Wellington Vegan Guide
Our Vegan Guide to Wellington is your next ultimate list of the most delicious vegan food and drinks in Wellington City. This includes completely vegan restaurants as well as ones that simply offer a couple of great veggie options. For those with limited time in the city, we have included our top three favourites (in no particular order) for each category, that we reckon you really shouldn’t miss. This is definitely the only guide to the Wellington Vegan scene you’ll need.
Is Wellington Vegan Friendly?
You’d hope that as Aotearoa’s capital, the city would cater to all sorts of dietary types and allergens, including veganism. As people from all over the world visit and relocate to the country’s political hub, restaurants and cafes benefit from providing vegan and veggie kai. We’ve found that it’s easy being vegan in the capital, as more and more restaurants are advertising vegan options, and cafes are supplying a selection of egg-free and dairy-free treats!
In Wellington City, there are quite a few entirely vegan businesses. And restaurants like these make our lives so much easier (and more exciting!). However, it’s probably still best to quickly lookup a menu beforehand to double check a place has more than just a form of potato as their vegetarian or vegan option (especially if they’re an older or more traditional eatery). I mean, we love potatoes, but there are only so many times a day you can eat fries and your stomach stays happy!
Wellingtons Best Bars
This student-filled city is well known for its nightlife. Whether it be sweaty clubs, quirky wee cocktail bars, or historical pubs, Wellington’s got a solid selection. We’ve found some neat spots which not only serve delicious vegan beverages but also offer perfect vegan eats to go with whatever you’re drinking.
The Library
If you’re a student in Wellington and you tell your mates you’re going to The Library, they won’t think you’re going to study. They’ll know you’re either on your way to make the most of the 2-for-1 cocktails deal on Wednesday, or the 2-for-1 desserts on a Tuesday! The Library is a quirky cocktail bar with dim lighting, comfy couches and a totally moreish selection of drinks and desserts. Their menu changes pretty regularly, and always includes a couple of vegan desserts and cocktails. It’s always a good sign when the drinks are as good as the vibes!
Located on Courtenay Place, Te Aro, Wellington
Rogue and Vagabond
We’ll set the scene. The sun is shining, the skies are blue, the breeze is gentle, and you’re sitting on a beanbag so comfortable you don’t want to move. A basket of loaded fries drenched in dairy-free cheese, jalapenos and spicy beans sitting on the table in front of you, and a pint of chilled hops in your hand. You’re relaxed out on the front garden of Rogue and Vagabond along with several other groups of people scattered around the lawn. Live music hums from inside and you’re thinking to yourself “It’s true, you really can’t beat Welly on a good day”.
Located on Garrett Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Champagneria
Looking for the next expedition with the gal pals? Champagneria is your next bottomless brunch spot! With mimosas, champagne, platters of all kinds, and a rooftop, this tapas bar serves all the plant-based goodies. A completely plant-based menu, Champs is open from midday on the weekends and later in the afternoon on the weekdays. So whether you’re in the mood for lunchtime bubbles or evening cocktails, pop in and let us know what you think! Vegan wines, beers, cheese and dessert platters, if you’re hungry, if you’re thirsty, and if you find yourself on Courtenay Place, this is where you need to be.
Located on Courtenay Place, Te Aro, Wellington
Vegan Cafes Wellington
Wellington is Aotearoa’s coffee hub, with hundreds of cafes in the city. There are actually more coffee joints per capita than in some of the biggest cities worldwide! It’s safe to say that Wellingtonians take their caffeine fix very seriously (be safe out there folks). However, if you’re in the mood for a little snack of some sort to accompany your beverage, here are our favourite spots for our Wellington vegan pals. Check out this post for the full list of Cafes spots in Wellington.
Belén Vegan Bakery
If you’re vegan and live in Aotearoa, we guarantee you’ve been to (or wish you’d been to) Belén Bakery. This is one of the most popular bakeries in the CBD whether or not you’re plant-based. It’s so popular that you’ll have to get in early in the day to avoid coming face-to-face with an empty cabinet!
We don’t know how to express the absolute drool-worthiness of their regularly changing, experimental menu, but we promise that Belén is a vegan haven. Filled cronuts and cruffins, stuffed croissants and danishes, mac and cheese pies, thick, saucy sandwiches and all sorts of sweet and savoury bread. This fully vegan bakery is changing the Wellington vegan food scene one croissant at a time.
Located on Lambton Quay, Wellington Central
Freds Sandwiches
Sandwiches are one of our favourite foods. Genuinely, who doesn’t love a good sandwich (If you are reading this and don’t love a good sandwich then…who hurt you?). Freds Sandos serves locally baked bread filled with fresh veggies and relishes. Their vegan options include a toasted sourdough sandwich with truffle mushrooms and onion jam, as well as a fresh focaccia sando with romesco sauce, watercress and pickled red onion. How good! Pop in for your lunch break or for some quick kai on the go when wandering Cuba St.
