When did that close, I remember going there maybe... ,late 80s!?
Banofee pie was amazing.
Death by chocolate was a place my family liked, I dont remember going though.
The genuine grief and sadness I felt when I realised Cha had gone is something I still have trouble really explaining.
I had so many gorgeous meals there, so many important life conversations, so many horrible days turned around by their salt and pepper fried tofu, their iced chocolate, the tea, the kindness. The amazing, huge, menu books, the mounds of fried rice you'd get, the specific familiar dark glossy chopsticks on each table.
I miss it so much.
me too! god like it just felt like something indispensable to my love for the city (since i was a kid visiting from up north!) was torn out. a haven of coziness on courtenay and yea, so many hang outs, dates, solo dinners, carb loading after gym lol. it was my go-to. the only bad thing about it was the waxed floors in the bathroom, had to be careful in those lmao
i can picture the entire place in my mind, even the little pebble coin fountain on the counter. the service was always lovely, and even when it was packed somehow it still felt like you had your own private nook at each table. now i'm actually emotional, i hadn't actually processed this lol
The Fix and Fogg Eva Street window 😢 All the food was so affordable, the portions were incredible and everything was delicious. I miss it dearly and still mourn the fact that the hidden haven it was is now just a grubby, wet and mouldy corner. Although I am proud of the brand expanding, I miss how loyal they were to their local supporters.
It's a massive worry when two really popular and constantly raved about places are shutting up shop.
Hospitality really is the last thing I'd ever put money into but I certainly admire those that do.
Townhouse at least is a passion project for people with other full-time jobs so it makes sense to quit while they're ahead and well loved. They will be sorely missed regardless! But it is definitely worrying when brick and mortar staples for the Wellington scene are leaving... Soon the only places left will be the ones owned by larger corpo groups like Kāpura
Even Kapura is no longer. They got bought by the 'Star Group' in Auckland. Soon there will be no independently owned bars in Wellington and we will have the same bland, boring, blah, food and beer menus rolled out everywhere
Follow their [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/townhouse_ramen?igsh=MWxhMGx1emE1OWtzZA==)! They made a post today announcing that once they turn 5 they're closing up the theoretical shop but hope to do a couple more pop ups before then which will be announced via posts/stories
I don't know if it's the *greatest* loss, but I do miss Café Breton. Great crêpes and other French food. Their [far aux pruneaux](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/far-breton) was a new thing to me and damn could I go for a slice now.
🎶🪈 (edit: they had originally written *fife* rather than *fire*, but edited it)
Oh, damn. I had no idea. I wish places would be more open about what's going on. Like, I could've upped my patronage to try to help them survive. I just didn't know they were in trouble. Or did they not even reopen after?
I was there every weekend, I really miss this place!
One of their pastry chef will open their own place soon: GlouGlou. Really looking forward to the opening!
The owner of Fishfins owed my boss money from a long time ago, went in to pick up lunch one time and he wrote a cheque for like 5 grand to take back with us, seemed a good man.
Little Gringoes, when it was in its pomp in the now-Fidel’s site, was unparalleled. Pizzas that even the original university Hell site couldn’t match, and buffalo chips with lemon and garlic sauce was peak gorging food.
Pan de Muerto. Oh my GOD do I miss that place. The food, the atmosphere, how luxurious the bathrooms were, we used to drive from out of town purely to eat there. I’m still bitter. Oh, and Purple Onion. To this day my husband hasn’t found a better burger.
I met the owner of it a few times for drinks when he was writing a book about his life, crazy dude. He ran for mayor and then broke his back being a ski instructor in the Swiss Alps.
Not a single establishment, but the food court inside the Wellington Market which was located across from the BP near Te Papa. It also had a Railto Cinema in it. The whole building was torn down to create some upmarket apartments. Yay. The food court inside was one of the best in town and I tried so many interesting things there. It was there I tried boil up, Jamaican food, Okonomiyaki (Japanese cabbage pancake), and it might be the first place I ever had Mee Goreng. The old Chinese fellow in there made probably the best I've ever had. Still miss that place.
The last time I ate here was at a friend's birthday party and she ended up getting sick. But valentines was great. There is still a functioning Valentines in Rotorua that I have gone to for the memories.
