A crafty beer spot with a tasty food menu, including an extensive tapas list and epic dessert menu, just a quick stumble along Upland Road!

It’s right by my house, always tasty and the staff are so friendly! I go here heaps in summer while in the Botans sunning myself. I recommend the date scones!

Probably the best coffee in the neighbourhood, and a great spot to sit, relax, and people-watch the passersby. Offers counter and menu food, plus friendly staff.

Taking over from the much loved Red Tomatoes is a tough job, but the Mediterranean Food Warehouse of Kelburn is a welcome addition to a neighbourhood that lacks general supermarket options, plus the pizzeria has all the tasty treats of the Newtown store in a compact space.

Widely regarded as the best butcher in wellington, Island bay butchery boasts a wide selection of 100% free range, top quality meats. The sausage selection is the real draw card, with 40+ different varieties, many of which are award winning, it’s hard to even choose which ones to buy! My pick would be the Moroccan lamb or the German bratwurst, both of which are gluten free to boot! The friendly staff is always happy to answer questions, and cater to any dietary requirement or specific need you may have.

As far as bacon goes, Waikanae Butchery’s nitrate free variety is hard to top. The 30-some years of experience in the industry translates into products of insurmountable flavor and quality. Though the hike up the coast may be off putting, the butchery often has stalls at the Sunday market on the waterfront, which means everyone can get in on the action. The chorizo is worth an honorable mention here; it makes all others of its kind pale in comparison!

With two locations, one in Kelburn, and one in Ngaio, Cameron Harris butchers have the local-vibe down pat. Lovely staff, and award winning hams and bacon make both of the stores a win. Though I would recommend the Ngaio store over the Kelburn solely for the boutique-feeling delicatessen experience it provides, with not only deli-meats, but also a curated array of condiments, and spreads to select from. I would definitely recommend the Manuka-smoked salmon!

Preston's is like the Mitre-10 of butchers. Its convenient, has everything your carnivorous tastes could desire, at a reasonable price to boot. Located in central wellington, with two other stores, the family-run business has been going strong for over a hundred years, meaning they must be doing something right! Preston's also offer a nation-wide delivery service, and often have super good deals on to stock your freezer with!

Whilst not a butcher per-se, Moore Wilson’s Fresh provides an excellent array of cuts and kinds of meats, covering almost every requirement you could possibly have. You can always trust Moore Wilson’s quality, and product selection to be top notch, and grab everything else you need to compliment your choice, all under one roof. The Cardrona merino lamb is difficult to beat, but if you don’t feel like cooking, you can grab a free-range rotisserie chicken from the chook wagon in the upstairs car park!

On a lazy Sunday morning, I love stuffing my face with Sweet Mother’s enormous breakfast burrito.

Fidels on Cuba are a haven for vegans especially in terms of baking. The blackberry, peach and chocolate muffins are amazing and animal product free. Wooo whoo!

Tucked away in a back alley, this unassuming cafe is a favourite spot to camp out on a rainy day and drink a pot of tea and read the paper. It dark and warm and the atmosphere always has a little buzz which makes it easier to concentrate on what you’re doing. Come a sunny day it’s good to pop outside too and enjoy the sun.

It’s a bit of a way out of town, but if you don’t live in Lyall Bay it is definitely worth the trip. The food here is amazing — I love the crispy manuka honey smoked bacon that they use — and despite it always, always being busy the service is impeccable.

Possibly the coolest cafe down the "business" end of town, Thunderbird has the Cuba Street vibe just with a few more suits at lunch time. The food is hearty and delicious with a range of cabinet food available for you to grab if you’re in a hurry.

Overlooking Dixon St, Six Barrel Soda is a great spot for people-watching and solo dining. It’s best-known for its sliders and titular sodas, but it recently expanded its offerings of chips and alcoholic drinks. You can get a slider and a soda for $11, which is not a huge meal, but great value – and for brunch on the weekend, it’s hard to go past $15 for bottomless filter coffee, a soda, and scramble.

Despite its notoriously patchy service, Sweet Mother’s Kitchen is a go-to for Wellingtonians on the hunt for southern, Cajun cooking, like chicken gumbo, po-boys and quesadillas. The food is consistently excellent, and reasonably priced for the generous portions – and with its ramshackle decor and indie playlists, it’s surprisingly hip for somewhere so established.

For Wellingtonians, brunch is something of a weekly tradition, and even among the go-to destinations (Fidel’s, Floridita’s), Olive stands out. It’s the perfect spot for a leisurely catch up with a friend over eggs-any-which-way and coffee. You can sit in the window if you’re in the mood to people-watch, or make the most of the sunshine in the secluded courtyard outside.

