Best of Wellington 2026 — Top 10 Cafés, Restaurants, Hotels & Things to Do

The best of Wellington, ranked by locals: independent Top 10 lists for cafés, restaurants, bars, hotels and things to do across the creative capital — refreshed regularly from real Google reviews and local picks.

Top Things to Do in Wellington

  1. Te Papa Tongarewa — Aotearoa's national museum — six free floors of Māori taonga, Gallipoli giants and the colossal squid. The single best rainy-day move in town.
  2. Wellington Cable Car — A 5-minute ride from Lambton Quay to Kelburn — the city's most photographed view and gateway to the Botanic Garden walk back down.
  3. Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne — The world's first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary — kākā, tūī, tuatara and 225 hectares of regenerating native bush minutes from the CBD.
  4. Mount Victoria Lookout — 196m above the harbour — the postcard panorama of the city, harbour, Hutt Valley and (on a clear day) the Kaikōura Ranges.
  5. Wellington Botanic Garden — 25 hectares of native bush, rose garden and lookouts on the hill above the CBD — pair it with the Cable Car ride up.
  6. Wētā Workshop Tours — Behind-the-scenes at the Oscar-winning effects studio that built Middle-earth — props, weapons, and the makers themselves.
  7. Cuba Street — Wellington's bohemian heart — the Bucket Fountain, vintage stores, vinyl, vegan kai and the city's most photographed street art.
  8. Wellington Waterfront Walk — From Oriental Bay to Te Papa to Frank Kitts — flat, scenic and dotted with the Writers Walk, ice cream and harbour swimmers.
  9. City Gallery Wellington — Free contemporary art gallery on Civic Square — bold local and international shows in a heritage Edwardian building.
  10. Red Rocks Coastal Walk — South coast hike to a fur seal colony past wild surf and 200-million-year-old red rocks. Rugged, free, and pure Wellington.

Top Cafes in Wellington

  1. Customs by Coffee Supreme — Coffee Supreme's flagship — minimalist, exacting and arguably the best espresso in the country. Order the cortado.
  2. Hangar by Flight Coffee — Long-running specialty cafe on Dixon Street — Flight's beans, batch brew on tap and a brunch menu that punches.
  3. Olive Cafe — Cuba Street courtyard institution — leafy, sun-drenched and the best long lunch in the CBD.
  4. Fidel's Cafe — Cuba Street legend since '96 — Cuban memorabilia, all-day breakfast and the city's most beloved counter-culture cafe.
  5. Lamason Brew Bar — Tiny laneway specialty bar — single-origin filter, AeroPress and a rotating cast of NZ's best roasters.
  6. Prefab Eatery — Roastery, brunch spot and design icon all-in-one — sourdough, brisket hash and excellent flat whites in a converted warehouse.
  7. Loretta — Cuba Street favourite for daytime brunch and evening wood-fired pizza — house-baked goods and a wine list to match.
  8. Astoria Cafe — Lambton Quay heavyweight — corporate Wellington's preferred meeting room. Reliable specialty coffee and a vast brunch menu.
  9. Midnight Espresso — The OG late-night cafe on Cuba — vegetarian counter food, strong espresso and open till 3am on weekends since 1989.
  10. Caffe L'affare — College Street original — one of NZ's first specialty roasters, still drawing locals for the Italian-leaning espresso and lunch counter.

Top Restaurants in Wellington

  1. Logan Brown — Cuba Street fine-dining institution housed in a 1920s banking chamber — paua ravioli is the dish of a lifetime.
  2. Hiakai — Monique Fiso's globally-acclaimed degustation showcasing native Māori ingredients — book months ahead.
  3. Charley Noble Eatery — Wood-fire and live coals on Customhouse Quay — bone marrow, dry-aged steak and a great-value set lunch.
  4. Ortega Fish Shack — Marjoribanks Street seafood favourite — bouillabaisse, market fish and a wine list deep enough to spend an evening on.
  5. Shepherd Restaurant — Tory Street small-plates star — seasonal, vegetable-forward and one of the most consistent kitchens in town.
  6. Boulcott Street Bistro — Heritage cottage bistro — classic French technique, tableside theatre and a local power-lunch favourite for 30+ years.
  7. Whitebait Restaurant — Custom House waterfront fine dining — pristine NZ seafood with the harbour as a backdrop.
  8. Capitol Restaurant — Kent Terrace Italian-leaning bistro — handmade pasta, lamb sugo and one of Wellington's best wine programs.
  9. Rita — Aro Valley set-menu darling — five courses, no choices, every detail considered. Tiny, intimate, brilliant.
  10. Field & Green — Wakefield Street European-eatery — caraway sourdough, schnitzel and the best Sunday roast in town.

