Wellington foodie Bryer Oden aka @healthsensation rates and reviews 10 of the top sandwiches in the capital.
I am a firm believer that sandwiches are at the very base level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. For children and adults alike, miscellaneous fillings between two slices of bread offer a world of versatility and joy.
Combining my own lived sandwich experience, and the recommendations sent to me via my food Instagram @healthsensation, I set out on a mission to investigate some of Wellington’s most popular sandwiches.
What is a sandwich? The most important defining feature is the exterior: two pieces of bread, or a bun. The filling can be any combination of cheese, vegetables, sauces and protein – whether that is meat or a vegan alternative. I endorse both toasted and fresh sandwiches, to account for all sandwich preferences (which are deeply personal and often weather dependent.) A burger is not a sandwich, nor is a kebab, a souvlaki, or burrito. For the purposes of this search, I also excluded bánh mì (that’s a story for another day).
After weeks of research, some tuna-related duds and gluten-free misadventures, I settled on these top ten picks.
10. Prefab
Specifics: Porchetta & Swiss Cheese Baguette.
Price: $14.50.
State: Toasted.
Claire, it’s French. The Prefab baguette is everything you wish you were. It is humble, concise, elegant, delightful. Dare I say, clean girl aesthetic? This sandwich is an award-winning combination of bread, ham, cheese and mustard. Technically it is not ham but porchetta, which is just ham in disguise. It’s grown-up ham that has a skincare routine and a proper 9-5 job. The mustard itself is the true hero of this sandwich. Honestly, I could drink the stuff.
9. Cozy Cake Shop
Specifics: Chicken Teriyaki.
Price: $4.40.
State: Fresh.
This sandwich is everything a sandwich should be. Cheap, accessible, portable, fresh and tasty. It’s hard to find a humble bakery that is this level of Tradie Approved™ in the centre city, but Cozy Cake Shop continues to defy logic and economic trends. Every day it pumps out mountains of medium-quality, affordable tucker. I think almost everyone on earth would be happy to find this sandwich in their lunchbox. Cost of living crisis 0 – Cozy Cake Shop 1.
8. Subway
Specifics: Veggie Delite with all salads, no cheese, sweet onion dressing and honey mustard (if you’re that kind of vegan).
Price: $15.70 for a foot long sub.
State: Toasted or fresh.
I searched high and low for a vegan sandwich that would give Subway a run for its money, and I genuinely couldn’t find one. Step up your game, Wellington! There’s a hole in the market. Alas, here we are. I have found the overall quality of Subway to wax and wane throughout the years, but the Veggie Delite is now reliably good. The patty tastes like a falafel and a hash brown had a lovely, oniony baby.
(Please don’t let the fact I am wearing black shatter nail polish à la 2012 in these photos take away from the validity of my opinion.)
7. Squirrel
Specifics: Focaccia with roast chicken, mesclun, coleslaw and aioli.
Price: $13.
State: Toasted or fresh.
I went into Squirrel intending to buy the Creamy Maude’s Chicken Sammi with capers, sliced almonds, herbs, rocket and chicken salad. Due to a chicken-related mixup, I accidentally bought the focaccia with roast chicken, mesclun, coleslaw and aioli. I was briefly mad at myself, then not that mad, because the chicken focaccia was gorgeous. Well balanced and flavourful, and the bread had a great chewy and airy texture.
6. Wholly Bagels (don’t cyberbully me for this)
Specifics: Jalapeño bagel with cream cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, spinach, sprouts, and garlic and herb cream cheese.
Price: $8.90.
State: Fresh.
Does this count as a sandwich? Almost certainly not, but I’m going to break my own rules because it’s worth including due to its high rate of deliciousness. It was a sandwich in its past life. If it weren’t for the hole, we wouldn’t even be questioning it. In Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, the bagel represents Joy’s nihilism, hopelessness, and chaos. In this realm, the bagel represents the strength and fulfilment that regular bread may not bring.