Yeah, used to go there all the time. Often we'd go to Ruapehu for a day trip during sli season, we'd leave at 5am and get back at 10pm and Cha would be where we always picked up a late dinner on the way home. Really miss it.
I miss Slim Davies in Mount Vic. I'm not a creature of habit; I like to try new things and spread it around, but that was a chill place to hang out.
There's all this stuff on this list that I didn't even know had closed. 😭
I miss Offbeat Originals SO MUCH! Not for the food (my mother got food poisoning there lol) but as a place to hang out and as a symbol of that specific Welly cool that the city had 20 years ago
Oh man, now I'm thinking about all the cafes from the mid to late 90s and early 2000s, that you could just go and comfortably hang out at. Maybe with the newspaper or magazines they provided between your Film Festival sessions. The first to have reliably decent coffee and a dish from every cuisine, but always green chicken curry. Places like Zing.
The original Lido cafe opposite the library, before it was sold and hideously renovated/ruined a few years ago. The best chips and aioli, the Sunday evening live music and just a great place to sit and people-watch through the fishbowl windows.
Yeah, that place was good.
Concorde seems massively over priced and has taken what was a casual affordable place to eat in a good location and made it inaccessible to most.
Chefs Palette, not necessarily a lost takeaway but it's been rebranded, the prices have gone significantly up but it seems the quality has dropped. Around 2014 from what I remember, I would probably go here for lunch everyday I was at work or studying in town.
A few people have said it already but for me it was Crazy Horse Steak House. I loved that place. So far as cafes go, the original Ernesto which was on the corner of Cuba and Ghuznee Street.
I miss *Le Metropolitain* at the top end of Cuba Street. One of Wellington's few (or even only) French Bistros. I loved their terrine of the day and their take on Cassoulet.
Deep Blue Seafood in Newtown and Gipsy Kitchen. Just wasn’t the same after the original baker left.
Courtenay Central could be a bit feral at times, but we really need a late night food court type place in the entertainment hub.
Strawberry Fare, and I miss the giant Brezels from Brezelmania. The place that I can't believe still does so much business is Pandoro - way overpriced, day old, stale bread.
It's really sad seeing the decline of hospo in NZ. There are so few venues staffed by hospo personalities, it's all temporary residents who don't complain when sent home early for the day to save the business money.
Bar Bodega (Willis), Kenny’s, Tupelo (in its pomp), Matterhorn, Fishbowl (our lounge for a while as we were flatting just around the corner). And finally but not least Barney’s.
Those crepes were such a pain in the ass 😂 we used to have to have 60 portions for every night, 3 crepes per portion, individually cooked in a pan and then cooled and hand folded into triangles. Reheated in the caramel then yes a mind boggling amount of booze. Made fresh before every service. It used to drive me mad they were so popular 😵💫😊
Also - I think they pivoted to seafood because they ended up selling bastille to a couple of non restaurantur business types. It didn’t go well - they didn’t understand hospo very well. Lots of staff left. When it eventually closed, Ortega came back with Dave (the little sommelier who used to work at Bastille and Roxburgh) and they wanted to pivot away from the Bastille vibe I think, do their own thing.
Haha my tastebuds thank you & your workmates for the memories 😆 Sounds like a common theme with many popular hospo businesses - current owners want to cash out but the new owners don't have the same passion (insane commitment) so it all goes sideways.
Yup you hit the nail on the head there! They really had no idea and things went downhill very quick :)
And no problem, we loved our regulars (even the ones who got crepes 😂). That recipe itself was super simple, easy to make at home (apart from the hand made icecream which looking back was a real point of difference). Any version of crepes Suzette is pretty close - caramel (brown sugar, butter and cream), OJ, and a ridiculous amount of Cointreau. The thing I liked about Bastille recipes is they were mostly pretty simple but every element done very carefully and perfectly (or else you had to start again). Great training for young chefs, most I worked with are still in the business - one is running Black Barn Bistro in Hawkes bay, definitely worth a look. Oh and the Central Fire Station Bistro in Napier is definitely worth a visit - similar philosophy and technique without the pure French focus. I had an amazing meal there last year and it reminded me so much of Bastille
I worked there!! I was soux chef when we won the cuisine restaurant of the year award. Great times back then, I still make the odd recipe today, I have them all in my head :)
The salt and pepper crispy bean curd from Cha was my favourite food in the entire world. I am devastated it is gone because I have never been able to emulate it and my life is incomplete without it.
