Beautiful Wellington Not Short on Great Food

“Home is where the heart is, and Wellington has my heart – with its harbour, skies and hills, it’s just so beautiful,” London-based chef Margot Henderson tells the Financial Times in a piece about her favourite places to eat in the capital city.

“My husband Fergus [founder of London’s St John] and I always plan our trip so that we fly into Wellington in time for lunch, and our first stop has to be Nikau Café a superb restaurant attached to the City Gallery,” Henderson explains. “Lunch there is always a giddy moment, meeting up with family and friends to eat the most delicious food. Their kedgeree is a must – be sure to wash it down with some great New Zealand pinot noir. The owners have also just opened a new restaurant in the Aro Valley called Rita (pictured), which has a fresh, bright feel. It’s a place where everyone makes you feel at home.

“Wellingtonians take their coffee very seriously – the whole city oozes with roasteries and coffee machines,” she says. “It’s all flat whites, smoothies, sourdough and avocado at the Seashore Cabaret, where tattooed darlings enjoy coffee and breakfast, looking out over the beautiful harbour.

“You have to cross a busy road to get to it, but John’s Fish Market serves fantastically fresh fish and chips. Just choose a piece of fish and they’ll fry it right up for you. Make sure you get a potato fritter too.”

Henderson also recommends visiting the Lower Hutt suburb of Petone, which “is full of interesting food shops, from La Bella Italia, which serves good-quality Italian produce, to The Spice Rack, with its excellent range of fresh spices.”

Henderson is the co-owner of Rochelle Canteen in Arnold Circus and the restaurant’s second site within London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). Together with Melanie Arnold, she also runs catering company, Arnold & Henderson.

Original article by Financial Times, March 1, 2018.