El Matador Cafe, Asador Grill & Bar is best known for its meat dishes, barbequed and grilled Argentine-style, but it’s also a great choice for brunch – especially if you don’t feel like competing with the throngs that gather at Floridita’s, Fidel’s or Olive before noon every Saturday and Sunday. Like any good brunch destination, El Matador serves eggs any way you want them, but be sure to add some bacon or chorizo to your order: you’re not making the most of what El Matador has to offer if you order vegetarian.

Every Wellingtonian knows that Fidel’s is a go-to for any meal, at any time of day, on any day of the week – but in a city with a restaurant industry that comes alive before noon on Saturday and Sunday, it’s especially popular for brunch. This can work against it if you’re not in the mood for crowds – or long waiting times for food – but you can’t argue with the extensive menu, cabinet food and relaxed atmosphere.

This house-turned-cafe steams up on a cold day with the Massey faculty and students. With its old-school fireplace and brick floor, it's the perfect place to get lost in during a hard day's lunch break. The cabinet cake selection is as decadent as it looks. Nothing beats procrastinating with a warm piece of chocolate brownie and a cup of well-earned coffee. 

When walking past Brooklyn the Bakery at night, the aromas do nothing short of making you wish you had a piece of freshly baked bread in your hand. No matter how full I am the smell leaves me salivating. When the doors finally open the next morning you can find trays of fresh baked breads, most of which are under $5 and generous in size. If you are hoping to get a loaf during the weekends, I would recommend beating the brunch rush as most breads sell out before 12pm. The Ciabatta bread I tried reminded me of Sunday breakfast with the family, eggs and bacon served with toasted slices of my favourite Italian bread. The outside was perfectly crisp with a deliciously moist and springy interior. Paired with basil pesto and olive oil it makes for an appetizing afternoon snack. 

Named after Fidel Castro, a revolutionary communist and president of Cuba, this quirky Cafe is themed around this man. Nestled at the top of Cuba street it’s all a little bit ironic. The coffee and food however, are not it the slightest. Fidels is regularly packed from front to back as people keep returning to try their strong decadent coffee and delicious food. I recommend checking out their pizza menu and $25 deal for a pizza and two beers.

This delightful sea-side cafe is in remembrance to the life saving club that burnt down in 2009. The beautiful food and old school atmosphere leaves for the cafe’s patrons waiting up to an hour during prime Sunday brunch time. The food and drink is well worth the wait, and I have never known of someone who has left disappointed. I recommend splashing out and treating yourself to a full breakfast.

If you are a fan of a good hot chocolate, then look no further than this modern glass beauty. Italian hot chocolate is hot chocolate at its finest. Thick liquid chocolate served up with a splash of cream and chocolate sprinkles, its a drink I recommend to all sweet tooth’s, and non are disappointed.

I’ve been waiting for all the hype around this place to die down, so that maybe there are not so many people in Lorettas all the time. But it shows no signs of waning, mainly cause the menu is on point, seasonal and well put together. Their menu uses only the freshest produce, and not one person will be unaccounted for. From the classic eggs and bacon to more fanciful dishes, it all sounds mouth wateringly awesome! Highly advised brunching, I feel like this is probably the peoples favourite currently, but you should go and taste all the food for yourself and make up your own mind on this…

If the weathers good Olive is the place to be. The wait on food is never unreasonable, and you do get to sit in Wellington’s best outdoor area. It’s got excellent service, and the food is seasonal and on point, I’m yet to receive an over poached egg with my order at Olive. If the weather doesn’t allow seating outside, try get into the second room with banquette. I’m a fan of simple brunches so I usually get the eggs ‘your style’ on sourdough, though if you have a sweet craving the maple infused french toast with blueberry compote.

This place wins on a Sunday in a big way, you can sit out in the sunshine, on the street or hideaway in the alcove area while still being outdoors if it’s a bit windy. It’s conveniently placed for your stop of before or after the markets or your Moore Wilsons shop. The food is superb; the dukes dawn here comes in both meat and non meat editions, both of which are awesome and highly recommended, especially if you’ve maybe had a few too many the day previous. The build your own breakfast here is easily laid out and a personal favourite starting at $6 for the eggs on toast.

Down the Mt. Victoria end of Courtney Place is Sweet Mothers Kitchen, a New Orleans fashioned restaurant with southern style cooking. Brunch here goes all day on a Sunday, so its an excellent choice if you are a late riser. I’m a big fan of the eggsadilla which is essentially a large breakfast burrito, also on the highly rated menu are the waffles with fried chicken, top shelf hangover food for those who are in need, also good anytime for those who are fans of well, fried chicken!

