Wellington’s most underrated stretch rewards the curious with architecture, history and some of the city’s best food and drink, says Nick Iles.
Lambton Quay and Willis Street, on the surface, could be anywhere in the world. One of those areas that most major cities have that comes seemingly pre-filled with international shops and amenities. It doesn’t automatically feel like Wellington – which is why it is potentially one of the most interesting spaces anywhere in the city. Look closely and you can feel time glitching, the rich history of these streets colliding with the brilliance they have to offer today.
While the rest of Wellington meanders at its own pace, here people move with purpose – or at least the appearance of it. Along Lambton Quay, it is the architecture that sets the tone in contrast from the rest of the city. Wellington is famous for its homes nestling in the hills, wooden structures emanating from bush and clinging to precipice. Here they hold themselves quite differently: glass and angles and height of a kind you won’t find anywhere else.
Start your day at the Beehive end and enjoy one of the most unique government buildings anywhere in the world. Further along the street, you’ll begin to see evidence of the Kumutoto Stream, which flows down from Kelburn through the Kumutoto Forest area; culverted in the 1860s, its journey is now wholly subterranean. On the corner of Woodward Street and Lambton Quay is the spot where it emptied in Te Whanganui a Tara and up the hill, in the pedestrian tunnel running under The Terrace from the top of Woodward Street, is a soundscape of running water and birdsong, a reminder of what came before.
Keep an eye out for the many plaques along Lambton Quay that signal the coastline that was once here. The sea reached this exact point, moved with the same rhythm that still exists somewhere beyond the reclaimed edges, before it was pushed back, contained, overwritten.
On your way up the road, pause to admire the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Now would be the time to take out your phone to both Google and boggle at its striking resemblance to the modernist icon in Berlin, Shell Haus – it’s as if two architects at different ends of the world came up with the same building at the same time. This might also be a good time to stop for something to eat at One Bowl and Plate. Of the many Malaysian spots around here, this is both the newest and most impressive. Its short and precise menu is a portal to a side street in bustling Kuala Lumpur, and everything looks good – but for most it is hard to look past the duck and sausage nasi goreng.
If you are lucky enough to be in Wellington on a good day, take a rest in Midland Park alongside all the office workers. Sit looking across the road and imagine the trams that used to bustle down the street in the 1950s and 60s. But not for too long; pop over to Bert’s Bar as it is probably time for a proper drink – and there’s few places better than this small spot with a massive wine list. Mainly focusing on French bottles, Bert’s has a few exceptional wines by the glass, some more great local drops, and a $10 negroni that is particularly good. But don’t get stuck, there’s still more walking to be done.
As you reach the end of Lambton, before we turn right on to Willis, the Old Bank Arcade rises up on your left. Actually four buildings constructed at the turn end of the 1800s, they fell into disrepair in the mid 20th century and were ultimately bought for a single dollar in 1994 with the promise of restoration. Today it now sits at the beating heart of the independent Wellington fashion scene, with designers at every price point and serving every style. Even if shopping isn’t your thing, a walk through the grand hallway to admire the restoration is highly recommended.
When you return out into the daylight, turn right onto Willis Street and do the obvious thing: immediately head underground. Completed in 2023, the entertainment and food precinct Willis Lane, winner of multiple design and architecture awards, is somewhere that it’s easy to lose a few hours. Play nine holes of mini-golf at Holey Moley, or a round of 10 pin bowling and some of the best classic and modern arcade games at Archie Brothers. If games aren’t your thing then I suggest a pint of beer and some Lady Butcher charcuterie from the truly exceptional Churly’s CBD, brought to you by the excellent folk at Behemoth Brewing Company.
Then get up and out and dip into Unity Books – the perfect bookshop. It’s brimming with popular and obscure titles, and staffed by knowledgeable, kind book lovers. You may even strike it lucky, and be there for one of their many scheduled readings from local or international authors. If you are still peckish then a shawarma from Alswaida opposite would be the correct thing to do. The little sister of Cuisine-hatted Syrian restaurant Damascus, here they cook meats and breads over wood-fire for the single best wrap anywhere in the city.
As the day winds down you have only a couple of stops left: look up at the now rather unimpressive St George accommodation and the balcony cut out high up the building. On the 21st June 1964 you would now be in the midst of a throng of thousands of screaming fans as the Beatles arrived in the country for the first time and greeted their adoring fans from that exact spot. Luckily the crowds are thinner now and to your left the impressive visage of Rita Angus looks kindly down, a giant mural painted by NZ artist Elliott O’Donnell.
To finish your day on a high, you need to pop in to Amuse Snack Bar and order a proper cocktail and some immaculately prepared pintxos. Here every last element is made in-house, from the baking of the breads to the curing of the fish – a true labour of love. Then move onto one of the best restaurants in not only the city, but the country, Jano Bistro. A degustation menu composed from almost exclusively local produce all cooked in a tiny kitchen of two overseen by Chef Pierre-Alain Fenoux, it really is the perfect evocation of everything that is great about this area – rooted in history, but present in the here and now.
These often underappreciated streets of Wellington, when viewed in the right way, can reveal themselves to be quite remarkable.
