The best of
Wellington. Ranked.

1. #1

   Editor's Pick
   

   Dragons Restaurant

   $$

   The Tory Street yum cha institution — trolleys, har gow, and the busiest weekend dim sum service in the city.

   Local tip: Go before noon at weekends — after that the wait for a table is the main event.

   25 Tory Street, Te Aro· Yum cha daily from 11am

   Yum chaCantoneseEditor's pick
   Maps ReviewsWebsite
2. #2
   

   House of Dumplings

   $$

   Wellington's best-known dumpling maker — handmade, ethically run, and a fixture at the markets as well as its own sites.

   Local tip: The frozen packs are the move if you are self-catering — same dumplings, cooked at home.

   Wellington (multiple sites — see website)· See website

   DumplingsHandmadeLocal
   Maps ReviewsWebsite
3. #3
   

   Regal Chinese Restaurant

   $$

   Big Cantonese banquet hall on Wakefield Street — round tables, lazy Susans and a yum cha service that has fed Wellington for decades.

   Local tip: The room takes big groups better than anywhere else on this list — it is built for banquets.

   Shop 3, 2 Wakefield Street, Wellington Central· Yum cha daily; dinner from 5:30pm

   Yum chaBanquetCantonese
   Maps ReviewsWebsite
4. #4
   

   Kanton Restaurant

   $$

   Courtenay Place Cantonese kitchen doing roast meats and clay-pot dishes alongside the standards.

   Local tip: Order the roast duck — it is the reason to pick this over the neighbouring options.

   20 Courtenay Place, Te Aro· See website

   CantoneseRoast meatsCourtenay Pl
   Maps Reviews
5. #5
   

   Chow

   $$

   Pan-Asian bar and eatery on Tory Street — share plates, a long cocktail list and a room that runs late.

   Local tip: More bar than banquet hall — good for a group that wants drinks with the food.

   45 Tory Street, Te Aro· See website

   Pan-AsianShare platesLate
   Maps ReviewsWebsite
6. #6
   

   Mr Go's

   $$

   Hannahs Laneway pan-Asian favourite — fast, punchy Taiwanese-leaning street food built to share.

   Local tip: It is a laneway spot — small, loud, and better for two than for eight.

   Hannahs Laneway, Te Aro· Daily from 11:30am

   Pan-AsianStreet foodShare plates
   Maps ReviewsWebsite
7. #7
   

   Grand Century Chinese Restaurant

   $$

   Tory Street Cantonese restaurant with a full banquet menu and weekend yum cha.

   84 Tory Street, Te Aro· See website

   CantoneseYum chaBanquet
   Maps Reviews
8. #8
   

   Tian Yuan Chinese Restaurant

   $

   Northern Chinese kitchen doing hand-pulled noodles and dumplings rather than the Cantonese standards.

   Local tip: Go for the hand-pulled noodles — that is what the kitchen is built around.

   Wellington Central· See socials

   NorthernNoodlesDumplings
   Maps Reviews
9. #9
   

   Chef Wang Sichuan Cuisine

   $$

   Sichuan cooking with the numbing heat left in — a different proposition from the city's Cantonese default.

   Local tip: Ask for the heat level you actually want — the default is not toned down.

   Wellington Central· See socials

   SichuanSpicyRegional
   Maps Reviews
10. #10
    

    Dynasty Chinese Restaurant

    $$

    Lower Hutt's long-running Cantonese heavyweight — full banquet menu and weekend yum cha for the Hutt Valley.

    Local tip: The reliable option on the Hutt side of the harbour when town is booked out.

    Lower Hutt· See website

    Peking duckHuttYum cha
    Maps Reviews

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