Located on Cuba St, Te Aro, Wellington
Aurora Argentinian Bakery
Missing that gorgeously crisp, melt-in-your-mouth pastry since making the switch to plant-based? It can be incredibly difficult to find a bakery that makes a buttery and authentic pastry without eggs or dairy! However, Aurora Argentinian Bakery has certainly impressed us. These talented chefs offer a range of traditional Argentinian pastries known as medialunas. The selection of vegan pastries includes either a vanilla custard or chocolate-filled medialuna, as well as fruit pastries similar to a Danish. Check out Aurora for your next sweet treat!
Located on Manners St, Te Aro, Wellington City
Wellington Restaurants With Vegan Options
Going out to eat for dinner is one of our favourite activities, hence the food blog! However, being vegan makes it a little harder to find places to eat that offer reliably delicious food. We aren’t usually given menus filled with veggie or plant-based options! Luckily for us, Wellington is a thriving hospitality hub and caters to most dietary requirements. As veganism is becoming more popular both politically and as a lifestyle, most restaurants offer epic vegan kai! Here are a few of the ones we can rely on. For a full list of great restaurant options in Wellington check out this post!
Nolita
Pizza, Pasta, and Plant-based deliciousness! Three things this restaurant serves that can make your day go from zero to one hundred with one bite. Nolita is the ‘Ol reliable for Wellington vegans. Doubling as a plant-based pizzeria and brunch restaurant and cafe. Pop in for a quick breakfast and coffee, a cheesy pizza and chilled beer, or fresh wellness bowls and spritz in the sun! They offer a range of foods for whatever occasion and make their own plant-based cheeses. Everything on the menu is vegan and wonderful on both the plate and in your stomach.
Restaurant Located on upper Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Damascus
We’re simple girls and are easily satisfied with a warm pita (or two… or three….) and some fresh hummus. We were indeed lucky to discover that the Syrian restaurant Damascus provides that and more! Just like their slogan, the flavours are genuine and full of spices and goodness – an instant comfort to the heart and the belly. Also with plenty of vegan mezzah dishes including lentils, smoked beetroot, fried cauliflower and seasoned potatoes, Damascus serves nutritious and filling food for the heart that will leave you pleasantly full and ready for a nap!
Restaurant Located on Tory Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Chow
Chow is a popular restaurant in town for lunch, dinner, or drinks! With plenty of food and drink deals to make things affordable, their portions are decent and the dishes are incredible!
If you like a bit of Asian fusion, there are so many vegan options that you’ll have to keep coming back to try them all. Things like dairy-free cream cheese mushroom wontons (heaven) or even hot veggie dumplings and bao buns! Or, if you prefer a coconut jungle curry with jasmine rice and roti you have so many options! Chow is also known in the vegan community for their regular “Vegan Takeover” where they only serve vegan kai for an entire day! Eat in or order it straight to your door.
Restaurant Located on Tory Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Indian Restaurants Wellington
Indian food is one of the more reliable cuisines when it comes to eating vegan. It’s often a meal you’ll cook at home for yourself, or family and friends. It’s the go-to when ordering dinner delivered to your home for a night in. With many of the Indian States having a large vegetarian population, some dishes are already naturally vegan. If not, it’s easy to substitute ghee and butter! We love Indian cuisine, and can’t wait to share with you our favourite Indian Restaurants in Wellington. If you are looking for more Indian options check out this post!
Jugnu’s Little India
This restaurant is one of the safer options if you’re plant-based and need your curry fix. Their vegan menu is extensive, and because they have restaurants scattered around the country, you can trust they know what they’re doing! Little India is an easy option if you’re after a classic potato dish such as Aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower), Aloo Baingan (potato and eggplant) or even an Aloo saag (potato and spinach). A common vegan dream is when an Indian restaurant has an epic selection of vegan naans and roti, just like Little India has – if you like your parantha buttered, garlic-y, or stuffed with aloo and onion, this is the place!
Restaurants located across 5 venues: Blair St, Cuba St, and wider Wellington locations in Lower Hutt, Paraparaumu and Porirua
Indian Alley
Are you craving that mild Kiwi classic, but you don’t eat butter or chicken? Or are you different, do you like a bit of spice? A bit of flavour? Indian Alley manages to cook up creamy curries without using animal products by substituting the meat for juicy soya chunks. Their soya madras is one of our favourite main dishes, with a rich, creamy orange sauce and delicious soya which soaks up all the flavour! This curry is great to order after the vegan entree platter which is stacked with crispy pakora, onion baji, samosa and green aloo tikki. We used to go here so regularly that we knew what we were ordering before we even sat down!
