Wellington and the Wairarapa Restaurants

In Wellington, restaurants, cafés, and sports bars spring up overnight like mushrooms. Although you'll never be without the classic meal of steak, fries, and ale, city eateries have also embraced more adventurous fare. Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Malaysian, Mexican, and Italian cuisines are increasingly common. Indigenous food, too, is appearing in restaurants around the city—native plants might be paired with traditional seafood or made into sauces to accompany meat or sweet-potato dishes.

In rural areas outside Wellington, the wine industry has revolutionized local tables, with excellent dining and wine-tasting spots. In the Wairarapa, restaurants are winning a reputation for creative cuisine.

Generally, lunch runs from noon until 2, and most restaurants close for a few hours before opening for dinner around 6. On Monday, many restaurants are shuttered. Dress codes are still really relaxed; jeans would be frowned on only in the top restaurants.

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  • 1. Saint Sebastian

    $$$

    Experience delicious and unique takes on kaimoana (seafood) in this pale blue monument to the sea. The restaurant specializes in home-style cooking and features locally sourced ingredients from the Wairarapa pastures to the coast of Palliser Bay. The Paua (abalone) dumplings and Kohe Kohe oysters are not to be missed. Reservations are essential for dinner.

    109a Chapel St., Masterton, Wellington, 5810, New Zealand
    06-216–1471

    Known For

    • Great sharing plates
    • Popular with locals
    • Excellent service and ambience

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 2. The Crab Shack

    $$$

    Set on the waterfront, with crab-pots and ropes hanging from the ceiling and walls bedecked in old-world maps and colorful recycled timber, the Crab Shack is an American-style diner with a Kiwi twist. Strong Cajun flavors and massive crab dishes are the order of the day, but there are plenty of land-based options if you don't feel like seafood.

    Queens Wharf, Wellington, Wellington, 6011, New Zealand
    04-916--4250

    Known For

    • <PRO>engaging and fun staff</PRO>
    • <PRO>broad menu options but a big focus on seafood</PRO>
    • <PRO>dishes for sharing</PRO>
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

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