Tommy Million’s comes into its own in the summertime – because it’s perfectly located for you to grab a pizza to take to the waterfront or Frank Kitts Park. Order it by the slice or by the box and check out the daily deals. Plus you could go the whole hog and get a carton of its creamy gelato to go, too.

At no other cafe in Wellington do you get to appreciate the city on a good day quite so much as you do at the Chocolate Frog Cafe – its bach style makes it feel like a mini-getaway. Grab a toasted sandwich or an iced coffee or some of the beautiful fish days, pull up a bean bag, and watch the yachts sail by.

If it wasn’t clear from the queues out the door, Aro Fish & Chips are the best in the business – cheap, cheerful and all your favourites (including deep-fried Mars Bars.) Grab a great big pile of greasy newspaper-goodness and take it across the road to Aro Park to catch the last of the sun from that grassy knoll.

Maranui’s popular at all times of year, and especially in summer due to its close proximity to the beach. But I actually like it best in the colder months, when it’s stormy and grey outside (and there aren’t queues out the door). I get a coffee and sit in the window and watch the waves break against the beach – it’s really quite poetic.

St Johns does great, reasonably-priced pub food just across from the Frank Kitts lagoon. Get a jug of beer and a bowl of chips delivered direct to your spot the grass outside – they’ll even bring eftpos machine over. But you’ve been warned – the bean bags are in high demand.

Great Japanese style food in an upstairs environment which provides some intimacy for conversation. Low cost and fairly quick serve.

Well known restaurant famous for its great food and low cost

Great bar to sit and talk at while the friendly bar man makes a Mojito or three. Dinner is romantic in the subtly lit restaurant

Fidels do it all really, and aside from the coffee, the decor, the menu food, they also have a pretty nifty afghan on deck, and if that isn't around, they'll have some other great oversized chocolate themed biscuit available.

Prefab is a class act. Affordable menu items, amazing coffee, super attentive and friendly (but not too attentive staff), off the hook counter food and delicious bakery takeaway items. On a Saturday morning, no matter how busy they are, Prefab never dissapoints.

Excellent salads amongst other gluten free options. Maranui does it well.

Nine times out of ten, Milk Crate has some remarkable sweet baked goods on the counter. Paired up with great coffee, they’re always a good option.

The best lil cafe in Berhampore. It might be the only cafe in Berhampore, but I’m pretty sure that even if there were a few more it would still be the best. They serve delicious and healthy open sandwiches (vege, meat, sardines and beyond), mouth melting baked goods, off the hook coffee, and some of the raddest decor in town. Damn, I used the word rad, what is this? 1993 all over again?

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 quirky cafe is located amongst the hustle and bustle of Courtney Place. Open all sorts of ridiculous hours, every night of the week. They provide a great range of cabinet food and their menu is one of the cheapest in town. Enigma are prepared for anything with liquor licsence and ice cream counter.

As the name says so itself, this little Wellington hot-spot is open until past midnight, till 3am seven days a week. Famous for its great range of gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options it’s a great place for all to stop by for a late night snack. A huge favourite of mine is the caramel slice. Thick thumb sized layers of chocolate biscuit, caramel and chocolate icing its both delightful and decadent as anything.

Walking into Martha’s Pantry is like walking into an old fashioned ladies tea room. This little cafe has a lovely calm and homely feel to it with its carefully crafted cakes and cabinet food and mixed-matched cups and spoons. The tea menu is extensive and the tea itself is served in a large tea pot with a colourful knitted tea cosy, just like nan would have. High tea is also available for approx $28 per person, but well worth the cost for a delicious afternoon of treats and tea.

Lots of yummy plates of organic, vegan and vegetarian food. Order a big selection to share with your mates. They’ve got a pretty cool selection of beers too.

Not only do Chow do delicious food for meat lovers, they offer great vegetarian dishes too. I recommend their Jungle Curry and Beggars purse. Yum!

Deluxe have an awesome selection of vegan and vegetarian food, both sweet and savoury. They also do lots of dairy and gluten free goodies too.

Fast, fresh, cheap and tasty. An excellent place to go and get your 5+ count!

Though they only do two vege burgers, they are so delicious it doesn’t even matter. Also, make sure to get their kumara fries.

What can I say? There's a lot of meat on the premises at Steer & Beer and all of it delicious in classy, laid-back bar surroundings. You can check out their website if you want to choose your eats before you dine there. They've got a lunch and dinner menu, all very meat-laden, as well as an extensive beverage selection and a kids' menu - so very family-friendly. They also run regular special deals and offers such as the current Sunday Roast Pork Special for $14.50 - 100% NZ pork! Yum.

