For me nothing beats the outdoor seating area on a nice sunny day. With a good view of the nearby beach and with the option of getting breakfast dishes all day this always makes me think of coffee club when it comes to a nice breakfast or a late brunch!

A local spot for me that I have been going to my entire life, delicious food that is well presented and the location is second to none, with plenty of in and outdoor seating Stone Oven is a great place to get brekky!

My favorite little cafe in the heart of Belmont, don’t let the size of Vanilla fool you though the breakfast and coffees they whip up are amazing, if your in the area and feel like something casual yet quality then Vanilla is your answer.

What they serve is displayed on a huge blackboard with a great display of all the savories on offer. They are always making great additions to the menu as well and the staff are friendly and always provide the best service possible. When i get stuck with the little ones in the morning this place is great for me to zone out and enjoy a bite while they burn energy in the play area out front.

Nothing beats the location! Right on the beach with a fantastic view of Rangitoto and warm and friendly staff to top it all off. I love buffets and this place serves a delicious breakfast buffet as well as doing lunches.

An amazing selection of Kiwi and international beers. A constantly evolving beer lists means you'll be unlikely to try every one, but one can try. Bonus points for having one of the best people watching spots in the entire town.

A mecca for craft beer lovers. The most incredible display of international bottled beer I have ever seen. The ever-changing beer list means there'll be something new literally every time you go. Live DJs on Saturdays if you can shift yourself out of that beer-induced, cosy little place and get those feet working. 

Picking up a bottle of your favourite sauce has never been easier. Super-friendly, well-informed staff who know their cab-savs from their merlots, Glengarry is the most complete commercial seller of fine wines in the Wellington area. Perfect gift material. 

Living just up the road from this alcohol mecca, Regional Wines has turned into my very own form of kryptonite. A peek at their staggering selection of craft beers, however, will hopefully make this curse more understanding to a non-believer.  

Chic surroundings at this mysterious beauty on the wrong side of Courtenay. Heated seats and fabulous cocktails make this elegant bar perfect for post work drinks on those long winter evenings. The East Asian/Chinese menu is a must! Try the  twice cooked chicken.

Another day is done, you've relinquished yet another 8 hours under the glow of office orbs and tubes. What better way to revive the soul than to suit up, grab your stick and hit the waves. Whatever your level, the good buggers at Real Surf will sort you out with any equipment or lessons you need to capture those post work moments of Zen. It’s hard to remember the stress in life deep in a tube, with the orb setting on the Wellington hills. Get out there.

Wellington is a Mountain bike mecca . Hundreds of trail tentacles weave their way over the humps and hills of the capital. None are more accessible than those that crisscross over Makara, and there’s no better place to start your pilgrimage than at the church of mountain biking, Mud Cycles. If you need gear, a bike, a guided tour or just all the local trail info, these guys will hook you up.

I used to think yoga was for spiritual hippies. The only thing that drew me to the inside of a yoga studio was the realisation that life must be better if I could at least bend over and touch my knees. That and a girl. 3 years later, a bunch of yoga studios behind me, I can honestly say that Iyengar Yoga Centre is my fav. Light on spiritual mumbo jumbo, but heavy on solid technique, the small dojo like atmosphere and master teachers suit me to a tee.

f the idea of running around in a box with another sweaty person sounds like fun to you, then the team at Club Kelburn, have particularly nice and cheap boxes in which to do so. You can even hire racquets and balls to accompany you.

Sex. Enough said.

Yum!

The food is great and has such cariety

Best Malaysian food on the cheap!

Best pizza!

So beautiful! Great for a walk around most anytime!

Probably one of Wellington’s best kept secrets, Le Moulin looks suspiciously inconspicuous from the outside. The tiny upper Willis street store is home to what are undoubtedly the best pasties in town. The danishes and croissants taste right out of paris, possibly even better, who am I to say?