With a facelift a while ago, this once kind of odd looking place became an excellent little café. With a slick clean aesthetic, good service and a simple but excellent menu. Coming in highly recommended, the pancakes with banana, a sure fire winner with excellent stacking in form of spaced banana in-between pancakes winning votes. The big breakfast here is also pretty tasty, at $20 its relatively well priced and is especially good for those who into black pudding, cause that’s totally on this dish alongside all the regulars.

During my quest to solve the mystery ‘who crafts the premier burgers in the capital’ I unearthed many clues, the majority of which pinned Ekim burgers as the culprit of this delicious crime. A bit of a fuss has been kicked up about this place hence it showing up on my radar, and on that radar it will stay, with it’s 20+ burger choices. It’s not often you hear it, but ALL of these creations are better than good, made with love by hand in the tiny Ekim caravan on Cuba St.

Monterey - they’re like that kid at school that’s good at everything who you get uber jealous of, but once you get chatting they’re actually really cool and super lovely so you want to hang out with them all the time and learn from them. Monterey’s burgers are an easy choice for second, their popularity and flavour is only just out-done by Ekim. It’s creations like the house smoked snapper, red pepper and tartare sauce burger that had them oh so close to first place, it’s even tempting to put them in at first equal. Monterey’s got the goods on the burger front, and they do it all with just enough swag to top it off.

You know that bbq you have every summer with family and friends where you cook up quality burgers and laugh about the good old days? Yes or no? Either way, sitting down for a burger from Joe’s Garage is just like that, except a wee bit fancier and you’re in a garage. Their burgers earn them a well deserved third placing, with choices like roast lamb and haloumi, sirloin steak and caramelised onion, chicken and streaky bacon, and of course beef and swiss cheese. Yes, the price point is noticably higher than your average takeout, but to have a garcon on hand with advice and smiles-a-plenty to attend to your needs sweetens the deal considerably.

Some have said that experiencing a Food for the People burger is like witnessing an Aurora light show - it’s quite rare and truly a privilege. Their elusive nature is owing to their tendency to pop up at farmers markets and festivals rather than having a ‘nine-to-five’ style base, but once you stumble across or hunt them down you’ll see why it’s a privilege. Their fare is as fresh as it gets, and depending on your luck, you might even get to try their Kapiti Island caught tuna steak, or Kapiti Island caught lemon fish and tarragon coleslaw burgers. If you’re salivating while reading, check their Facebook page for their next pop up spot.

Forget about burger choice, think about burger quality when you walk through Ti Kouka’s doors. We’re talking a ‘sticky’ beef burger in the form of braised beef brisket, red cabbage, bbq sauce and beetroot puree, or the haloumi burger with rocket pesto, mayo, bbq sauce, gherkin and beetroot puree. These two items of gourmet grub are just a couple of reasons why they win awards for crafting the humble burger.

Every Saturday between 10am-4pm in Wellington you can check out a range of designer stalls. Guess where? At the Wellington Underground Market. Clothing, health and beauty, toys and games, music, artwork, baby & child products, food, homeware and craft supplies. It's all happening.

Between The Ramen Shop serving up the best ramen in town, and The House of Dumplings serving up the best dumplings in town, you could call The City Market a win just off these two alone, but no, an incredible selection of boutique food supplies, deli items, ethnic delights, and Martin Bosley's Bacon and Egg sandwiches await.

These monthly markets have been religion at Mighty Mighty for years now. On the first Saturday of every month, vintage clothing retailers, specialty stalls and delicious food outlets take over what it normally one of the most fun live music venues in town. With DJ Don Luchito serving up the tunes, it's always a good afternoon. And ladies, leave your dudefriend, husband or partner at the bar for a drink while you try on clothes. Of course women aren't the only ones buying clothing, so it might be a role reversal as well. We're egalitarian here.

Affordable veges and fruit, fish, dairy products, nuts, breads, and all ranges of hot/cold food to eat on the spot. The vibes and atmosphere at Harbourside Market Wellington is second to none. Check it out every Sunday morning.

Located  within the ground of Newtown School, this fruit and vegetable market is a wonderful community experience. Pick up what you need for the week, and grab something warm to snack on while you're there.

After a hard training session on Saturday morning at Scorching Bay, this is my go-to spot for brunch. Sitting next to the seaside refuelling on their coffee and eggs benny means I am good to go again.

You wouldn’t realise there is an awesome cafe in the Palmers Garden Centre when driving past but trust me, there is. And you know it’s popular when there is a queue winding its way out the door waiting for tables. If you grab the eggs benny and a gourmet milkshake then you will need to waddle out the door.

