Martyn P.'s
Cafes with the best music
- 120These guys have a record player, and a record collection; and they rarely skip a beat when it comes to playing the right stuff. Best place for consuming coffee in the whole city as well.
- 228MontereyNewtownMonterey is another one of those marvelous spots with a record player and a record collection. They like to play the oldies, the really good oldies. It’s evocative. I do recommend.
- 34Aeroshop: Creative AlliesMt CookAeroshop is a very open eared cafe, perhaps almost too open eared. Chances are you’ll get a thorough musical education while you wait for your coffee.
- 449Fidel's CafeTe AroFidels has a history of employing musically clued up staff. Rio from Trinity Roots, Dallas from Fat Freddy’s Drop, Don Luchito from The Dancehall Dons and DJ Flex have all spent time working there. As a result of their culture, their is always someone uploading a killer playlist into the system. All styles, all the tunes, this place pretty much always sounds good.
- 524Six Barrel Soda FactoryTe AroSix Barrel Soda Factory is another one of those spots which just always sounds nice. While the musical direction is generally (at least in my experience) indie rock or folk music, they just seem to always select the choicest records for playback. Can’t complain!
Martyn P.'s
Best Vegetarian Restaurants
- 120My gosh… If you’re vegetarian/vegan and you haven’t had the vege ball laska at Aunty Mena’s, your tastebuds kind of haven’t lived. This place has been the go-to on Cuba Street for cheap and cheerful vege/vegan meals for what feels like over a decade now. Try the mock meats out, delicious!
- 24Hare Krishna Higher Taste RestaurantWellington CentralThe best (and potentially only) vegetarian/vegan buffet in town. Curries, potatoes, breads, salads, deserts, rice, the list of potential eating combinations goes on. Try out the paneer as well, scrumptious. They also do fresh juices, and some pretty great pakora items. Yum.
- 313Pranah Vegetarian CafeNewtownPranah is one of those great Newtown spots, a vegetarian cafe that really comes from through - whether you’re looking for salads, hot food or savory baked goods. Give them a whirl next time you’re in the ‘Wu.
- 414Baobab CafeNewtownWhile Newtown’s Baobab cafe isn’t strictly vegetarian/vegan by any means, they do cater to vegetarians/vegans very well. Haloumi Rosti Stacks, Breakfast Burritos, Big Vege Brekkies, Cashew Lentil Burgers, Vege Nachoes, the list goes on. The cafe environment is wonderfully comfortable as well, and come summertime, that courtyard is magic.
- 54Kapai Lambton SquareWellington CentralKapai make some of the best (and quickest prepared) salads and filled pita breads in town. What’s more vegetarian than salad? Not much right? These guys make salad worthwhile though. Oh so worthwhile!
Martyn P.'s
Secrets of the Suburbs
- 14Gipsy KitchenStrathmore ParkHot damn, this fantastically decorated little Strathmore cafe/deli serves super scrumptious food and makes incredible coffee. Rustic homestyle food that ranges through breakfast burritos, heartwarming pies, filled croissants, salads and more - all made with the best ingredients.
- 217Ekim BurgersWellington CentralOkay, so Ekim Burgers in Lyall Bay isn’t as secret now as it used to be, but it’s still one of the best burger spots in the city. Affordable prices, delicious burgers, and yo, that Lyall Bay view/walk - wonderful!!! Vegans and vegetarians are well catered to here as well.
- 317Cafe PoloMiramarEvery time I eat here, I find myself asking myself, why don’t I eat here more often? Cafe Polo has an incredible breakfast/brunch menu, the best hash browns in the city, and with such liberal use of Zany Zeus feta on the menu, how can’t you be intoxicated by it all?
- 44Aeroshop: Creative AlliesMt CookAeroshop is a little design studio / coffee house in Mt Cook. As opposed to Soy milk, they made us of Almond and Hemp Milk as dairy alternatives. You really need to have a Hemp Milk Flat White or Latte in your belly! Do it for your inner fourteen year old! Coffee brand used: Flight Coffee.
- 53Rinski Korsakov'sBerhamporeThe 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?
