From tortilla soup to paneer pakora to roti wraps, there’s more to Newtown than meets the eye, according to restaurateurs Tom Adam and Juno Miers.
It’s only a short hop from Wellington’s central city to Newtown, but the suburb feels very much like its own idiosyncratic little universe of food.
Tom Adam and Juno Miers, head chef and general manager respectively (and owners) of Margot and Next Door are Newtownians through and through. “We’ve both been long-time locals and currently live and work in Newtown so we truly spend almost all of our time here,” Miers says. “And we are very happy about it.”
The pair own two tiny establishments right next door to each other in Newtown: Margot, which is a 25-seat restaurant that this publication has previously described as “the very definition of hospitality”, and Next Door, an 18-seat bar. Both have become essential visits in Newtown, and really, in the capital more generally.
So we asked the pair where they go when they’re not feeding everyone else. Their answers vary from an Italian restaurant reminiscent of a cozy, old Swiss-chalet; an Indian eatery with Bollywood cinema on the TV and scrumptious, varied chaat on the menu; and, perhaps contentious, the places they consider to be the two best kebab shops in the entire Wellington region.
Three words (other than vibrant) that sum up the food in Newtown: Diverse, international, affordable.
My most controversial food opinion about Newtown: Newtown has the two best kebab shops in Wellington.
The local dish I crave most: The paneer pakora from Indian Sweets & Snacks – fluffy pillows of paneer in a pakora casing with tangy tamarind dipping sauce.
The best restaurant in Newtown is: Cicio Cacio! Our wonderful neighbours (Cicio Cacio is actually found behind Margot, which causes all sorts of confusion for their customers).
Why I love Cicio Cacio: The interior is like a cozy, old Swiss-chalet: fire roaring, live Italian music regularly and some of the most authentic Italian food in Wellington. They change their menu often and sometimes dedicate the entire menu to a different region in Italy, which is always fun for exploring new dishes and learning a bit about the country while you’re dining.
My go-to order is: Whatever is new on the menu – we love to try new things. Their wine list is dedicated to Italian wines, predominantly imported by the wonderful Artigiano Imports. Last visit, for example, we drank a Nero d’Avola from Sicily along with nduja and provolone arancini, baccala (creamed salt cod on focaccia), bistecca (rump steak with rocket & grana padano fondue).
When I’m craving something cheap and cheerful I head to: Chan’s Eatery. Alicia and her team make the most delicious food from Malaysia, Thailand and China. For the best lunch deal in Newtown, go for the roti wrap. You can choose your protein and sauces for the wrap but we love ours with duck, szechuan sauce and mayo.
The most underrated local gem is: Indian Sweets & Snacks. There is a plethora of Indian food in Newtown and each restaurant has its specialities but our favourite is Indian Sweets & Snacks. We implore you to order from the street food menu on the wall rather than the booklet menu because this is where you will find their most interesting and delicious dishes. Our favourites are pav bhaji (a delicious vegetable curry with a very soft buttered roll), the paneer pakora, aloo tikki (a spiced potato pattie smothered in yoghurt, tamarind and coriander dressing with crispy sev on top), saag and makai roti which is a spinach curry with a corn based roti, and finally, cholle bhature (a chickpea curry served with a deep fried bread that puffs up like a balloon!)
A place I’ve been dying to try is: Blue Nile – a new Ethiopian spot on Riddiford Street.
Celebrating with a group? Book a table at: Viva Mexico.
Pub or bar of choice: Moon Bar for a lively atmosphere, wonderful staff and super diverse music.
The BYO I keep going back to: Cafe Laz. They’re best known for their Turkish kebabs, but we also really love their salads and iskender. They serve some of the biggest meals in Newtown too. Also, they’re one of the previously mentioned two best kebab spots in Wellington.
Got visitors from out of town? I’m taking them to: Unfortunately we’re always working, so our friends from out of town are generally visiting us at Margot or Next Door. There’s a bar seat in front of Tom’s section which allows a catch up with him while he’s working and we’ll sit down for a drink together after service.
An ideal date spot would be: Cicio Cacio.
