WellingtonEat & Drink
Exterior of The Larder café in Miramar. It is a grand old house with weatherboards and half-circle windows. Tables and chairs are outside and a parent and two children walk in the door.

The Larder

Found in a grand old house, this Miramar-based daytime eatery balances fine food with hearty café fare.

Three chocolate and cranberry kugelhopfs sit on a white plate.
Gremolata crumbed lamb’s brains are topped with radish and green leaves.
A paua shell sits on a bed of ice. In it is paua and microgreens. A lemon wedge is to the side. A glass of wine is in the background.
A plate of golden brown date and cardamom scones.

Whether you’re from up the road or out of town, The Larder wants you to feel like a local. Since 2009 the Miramar café has been providing a balance of simple hearty fare alongside fine dining-inspired lunches.

Found in a prominent turn-of-the-century house, The Larder oozes old-world charm. The entrance has a huge wooden half-circle window and a large ornate fireplace inside. Co-owners Jacob Brown and Sarah Bullock think the grand setting has set the precedent for their food ethos, “We always want to overdeliver on expectations, with surroundings like these we feel it’s only right.”

On the counter at The Larder in Miramar sits a stack of caramelised pumpkin, feta, olives, and rocket sandwiches. Staff in the background carry plates and make coffee.

Jacob has a background in fine dining and this influence is clear in the menu. The Larder prides itself on being ‘all things to all people’. So while you can order duck confit, there are also café classics like scrambled eggs and cheese scones.

Two dishes that remain steadfastly on the order board are pork belly and Gremolata crumbled lamb’s brains. Jacob and Sarah believe strongly in the philosophy of ‘nose-to-tail eating’, so wherever possible they will use all parts of the animal to avoid wastage.
 
With seating for 30 inside and a few tables out front, there’s plenty of room. Wētā Workshop and the Wētā Cave are down the street, so The Larder is a popular spot for tourists and Wētā workers.

Looking for more?

At start of items
The front counter at Twenty Eight Cafe, located at 28 Cornwall Street in Lower Hutt, with two people working.

Twenty Eight

Twenty Eight specialises in modern brunch and lunch dishes that showcase the changing seasons.

A server delivers coffee and food to a table of three outside Picke & Pie.

Pickle & Pie

A Kiwi version of a New York delicatessen brings classic Jewish tastes to an inner-city eatery.

An open doorway connects a garden courtyard to a busy tavern.

Cuba Street Tavern

Part bar, part café, and part community hub — this tavern with a secret garden is an oasis in the city.

Two people sit at a counter drinking coffee at The Hanger café.

The Hangar

Run by self-proclaimed ‘coffee nerds’, Flight Coffee’s flagship café is all about the details.

The exterior of Swimsuit café on Dixon Street in Te Aro, Wellington.

Swimsuit

Find perfect brews, buttery cheese scones, and a cool community vibe at this bustling central-city coffee shop.

The interior of Seashor Cabaret, a diner located on The Esplanade and Sidney Street in Petone, with four vintage arcade games, two taxidermy deer heads on the wall, two large tables with eight chairs each and three wood booths with eight customers seated.

Seashore Cabaret

Eclectic and quirky, Seashore Cabaret serves up fun and fast diner food with views across the Petone foreshore.

A person with tongs goes to pick up a pastry from the counter in Glou Glou. There is a row of decadent pastries.

Glou Glou

A sleek Wellington café is in pursuit of the perfect croissant, and after taking your first bite you’ll find the proof is in the pastry. It takes three days to make something so good you’ll consume it in three minutes.

Two people sit at a table by a white wall covered in graffiti chatting over coffee inside Evil Twins Coffee, a café in Te Aro Wellington.

Evil Twins

Iced coffee, matcha, and trendy merchandise are all on offer at this creative city café.

The rustic outdoor dining area of Fidels with a customer sitting down and drinking.

Fidel’s

At the top of eclectic Cuba Street, Fidel’s Café is a Wellington institution serving Cuban coffee, “good, honest food” and a bohemian atmosphere.

Food and jars on shelves inside Customs on Ghuznee street.

Customs Brew Bar

Customs is at the heart of the capital’s coffee scene, and a trip to Wellington wouldn’t be complete without a stop here.