Wellington is known as New Zealand’s culinary capital, and you won’t struggle to find excellent dining in and around the city. You can find excellent places to suit all budgets, so no-one need be disappointed.
The city claims to have more eating places per capita than New York City. If you take a short walk around town, you can easily see why people might make that claim. There are cafes, restaurants, and small eateries everywhere.
There are also plenty of takeaway places for those in a rush, or who may be a bit more budget-conscious.
One thing that strikes you is the lack of the big-name international chains of fast-food outlets. There are a few of the big names but by far the majority are independent operations. This means that you tend to get better food as they have to compete on quality rather than relying on massive global advertising budgets.
You can find some serious, high-end restaurants like Logan Brown for example. And Marjoribanks St, has not one but four of the countries Top 20 restaurants in the space of about 100m. The Capital and Ortega Fish Shack are long-established but two new ventures, Restaurant Amok, and Koji, have already established fine reputations for their excellent food.

Mockingbird vegan restaurant, Courtenay Place, Wellington
The range of foods and cuisines is astonishing. From the obvious pizza, Chinese, and Indian restaurants, to modern fusion menus there is something for everyone. You can also find restaurants of many other countries including Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and many more. There are also specialist outlets like the vegan Mockingbird on Courtenay Place, and the Maori food restaurant, Hiakai.
If you are a local and fancy a night out, or you want a foodie weekend break, Wellington is the place for you. Most of the restaurants are easily accessible and are close to each other so you can amble around and make your choice.