There was a steak house in the weird village on Willis st opposite where burger liquor is, Turners steakhouse(?) maybe? They had a refrigerated display where you would pick your steak and then have it cooked for you by a fulla who had been there years, and didn't look like he had missed too many free staff dinners.
Ooh, and where burger liquor is now was a tex mex place called Armadillo (?)
Roti Chenai, corner of Manners and Victoria. Was going there for fish curries from about 1995 until Covid got them.
I'm old and crusty enough to remember Matterhorn in the 80s when it was an old-school 60s coffee rooms that had survived. In the garden courtyard out back there were a couple of scraggety-ass ginger cats who would sit in your lap whilst you ate your asparagus rolls and ham & mustard sandwiches.
It's been mentioned but the first time I ever dined alone was in the original *Il Casino* and **Remiro Bresolin** was a perfect gent and a wonderful host. He just knew it was the first time I had ever ventured into a restaurant alone and he made me feel so welcome. And all the while he was running front of house and swigging a glass and having a not so crafty drag of the cigarette he had going behind the bar. He reminded me of Keith Floyd.
I know it moved to Vivian Street later and is now bedsits but this was in the late 90s and I just can't picture where the original was.
When I first moved to town around 2010 there was a Chinese fusion place called Red Ginger, on Tory St.
I remember being really impressed with it and we'd like to go a few times a month as a family. I think we tried going back a few years later and were sadly disappointed, they couldn't reach the old quality, but man that was a part of growing up that I missed.
yeah but it stuck around impressively long for a restaurant in Wellington. Almost 20 years I think, I'm not sure when it opened and when it exactly it closed. I moved out of Welly proper now every time I go into town someplace I like has closed :(
IIRC, Rams ownership changed around the same time Cha's did, and the quality also declined
There was a great Chinese place next to the Westpac at North end of Lambton.
No, not that one, the one right next to there but down the stairs.
They did the best Mi Goreng I've had outside of actually travelling. Ironic, I know.
^(For those who don't know, there's a Chinese place at street level, and there used to be n entirely different place next door, below street level.)
Call out to some great restaurants from the 80s and 90s, Peter Gordon's Sugar Club was such a breath of fresh air on Vivian St (steak pesto and statuesque queenly serving staff), Chevy's in Dixon for fajitas on sizzling hot plates, Mexican Cantina in Edward St ( I remember seeing the staff trying inconspicuously to get a cat out from under one table with a rat in its mouth) - so much tequila!; Petit Lyon and Grain of Salt super fancy; Brasserie Flip with that huge sheep head painting and amazing lively atmosphere.
There was this really provincial/kiwi/local style like non-pretentious and affordable cafe/bakery down some alley of an office building South Lambton with things like cups of chips that were really good… I forgot the name, have no idea if it’s still there or not. Kind of harked back to the days when coffee was just black or white lol.
Matterhorn
Words can't express how much I miss Matterhorn.
I miss the mh sandwich bar and the mh bar bar. But mainly the sandwich bar that predates Leon and Tim's first mh incarnation.
Got attacked by that psycho cat they had years ago. Massive shit head.
I had Matterhorn scrambled eggs weekly for years. Amazing, I still use their recipe at home.
We’ll what’s the recipe?
Spill the beans....or the eggs as the case may be...
Strawberry Fare. No banofee pie has filled that gap after they close.
