart of Civic Square, City Gallery Wellington offers world-class exhibitions of contemporary New Zealand and international art.
72 locals recommend
City Gallery Wellington
Located in the heart of Civic Square, City Gallery Wellington offers world-class exhibitions of contemporary New Zealand and international art.
Set in a beautiful old building you'll find a great WWI exhibition and a pretty decent cafe nestled inside. Definitely worth a look and so close to where you're staying too!
22 locals recommend
National War Memorial Hall of Memories
Taranaki StreetSet in a beautiful old building you'll find a great WWI exhibition and a pretty decent cafe nestled inside. Definitely worth a look and so close to where you're staying too!
Essentials
The names says it all - booze from the region of NZ. These people know their stuff and will be happy to help you choose a suitable beverage for your activity. Very close to the apartment, just over the other side of the Basin Reserve.
9 locals recommend
Regional Wines
15 Ellice StThe names says it all - booze from the region of NZ. These people know their stuff and will be happy to help you choose a suitable beverage for your activity. Very close to the apartment, just over the other side of the Basin Reserve.
The absolute BEST place for foodies (groceries); there's fresh market with best of everything (including delicious cheeses and top notch local produce). There's a liquor store with great range to choose from. Oh and check out the french Chook Wagon - mmmm!
102 locals recommend
Moore Wilson's
College StreetThe absolute BEST place for foodies (groceries); there's fresh market with best of everything (including delicious cheeses and top notch local produce). There's a liquor store with great range to choose from. Oh and check out the french Chook Wagon - mmmm!
This is Dee's gym and she loves it. Great equipment, fab staff, and the ultimate classes.
Les Mills Taranaki Street
70 Taranaki StThis is Dee's gym and she loves it. Great equipment, fab staff, and the ultimate classes.