Martyn P.'s
Wellington Swimming Pools
- 112Freyberg Pool & Fitness CentreOriental BayOlympic length swimming lanes, steamroom, sauna and spa, plus an on-site gym, and massage therapists! This place is great! Even better, before and after your swim you can walk around Oriental Bay! Such a good walk on a sunny day!
- 26Wellington Regional Aquatic CentreKilbirnieThe Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre is a fantastic facility. They've got all the bangs and whistles, plus a daytime swim there can be super relaxing. If you have children to entertain, they have wonderful kiddie pool facilities as well.
- 34Thorndon PoolThorndonThorndon Pool has got to be the premier public outdoor pool in Wellington. This place is marvelous for a swim or a sunbathe. It's definitely the most social of public swimming pools, in a fantastic way. If you work in the central city, try heading out there for some lunchtime or after work exercise.
- 43Karori Swimming PoolKaroriI have some very fond childhood recollections of this swimming pool. Now they have a hydroslide and big inflatable toys for children to climb over. Give your children that swimming pool memory!
- 51Khandallah PoolKhandallahAs soon as this place re-opens in summer, I'll be dropping past at least once. A decent sized pool surrounded by outdoor walking tracks, picnic eras, and for those of us a bit more fancy, a nearby cafe! Very good on sunny days, so much lush outdoorness!
Martyn P.'s
Best Polenta Dishes Wellington
- 114OmbraTe AroCubed polenta fries! Cubed polenta fries! Okay, I’m going to calm down now, but if you’ve had deep fried polenta cubes or slices, you know why I’m getting worked up - and if you haven’t, please try them out - but not too often!
- 232OliveTe AroPoached eggs, chorizo, rocket and roast peppers, on a bed of soft polenta! Admittedly it’s only available on the weekday brunch menu, but it’s incredibly good. Filling, but not too filling. Tasty, but yeah, way too tasty!
- 333Flight Coffee HangarTe AroPoached eggs and slow cooked corn beef on a bed of soft polenta! Small, yet perfectly formed, this dish is remarkably filling, and not so remarkably given the contents, tasty as a pretty tasty thing. Once you’ve sampled their polenta delight, move onto the rest of the menu - always accompanied by strong coffee!
- 418Ti Kouka CafeWellington CentralWarm White Polenta Porridge with roasted rhubarb, cinnamon, golden syrup & palm sugar!!! I’m holding off on repeating the name of this dish here, so I’m gonna add in some more !!!’s to emphasize my excitement. This is a fantastic breakfast dish. Tasty, healthy and filling without being heavy. It’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Ti Kouka Cafe menu as well!
- 57Vivo Enoteca CucinaTe AroThis lovely lovely wine bar has an immaculate tapas menu. Lurking amongst that tapas menu - you guessed it - herbed polenta fries. This place is great to a long catch-up with friends, or maybe time a little bit more intimate with that special someone (or potential special someone?)
Martyn P.'s
Best Of Aro Valley
- 16The Aro Street Video ShopAro ValleyThis place is the best video rental store in the capital. Sure, that doesn’t seem like much of a claim in the diminished video rental store world, but even at the peak of things they had the craziest selection. The world cinema section is out of this world, literally.
- 26Te Aro Fish Supplies Ltd.Aro ValleyTe Aro Fish Supply is one of the treasures of the Aro Valley, an old school fish and chip shop which handles fish and chips just the way we like them. Believe the hype.
- 34Aro CafeTe AroWonderful coffee and counter food, a great dining menu and lovely staff. They usually have some good artwork up on display as well. On a sunny day pick up a takeway coffee, some good food, and head down to the park.
- 411Garage ProjectAro Valley1000 times yes, Garage Project. These local craft beer brewers brew up some wonderful wonderful beverages. With the opening of the ‘Garage Project Cellar Door’ you can come through, try some out, and even walkaway with takeaways. And if you want a t-shirt or poster, they got you as well.
- 52Aro ParkAro ValleyWhile it’s dingy and dodgy at times, Aro Park is fabulous on a sunny day. After all, you can pick of fish and chips, coffee or food nearby and picnic with ease. Over the warmer months daytime weekend markets and sometimes free outdoor concerts tend to pop up in the park, it can be a lot of fun under the right conditions. Don’t forget about the Aro Hall next door either.