Top Indian Restaurants in Wellington

  1. Roti Chenai — Tory Street malaysian-Indian institution — flaky roti canai, fragrant curries and a queue every weekend for good reason.
  2. Great India Restaurant — Manners Street veteran — north Indian classics, generous portions and one of the city's best butter chickens.
  3. Masala Indian Restaurant — Cuba Street stalwart — proper tandoor, lamb rogan josh and a lunch buffet that fills the room daily.
  4. Cobar Indian Cuisine — Day's Bay seaside surprise — chef-driven modern Indian on the harbour ferry route. Worth the boat ride.
  5. Mt Cook Indian Restaurant — Family-run neighbourhood favourite — punchy curries, fresh naan and the kind of welcome that brings you back.
  6. Little India Wellington — Featherston Street CBD branch of the NZ-wide chain — reliable lunch combos and a banquet menu for big tables.
  7. Saffron Newtown — Riddiford Street neighbourhood gem — Punjabi cooking, generous thalis and BYO Wednesday.
  8. Indian Summer Lambton — Lambton Quay lunch favourite — quick thali plates, dosas and a fast queue of office workers.
  9. Spice Bazaar Petone — Jackson Street old-school curry house — proper goat curry, lamb biryani and a tandoor running all day.
  10. Curry Heaven Karori — Karori Mall local — generous portions, affordable family deals and a steady Tuesday-night following.

Top Chinese Restaurants in Wellington

  1. Dragons Restaurant — Tory Street yum cha favourite — push-trolleys, har gow and the city's best weekend dim sum service.
  2. Daily Dumpling House — Cuba Street dumpling specialist — handmade xiao long bao, pork and chive jiaozi and a queue at lunch.
  3. Hot Pot Spot — Vivian Street Sichuan hot pot — bubbling broths, sliced lamb, hand-pulled noodles and a serious chilli rating.
  4. Majestic Bar Restaurant — Willis Street Cantonese banquet hall — round tables, lazy Susans and a banquet menu the size of a phonebook.
  5. Big Thumb — Lambton Quay lunch staple — handmade noodles, Northern Chinese stir-fries and a fast service for office crowds.
  6. House of Dumplings — Multi-location Wellington favourite — ethical handmade dumplings, sustainable, and a permanent stall at the markets.
  7. Han's Dumpling House — Cuba Street dumpling-and-bbq combo — pork buns, lamb skewers and the kind of spicy peanut noodles you dream about.
  8. Penthouse Cinema Cafe Chinese Night — Brooklyn pop-up Chinese on Saturday nights at the heritage cinema — small menu, big flavours, very Wellington.
  9. Sweet Mother's Kitchen Chinese Night — Cuba Street institution running a separate Chinese menu — homestyle stir-fries and the comfort food the locals order.
  10. Dynasty Chinese Cuisine Lower Hutt — Hutt City heavyweight — full Cantonese menu, weekend yum cha and the best Peking duck in Wellington region.