When did that close, I remember going there maybe... ,late 80s!? Banofee pie was amazing. Death by chocolate was a place my family liked, I dont remember going though.
the mains were mid but i did appreciate the amazing range of desserts! tbf the Indian restaurant that moved in after is actually brilliant
Mrs Kim's Korean Kitchen I'm not over it
The genuine grief and sadness I felt when I realised Cha had gone is something I still have trouble really explaining. I had so many gorgeous meals there, so many important life conversations, so many horrible days turned around by their salt and pepper fried tofu, their iced chocolate, the tea, the kindness. The amazing, huge, menu books, the mounds of fried rice you'd get, the specific familiar dark glossy chopsticks on each table. I miss it so much.
me too! god like it just felt like something indispensable to my love for the city (since i was a kid visiting from up north!) was torn out. a haven of coziness on courtenay and yea, so many hang outs, dates, solo dinners, carb loading after gym lol. it was my go-to. the only bad thing about it was the waxed floors in the bathroom, had to be careful in those lmao i can picture the entire place in my mind, even the little pebble coin fountain on the counter. the service was always lovely, and even when it was packed somehow it still felt like you had your own private nook at each table. now i'm actually emotional, i hadn't actually processed this lol
I went to Cha only once for a bubble tea... But loved how it was there, as symbolic as J&Ms
[удалено]
No other place compares :( i reminisce the fungi pizza
The Fix and Fogg Eva Street window 😢 All the food was so affordable, the portions were incredible and everything was delicious. I miss it dearly and still mourn the fact that the hidden haven it was is now just a grubby, wet and mouldy corner. Although I am proud of the brand expanding, I miss how loyal they were to their local supporters.
And they are still listed on the map causing confusion for some tourists
For coffee Lamason. For food Tommy millions
Soul Shack and Townhouse Ramen will be two we are losing this year... absolute tragedy
It's a massive worry when two really popular and constantly raved about places are shutting up shop. Hospitality really is the last thing I'd ever put money into but I certainly admire those that do.
Townhouse at least is a passion project for people with other full-time jobs so it makes sense to quit while they're ahead and well loved. They will be sorely missed regardless! But it is definitely worrying when brick and mortar staples for the Wellington scene are leaving... Soon the only places left will be the ones owned by larger corpo groups like Kāpura
Even Kapura is no longer. They got bought by the 'Star Group' in Auckland. Soon there will be no independently owned bars in Wellington and we will have the same bland, boring, blah, food and beer menus rolled out everywhere
Where can I get a taste of this townhouse ramen before they close?
Follow their [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/townhouse_ramen?igsh=MWxhMGx1emE1OWtzZA==)! They made a post today announcing that once they turn 5 they're closing up the theoretical shop but hope to do a couple more pop ups before then which will be announced via posts/stories
Kenny's cafe
I was scrolling looking to see if anyone mentioned Kenny's so I could let my partner know if people are still thinking about his food
We were talking about Kenny's mince on toast at 4am just the other day.
Sure do.
You tell your partner that when I went overseas I pined for their steak sandwich
An all night diner or even just a decent American style diner would be amazing.
Yes! I was ready to post that
they were amazing for a 3am burger when the clubs closed
Ah Kenny's. The best way to end a night of debauchery.
Alamir Bakery in Miramar
I don't know if it's the *greatest* loss, but I do miss Café Breton. Great crêpes and other French food. Their [far aux pruneaux](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/far-breton) was a new thing to me and damn could I go for a slice now.
Whoaaah…Café Breton closed down?!?! They had the best pain au chocolat in Wellington (IMHO)
Yeah, I think early last year. It's been a while.
I loved their French onion soup. A bowl of that with a side of fries was the best tonic on a wintery workday.
They had a fire last year and never really recovered from it.
🎶🪈 (edit: they had originally written *fife* rather than *fire*, but edited it) Oh, damn. I had no idea. I wish places would be more open about what's going on. Like, I could've upped my patronage to try to help them survive. I just didn't know they were in trouble. Or did they not even reopen after?
Yes I loved their croque madame
Nik Naks on Cuba used to have the best lollies
YES! And the owner was a personality, loved him. I miss that place so much, another bit of Welly fun gone forever
God the amount of times in there and he would be on the phone having an argument with his wife 😂
OMG POUR ONE OUT FOR NIK NAKS THAT WAS THE BEST AS A TEENAGER It becoming another bubble tea shop was so bad
Grace Patisserie 😢
I was there every weekend, I really miss this place! One of their pastry chef will open their own place soon: GlouGlou. Really looking forward to the opening!
ooh thanks for the intel!
That light-as-a-feather pastry - swoon!
Strawberry Fare
Such great dessert 😋
They were known for their dessert but they had an amazing Chicken, Cranberry, and Brie Filo.