Tucked away down an alley way, right next to Red Rabbit roastery, who I have previously expressed my love for, the two co-exist in a beautiful symbiosis. Leeds street bakery produce a delish array of rustic style sourdough loaves, and some amazing (an understatement) salted caramel cookies, as well as sandwiches and nibbles served on fresh bread.

Pandoro are an Italian artesian bakery through and through. Setting the bar high for Wellington’s bakeries for over twenty years, Pandoro serve up an impressive array of organic bread products from three different stores within the CBD. While the ciabatta and sourdough are both superb, I highly recommend the sweeter options, such as the Brioche and vegan chocolate cake.

Tucked away in Aro Valley, any list of Wellington bakeries would be incomplete without a mention of Arobake. While the scope of the products is so vast I can’t attest to all of them, I have tried a pretty extensive array of Arobake products, and haven’t been disappointed yet, and that says a lot. The sunflower seed sourdough is particularly delicious, as is the traditional Weggli bread.

A discrete neighbourhood bakery in the heart of Sockburn, expect big things from my local! Their bread is made fresh every day and goes towards making the best and biggest sandwiches. I love the biscuits and hot cups of tea you get whilst you’re there.

This famous Christchurch bakery used to call the central city home, now it’s located in Harewood. Bigger and better than ever, I love their hot pies which come in two sizes (big and small!) and the large cafe area for hanging out with friends. This place has only got better with time.

A neighbourhood cafe with a difference, Redwood is definitely one of my favourite bakeries in Christchurch for their massive cakes, pies and biscuits - you will not leave feeling hungry here. I love their pastries too!

A local bakery which isn’t my local but I love visiting it anyway! The service here is promptyand always with a smile. Highlights include the ever changing selection of sweets including lamingtons and meringues to afghans and cheese rolls which makes it very hard to choose!

If you love bread, pies and cakes, you’ll love Sydenham bakery. My favourites include their baguettes, pastries, cakes and amazing miniature pies. The chicken pies rule the roost for me at Sydenham Bakery

Nothing quite like shooting your mates … great fun running around the bush.

Some unique climbing walls - and the automatic belayers are awesome.

Nothing like embracing your inner Tarzan :)

No day out would be complete without racing around in circles

Centrally located near Wellington Harbour (and thus only a 5 minute walk from my home), New World's supermarket in the heart of the city is perfect for my shopping needs. Well stocked and boasting ample 'super saver' discounts, I try to time my weekly trip to match up with the Harbourside Market each Sunday morning. But with late night hours (open 'til midnight every night), you might just find yourself surreptitiously buying a bar of chocolate and a bottle of Coopers sparkling ale on your way home, too.

Every time I step into Arobake for a vegetarian sandwich or a pastry, I'm tempted by the fresh array of bread lining the back wall of the shop. Opening at 7 am daily (except Sunday, when sadly they're closed all day), by mid-afternoon some of their most popular breads have been snatched up, but a hefty sourdough beckons. If you're as much of a sucker for choice pastries as I am, you'll need to know Arobake easily makes the best pain au chocolat in the city!

(Nearly) every Sunday, my significant other and I venture out of our cozy weekend bed to the Harbourside Market. While I'll admit location was a bit of a factor in making this 'our' vege market (bonus for being catty-corner to New World, making Sunday my official grocery day), Harbourside Market has much more to offer than its central location. More than 10 farms bring their produce to the table(s) each week, and super competitive pricing means the answer to the 'what can we get with our last $20 (or $10, or $5 or $2-- it's been done, folks)' question is always 'heaps'. On sunny days, make time to buy lunch from one of the many carts sprawling down to the waterfront. I haven't seen it there in a while, but the elusive Burrito Magic is tops-- if you catch it, don't let it go without a bean burrito and a colorful Jarritos.