Top Convenience in Wellington

  1. Night 'n Day Courtenay Place — Wellington's flagship 24/7 store on Courtenay Place — the late-night pie, slushie and energy-drink HQ for the entertainment strip.
  2. BP Connect Thorndon Quay — Big-format BP service station with Wild Bean Cafe — fresh coffee, hot food cabinet and the city's most reliable fuel-and-snacks combo.
  3. Z Taranaki Street — Z's Te Aro flagship — barista coffee, fresh food range and Pump+ EV chargers right on the edge of the CBD.
  4. Mobil Wellington Central — Vivian Street 24-hour stop — quick top-ups, snacks and a busy late-night queue from the Te Aro bar crowd.
  5. Cuba Mall Superette — Long-running Cuba Mall dairy — drinks, ice cream and the snacks you forgot, right in the middle of the action.
  6. Lambton Quay Convenience — CBD office-worker staple — sandwiches, lotto, Snapper top-ups and a fast morning queue.
  7. Newtown New World Express — Riddiford Street's go-to for fresh-yet-fast — small-format supermarket with the convenience hours and a hot food bar.
  8. Mt Victoria Dairy — Beloved hilltop corner dairy — the kind of friendly, no-frills shop where the owner knows every regular's order.
  9. Gull Aro Valley — Independent fuel + dairy in Aro Valley — cheap fuel, snacks and the place students actually use.
  10. Oriental Bay Superette — Tiny waterfront dairy near the beach — ice cream, sunscreen, beers for the seawall and the best location on the list.

Top Hotels in Wellington

  1. InterContinental Wellington — Five-star harbour-front benchmark — Chameleon restaurant, polished service and the best lobby bar in town.
  2. QT Wellington — Art-filled design hotel on Cable Street — Hippopotamus restaurant, Te Papa next door and the city's most interesting interiors.
  3. Sofitel Wellington — Boulcott Street luxury — French service polish, leafy heritage location and a strong club lounge.
  4. The Naumi Studio Wellington — Cuba Street boutique with maximalist design and a strong cocktail bar — the cool kid of Wellington hotels.
  5. Rydges Wellington Airport — Skybridge-connected airport hotel — perfect for early flights and the only literal in-airport stay in NZ.
  6. West Plaza Hotel — Mid-range CBD veteran — refurbished rooms, central location and arguably the best price-to-location ratio in the city.
  7. Rydges Wellington — Featherston Street stalwart — heated pool, harbour views from upper floors, easy walk to Te Papa.
  8. Travelodge Hotel Wellington — Reliable CBD value — Gilmer Terrace location, walking distance to the train station and Lambton Quay.
  9. Bolton Hotel — Independent 5-star with apartment-style rooms — kitchenettes, lap pool and a quiet Bolton Street setting.
  10. Trinity Hotel Wellington — Heritage former church and Catholic block on Boulcott — boutique, atmospheric and unlike anywhere else in town.

Top Bars in Wellington

  1. Hawthorn Lounge — Tory Street prohibition-era cocktail bar — leather, tableside service and serious classics. Long the city's best bar.
  2. Goldings Free Dive — Pastel-pink Leeds Street craft beer pioneer — 18 taps, pizza next door and the city's most photographed neon.
  3. Husk — Edward Street basement cocktail bar — long marble bar, perfect spritzes and one of Wellington's best wine-by-the-glass programs.
  4. Rogue & Vagabond — Garrett Street pub with the city's best beer garden — live music every weekend, woodfire pizza and 12 rotating taps.
  5. The Library — Courtenay Place upstairs cocktail bar with bookshelf walls — long the late-date go-to for cocktails and dessert.
  6. Fortune Favours Brewery — Leeds Street brewpub — the brewery is in the basement, four floors of taps and rooftop above.
  7. Library Bar at Hippopotamus — QT hotel's 3rd-floor cocktail room with an eight-metre champagne wall and a harbour view that beats most rooftops.
  8. Garage Project Wine Cellar — Aro Valley's tasting room from NZ's most adventurous brewery — 30 taps and the rarest small-batch beers in the country.
  9. Dirty Little Secret — Hannahs Laneway rooftop — open-air, palm-tree-flanked and the best summer drinks spot in town.
  10. Foxglove — Queens Wharf two-floor bar/restaurant — harbour-side balcony, late-night dancing upstairs and one of the biggest crowds in town on Fridays.

