At Days Bay Pizzeria (part of Days Bay Pavillion) they do amazing pizzas which you can enjoy out on the grass or across the road at Days Bay beach. A real summer treat!

Delicious pizzas at an awesome restaurant with a great vibe. Don’t forget save room for a hot chocolate!

Just as delicious at dinner time as it is at 2am. They have an awesome range of pizza flavours (I recommend the Porker) and at $5 a slice, a real good deal!

As delicious as they are enormous, make sure you try the Jumbo pizzas for an authentic New York experience

A great selection, and open to the wee hours to get your late night fix

You must have heard about their hot chocolates by now! Smooth, creamy, chocolatey goodness. Served in the perfect sized cup at the perfect temperature. It’s what you’d hope Augustus Gloop fell into at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. It’s neither cloying or watery, it’s just right. And for $4 it’s a sweet price indeed.

Their orange and chocolate tart is incredible. I think about it all the time. It’s dark and intense but at no point will you need to surrender the remains to your jealous companions. It’s too good for words, just go and get one!

Yummy hot drinks and chocolates! What’s not to enjoy? A great place to go for a last minute chocolatey gift too, they have a great range of pre-packed boxes.

Deliciously rich hot chocolates. The perfect treat to ease your tough day at work.

Death By Chocolate. Need I say more? Not for the faint hearted!

The dude at the shop is passionate about the stock and so he should be, awesome range of shoes, and some sweet clothes. Check it out!

Whether you’re wanting to look sharp for work or for the big event, go straight to 3 wise men. The guys in there really know their stuff, and they often have great deals

If you’re shopping for jeans don’t waste your time anywhere else. The staff at Hurricane make jean shopping painless - if you tell them what you’re after they’ll get a few pairs down for you to try and go from there. Easy.

One of Wellington’s finest, Area 51 always has the very latest in fashion. Great if you have a big event that you need to look your best for, or if you’re shopping for a gift

The adidas store on Lambton Quay is great if you're looking for sports gear or the more retro originals range. If the All Blacks are in town you’ve got a great chance of seeing them there too!

The best place to buy your fresh produce! And with the money you’ve saved on groceries you can treat yourself to something from one of the many food stalls that pop up every Sunday on the water front. Great food and great vibes. A good cure for a hangover too!

We waited impatiently in line, tapping our feet as we stared longingly at the cabinet of goodies. All traces of hanger left as soon as we were seated by the window, what a view! The Mr ordered a milkshake while he waited for his food and wow there was a good truckload of ice cream in there! The food came and it was as breath taking as the water. I was sad it had to finish but thought of the good deed we were doing by letting someone else enjoy the delights.  The views and the fresh air outside will make you feel a lot better too if you had a big one the night before.

The combination of deliciously morsels like dumplings and pork buns, washed down with lots and lots of tea makes a rough morning a million times more bearable! Don’t forget to get the sticky rice! Yum!

After a big night, a big glass of Plum Cafe’s house made lemon, honey and ginger will go down a real treat! Feel better with every sip!

A Wellington institution, Sweet Mother’s does a great brunch. The Mr always gets the waffles, which comes with fried chicken and maple syrup! I often switch it up between their tacos and po boys - a crispy baguette with fish (or whatever meat you choose), crispy lettuce and their amazing Creole mayo. Ordered with the curly fries and a dessert and you’re set to conquer the rest of the day! The staff are hip and helpful and there are loads on the walls to keep your wandering eye entertained. You can’t book so you’ll just have to try your luck.

Craving something sweet before a movie next door, I went to Deluxe knowing they’d have something to fill the void. I had big piece of gluten free chocolate cake with a huge dollop of yoghurt. I felt complete. They have a heap of gluten/dairy/meat free options to choose from that are delicious even for those who enjoy the odd steak and cheese pie. The cafe has a cool vibe and the staff are friendly and great at what they do. Go there!

You're spoilt for choice when you go to Bordeaux Bakery but you can't go wrong with their macarons.  In an assortment of flavours and sizes it might take a while to choose which to have but rest assured you'll be hard pressed to find a dud.  If you're heading to a friend's for dinner, they make perfect little gifts for your host.  How could anyone turn down somthing so adorable and delicious? 

They have a huge range of cabinet treats even late in to the night. They also have beers if you’re into that and a sassy looking pig that looks after one of the menu boards. A cool place to go, especially for their caramel slice, not for the faint hearted!

So many beautiful cakes here at the cosy Cha cafe you're bound to come back to try something else.  Cha is open until late which suits me just fine and there is an even bigger range of teas to wash all the cake down. 

A Wellington institution, Sweet Mother’s does a great brunch. The Mr always gets the waffles, which comes with fried chicken and maple syrup! I often switch it up between their tacos and po boys - a crispy baguette with fish (or whatever meat you choose), crispy lettuce and their amazing Creole mayo. Ordered with the curly fries and a dessert and you’re set to conquer the rest of the day! The staff are hip and helpful and there are loads on the walls to keep your wandering eye entertained. You can’t book so you’ll just have to try your luck.

Wellington Zoo is awesome because there’s always something new to enjoy and you can tell they really look after their animals. Some of my favourites are the baboons and the red pandas. Don’t forget to check out the painfully adorable pygmy marmoset in the cafe! You can also take part in their close encounters where you get to pat and feed some of their animals. I was lucky enough to do the red panda visit and the furry cuties were so friendly! Worth every cent!

This has to be one of my favourite places to come during summer. Right across the road from Days Bay Beach is Days Bay Pavillion where you’re spoilt for choice, there is a cafe, pizzeria and ice cream parlour! Order an ice cream or pizza to go and have it outside on the grass. You might be lucky and spot a bit of talent playing touch while you chill out in the shade too!

What’s not to love about the botanical gardens on a sunny day? Fresh air, beautiful flowers and a lovely walk. You can pack a picnic and eat it in the garden, or if you’ve got out of towners, take them up on the cable car. You can also hire out some of their facilities for functions and events which is pretty cool too.

This place is prime property on a sunny Wellington day so you might not be able to get the seat of your choice every time, but it’s still a great place to head for an afterwork drink in the summer. They have bean bags on the grass to lounge on and their sun smart staff have bottles of sunscreen to make sure you don’t leave looking like a fool. If you do get peckish, they do delicious food too so you know you’re in safe hands.

The best place to buy your fresh produce! And with the money you’ve saved on groceries you can treat yourself to something from one of the many food stalls that pop up every Sunday on the water front. Great food and great vibes. A good cure for a hangover too!