I can vouch that Mexican hot spot Flying Burrito Bros Cantina and Tequileria on the corner of Cuba/Vivian is as exotic as its name suggests. Check out the flash upstairs bar and sample an impressive array of tequilas while you wait for a table. I would recommend you check it out if you’re after a bustling vibe and a spicy menu for your special occasion.

On Friday night I went to Pizzeria Napoli with my boyfriend (of nearly 2 years) - a treat for both of us and celebrating a kind of second first date. This is the perfect spot if you want to wow a new date with a small, ambient restaurant, flash, homely décor, and fresh, scrumptious Italian food that can't be beaten. My BF got pizza with cherry tomatoes, shrimps and rocket (called a "Gamberoni" - delicious, according to him) and I picked two starters as a main - an salad with rocket, cherry tomatoes, mandarins, artichoke hearts and pine nuts (NOM) and crunchy bruschetta with tomatoes and garlic. Top it off with sparkling water or a Coke like we did and you will delight your tastebuds. The best thing about this place is that it's always busy, but still small and homely enough that you can actually hear what your date is saying. Try it out!

This is a cosy, super tasty Korean on Dixon. Check out a tempting menu in the window to see their specials, hot plates of all sorts starting at $15-16. Karaoke upstairs and always busy on weekends. Easy to see why.

Martin Bosley's has won stackloads of awards and when you taste the food you'll know why. They believe that food should be in season, local and fresh. That's the food philosophy that keeps happy customers like me coming back. They have assorted menus, all available online for you to peruse: lunch, dinner, degustation, set menu, canapés and platters, wine list, hen's teeth list and last but certainly not least, the beer list. Always a popular spot to impress guests with the ultimate of fresh seafood. Yum!

Our Korean options may be limited in Wellington, but what we lack in variety we make up for in taste. Seoul House on Dixon St. serves up several excellent vegetarian options, including a meat-free bibimbap chock full of beautifully steamed veggies and tofu goodness, plus one very cute heart-shaped fried egg. Be sure to start your meal with tea and honey. The banchan is yummy (and free!) A new special on the menu, also delightfully vege-friendly, is a must-try.

Chow is always a solid bet for a date night. With shared plates and yummy cocktails, Chow is there to hand out a ready-made atmosphere for those nights when you just want a bit of romance with your significant other. The Beggars Purse and Korean Kim Chi Gyoza are tried and true favorites, and the Jungle Curry is nice if you're craving something a bit more substantial. As for cocktails, you won't go wrong with the Fun Fun Fooey or Feng Shui Lemonade. Of course, Chow isn't just for the romantically inclined. With a kitchen that stays open til midnight every night and a prime location on Tory Street, Chow will also be there for you if you're in desperate need of a late night snack between catching the show and dancing at Puppies. Don't forget that plates are 2 for 1 on Mondays and cocktails are 2 for 1 on Wednesday and Saturday!

Ara Sushi is great stop for lunch when you're in Petone for a lazy afternoon. They have sushi boxes made to order, or you can pick from individual pieces in the glass case up front to create your own. The avocado and cucumber roll here is amazing, even in winter. Nice avo is difficult to find in the winter, and expensive-- so any time I find an opportunity to order it in my food, I seize it. Try the seaweed salad roll for something a bit different.

Thai food options can be a bit hit or miss in Wellington. Nobody wants ultra-dry pad thai or fresh spring rolls that fall apart before they've even made it across your plate. Luckily, PhuThai Esarn knows exactly what we need and how to give it to us, serving the best fresh spring rolls and fried tofu I've had in New Zealand's capital. With vibrant red walls, paper lanterns everywhere, and a tiny and adorable wooden bar in the back, you may want to take advantage of the BYO policy and stay awhile. It seems like others are in on the secret, though-- this place gets pretty packed on the weekends, so come in for a bit of an early dinner if you want to beat the rush.

Stop by Phong Vu down Cuba St.’s Left Bank for quick and cheap Vietnamese. Vegetarian options are very limited (as is often the norm in Vietnamese restaurants), but the stir fried tofu with vegetables on noodles is filling and a bargain at $12.90.

Whenever I want to splurge a bit on a meal I come to Flying Burrito Brothers. This place is fantastic! From the awesome little underground restaurant, amazing frozen cocktails and great service this place has it all. I always order the chicken fajita, can't go past it! And the banana chimichangas are so good too :)

Not far from the uni in the city this place is great for when your brain's getting overloaded and you need a break!