The new kid in town has become an instant hit. Located opposite the surf break in Lyall Bay, it is packed to it's open-aired rafters throughout the day. The massive amounts of seating indoors, upstairs and outside barely provides enough room for all the brunch-goers on a weekend morning. The food is worth it though and I can highly recommend the chunky eggs benny.

Elements was the first cafe I went to in Wellington when I got back from travelling overseas. I was practically (ok I WAS) drooling just thinking about the eggs benny the morning of my return. Nothing beats fresh loaves topped with crispy bacon (or ham), perfectly cooked eggs, all drizzled in hollandaise sauce.

Enigma cafe is a lovely cafe right on courtenay place. decorated with spray paint, and posters sets off an ‘alty’ which is totally in right now, but relaxed vibe. I would definitely recommend the wedges with bacon and cheese, wow. unless lactose is a problem then hold the cheese. Their Baristas never get it wrong either. You can always expect a perfect coffee everytime.

Fig Tree Cafe & Larder is situated right in the heart of Petone’s infamous Jackson street. with a brunch menu to die for and a cabinet of goodies to choose from this cafe is definitely one not to pass by. The mouth watering menu consists of the all time breakfast favourites, eggs benedict, an all day breakfast, and of course pancakes. Along with an amazing menu the staff are the friendliest ladies, provide excellent chat and along with exceptional service the coffees are equally as exceptional.

The Coffee Club is a cafe chain located pretty much anywhere you go in the wellington region, including queensgate lower Hutt. You can always guarantee a meal that will leave your taste buds tingling. A favourite is their special omelette and i wont spoil anything by telling you whats in it. ;) Another favourite is good old fashioned hot chips with a hot chocolate on the side made with love by the obvious smiles of the ever so friendly staff every time. The Coffee Club is the perfect setting for a business brunch as well as a catch up with an old friend or family members. be sure to check it out!

So today at about 4pm I was absolutely pining for a coffee - I went to a few café's that I thought could maaaybe satisfy the urge but I was at a loss (the ones that could succeed were closed and the rest I just couldn't sway myself to go into) - so I knew the one place I could go was Cosmic on Cuba. I live in the Hutt so it's a bit of a drive, but trust me it's worth it! That piccolo went straight into my blood stream and I was able to resort to my usual chirpy self. On top of that you even get to choose whether you'd prefer Havana or Flight, which in my opinion are both up there in respect to taste.  Plus you can browse the store while you're drinking you're coffee - if your at a loss for a present for someone you'll find it in there!!!

I'm one of those people that always leaves things till the very last moment - luckily for me I drive past Janus Bakkerij often and whenever I'm stuck on a 'get well' pressy or I need a last second birthday treat for friends, these guys seem to be my first call. Today's visit was due to a friends birthday - I got her a few things from the sweet cabinet (the savoury cabinet is hard to ignore!!) and because she has little ones I got them a treat as well. You can dine in or get take away + they roast their own coffee so it's generally pretty good. Next time you drive past you should pop in!!

If you want a decent coffee in the Hutt this is the place to go and they usually have pretty awesome lunch specials like their bacon and chocolate brioche yesterday!! Sooo good! If you're ever in the area it's worth stopping in!!

Went here during the week by pure chance and was very pleasantly suprised - the food was god and the coffee delightful! It's a bit hidden as it is inside Te Rauparaha Arena but they have a fully stocked cabinet and their milkshakes looked SUPER tempting. But I have to say that I am very very happy to finally find a cafe in Porirua that doesn't disappoint! This will definitely be my new Porirua one stop shop for coffee!!

Every Sunday morning these guys have a little stall down at the harbour side markets and there is no better hangover cure than one of their delicious pastries. They happen to sell the king of all treats - the cronut - it's a more decadent version of your everyday doughnut and once you taste one your life will be complete! It's made from croissant pastry, covered in cinnamonny sugar and best of all...filled with a amazingly creamy custard filling. You can finish it off with a flat white from the little green caravan!

Down the bottom of Tory Street, Joe’s Garage serves up American Diner style deliciousness. Their hot plates are always a sizzle with bacon and their coffee pots are always ready to pour your next cup o' joe. For that true Americana experience you have to try their awesome burgers. 

$4 bottomless coffee, this is the perfect place to sit in the window and watch the world go by.

On a lazy Sunday morning, I love stuffing my face with Sweet Mother’s enormous breakfast burrito.

Tommy is a pizza genius. The dough is amazing and the wide selection of toppings makes this a must eat. Also they sell icecream: delicious delicious ice cream!

A bit like Cheers, sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and Golding’s Free Dive is that bar. And like Norm, you can sit at the bar and Sean Golding will listen to your troubles, or even sit down and share his. A true local.