This bagel/sandwich is crisp and juicy and fresh, one of my go-to meals when I am craving a sammie. It is easily more sandwichy than a lot of the toasties masquerading as sandwiches in this city.
5. Shelly Bay Baker on Leeds Street
Specifics: Prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, bra duro cheese, basil pesto and green leaves.
Price: $17.
State: Toasted or fresh.
This sandwich was well made. Shelly Bay Baker has perfected its craft. The bread straddled that perfect line of crunchy and soft, and the bread-to-filling ratio was ideal. It was greasy in a fancy way and not in a gross way. It was like a beautiful pizza you could take on the go. However, the $17 price tag stung a bit.
4. Romeo’s Deli and Bar
Specifics: Halloumi, spinach, pickled onion and green goddess dressing.
Price: $18.
State: I actually can’t tell.
What’s in a name? That which we call a sandwich by any other name would still taste as savoury. Romeo’s tends to blur the line between sandwich and toastie, but at a certain point, it doesn’t matter. The halloumi sandwich was an absolute delight. The green goddess dressing was a divine mixture of sour cream, chives, chervil, anchovy and chives, with a dash of pickled onion. It reminded me of both Big Mac sauce and hollandaise sauce – creamy and delicious.
I was worried the ingredient list was too minimalist and almost panic-added bacon, but then realised the sandwich alone cost $18. I nearly passed out and decided to refrain. This turns out to be a good thing because it was perfect just the way it was. The bread was warm and soft and the halloumi was squeaky, as God intended.
3. Good Boy Sammies
Specifics: Weekly menu change (one meat option and one vege option that can be made vegan).
More Specific Than That: Charred broc, green hummus, garlic and lemon.
Price: $14-$16ish.
State: Fresh.
Bonus points: For running the funniest Instagram account of all time.
Good Boy Sammies started as a hole in the wall and recently moved to a slightly bigger hole in the wall. It goes to show how wildly popular it is, because that is the maximum size of a cafe in Wellington. They throw together two new genius creations every fortnight: one vegan/vegetarian option and one with meat. I got both. On the day I visited, the vege sammie came with charred broc, green hummus, garlic and lemon, and the meat sammie was roast beef with provolone and lettuce. They both were fresh, zesty and delicious. The bread had a certain fluffiness to it that tasted like love.
2. Little Grump
Specifics: Baked focaccia with prosciutto crudo, shaved ham, rocket and basil pesto, roast red peppers and smoked provolone.
State: Fresh.
Price: $16.
Bonus points: Comes with ready salted chips and a big juicy pickle. Immaculate meal composition.
Pristine. Godly. Divine. I can’t express how good this sandwich is. If you close your eyes when you eat it, you are transported to a better place, like heaven or Europe. The bread is freshly baked, the combination of prosciutto and ham is inspired, the provolone cheese is smoky and creamy and the freshness of the basil and rocket cuts through the richness. It gives you the experience of putting an entire charcuterie board into your mouth at once, without your friends complaining that you ruined wine and cheese night.
It is also crucial that they serve this with a side of chips and a big, vinegary, juicy pickle. I am tearing up just writing this. They just get it.
1. New World Thorndon
Specifics: “Deli designer sandwiches”.
Price: $5.49-$8.49.
State: Whatever you could possibly dream of, boss.
Whoever said you shouldn’t play God has clearly never been invested in making the greatest sandwich of all time. A sandwich is a deeply personal meal that reflects the inner state of your mind, stomach, and fridge as a holy trinity.
This sandwich is special because it tastes exactly as if you’d made a sandwich at home, without having to do any of the things that involve making a sandwich at home. If you’ve ever been on holiday and eaten out exclusively for three consecutive days, you know the uneasy feeling that creeps up when your body demands a “normal meal”. This sandwich tastes like getting home after a hard day’s work. Most importantly, it gives you a sense of agency in your day-to-day life. You ARE in control! It’s a fully customisable creation, you just have to hold a clipboard. You are a sandwich artist to be feared and celebrated. This kind of feeling is priceless. 10/10, no notes. The best kind of sandwich is the one made Just. For. You.