This is the best place for a friendly, casual BYO in the city. With a range of Asian meals on offer, Cinta delivers not only fantastic food but at a great price and with a smile :) the pad thai is the best ;)

For a delicious breakfast, there is nowhere better than Floriditas. Cute little cafe with a great range of food.

Strawberry Fare is amazing!! I come here just for the dessert alone, and always make sure I eat no dinner beforehand because these desserts are huge. I can recommend the banaffi pie, the caramel hazelnut torte, the creme brulee, the warm raspberry drenched chocolate cake and the blackforest tower! All so good.

In the middle of town lies one of my favourite cafes in Wellington, it’s mental busy, for a reason. The salads here are excellent and can cater for a large array of diets. They can cater to most wallets and are always nice and fresh. But be sure to get in quick as the selection of salads can sell out before lunch is over.

In it for the sweet salads and healthy snacks, all at a reasonable price, these guys can be spotted around Wellington serving fine, cheap salads to health heads. It’s a place were you know what you’re going to get, and its all super tasty and super affordable. Its something well worth trying out!

In the CBD Siam Reaps lunch spot does some killer Asian style salads, with a selection you can choose from all at reasonable prices, be sure to check out the spot if you’re down that end of town and looking for a quick lunch.

Up at the university spots to eat at are a little less plentiful, and a lot more populated. However for those that are in the need, the daily salad here is usually well worth it, and with a new menu in the works and a new chef on board, we might see great things coming out of these in the coming year.

More in the vein of dinner salads, but Rams on cuba street do some killer, cheap, tasty salads. The selection may not be large but its worth a try, if you end up in here get in on the spicy sliced duck and bean thread salad, it’s a total hit (though if you’re not a fan spice it would pay to avoid).

The name alone is enough really. Some regular drinkery could never be called Foxglove. Casting a velvet shadow across the waterfront, Foxglove is a David Lynch dream of a bar. The kind of exquisite place where you hook up with a flamenco dancer who turns out to be your father. Not literally, obviously.

I was meeting a friend for lunch. They suggested here. Had a great time. Mildly alarmed it took so long for me to realise it existed. Paranoid that people are deliberately hiding it from me, keeping it from me as punishment for some inadvertant slight. My life doesn’t deserve things as nice as Thunderbird.

While I have visited it a few times, Motel seems to exist largely conceptually within my brain as a place that is to be aspired to rather than actually attained. There is a giggling vibration to the place, a magnesium tang of exclusivity in the air that makes it quite the place to be.

Before you eat an Ekim burger, you hear about Ekim burgers. About how good they are. About how cheap they are. About how much they’ll change your life. About how much they embarrass the competition. It’s all true. Believe the hype. This is the place.

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.

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

We’re not in Wellington anymore, Toto. KC BBQ is a real slice of America in New Zealand! Uncle Mike’s specialty is slow-smoked, barbecued meats. Must try the Obama burger and the beef ribs. It’s a meat-eater’s heaven decked out in cowboy style décor.

It’s like an American diner and a chic Welly restaurant had a baby — delicious cheap and filling food meets good service at a place tidy enough to take your snobby grandma. Can’t decide what to eat? Have the waffles! Quick service even when busy.

New kid on the block sure to be popular with the cool kids. Offers a fusion of American and Mexican food including sliders, tacos and hamburgers with a flavoursome home-made twist. It’s a got a relaxed fast food/diner feel and gives you the chance to pick and choose sliders and mains so you can build your meal. If you’re not hungry Mamas is worth the trip just for the milkshakes (psst, peanut-butter-chocolate-caramel is my favourite).

The pizza and staff at Tommy Millions rule. I love the four cheese and the mushroom pizza, topped off with chilli oil. They also offer gelato and subs, and the staff are always super friendly and rad!

A takeaway burrito or quesadilla from this wee hole in the wall on the waterfront is ideal for a summer day’s lunch. Their food is delicious - but eating it can get messy!

In case the massive queue doesn’t give it away, this sushi spot is arguably the best in the central city for a lunch on the go. They have an absolutely massive range of options for all tastes, at pretty standard sushi prices!

Don’t judge a book by its cover - Daniel’s offers the best burgers and wraps in the CBD. The falafel burger (add cheese) is my fave, and you get a huge selection of salad and sauce options.

Ekim Burgers are to die for - hands down the best burgers Wellington has to offer, and well-worth a trip out to Lyall Bay. Heaps of options, including for meat lovers and vegos, plus the chips (with spesh relish) are also awesome. No burger is over $15 and most are around the $8 mark (the cheapest is $5!), making this an affordable option for a lazy pre-payday meal.