New and notable places in Wellington

Enjoy the coldest martini in town or a perfectly poured pint and watch Wellington from above. Regent is a bar that does it all. 

Described as a ‘cocktail pub’, it offers top-quality cocktails, pints, and snacks. Sit outside on the balcony under the sun (or stars), and watch bustling Cuba and Ghuznee Streets below. 

Regent is one of the few Wellington establishments with its own Guinness tap sitting pride of place on the bar.  There is also a considered cocktail list. A must-try is the freezer martini. Martinis are best served as cold as possible, and Regent’s comes at an impressive negative 15 degrees.

At the far end of Left Bank off Cuba Street, an oasis resides for sourdough lovers. Wellington Sourdough, a purpose-built bakery, produces artisan bread for a hungry local market. Hand-shaped, cool-fermented sourdough is its speciality. You’ll also find things like sultana loaf and potato, rosemary, and nigella loaf. Wellington Sourdough supplies restaurants and cafés and maintains a retail shop. Drop by for a coffee and one of the fantastic toasties in the cabinet. There are also Portuguese custard tarts and almond croissants to tempt you. A large wooden table and brushed concrete floor make for a stylish stop-off.

Tucked away on Bond Street you'll find a kosher delicatessen. The Bond Street Deli serves fresh Jewish food with an Antipodean twist. The humble bagel is possibly the most famous export from a Jewish kitchen. The team at The Bond Street Deli adds many more delicacies to the menu for you to try. Stop by and pick up some matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, or potato latkes. The shelves are heaving with fresh breads, bagels, and challahs. There are also specialist grocery items to take away.

Health begins with what you feed your body. That’s the mantra of Half Baked owners Zara and Shinée McIntyre. Everything you taste at the sister’s Te Aro café and catering business is natural. The menu is entirely vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. On top of the range of baked and raw cakes, they offer desserts, cookies, chocolates and some savouries. Once you get a look at Half Baked’s raspberry and chocolate mousse, snickers cake, and tiramisu you’ll know that healthy does not, by any means, equal boring. There’s a couch and a few seats in a sunny alcove so grab a coffee and settle in for a while. 

What do a fruit, a colour, and a Wellington café have in common? They’re all orange. If you’re looking for the version that has great coffee and yum snacks, then head to the top of Cuba Street. The cosy spot is suitably decorated in the cheerful hue, with even the food taking on the namesake shade. There’s pumpkin kimchi toasties, orange friand, orange almond loaf, and carrot cake. With a Supreme Coffee or blood orange iced tea to go with it, it’s sure to be a day that’s sunny side up. 

If you want to keep the Orange love going, grab some merch. Tote bags, caps, and stickers are available. Many depict Orange’s resident dog, Ringo.

Woodward Street is a quaint paved lane joining Lambton Quay and The Terrace. At the upper end, you’ll find 11 Woodward. This intimate wine bar offers respite from the surrounding bustling shopping and high-rises. Head sommelier Gary Pluck has loaded the wine list with special finds and exotic drops to please wine lovers. Of particular interest are Gamay wines (a light-bodied wine like pinot noir), Beaujolais, chardonnay, and plenty of bubbles. The menu changes regularly. You’re likely to find an exotic selection of cheeses, charcuterie boards, and small bites.

The volcanic heat from an imported Italian pizza oven gave rise to the name Volco. The pizza oven is the centrepiece of a hot little bakery in Kelburn Village. It produces flatbread pizza during the day and Napoli-style pizzas in the evening. Of course, being a bakery there’s other dough-related things on the menu. You’ll find French-inspired pastries, doughnuts, sandwiches, and pies in the cabinets. An array of bread includes a great range of sourdoughs through to milk buns, and baguettes. Inside, the interior is chic and simple. Concrete rendered walls and seaweed green dominate. There’s room for a few window seats to sit and enjoy a coffee but otherwise, grab your fresh treat to go.   

Intimate and relaxed, Supra is a no-frills restaurant that focuses on food over fanfare. Come for shared plates or a quick snack, with natural wine and hand-picked records. Owner and head chef Thom Millott is all about “just making things delicious.”

Head up a discreet laneway staircase to find the 18-seater space. With a front row seat to the busy city below and across the road from The Opera House, Supra is right in the thick of it. But, its unusual (for Wellington) placement on a first storey makes it feel like a well-kept secret. 

Tory Street is home to a bakery with a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef. With a foundation in fine dining and a passion for food, the team at Le Ciel enjoys delivering baked goods that are technically complex but simply delicious. 

Foodies who are on the hunt for something new will be happy with the regularly changing cabinet options. There are some staples, however, such as the house speciality — cashew cheesecake.  You’ll also always find pain au chocolate and croissant flavoured with either pistachio, almond, or ham and gruyere. If you’ve got time to sit, the bakery is cosily decorated and has seating for over 20. Otherwise, for a grab-and-go coffee and melty-in-your-mouth pastry, Le Ciel delivers.