Head over to Brezelmania in Petone for fresh bread or a slice. Known as the Original German Bakery in a town with a reputation for its international food shops, Brezelmania does not disappoint. I got the banana and blueberry slice to go, and happily munched on the unique combination all afternoon. With freshly made sandwiches in store, you could just as easily have lunch there.

Le Moulin is the most buzzed-about bakery in Wellington. Go for a chocolate eclair, or pick from their array of fresh bread– their baguettes and croissants are, of course, incredible. But get ‘em while they’re hot! They close at 2 pm, but have been known to sell out much earlier.

Hi

Great

best

fine

$5 a slice, it’s good at 3pm or 3am.

There is more to Italian cusine than pizza and there is more than Pizzeria Napoli than pizza. Lucky they do both so well. Delicious pasta, salads and.....did I mention pizza?

This is the type of pizza you always end up burning your mouth on because it's so damn good you can't wait another minute for it to cool down. Massimo is a true pizza genius. $10 magarita Wednesday is the best deal around and they deliver for those....lesser functioning days.

After a big pizza pie? Dean Martin would have thought Scopa was amore at first sight if he'd been alive today. This is where you go for the whole dining experience - delicious pizza, pastas and the best hot chocolate in town.

Serving mini pizzas (pizzette) these guys still make the list because they’re probably the right size (if it’s my waist talking) and delicious flavour combonations.

Even though all Hell’s Pizza are very much on par, Upper Hutt Hell Pizza stands above the rest. Generous toppings and always piping hot!

It took so much self control to take this photo without eating it! Such a simple pizza, but always a good way to judge how good and authentic a pizzeria truly is. Basil, tomato and mozzarella! They do amazing pastas as well as their extensive pizza list. Several visits are needed here to try everything that waters your mouth upon reading the menu.

Have been to La Bella Italia many times previously, but decided to give one of their pizzas a try. Damn they’re good! Tried the most basic of pizzas, a margarita pizza (tomato & basil) and even that they nailed! Perfect balance of base, with sauce, with toppings. With my new studio at the other end of Jackson Street, ill certainly be back here… Every day!

It stares you in the face as you walk past. Order it by the slice or take the whole thing! These massive New York style pizzas are the biz. Located in a trendy outdoor kiosk on Courtenay Place makes this pizza joint easily accessible at any hour of the day.

Wow! How I have managed living in Wellington for 25 years, and never popping in here ill never know! Just had a Rossa Maria pizza… Amazing! Potatoe & Garlic goodness! Try their amazing Italian hot chocolate Gusto Cioccolato! It’s bloody amazing, think liquid chocolate and you can’t even begin to imagine how good it tastes.

My Fiance has been dealing with Scott from the Michael Hill in Chartwell. I am the happiest "bride to be" with the most amazing wedding set. My Fiance said his dealings with Scott was above and beyond what he would have expected from someone in a Retail position. He has helped from beginning to end with the picking and purchase through to the custom orders that have been placed. For all doting males - Go see Scott at Chartwell, He will make sure she says YES!!!!

I have been dealing with Jason and have booked to visit Windy Ridge, all I can say is I am very impressed at his service and was not expecting a male. I have since found out they have also taken over Willow Glen and we have booked to meet with Jason this weekend. So far the service has been outstanding and the information provided on their website is simple yet informative.

Again WOW!!!! I am working with Sema to create the most stunning boquet of flowers for my wedding party. They are made of Flax and are dyed and hand crafted into the most stunning flowers I have ever seen, which I will get to keep forever. I recommend every bride to give Sema a call and see what she can do for you, my request is the non standrd boquet and she has gladly accepted the challenge.

I have had been to Vilagrads several times for work functions & it is one of of the locations I am highly considering for my Wedding. It is a beautiful & warm atmosphere, very inviting and romantic. The food never disappoints. The Staff are friendly & have great services to offer for a wedding. The only downfall is if you are after a lower budget wedding Villagrads might not be the right location for you and you will need to sort a solution for transport for those whom wish to drink.