Tim O’Hara
QT Museum Wellington
When my friends are in town, I take them for a drink at… Garage Project (garageproject. co.nz), one of my favourite local breweries here in New Zealand’s craft beer capital. We also go to the Malthouse (themalthouse. co.nz) for its craft brews. After dinner, I take them to Hawthorn Lounge (hawthornlounge.co.nz), which is like a 1920s speakeasy. It’s a gin bar and has a good selection of cocktails as well. You can sit and chat and there’s no loud music. A great place for a business meeting is… Nikau Café (nikau cafe.co.nz), next to City Gallery Wellington. It’s a pleasant place for a casual business meeting and you can pop in to the gallery afterwards and look around. Food-lovers should go to… Hannahs Laneway, an up-andcoming precinct that shows off Wellington’s continually developing palate. You’ve got Six Barrel Soda Co. (sixbarrelsoda. co.nz), Wellington Chocolate Factory (wcf.co.nz), Fix & Fogg peanut butter (fixandfogg.co.nz), Pizza Pomodoro (pizzapomodoro. co.nz) and all sorts of restaurants to choose from. The dining hotspot for locals right now is… The Botanist (thebotanistlyallbay.co.nz), a vegetarian and vegan eatery that recently opened at Lyall Bay. Asian fusion restaurants are also popular; the city’s newest, Mr Go’s (mrgos.co.nz), serves hawker-style street food. For breakfast, go to… Prefab (pre-fab.co.nz) on Jessie Street. It’s a cool place with a seasonal menu that serves bakery items fresh from the oven. It gets busy but it’s not a cramped space. And you’ll find the best coffee at… Caffe L’Affare (laffare.co. nz), just down the road from Prefab. They’ve been roasting coffee for more than 25 years and it’s what we now serve at QT Museum Wellington (qthotelsandresorts.com). The most popular food market is… Capital Market (151 Willis Street) for Middle Eastern and Asian hawker-style dining. You walk in and your nose is smashed by a load of different spices. For designer fashion, visit… the boutiques of local labels in the Old Bank arcade (oldbank.co.nz) at Lambton Quay, which is a unique shopping experience in a former bank and unlike the usual high-street stores in the area. For vintage shopping, check out… the streetwear at Hunters & Collectors (134 Cuba Street; +64 4 384 8948). And just wandering around Clockwork Steampunk Emporium (clockwork.kiwi), looking at the shop’s displays of clothing and accessories, is an experience in itself. You’ll find the perfect gift or memento at… The Wellington Underground Market (undergroundmarket.co.nz) at Frank Kitts Park on Saturday mornings. It’s where local artists and designers sell their wares so most are handmade. For a romantic dinner, go to… Hippopotamus restaurant at QT Museum Wellington. It’s a comfortable setting with great views and the [French-inspired] food is always topnotch. The best daytrip is… Martinborough, a beautiful boutique wine area well known for its pinot noir, 75 minutes’ drive from Wellington.