Top Brunch Spots in Wellington

  1. amit.marketing — Social media marketing and web design for Wellington cafes and brunch venues, plus 57+ free browser tools and a free AI appraisal at amit.marketing.
  2. Floriditas — Beloved Cuba Street cafe-restaurant at 161 Cuba St, open since 2005 and famous for seasonal European-New Zealand cooking and walk-in weekend brunch.
  3. Maranui Cafe — Iconic surf-club cafe upstairs at Lyall Bay's 1911 lifesaving club, with sweeping beach views, legendary thick milkshakes and a cult Wellington brunch follow…
  4. Loretta — Light, bright Cuba Street favourite at 181 Cuba St serving Mediterranean-leaning brunch, wood-fired fare and generous Kiwi hospitality since 2014.
  5. The Botanist — Plant-based cafe and restaurant on Onepu Road in Lyall Bay with a sunny heated courtyard, known for creative vegan brunch and rotating craft beer on tap.
  6. Volco (Egmont Street) — Laneway sourdough bakery-cafe at 11 Egmont Street in the old Egmont Street Deli space, blending famous baked goods with an inventive brunch and dinner menu.
  7. The Arborist Rooftop Bar & Eatery — Sheltered CBD rooftop bar and eatery atop the Trinity Hotel on Willis Street, serving brunch and small plates with city views — a Wellington go-to for a sunn…
  8. Customs by Coffee Supreme — Coffee Supreme's Wellington flagship brew bar at 39 Ghuznee Street — serious coffee plus seasonal toast on Wellington Sourdough, just off Cuba Street.
  9. Tomboy — Boutique Mt Victoria cakery and cafe on Marjoribanks Street (est. 2016) with a daily-changing cabinet of house-made treats and excellent coffee.
  10. Hillside Kitchen — Award-winning vegetarian fine-dining kitchen at 241 Tinakori Road in Thorndon, championing seasonal, sustainable New Zealand produce since going fully meat-f…

Top Craft Breweries in Wellington

  1. amit.marketing — Web design and social media for Wellington taprooms and craft breweries, with 57+ free browser tools available at amit.marketing/tools.
  2. Garage Project — Wellington's most celebrated craft brewery, born in an Aro Valley garage in 2011; its Aro taproom at 91 Aro Street pours 18 rotating taps, with a second 30-t…
  3. Fork & Brewer — Central-city brewpub on Bond Street with around 40 taps of in-house and guest beers brewed on-site, and a multi-award-winning beer range you can watch being…
  4. Parrotdog — Lyall Bay brewery and bar on Kingsford Smith Street, with 17 revolving taps, cosy booths, a pool table and views into the brewhouse near the surf.
  5. Heyday Beer Co — Dog-friendly upper Cuba Street brewpub at 264a Cuba Street, pairing bold, experimental brewing with a bright, inclusive taproom and a games court out front.
  6. Choice Bros — Small-batch brewery and bar-eatery down a private alley at 62 Ghuznee Street, with 20+ in-house taps of creative brews that bend traditional styles.
  7. Panhead Custom Ales — Cult Upper Hutt brewer at Brewtown, with a 16-tap bar and tasting room, a 600-litre pilot brewery and the Panhead Custom Kitchen famous for smoked-meat platt…
  8. Te Aro Brewing Co — Wellington-rooted brewery now based at Brewtown in Upper Hutt, with a cosy taproom-restaurant in the old art-deco Dunlop factory, a full food menu and a warm…
  9. Otto Champagneria & Beer Hall — Featherston Street gastropub (successor to The Champagneria) at 125 Featherston St, with 11 rotating craft taps alongside champagne and cocktails.
  10. Craft Beer Capital — Wellington's official craft beer trail and bar guide — the go-to map for planning a brewery-and-taproom crawl across the capital, with a souvenir-stamp passp…