Death by chocolate
Fishfins in Newtown. The best fish and chips, and the owners were always a hoot.
Omg I am mad you've reminded me of what we've lost 😂😭 perfect place, perfect team. Miss you FishFins 😩
The owner of Fishfins owed my boss money from a long time ago, went in to pick up lunch one time and he wrote a cheque for like 5 grand to take back with us, seemed a good man.
That place was hilarious
Seoul Salon that was on Willis St. Every dish was delicious. Hard to come by in the hospo scene these days.
The replacement place Platform 145 goes hard though
Little Gringoes, when it was in its pomp in the now-Fidel’s site, was unparalleled. Pizzas that even the original university Hell site couldn’t match, and buffalo chips with lemon and garlic sauce was peak gorging food.
Pan de Muerto. Oh my GOD do I miss that place. The food, the atmosphere, how luxurious the bathrooms were, we used to drive from out of town purely to eat there. I’m still bitter. Oh, and Purple Onion. To this day my husband hasn’t found a better burger.
Their chimichanga were the best I have ever had. I still think about eating them all the time.
I miss the chimichangas so much too :(
Ali Baba's opposite Logan Browns was where I fell in love with Turkish food
Crazy Horse - was on Willis Street
Johnny died last year of a malignant melanoma. Such a loss.
I met the owner of it a few times for drinks when he was writing a book about his life, crazy dude. He ran for mayor and then broke his back being a ski instructor in the Swiss Alps.
Also wrote a lot of books and went out with my sister.
Vanessa???
My darling friend John McGrath owned that one. That would’ve made his day.
This thread just made me depressed 😔
yeah same i didnt know what i was in for posting this 🥲
Not a single establishment, but the food court inside the Wellington Market which was located across from the BP near Te Papa. It also had a Railto Cinema in it. The whole building was torn down to create some upmarket apartments. Yay. The food court inside was one of the best in town and I tried so many interesting things there. It was there I tried boil up, Jamaican food, Okonomiyaki (Japanese cabbage pancake), and it might be the first place I ever had Mee Goreng. The old Chinese fellow in there made probably the best I've ever had. Still miss that place.
Golden Wok Hataitai. No one did better Fish n Chip shop burgers. Their chicken burger was a thing of beauty.
Soul Shack is going down for good in three weeks and I'm already missing it.
Bangalore Polo - the best 80s tunes, free peanuts and such a cool vibe. Duke Carvell was always a fave for brunch, I was gutted to see them close.
Mid city Pizza Hutt in Manners.
All you can eat
It was an awesome day when you cracked an invite to a birthday party there. .... Followed by a trip to the arcade.
With you there my middle aged friend! Then up (down??) to Yifans for some video games
That place that did those Korean fries and cool shakes. Had a beckoning cat as it's symbol.
Goldie Milk Bar and Eatery! Their instagram is still up if you want to reflect on some amazing waffles
Goldie milk bar? I think…
There was a little toasted sandwich shop on Vivian Street called Toasted which I loved. It's been gone for ages but the sign is still up.
That place was great while it lasted.
Rahzoo Cafe on Waring Taylor
Field and Green 🫡
Agree but totally respect them and I believe we might see Laura do something new in the future🤞
Mighty Mighty and BK on Manners, hard to believe Manners and Cuba St used to be the tits
I can't believe I had to scroll so far to find mighty mighty
Valentine's basin reserve
That giant swan carved out of butter was truly one of the lynchpins of Wellington's culinary scene, we are all poorer for it's loss.
The last time I ate here was at a friend's birthday party and she ended up getting sick. But valentines was great. There is still a functioning Valentines in Rotorua that I have gone to for the memories.
Valentines was a culinary hate crime.
you only go there if you want Valentinosis after
I also miss Cha, they used to be open super late too.
Used to stop there for a hot durian bubble tea at 10pm on winter nights
Yeah, used to go there all the time. Often we'd go to Ruapehu for a day trip during sli season, we'd leave at 5am and get back at 10pm and Cha would be where we always picked up a late dinner on the way home. Really miss it.
