Crack into seafood at The Crab Shack in Wellington

The charm and flavour of Cape Cod come to Wellington in this prime waterfront location. The Crab Shack combines a fun and energetic environment with food to match. Get a little messy and take on one of the king crabs or Cajun-style boil-up. For those less nautically inclined, there’s plenty on the menu to make you smile, like a sirloin steak stack, burgers loaded with goodies, and a drinks menu longer than a ship’s anchor chain.

The turquoise exterior of The Crab Shack on Queens Wharf. In the background is the Wellington harbour.

A person uses a metal tool to crack into a crab leg while eating at The Crab Shack.

Waitstaff in The Crab Shack serve plates of mussel and pasta.

Three people eat crab and other seafood plates at The Crab Shack on Queens Wharf.

Most of the seafood is locally sourced, with the larger crabs coming from Australia and as far as Madagascar. The kitchen is open and the staff are lively. In the restaurant, cray-pot chandeliers hang from the ceiling and nautical-chart wallpaper covers the walls. “It’s a really special place,” says head chef Geoff Ngan. “I really love that feeling when everyone’s got a glass of crisp white, beautiful fresh seafood, seagulls flying around.”

For Geoff, growing up on the Kāpiti Coast meant seafood was his bread and butter. “I used to catch paddle crabs in my net while I was fishing for flounder,” he says. Now, he dishes up kaimoana for a living. Also, the head chef at neighbouring Shed 5, Geoff, gets to express his creativity through two distinct restaurants and menus.

When The Crab Shack opened its doors in 2013, “it went gangbusters,” says Geoff. It introduced Wellington to Cape Cod charm, creole flavours, and that fun and messy way of eating. The casual feel of the restaurant makes it perfect for families and large groups.

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