Nice and Local!

Great people!

New and funky!

Southern Cross provides a relaxed dining experience. Famous for it's 241 stone grills on both a Monday and a Tuesday, you have to get in quick to avoid missing out. Stone grill is a clever way to make the customer cook their own meal while dining out. However, watching your meat (or vegetarian option) of choice cook away provides satisfaction when it reaches the mouth.

Every Tuesday this mysterious book-laden bar does 241 desserts. What better to do on a chilly night with your favourite person than snuggle up in one of Library's booths with a cocktail and a delicious sugary morsel for that sweet tooth

If you're not afraid of getting messy or not looking respectable while eating out, then try your hand at JJ's 241 ribs on a Tuesday night. Great for any meat lover, or a fan of a great pub meal. These juicy meaty bones, dripping with sauce appeal to anyone not faint at heart. Tuesday night is also JJ Murphy's quiz night, who knows you may even win yourself a prize!

Thank god it’s Friday. Four little words with so much joy attached to them, so much joy it’s been abbreviated to TGIF that you can say it even faster and with more excitement. So it’s finally time to leave work on Friday and you’ve probably spent most the day thinking about the weekend’s festivities. For most people this includes some form of bar for some form of drinking. Why not change or even continue on from your ‘local’ down to El Horno. Famous for its jugs of Sangria served up in jars, and old school music, it’s a great place to waste the weekend away. 

Matterhorn is famous for its impeccable, mouthwatering food and cocktails to make your taste buds tingle. Whether you prefer the Cuba Street or Courtney Place scene, this hidden away restaurant-turn-bar is a great place to stop for a drink of the fancy sort.

Amazing old school whorehouse chic. A great altenrative venue for a wedding.

Nothing better than a surf and turf hot rocks plate with a cold beer on a Sunday late lazy afternoon with the kids

My wife and I make the regular journey across town for a fish tortilla. That blackened fish and smokey flavoured goodness washed down with a tumbler or two of rose gets my tastebuds tingling.

A lovely intimate venue for a small wedding or elopement party. Cosy in winter with friendly staff and an amazing Winelist

Start early with a great lunch on the lawn at St Johns Bar

Then head to Mac’s for some creative thinking

as the day progresses some time with the Doctor on the deck at the GP is a must. They have a great selection of beers to help cure any "alements" you may have.

a tridional Strawberry Daiquiri or 3, free peanuts some great music is the perfect lead in to

singing very badly until 4am in one of the best "little" bars on Courtney Place will almost gaurantee a hangover to be proud of.

Relaxed setting. Short walk to the beach. Coffee done well

Conveniently located on The Terrace. It is where I go in the mornings.

This place is awesome!!! A real destination. Not known for it's coffee, but I had to add it to the list.

Trendy Cuba Mall location. The place just feels good!

Great place to quickly stop off if heading in or out of Wellington via SHW1

You can’t go past Satay Kingdom (or Oriental Kingdom, run by the same folks and just metres away - and with beer!) for cheap Malaysian. The roti chanai and mee goreng are both cult menu items - and both are delicious, for under $10.

Arguably Wellington’s best curries - offering both Indian and Malaysian curry, and heaps of options for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. It’s also BYO so grab a date or a group for a tasty and cheap night out.

One of my top places for a big birthday BYO. The menu has something for everyone - my pick is the vege dhal.

Perfect for a vegetarian or vegan feast, with a heap of vegetable options - or fake meat, if you’re that way inclined. Big portions for small dollars.

This new kid on Majoribanks Street is booming, with a menu including both standard and gourmet fish and chips options, plus salads, burgers and much more. Excellent chips, and the slaw is killer.

Awesome craft beer place with fantastic local knowledge. Danny and Crew truly make you enjoy a good beer.

Gotta love the variety and soo Love the Firecracker chicken... Boom

Awesome food.

And love the beers

Amazing food and passionate team.

The malthouse has such an impressive array of beers, it’s hard not to be in love with the place; there is a rotating list of over over 150 beers, from craft beer to imported, exotic numbers. With a number of big screens, and cozy corners a plenty, the vibe will be sure to be electric, this would be the place to go with a group of friends, ready to get rowdy.

Public have a huge space, which they utilise to full potential. If you need a function room, or just somewhere to go an get a good view of a sports match, this is a good go-to. Clean, and crisp with friendly staff and reasonably priced drinks.

The Bristol is a pretty solid Kiwi sports pub, where you can indulge in such activities as pool, and drinking jugs of beer. Located super centrally, on Cuba street, there is no better place to kick start the party. There is a huge outdoor area, with a tonne of foot traffic, so it is bound to get rowdy.

The Green Man is located on Victoria street, and is a cute little pub complete with leather banquettes and quirky decor. This would be the place to go if you’re not into huge crowds of rowdy, drunken Rugby fans. There is a selection of tap beers, and a delish gastro-style menu.

