From iconic institutions to buzzy new openings, the capital’s dining scene is where past meets present, writes Nick Iles.

If you’ve ever had a conversation about the glory days of Wellington hospitality, you’ll know how easily fond recollections can devolve into pointless nostalgia. While it’s true that the city has been home to some truly remarkable restaurants that are now sadly closed, wallowing in the past risks blinding us to the excitement and abundance of Wellington’s dining scene in 2026.

At the other extreme there are those who search out only the latest thing, hanging on every post of every influencer as they invite you to come with them to “Wellington’s newest…”.

What is much better is a healthy balance of the two. There are many exceptional places to eat and drink in Wellington, some of which have seemingly been here forever and others that have arrived only in the last year or two.

Here are a couple of suggested itineraries that make the most of our capital’s glorious past and inspiring present, all in one magnificent day out.

The Southern Walkway: Pizza, pub and potentially the best naan in the city

This is a full day that stretches from coast to coast and takes in three very different hospo destinations, each iconic in their own way. Starting off in Island Bay around mid morning, make your way up into the hills and follow the Southern Walkway’s pink route markers towards town.

At the 7km mark, drop off the track into Cutie Pie Pizza Workshop for quite possibly the best pizza anywhere in the country. Owner-operators Alicia Mendez and Tom Kirton opened their dream shop in late 2025 and are proper artisans, the kind of people who obsess over the little details. The result is something that stops you in your tracks, forcing you to reassess everything you thought you knew about pizza. Take your time, pick out a couple of hot slices – plus maybe a portion of the ludicrously good meatballs to share – and grab a cold Gizzy Gold from the fridge. Pizza heaven.

Back up on the track, it’s a short slog up to the top of Mount Vic, and then down to the harbour around Oriental Bay – and to what is probably the best pub in the city.

The Welsh Dragon is the magnificent final form of a building that was once a public toilet. This is a pub with a unique gravitational pull – the monosyllabic question “Welsh?” is likely responsible for more chaos than any other single utterance in this great city. This is a proper pub with proper people doing proper drinking and all the other things you should do in a pub. Set aside a few hours for this one, turn your phone off and settle in for some chats with your pals in the beer garden.

To crown the day, go and join the near constant scrum of people outside Taste of India, the legendary Indian takeaway spot that opened back in 1993 on Cambridge Terrace. While the tandoor takes pride of place in the window, the treasures are the things cooking within. Chicken tikka hang high above the tandoor, part-cooked before service – huge metre-long skewers packed tight with marinated thighs that become blistered and sticky in the heat of the oven. Naan are made to order and come in five different varieties. In case you’re confused, the correct answer is buttered, and here that is done liberally, dripping through the brown paper bag on your journey home. Maybe get a curry for dipping if you feel so inclined. If not, stuff the chicken in the bread before pouring over the juices for the best sandwich anywhere in the city.

International Explorations: Latin brunch, global culture and an iconic modern Italian 

With Wellington in contention for the title of most remote capital city anywhere in the world, it can be easy to sometimes feel a little bit disconnected from the rest of humanity and their unique cultures. As international flights increase in price, a Latin brunch, some arts and culture, and a meal at a legendary modern Italian spot should be just the (local) ticket.

Mexico’s cuisine is so deeply rooted in its land and ingredients that it can often be hard to get right elsewhere; too often it becomes a garish pastiche of what someone thinks Mexican food is. In contrast, as soon as you walk into Apapacho you know you are in safe hands. Opened in March, the terracotta room is full of warmth and the service continues this story. The food here is real. No matter what you pick it all comes out in deep shades of russet – as if pulled from the very ground beneath us – and spiked with lime, chilli and coriander. You could almost imagine that Aotearoa had lifted its anchor and drifted sideways 11,000 km to nestle right up against Mexico’s Pacific coast.

The Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre opened in June 2023 and is the new home of international touring exhibitions here in Wellington. An afternoon spent here could bring you face to face with almost anything, from LEGO® exhibitions composed of millions of individual bricks to faithful reproductions of Michelangelo’s Sistine chapel frescoes. Whatever it is, it will definitely be fun.

For dinner, head over to Italy in the shape of Capitol restaurant, one of the best-loved spots in all of Wellington. Opened in 2002, after 24 years in business it is still at the absolute top of its game. The menu, created by chef-proprietor Tom Hutchison, seeks to take the best of NZ produce and filter it through an Italian lens – linguini alle vongole with Little Neck clams is a prime example. What’s most remarkable about Capitol are the contradictions it effortlessly masters, managing to somehow feel rustic yet refined, rarefied yet utterly approachable. The room, overseen by Tom’s wife Kate, is warm and friendly – and runs like clockwork. A true masterclass in hospitality in every way.