The Duke Carvell's Swan Lane Emporium is one of Wellington's hidden gems. Open for brunch, lunch and late into the evening for drinks and dinner.
A tapas style menu in the evening means your dishes are best suited to a communal
dining experience. Great, helpful staff work in a quirky and relaxed atmosphere with an outstanding courtyard open day and nights.
On Mondays the Duke offers a 2-4-1 deal. Buy any two dishes and get one of them for free (lowest priced item).
Overview
| Price Range | Reasonable |
|---|---|
| Ambience | Romantic |
| Accepts credit cards | Yes |
| Noise level | Upbeat |
| Licence | This venue is licenced |
| Food Options | Vegetarian |
Products and specialities
Tapas, cafes, restaurant, bar, shared dining, outside courtyard,
Hours
- Mon -
- Tues -
- Wed -
- Thurs -
- Fri -
- Sat -
- Sun -
- Holidays -
Reviews
The sliders at Duke Carvell's are a force to be reckoned with. The fairy lights in the courtyard create an inviting environment. The food is served by friendly staff, who are knowledgable about the menu and happy to help with any dietary restrictions. The fried chicken slider is a Wellington favorite!
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.
Sitting just of the middle of Cuba Street, just beyond Cuba mall, lies Duke Carvels; an almost unassuming façade easily opens up into its true European culinary heritage and design aesthetic. With a slightly sophisticated demeanor, you feel right at home, no matter the length of your stay. The service is fantastic, which in my eyes is one of the most important attributes in what makes a good long lunch. Also the food is always great, serving a variety of plates and also an excellent value set menu on offer, my pick for a place to go to for a long lunch. The place to sit if you intend to be there a while is in the sheltered outside area, tucked into a corner by yourself or whoever you are having lunch with, a guaranteed good time.
Talk about Wellington institutions - I’ve lost count of the times people have said to me “oh yeah, we were going to try that new place…but we ended up at Dukes again” when I’ve asked how the new restaurant was. That’s just reaffirming how consistent and reliable Dukes is and it all comes down to the words from Duke Carvell himself - “triumph through virtue.” And take note: Do try (but more likely share) the 600g angus grass fed rib-eye fillet, cooked medium rare, with pickled walnuts, watercress and bone broth. Nice one Dukes.
