Where to drink wine in Wellington
Located between two of New Zealand’s key wine regions, Martinborough and Marlborough, here's where to find your new favourite wine
Puffin
60 Ghuznee Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Low-fi meets luxury at this hideaway bar on the ground floor of a boutique hotel on Ghuznee Street. The interior glows with emerald green velvet, brass fittings and chandeliers in contrast to the exposed concrete walls.
Puffin focuses on organic and minimal intervention wines, alongside a thoughtful menu of charcuterie and cheese, oysters and small plates. They also do a mean classic cocktail and there's beer on tap.
WBC
107 Victoria Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Specialising in nose-to-tail and fin-to-fin eating, WBC is a popular restaurant that tries to use every part of the best-quality New Zealand meat, seafood and fresh produce they cook with.
Brightly coloured patches of chalk paint on the walls are updated with seasonal special dishes, new wine arrivals and the line-up of fresh oysters and clams, served on the shell.
The menu has a distinct Asian influence and is made up of small and large plates that are best shared by the table – the chilled Goan raw fish curry served with poppadom is a highlight.
Located in the former factory space of the Wellington Boot Company, the elegant restaurant space is dominated by large windows looking out over Wellington’s boutique retail district. WBC is a lovely spot for a long lunch or dinner with friends.
Ascot
2/55 Ghuznee Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Only in Wellington: a rooftop bar specialising in wine and hotdogs (as well as vegetarian 'notdogs').
Nestled in a cosy art deco space behind an Edwardian parapet, Ascot is a quirky bar that serves an ever-changing lineup of organic and biodynamic wines from New Zealand and overseas.
Ascot has a sunny outside deck which is a lovely place to be on a sunny afternoon or summer’s evening. Not to mention you can people watch everyone walking down Cuba St.
Le Samourai
45 Tory Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Le Samourai opens early for coffee, croissants and croque monsieur. As the day continues, Le Samourai comes into its own as a wine and cheese bar.
Serving mostly French and European wine, Le Samourai also pours some specially-chosen New Zealand wines. To pair with your drink, Le Samourai have an assortment of cheese and charcuterie, plus some French-themed cabinet food. Le Samourai is small and cosy with a few tables and a long window seat looking out onto Tory Street that’s perfect for people watching.
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