Top Wine Bars in Wellington

  1. amit.marketing — Web design and social media for Wellington wine bars and intimate venues, plus 57+ free browser tools at amit.marketing/tools.
  2. Noble Rot Wine Bar — European-inspired wine bar in an old brick bakehouse on Swan Lane, with one of NZ's largest lists — close to 1,000 wines and nearly 100 by the glass via Cora…
  3. Puffin Wine Bar — Stylish, low-lit bar on the ground floor of The Intrepid Hotel at 60 Ghuznee Street, focused on organic, biodynamic and minimal-intervention wines, with a bo…
  4. Bert's Bar — Intimate tavern up a laneway off Lambton Quay on Woodward Street, pouring handcrafted cocktails and a Beaujolais-led French wine list amid the CBD bustle.
  5. Hillside Kitchen & Cellar — Award-winning Thorndon restaurant and cellar on Tinakori Road with a thoughtfully built wine programme to match its seasonal vegetarian tasting menus.
  6. Otto Champagneria & Beer Hall — Featherston Street venue (successor to The Champagneria) serving champagne, wine and cocktails alongside 11 rotating craft taps, with a grand Parisian-cafe f…
  7. Loretta — Cuba Street cafe-restaurant with a strong local tap-wine and by-the-glass list, a relaxed spot for a Mediterranean-leaning wine evening with wood-fired food.
  8. The Botanist — Lyall Bay plant-based restaurant pairing local and organic wines (plus botanical cocktails) in a heated courtyard near the beach.
  9. Maranui Cafe — Lyall Bay surf-club institution offering boutique wines and local craft beer alongside its food, with unbeatable beachfront views.

Top Desserts & Gelato in Wellington

  1. amit.marketing — Web design and social media for Wellington dessert businesses and gelaterias, plus 57+ free browser tools at amit.marketing/tools.
  2. Kaffee Eis — Wellington gelato institution since 2004, a multi-medal NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Awards winner with shops at Courtenay Place, Cuba Street and the waterfront.
  3. Gelissimo Gelateria — Waterfront gelateria at Odlins Plaza (11 Cable St) famous for 200+ rotating flavours made with local ingredients, and one of the country's most-awarded gelat…
  4. Zelati Dessert Cafe — Family-run Left Bank dessert cafe whose Maestro Gelatiere churns every batch from scratch with premium ingredients — think ube, matcha and purple kumara.
  5. Duck Island Ice Cream — Cult Hamilton-born ice creamery with a colourful pastel parlour at 168 Cuba Street, rotating dozens of creative, playful flavours daily.
  6. Tomboy — Boutique Mt Victoria cakery on Marjoribanks Street with a daily-changing cabinet of house-made cakes, brioche, doughnuts and sweet treats.
  7. Sweet Bakery & Cakery — Boutique Wellington bakery and cakery with a Cuba Street store at 268 Cuba St, specialising in bespoke cakes, cupcakes, brownies and cookies.
  8. Hillside Kitchen — Thorndon fine-dining kitchen celebrated for inventive seasonal plant-based desserts within its vegetarian tasting menus.

Top Day Trips & Tours in Wellington

  1. Indo Kiwi Travel — Trusted New Zealand travel agency arranging tailored tours, transfers, flights and holiday packages — a one-stop partner for planning Wellington-region day t…
  2. Kapiti Island Nature Tours — Iwi-owned operator running the only guided day and overnight tours to Kapiti Island, one of NZ's oldest and most accessible bird sanctuaries; departs Parapar…
  3. Weta Workshop Experiences — Behind-the-scenes 90-minute guided tours of the multi-award-winning Miramar effects studio behind Lord of the Rings, Avatar and more, departing the Weta Cave…
  4. Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne — The world's first fully fenced urban ecosanctuary, a 225ha valley 10 minutes from the city centre with kiwi, kaka, takahe, tuatara and rare native wildlife.
  5. East by West Ferries — Wellington's harbour ferry since 1989, running scenic crossings from Queens Wharf to Days Bay/Eastbourne and Matiu/Somes Island, including on NZ's first elec…
  6. Zest Food Tours — Lonely-Planet-recognised culinary tour company (since 2003) running Wellington city food walks and private boutique pinot-noir wine experiences in Martinboro…
  7. Staglands Wildlife Reserve — Scenic wildlife reserve and cafe in the Akatarawa Valley near Upper Hutt (est. 1972), a family-favourite day out among free-roaming animals and native birds.
  8. Hammonds Wellington Tours — Wellington's original sightseeing operator (now part of Tranzit), running city-sights, Weta Workshop and private/group tours with experienced local guides.