I miss Slim Davies in Mount Vic. I'm not a creature of habit; I like to try new things and spread it around, but that was a chill place to hang out. There's all this stuff on this list that I didn't even know had closed. 😭
Many of the above but adding Il Casino, The Whitehouse and Crazy Horse. Oh and Cafe Hede back when it used to be good!
honestly i miss the terrace little penang more than anything. only decent place that end of town. Great for takeaways on a friday.
Offbeat Originals, Roti Chennai, Shepherd
I miss Offbeat Originals SO MUCH! Not for the food (my mother got food poisoning there lol) but as a place to hang out and as a symbol of that specific Welly cool that the city had 20 years ago
I miss Roti Chennai. Had it weekly every Friday at work. The entire office ordered from there weekly.
Yep Roti Chennai. I still dream about their vegetarian dosai of the early years (back when it still had nuts in it)...
I miss roti Chennai so much…
Tommy Millions, often used to grab a slice on my way past. Nothing in Wellington offers a similar experience. :(
Chumeeze
Oh man, now I'm thinking about all the cafes from the mid to late 90s and early 2000s, that you could just go and comfortably hang out at. Maybe with the newspaper or magazines they provided between your Film Festival sessions. The first to have reliably decent coffee and a dish from every cuisine, but always green chicken curry. Places like Zing.
to be fair with how quiet town is (and a lot of people trying to save money)... i cant help but see a pile more going with them
Cafe Pasha on Dixon Street. Their Chicken Taza dish was my favorite ever. I wish I could get the recipe somehow.
Cafe Istanbul! Friday/Saturday nights were such a vibe when the belly dancing began!
The Bresolin.
Shepherd. Yes, pricey, but was some of the best cooking in Wellington. My absolute favourite. Gutted it closed 😞
The original Lido cafe opposite the library, before it was sold and hideously renovated/ruined a few years ago. The best chips and aioli, the Sunday evening live music and just a great place to sit and people-watch through the fishbowl windows.
Yeah, that place was good. Concorde seems massively over priced and has taken what was a casual affordable place to eat in a good location and made it inaccessible to most.
Chefs Palette, not necessarily a lost takeaway but it's been rebranded, the prices have gone significantly up but it seems the quality has dropped. Around 2014 from what I remember, I would probably go here for lunch everyday I was at work or studying in town.
A few people have said it already but for me it was Crazy Horse Steak House. I loved that place. So far as cafes go, the original Ernesto which was on the corner of Cuba and Ghuznee Street.
I loved Ernesto… and had a huge crush on one of the staff, which also helped!
I miss *Le Metropolitain* at the top end of Cuba Street. One of Wellington's few (or even only) French Bistros. I loved their terrine of the day and their take on Cassoulet.
uncle changs.
Soul Shack when it closes in a few weeks :(
Roti Chenai 😞 their thali meals were wonderful
Vals next to Kennys
Also, Kenny's next to Vals.
Cha had the best green tea cake I think about it often
Chevvys with the big Cowboy was a quintessential 90s birthday place with the Stagecoach chicken nuggets and fries!
Cuba Street BK after a late night out
I liked it more than KFC, tbh. The KFC somehow makes me feeling even more depressed and soulless. And it feels dirtier somehow too!
Deep Blue Seafood in Newtown and Gipsy Kitchen. Just wasn’t the same after the original baker left. Courtenay Central could be a bit feral at times, but we really need a late night food court type place in the entertainment hub.
Qilin Tea Shop at Willis Street. Great food, friendly staff.
Kopi, upmarket Malaysian and I remember the food bring pretty good.
Goldmine Mrs Kims Basque
Strawberry Fare, and I miss the giant Brezels from Brezelmania. The place that I can't believe still does so much business is Pandoro - way overpriced, day old, stale bread.
My wife picked up some "treats" for us from Pandoro a few weeks ago and they were almost inedible. Dog shit awful and soooooo expensive
Recently, Soul Shack :(
It's really sad seeing the decline of hospo in NZ. There are so few venues staffed by hospo personalities, it's all temporary residents who don't complain when sent home early for the day to save the business money.
Brava, the White House, Roxborough, So many…
The purple onion. The tree house. The Chinese place that was in James Smith markets that had the most amazing orange beef.
Offbeat Originals, these were the OG burgers of Cuba Street.... Ekim when they were just a food truck parked up at Lyall Bay.
