Beyond the central city, great food awaits

A Middle Eastern-inspired eatery brings a generous dose of flavour and personality to Wellington’s south coast. Parla in Island Bay offers meals throughout the day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner come with tastes from Turkey and surrounding countries. Here you’ll find labneh, tahini, zhug (a spicy green hot sauce from Yemen), and sucuk sausage. Parla’s warm wood floors and terracotta walls are offset by grey check upholstery on the seats and booths. The effect is warm and refined. Parla loosely translates as ‘sunny’ or ‘bright’ in Turkish. It certainly provides a sunny place to enjoy great food.

Cosy and quaint, Graze is a village wine bar nestled in the hills of Kelburn. What was once a neighbourhood butcher shop is now a meat-free restaurant, serving small plates in an intimate and welcoming space. 

The 22-seater bar and restaurant is a perfect mix of casual and quirky. Sustainability guides the presentation, with food served on mismatched plates sourced from local op-shops. Diners sit at tables made from recycled floorboards. The seat coverings are made from recycled jeans. Perch up at the bar or in a window-side seat to enjoy a meal filled with love for both food and the planet.

Down a side street in Newtown, you’ll find Margot. She’s not a person, but a place — a restaurant to be exact — but it’s not hard to imagine the woman behind the name. 

With a striking red awning, big open windows, and a warm atmosphere spilling onto the street, Margot is a welcoming aunt, your chicest friend, and the ultimate dinner party host. In short: she’s someone you want to meet and a restaurant you want to visit. 

Margot’s menu changes often, championing local produce in often simple ways, but always to delicious effect. Small plates are made for sharing, with European flair and Kiwi touches across every dish.

You can see the ocean and hear the boom of the waves from Parrotdog’s front door. The Lyall Bay brewery welcomes everyone. Surfers often turn up in jandals with a board under one arm, and dog walkers take their pooches inside and cool off with a beer. 

Inspired by traditional pubs, retro decor brings the space to life. Funky wallpaper brightens up the walls, and antiques and taxidermy provide excellent talking points. There’s a pool table to keep you busy, and a window through to the adjacent brewery space. Keep an eye on what’s brewing while you take your pick from the bar’s 17 revolving taps.

The Thistle Inn has stood in the same spot on Mulgrave Street, Thorndon since 1840. It received New Zealand’s second-ever liquor license and is the country’s oldest surviving tavern. Today the Thistle Inn is an all-day gastropub with a varied menu to cater to your needs. You can choose small bites to go with your beer or sit down to some serious bistro options. The chefs enjoy creating dishes that challenge traditional ideas of tavern food. For beer lovers, there are several core taps including Tuatara, Black Dog, and Monteiths. The other taps change often, providing some nice surprises.

On the top floor of Lyall Bay’s Maranui Surf Life Saving Club, you’ll find Maranui Café. The red and white building is a beacon on the beach, having stood in the spot since 1911. While the café isn’t quite as old (it opened in 2003), it has established itself as a firm local favourite and a “must-do” for visitors to the city. 

Like the colourful furniture and old-school art, Maranui’s menu is fittingly retro. Tasty salads, melt-in-the-mouth baking, and some of the best fries in town. The milkshakes are famous and almost a meal in themselves. Served in the shaker, they’re super thick and super delicious.

In the centre of Brooklyn Village, Salty Pidgin is the perfect gathering spot for locals. But it’s not just for neighbours. The Penthouse Cinema around the corner provides a steady stream of people who stop in on their way to the flicks. Owners JP Henderson and Amy Gillies have developed a bistro menu that attracts serious foodies. Amy’s interest in North African flavours means you’ll often find things like harissa and sumac on the menu. The fine dining is complimented with no-fuss food like Turkish pide, a cross between pizza and calzone. The wine menu is selected to suit bistro food and the bar staff can rustle up a mean cocktail.