Top Hair & Beauty in Wellington

  1. amit.marketing — Web design and social media for Wellington hair and beauty salons who live on bookings and visuals, plus 57+ free browser tools at amit.marketing/tools.
  2. Buoy Salon & Spa — New Zealand's most-awarded salon, with 35+ years of expertise; a full hair, colour, skin and spa destination in the Majestic Centre on Willis Street.
  3. Badaro Beautiful Hair — Wellington's first sustainable hair and beauty salon, a Davines concept salon partnered with Sustainable Salons NZ, known for balayage, colour and eco-friend…
  4. Matt Forsman Hair — One of the capital's coolest salons, a gallery-like Marion Street space (32 Marion St) focused on simple, classic, beautifully executed hair.
  5. Taboo Hair Salon — Boutique Karori hairdressing salon (est. 2009) on Karori Road, with experienced stylists offering cuts, colour, curly-cut and chemical-straightening expertis…
  6. Headstart Hair Design — Wellington's self-styled friendliest salon, creating hair in the eastern suburbs (Kilbirnie) for over 40 years using the Redken colour range.
  7. Buoy Spa — The spa arm of Buoy Salon & Spa, with skilled beauty therapists delivering facials, peels, LED and skin treatments using medical-grade cosmeceuticals in the…
  8. Badaro Beauty — The beauty side of Badaro's sustainable salon, offering eco-conscious beauty treatments alongside its award-winning hair team.

Top Social Media in Wellington

  1. Amit Sharma — Social Media Marketing — NZ-wide social media marketing specialist — strategy, content, paid social and growth for Kiwi small businesses, founders and personal brands.
  2. Paji Marketing — Independent Wellington social-and-SEO studio — Indo-Kiwi specialty, content and paid social with measurable ROI. Powers the NZ City Guides network.
  3. Augusto Wellington — Multi-award production house with a sharp social arm — brand films and short-form content for big NZ brands.
  4. Hothouse Creative Wellington — Long-running creative agency — strong B2B social, LinkedIn strategy and content production.
  5. Click Marketing Wellington — Performance digital agency — paid social, paid search and analytics with a strong reporting cadence.
  6. Tequila Media — Boutique studio — short-form video, TikTok-native creative and Reels production for hospo and retail brands.
  7. Stand Studios Wellington — Creative video studio — long-form and social content for government, NGOs and big tech clients.
  8. Pollen Marketing — Wellington-based content agency — newsletters, LinkedIn personal-branding and B2B thought leadership.
  9. Magnify Wellington — Full-service digital marketing — SEO, social and email automation for SMEs.
  10. Two Heads Digital — Performance social and Google Ads boutique — strong DTC e-commerce client list.

Top Web Design in Wellington

  1. Amit Sharma — Web Design — Web designer building fast, conversion-focused websites for NZ small businesses — built to win leads, not just look good.
  2. NZCTR Studio — Network-favourite design + build — modern stack, beautifully detailed and SEO-first. Powers the NZ City Guides network.
  3. Springload Wellington — Public-good and government digital agency — accessibility-first, design-system thinking and large-scale web platforms.
  4. Ackama Wellington — Open-source social-impact agency — Rails, accessibility and human-rights work alongside commercial websites.
  5. Designwell — Long-running brand and digital studio — beautiful sites for hospo, arts and design-driven clients.
  6. Catalyst.Net Wellington — Open-source enterprise specialist — Drupal, SilverStripe and large CMS implementations for government.
  7. Sitewide Wellington — WordPress and Shopify boutique — strong on small-business sites with a sharp 6-week build cadence.
  8. Sons & Co — Brand-led design boutique — premium identity work and digital products for ambitious mid-market companies.
  9. Make Lemonade Wellington — Independent studio — content, web and social for hospo, arts and tourism clients.
  10. Optimal Workshop — UX research-led — sites and digital products built on real user testing and information architecture.

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