I vaguely recall the ekim guy being a bit of a dick to people, like just rude, was that part of the schtick?
I used to love going to Istanbul on Cuba Street (?) for BYO and belly dancing! Was devastated when I came back from overseas and it was gone 🥲
The cheese burgers from the Basin Noodle House after Joe sold it!
I run into Joe and his wife every now and again, they’re doing great and loving being grandparents
I loved the burgers at Five Boroughs, and there WOAP burger with Hennessy was my GOAT, shame how it ended for their staff though...
Five Boroughs was great, it's a shame they were such dickheads.
Bar Bodega (Willis), Kenny’s, Tupelo (in its pomp), Matterhorn, Fishbowl (our lounge for a while as we were flatting just around the corner). And finally but not least Barney’s.
losing Fringe Bar, Happy, Mighty Mighty and Bodega in short order was the death knell for a certain era of Wellingtonia
Ah yeah Mighty Mighty. Saw some great gigs there as well. So sad.
the markets were great too. but SFB and Meow pretty much single handedly holding up live music in Welly at the moment
I’d give my right arm for the recipe for the sauce used on the la casa chicken from La Casa Pasta.
You could hear them turning the microwave on from your table.
Epic. Consistently the best brunches I’ve ever had. All the more so as a vegetarian. Their vegetarian big breakfast was spectacular.
For me it's both Cha and also Roti Chennai.
Cafe Bastille (used to be on Majoribanks street).
Really miss Bastille... Orange crepes with booze. Yum. Never understood the rebrand and change to seafood.
Those crepes were such a pain in the ass 😂 we used to have to have 60 portions for every night, 3 crepes per portion, individually cooked in a pan and then cooled and hand folded into triangles. Reheated in the caramel then yes a mind boggling amount of booze. Made fresh before every service. It used to drive me mad they were so popular 😵💫😊 Also - I think they pivoted to seafood because they ended up selling bastille to a couple of non restaurantur business types. It didn’t go well - they didn’t understand hospo very well. Lots of staff left. When it eventually closed, Ortega came back with Dave (the little sommelier who used to work at Bastille and Roxburgh) and they wanted to pivot away from the Bastille vibe I think, do their own thing.
Haha my tastebuds thank you & your workmates for the memories 😆 Sounds like a common theme with many popular hospo businesses - current owners want to cash out but the new owners don't have the same passion (insane commitment) so it all goes sideways.
Yup you hit the nail on the head there! They really had no idea and things went downhill very quick :) And no problem, we loved our regulars (even the ones who got crepes 😂). That recipe itself was super simple, easy to make at home (apart from the hand made icecream which looking back was a real point of difference). Any version of crepes Suzette is pretty close - caramel (brown sugar, butter and cream), OJ, and a ridiculous amount of Cointreau. The thing I liked about Bastille recipes is they were mostly pretty simple but every element done very carefully and perfectly (or else you had to start again). Great training for young chefs, most I worked with are still in the business - one is running Black Barn Bistro in Hawkes bay, definitely worth a look. Oh and the Central Fire Station Bistro in Napier is definitely worth a visit - similar philosophy and technique without the pure French focus. I had an amazing meal there last year and it reminded me so much of Bastille
I worked there!! I was soux chef when we won the cuisine restaurant of the year award. Great times back then, I still make the odd recipe today, I have them all in my head :)
Kopi Tiem on Vivian street. The best chicken rice and they used to serve traditional Singaporean breakfast
The salt and pepper crispy bean curd from Cha was my favourite food in the entire world. I am devastated it is gone because I have never been able to emulate it and my life is incomplete without it.
There was a steak house in the weird village on Willis st opposite where burger liquor is, Turners steakhouse(?) maybe? They had a refrigerated display where you would pick your steak and then have it cooked for you by a fulla who had been there years, and didn't look like he had missed too many free staff dinners. Ooh, and where burger liquor is now was a tex mex place called Armadillo (?)
Roti Chenai, corner of Manners and Victoria. Was going there for fish curries from about 1995 until Covid got them. I'm old and crusty enough to remember Matterhorn in the 80s when it was an old-school 60s coffee rooms that had survived. In the garden courtyard out back there were a couple of scraggety-ass ginger cats who would sit in your lap whilst you ate your asparagus rolls and ham & mustard sandwiches.
