Brunching my way round Wellington CBD

One of the best things about living in Wellington is the absolute endless supply of yummy brunch places to visit. As a chronic sufferer of choice paralysis, I like to have a list at the ready – just to ensure I am well prepared in any brunch situation.

My personal opinion is that brunching on Welly’s waterfront isn’t something to write home about, but cue arrival of Lola Stays. A place that really hits the mark; Lola Stays is welcoming, with loads of natural light and funky flamingo wallpaper. The menu has a wide range of healthy options (and some not so) and the food itself is presented well. Needless to say, Lola Stays has shot to the top of my ‘places to eat in Oriental Bay list!’

A true Wellington institution, don’t expect anything other than a queue out the door at Prefab. It is closed on Sundays and you can’t reserve tables, which seemingly results in high demand the rest of the time. The food, coffee and service are all exceptional. The worst thing about it is that amidst the crowds, you can feel guilty for outstaying your welcome quite quickly. There is so much going on that every time I visit the café, it is a whole new experience.

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Just down the road, another Wellington staple is Cafe L’affare. Always a reliable fall-back for good food, it is also actively sought out for good coffee. The place is so much bigger than first meets the eye and similarly to Prefab, there is so much going on inside. Personally I think it’s on this list because it does everything really well, but for me nothing is super special about it.

Somewhere that goes particularly understated most of the time (especially in regards to food) is Hangar. Maybe due to its location, I often forget about Hangar when I’m thinking of brunch spots, even though I think it sits right up there with the very best. The food is always brilliantly presented and the coffee is easily some of the best in the business. I highly recommend getting a tasty plate for their coffees – fun to try and also great value.

Hands down, Loretta is one of my favourite places in Wellington. I would expect nothing less from a sister of Floridita’s. Whether it is brunch, dinner or anything in between Loretta does it all, and does it well. Tucked away on Cuba Street I used to walk straight past it, but now I can’t miss it. Make sure you spot the fresh produced scattered around the place and the gorgeous array of baked goods.

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Husk offers so much more than just brunch, but that’s part of its beauty. And the reason why it remains to be one of my favourite places in Wellington. Tucked away in an alley off Ghuznee, it is somewhere you may have never noticed until now. But combining a café with a brewery is genius; and the fairy lights in the alley make it oh-so-easy to spot. The fried chicken is seriously worth dying for and there is a large selection of small plates to share. The best time to go is on a weekend afternoon between 2 and 4pm – the tasting trays (3 beers) are only $10.

 

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