WellingtonEat & Drink
2 customers sharing a plate inside Ortega FIsh Shack.

Ortega Fish Shack

  • Location

    16 Majoribanks Street, Mount Victoria, Wellington

  • Website
    Ortega

Fresh fish, steak fries, and sherry are all on offer at Wellington’s favourite seafood restaurant.

Ortega Fish Shack is one of those restaurants beloved by both locals and visitors. Described by one reviewer as “fine dining in disguise”, Ortega is upmarket dining with a laidback, good-time vibe.

As the name suggests, it’s predominately a seafood restaurant serving fresh and sustainable . The menu changes each day, depending on what fish is available. But regardless of the catch, there’s always ceviche on the menu — fresh raw fish with herbs, crispy shallots, and ginger dressing. And, despite being a self-titled fish shack, Ortega’s steak and fries have a passionate local following.

Ortega’s popularity is down to its two owners. Award-winning maitre d’ Davey McDonald will welcome you to the Shack with a grin and farewell you by the door at the end of the night. And Mark Limacher is an award-winning chef who has been quietly influential in the food world.

Waiter setting a table inside Ortega Fish Shack. A large Marlin is mounted on one wall and a very large painting of a lake is on the other.
A plate with four oysters two lemon wedges and a small bowl of mignonette at Ortega Fish Shack, a seafood restaurant in Wellington, New Zealand.
A bartender is pouring a glass of white wine for two people sitting at the bar at Ortega Fish Shack, a seafood restaurant in Wellington, New Zealand.
Close up of an orange raw fish dish served at Ortega Fish Shack.

The restaurant is in a two-storey, 1800s building in Mount Victoria. Ortega’s aesthetic is beachside bistro: weatherboard shutters, mosaic-tiled floors, walls covered with nautical paraphernalia and mounted fish. The waitstaff are clad in casual clothes and leather aprons. Like Davey, they’re the perfect mix of knowledgeable, attentive and friendly.

When describing the drinks list, one word comes to mind: epic. Spread over 50-plus pages, there are even chapters to the menu, making you smile as much as it makes you thirsty. Davey and his crew will take you on a guided tour or lead you straight to what you didn’t know you felt like drinking. If sherry is your thing, you’ve come to the right place.

Fun, friendly fine dining — you heard it here first, folks.

Explore more

Looking for more?

At start of items
Three friends enjoy cocktails at Hummingbird Restaurant & Lounge.

Hummingbird

Commanding a prominent corner on Courtenay Place, Hummingbird Restaurant and bar is an oasis for mouthwatering food, quality cocktails, and personable service.

The exterior of a busy wine bar and restaurant with patrons filling both interior and exterior seating.

Noble Rot Wine Bar

Noble Rot is a bar and restaurant in Wellington, just off Cuba Street, where wine lovers can relax and enjoy themselves while discovering something new.

Two people enjoying a meal and clinking their wine glasses in Capitol Restaurant. Waitstaff make drinks behind the bar behind them. The dark wood tables add a moody vibe to the interior.

Capitol

A Wellington favourite since 2002, Capitol is a vibrant, family-run restaurant. Its bistro-style menu takes full advantage of seasonal local produce.

Two people enter the front door of Ombra.

Ombra

Inspired by the backstreet restaurants of Venice, Ombra is an Italian dining experience in Wellington, serving modern Italian plates on Cuba Street.

The busy and vibrant interior of Charley Noble, with customers sitting at tables and servers waiting tables, and kitchen staff in the background preparing food.

Charley Noble

A haven for fine food lovers, Wellington steakhouse restaurant Charley Noble has a menu and drinks list to match its surroundings and building.

The dim and moody interior of Highwater eatery with customers siitng and bar staff working.

Highwater

Inner-city restaurant and bar Highwater Eatery walks the talk on sustainably sourced food. Chefs make bread rolls, bacon, sausages, and sauces in-house.

The storefront of Liberty, a restaurant in Te Aro Wellington. It's a white building with black accents and six circular ceiling lights.

Liberty

Sharing plates and considered cocktails make Wellington restaurant Liberty a great spot for a quick drink, a group meal, or a special occasion.

The Bar staff behind the bar at The Ram pouring craft beer. Theres a large shelf of wine and spirits bottles behind them.

The Ram

With a focus on simple done really, really well, Wellington bar and restaurant The Ram is an equally good spot for an evening drink as it is for a casual meal.

Two people at Rosella eating food. A rack of wine bottles is above them.

Rosella Wine Bar

Rosella Wine Bar’s share-style menu has big bold fresh flavours, using the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa as inspiration.

Four friends enjoy dinner and drinks at Havana Bar and Restaurant in Wellington.

Havana Bar

Wellington's Havana Bar & Restaurant is iconic. Hidden in two historic cottages, it serves Latin American cuisine, seasonal, tropical cocktails, and live music.