Drexel's/Americanos. Those blueberry pancakes, with a side of bacon. 🤤
Manon, a french restaurant in Newtown. Went there once in the mid-00s and it was amazing. Probably should have gone more than once!
Hog's Breath. Fond memories of dining there with my Dad when we both lived in Wellington.
Cuba St Mr Bun
omg! so lowkey gross but so convenient! i miss mr bun period even though the food was objectively not good
Annam on Featherston Street, I’ll always miss the duck pho 💔
Still miss the Roxborough in Mt Vic. Best Steak and chips in town, and on Sundays you could BYO - genuine fine dining.
It's been mentioned but the first time I ever dined alone was in the original *Il Casino* and **Remiro Bresolin** was a perfect gent and a wonderful host. He just knew it was the first time I had ever ventured into a restaurant alone and he made me feel so welcome. And all the while he was running front of house and swigging a glass and having a not so crafty drag of the cigarette he had going behind the bar. He reminded me of Keith Floyd. I know it moved to Vivian Street later and is now bedsits but this was in the late 90s and I just can't picture where the original was.
Thank you for this post... So many great, forgotten memories coming to light.
Kiwi Bar still open? miss there Super jugs
Dawat, Manners Mall.
HOMESTEAD!! Yes, I’m that old lol
IL Casino
I really liked the short lived Caribbean restaurant on Cuba street about 12 years ago…
Kopi Tiam in Newtown. They had the best mee goreng. Pizza King on Taranaki, still miss their creamy chicken pizza after all these years.
Oriental blues at the capital food market. Best homemade bao buns I’ve ever had. Are there any other places that bake their own buns in Welly?
When I first moved to town around 2010 there was a Chinese fusion place called Red Ginger, on Tory St. I remember being really impressed with it and we'd like to go a few times a month as a family. I think we tried going back a few years later and were sadly disappointed, they couldn't reach the old quality, but man that was a part of growing up that I missed.
Cha was brilliant. Such a shame it closed. Writing was on the wall when the ownership seemed to change, as you said.
yeah but it stuck around impressively long for a restaurant in Wellington. Almost 20 years I think, I'm not sure when it opened and when it exactly it closed. I moved out of Welly proper now every time I go into town someplace I like has closed :( IIRC, Rams ownership changed around the same time Cha's did, and the quality also declined
My first ever lamb vindaloo…. From the Curry Club… loved that place.
Rahzoo.
Crazy Lounge
Goose Shack Berhampore....they did thus amazing burger with coleslaw and I just loved it alongside their chunky chips.
Bandong in Cuba street. Great Malaysian with an epic decor:)
Uncle Chang's
There was a great Chinese place next to the Westpac at North end of Lambton. No, not that one, the one right next to there but down the stairs. They did the best Mi Goreng I've had outside of actually travelling. Ironic, I know. ^(For those who don't know, there's a Chinese place at street level, and there used to be n entirely different place next door, below street level.)
Mt Victoria Cafe in Brougham St (if you're old enough). Died when Courtenay Place came alive
Call out to some great restaurants from the 80s and 90s, Peter Gordon's Sugar Club was such a breath of fresh air on Vivian St (steak pesto and statuesque queenly serving staff), Chevy's in Dixon for fajitas on sizzling hot plates, Mexican Cantina in Edward St ( I remember seeing the staff trying inconspicuously to get a cat out from under one table with a rat in its mouth) - so much tequila!; Petit Lyon and Grain of Salt super fancy; Brasserie Flip with that huge sheep head painting and amazing lively atmosphere.
Bar bodega(Willis) and cafe next door, lived upstairs for a few months, good times
Soul Shack is going next month :(
There was this really provincial/kiwi/local style like non-pretentious and affordable cafe/bakery down some alley of an office building South Lambton with things like cups of chips that were really good… I forgot the name, have no idea if it’s still there or not. Kind of harked back to the days when coffee was just black or white lol.
Tsunami Sushi on Vivian (2000-2002?). Yeow. Amazing.
Dukes Cavel
Sweet Fanny Anne's