Best global eats
Wellington tops National Geographic list
First it was the coffee, now it’s food that has put Wellington on the international traveller’s map.
In a neighbourhood guide for the intrepid traveller, National Geographic has named Wellington among six top global cities for food lovers in an effort to gauge ‘‘the best eats on (almost) every continent’’.
In 2014, CNN rated Wellington’s coffee among the best in the world, but now the capital’s cuisine has been held in equally high esteem.
Well-known Cuba St haunts such as Matterhorn, Olive, and Logan Brown have been labelled ‘‘hidden gems’’, alongside Laundry bar.
Matterhorn co-owner and executive chef Sean Marshall said: ‘‘It’s nice to know people think Wellington’s got a real nice feel about it. The places that have the X-factor are doing their own thing.’’
Laundry, a former drycleaner’s, has been singled out for a ‘‘weirder choice’’, with special mention given to its jerk chicken and gumbo.
Lyall Bay has been dubbed the best neighbourhood for beach eats.
Regular favourites Maranui and Spruce Goose are on the list, along with Seaview Takeaways.
Maranui Cafe co-owner Katie Richardson said it was great to see Lyall Bay recognised as a food hub.
‘‘On a fine day, the beach is packed. Lyall Bay comes alive. When I was a child, Lyall Bay had nothing in it, it was dead. [Now] it’s such a great little place.’’
She said Seaview Takeaways was one of the bay’s mainstays. ‘‘The woman has been there for so long, and she does do great fish and chips.’’
Wellington’s smorgasbord of markets were chosen for best DIY eats, with Harbourside Market, Underground Market, and Wellington Sea Market being the top picks.
Harbourside Market manager Fraser Ebbett said up to 25,000 people flocked there on a busy Sunday. Wellingtonians were spoilt for choice for food options.
‘‘You can throw a dart and find a good restaurant, and you would be pretty unlucky to get a bad coffee.’’
He noted a line on National Geographic’s website about the market being ‘‘around since 1920’’ was a little off.
‘‘We’ve been going for 13 years. Although that part of town, off Courtenay Place, in older days food trucks used to drive in with their produce.’’
Underground Market owner Helena Tobin said Wellington should be ‘‘justifiably proud’’ of its food scene.
‘‘Wellington is a hotbed of deliciousness. I recently took a tourist from Central Europe around the city and he was really impressed and I thought: we’re at the cutting edge here. It’s not our weather, it’s our food and scenery.’’