Four kings is a huge, multi-level sports bar, so will undoubtedly be jam packed for the world cup, and the place to go for a good time. Take a group of friends, and hang out on the comfy booth style tables, and enjoy the game in an environment literally created for that purpose.

An amazing group of super friendly Wellington staff out to teach our youngsters about tv, music, animation, computer game production, as well as theatre performances and more. It’s such a relevant organisation (not for profit too!) with all the latest technology. There really is something fun and educational for every type and age of child!

A mixture of indoor and outdoor activities wise(!) but still one of the coolest places to visit with the little ones…everyone loves the zoo! They have awesome animal encounters like, cheetah, big cat, giraffe and red panda, and educational talks every half hour or so. If you’re super keen you can even do a zoo sleepover!

So much fun to be had here! The slides are as good as their names suggest…Xtreme Speed Slide, The MasterBlaster and Darkness Falls…all for a mere $4. There’s also a wave pool, giant inflatable obstacle courses and plenty of opportunity for swimming lessons and fitness courses. Highly recommended!

Take your kids here and just watch their jaws hit the floor as the interactive Planetarium show starts…guaranteed ‘ooohs and ahhhs’ as well as plenty of brain food! Be sure to ring ahead as they have to close reasonably regularly for maintenance and big group bookings. A brilliant way to explore the Wellington skies and beyond.

Just mentioning to the kids that you’re visiting this place at they’ll be hit the ceiling! That’s because it RULES. Tenpin bowling, laser strike, arcade games, pool tables and a restaurant with a super scrumptious menu. They do regular daily specials like unlimited bowling on Wednesday evenings, as well as Junior League bowling with coaching and competition. A sweet place for birthday parties too!

Regardless of the weather - swimming, wave machine, hydro slides, and a spa - yes please!

Outdoor adventures - skate park, flying fox, swings, slide, free to use BBQ areas, public toilets, and ample seating :)

Indoor activities for a rainy day

Rainy day? Set em loose with books, computers, and activities in one indoor venue

Affordable indoor activity for every age range - check opening hours beforehand!

Hashigo Zake boasts a bounty of incredible craft beer, especially gems you will struggle to find elsewhere, plus those which come from abroad are imported with care by Hashigo themselves, so when the beer arrives in your glass you’re guaranteed that it is in the best condition possible. Plus the bar staff  are incredibly knowledgeable and super cute, with beards a plenty...bonus.

  Golding’s is Wellington’s newest wee craft beer haught. Highlights include plenty of wacky decor to keep your eyes entertain with  a romantic, dimly lit and relaxed atmosphere. Plus it’s the best craft beer spot if you find yourself without a companion and fancy sitting at the bar for a decent yarn.  

Rogue and Vagabond holds the trump card, it comes with it’s own English Bulldog, Bruce who is both tough and adorable. Plus the Rogue goes out of it’s way to ensure each week is jam packed with awesome music, from thumping Friday nights to mellow Jazz Sundays.

This joint is an institution which has recently upped the ante by equipping itself with a serious craft beer bounty. The garden bar is a highlight, both for enjoying the sunshine, or cuddling up with a polar fleece blanket and hot water supplied by the cross themselves. I would seriously recommend the Tuesday night quiz if you’re after a pub quiz with a bit of a difference.

Newtown is very quickly becoming the cool new part of town and Monterey can certainly take some responsibility. They encourage your inner artist by letting you create works of art on the tables while you enjoy a decent beer, the halloumi burger rules and it has a super laid back vibe. Plus keep an eye out for Wayward's return in Summer (tucked out the back of Monterey), because that place and their spiced rum is epic.

Wellingtons great craft beer bar, constant rotating taps and a fantastic staffing unit with all the knowledge to let you make the right decision. Down in a basement of Taranaki Street, it’s a bastion of the craft beer scene and a place that any craft beer loving geek should put on the regular places to drink list.

Down the ever popular Leeds Street, Goldings Free Dive is a craft beer bar in the model of an American style dive. A partnership with Pizza Pomodoro for your food needs with an excellent selection of craft beers on tap and in bottles from the world over. Smoke-free outside area for those that care and a great vibe to the place making it a great place to go have a few while catching up with all your pals.

Boasting one of the better outside areas, access to the council park outside Rogue and Vagabond make it a great summer spot. With a wide range of craft beers on ever rotating list sure to have something that strikes you. A great spot for your weekday or weekend drinks with live music on frequently as well.

In the entrance to Aro Valley, garage project have a cellar door for you to come and try and buy some of Wellingtons best craft beer. You can even see them brewing it if you look next door. A wide selection of what Garage Project offer greets you with the ability to bring your on flagons and take them home, with some fish & chips from the great chip shop just up the road.

Up the far end of Victoria Street, Crafters & Co provide another great spot to fill your craft beer needs, with local beers on tap, notably those from Panhead (brewed in Upper Hutt). It’s a great place to go drink some tasty beers and have a solid feed as well. Definitely advised!