Newtown’s best…
Breakfast: Good Boy Sammies’ breakfast bun.
Coffee: Newday. GREAT coffee, excellent sandwiches, lovely staff and the vibes are 10/10.
Sandwich: Newday’s chicken sandwich is pickley, zesty, mustardy and fresh.
Noodles: We’ve been enjoying The Ramen Shop’s paitan chicken ramen. It changed hands recently and the new owners are doing great things.
Comfort meal: If we’re ever feeling under the weather our go to is tortilla soup from Viva Mexico, or, the sopa di lima if it’s on the menu.
Fish and chips: Rainbow Fish Supply is our choice.
Bowl of soup: Pho Viet Street Food’s Bún bò Huế.
Bread: Morteza Kebab and Bakery make the most incredible flatbreads that you can buy on their own. Or, if you grab a kebab from them it’ll be wrapped in this perfect, pillowy, fluffy bread. This is the second of the aforementioned two best kebab shops in town.
Baked treat: If you’ll allow us to walk up the road slightly to our neighbouring suburb, Berhampore (it’s only a five minute walk, so it’s not breaking the suburb rules too much), we are lucky enough to have Baker Gramercy right around the corner from us. They made incredible bread, and the best croissants in town – both savoury and sweet. We especially love the jalapeño and cheese ones. The quality of pastry is out of this world. James, Grainne and Eunan who run the place are really dialled into their craft. Everything they make is phenomenal.
If you’re after spice, make a beeline for: Indian Sweets & Snacks.
The place to go if you want to feel virtuous/ healthy: A bowl of phở or a Bún Chả Hanoi from Pho Viet Street Food.
A little local treat that always cheers me up: A samosa from Indian Sweets & Snacks – they’re a cheap and delicious quick snack.
For the best produce, I stop in at: Newtown Green Grocer. Amazing prices, great produce.
A perfect place to linger over a drink: There’s always something interesting happening at Moon: gigs, quizzes, comedy etc.
My favourite local hospo personality: Al from Good Boy Sammies is an excellent human and Good Boy’s Instagram, which is managed by him, is a source of constant entertainment. A great lesson in not taking oneself too seriously.
For outstanding people watching, go to: Newday is a great spot for it. Lots of families, dogs, people going about their day – a real community hotspot.
The place I’m most likely to bump into someone I know: Honestly, everywhere! But most likely Newday.
The place I go to avoid bumping into anyone I know: That’s actually impossible in our little suburb. We know so many people here and meet new locals every day at Margot. It’s one of the joys of having a business here.
A local spot I wish we could bring back from the dead is: Two! Monterey was an awesome little bar back in the day that we loved. But also, in the 2010s, Newtown used to have an excellent food truck called The Greasy Spoon which was parked in a carpark with an old house bus that offered seating for rainy days (or you could sit outside). I’d always order either a bacon butty or a classic big breakfast. Tom didn’t live here while it existed (he was in the country equivalent of the greasy spoon…The UK). It was honestly the best, especially because it was around when I was a particularly broke 21-year-old.
A restaurant I would love to relocate to Newtown: Ooh, big line up of places here to choose from, but we think The Ram on Cuba Street. It’s actually probably a good thing it’s not in Newtown or we’d spend far too much time there. Vic, Harry and their team have got the vibes, the drinks, the music and the food all just right.
The place I return to again and again: Indian Sweets & Snacks. Juno has been going since it opened, over 10 years ago and has since introduced it to all friends and family. We love going there and watching the Bollywood cinema on the TV, sharing lots of plates and sipping on masala chai. Both of our sets of parents love it – Juno’s parents have even become friends with the owners now.
Why I love eating in Newtown: Newtown is a really culturally diverse place, and a fantastic advertisement for the melting pot of our society – our food scene reflects this perfectly. Everywhere you go in Newtown is so welcoming, delicious and interesting. For those who get palate fatigue from eating the same thing, you’ll love it here, and for those more habitual creatures, there are solid items on each menu that never change. It’s lively with lots of students so there is a nice, creative atmosphere. It’s also a connecting hub between the southern suburbs and the city, so there’s always a lot going on.