Restaurant located on Wakefield St, Te Aro, Wellington
Chaat Street
Street food in any country is such an important part of the culture, but we especially love Indian street food. So it’s lucky for us that Chaat Street offers exactly that! With dishes like bhel puri, chaat and gol gappe, the hollow, crispy spheres you fill with spiced water and chickpeas before popping them in your mouth! While you wouldn’t usually go to an Indian restaurant and order hot chips, the fries that Chaat Street serves are some of the best in the city. Dusted with a kala masala for flavour, and double cooked for the crunch, these fries are served with a vegan mayo on request. You can’t go back to regular fries after these!
Restaurant located on Willis St, Te Aro, Wellington
Vegan Desserts in Wellington
Sometimes you need something a little sweet to finish off the night with. Unfortunately, a lot of the time the only dairy-free or plant-based dessert offered at restaurants is some type of fruit sorbet! While we have nothing against sorbet, sometimes we’d like a dessert with a little more oomph. Alas, we’ve hunted and searched, been disappointed and pleasantly surprised. You won’t be let down with these ones! For more great options check out our full dessert post!
The Botanist
There are three main reasons as to why we love The Botanist. It has an entirely plant-based dinner and dessert menu, the restaurant is a mere 10 steps from the beach, and they make some mean vegan kai. Even better, their kai includes rich and creamy dessert options, which you wouldn’t usually be given in an Omni restaurant! With treats like a jaffa pot which comes in a cup, layered with cookie crumble, a dark chocolate orange ganache, and orange-flavoured ice cream, you’ll be rolling out of there. The Botanists’ other vegan desserts include cheesecake (flavour changing monthly), velvety tiramisu with Biscoff, and a sweet, fruity crumble.
Located on Onepu Road, Lyall Bay, Wellington
Dockside Restaurant and Bar
Looking for something a little more high-end for your next dessert date? Dockside has some decadent vegan desserts for you to splurge on. They even have a separate plant-based menu which we love to see!
We don’t know about you guys, but we haven’t had a creme brulee since giving up dairy. So, obviously, we were very excited to see the vegan creme brulee from Dockside! Alongside a list of other puddings like their coconut milk panacotta served with ginger and passionfruit sorbet, or the boysenberry cheesecake with a brownie base. This is the ideal space for a bougie dinner or dessert to celebrate a special occasion, or even if you’re simply in the mood for a fancy vegan meal.
Located on Queens Warf, Wellington Central
Zelati – Wellington Vegan
The cutest wee dessert cafe on the block! Zelati serves vegan baked goods and a variety of colourful gelato flavours. In their cabinet, they display freshly baked caramel cinnamon buns, a gorgeous dark chocolate brownie, and a selection of cookies such as chocolate chip, raisin and nut, or if you’re lucky, purple ube sweets! One of the things that makes Zelati special is that the owner embraces their Filipino heritage, creating ube-flavoured (a purple root vegetable originally from the Philippines) gelato and baked goods. There is even the option to pair these delicious vegan goodies with a sorbet or dairy-free gelato, creating a brownie a la mode or an ice cream cookie sandwich!
In the past, they have been participants and winners of the Wellington on a Plate and Burger Wellington events, serving unique and exciting dessert burgers that taste divine.
Located on Left Bank Arcade, Te Aro, Wellington
Vegan Takeaway Options in Wellington
There are three main criteria that a good takeaway spot has to meet: are the portions big, is the food affordable, and is it still hot when you get around to eating it? Whether you want juicy burgers and cheesy fries, or greasy noodles and peanut satay, the vegan food scene in Wellington is only growing! If three options aren’t enough check out our full takeaway post here.
Chans
Whether you’ve finished work and are on your way home, or heading back after a night out on the town, if you’re walking past Chans in Newtown, stop! Walk on in, and order yourself something off the vegan menu. Chans serves authentic Malaysian and Chinese fusion. With hot noodles, rice or soup dishes, there’s a huge variety of vegan meals. Any dish can be made suitable to whatever your spice tolerance! This is one of our favourite takeout spots, and if you visit you’ll understand why!
Located on Riddiford St, Newtown, Wellington.
Aunty Menas
If food can taste like tender love and care, then Aunty Menas’s cooking is 100% pure TLC! As a completely vegetarian and vegan restaurant, there are endless lunch and dinner options. Whether you’re in the mood for creamy curried noodles (our absolute favourite), hot dumpling soup or a soul-fulfilling laksa. If you’d rather have a couple of smaller dishes such as steamed pork buns, satay skewers, or wontons, you are going to leave a happy vegan!
Located on Cuba St, Wellington.
Unlucky – Wellington Vegan
After a night on Courtenay Place your best bet as a vegan used to be an overly sauced falafel kebab (if you’re feeling risky) or the cold wedges left at the bottom of the pan from Night n Day at 3 am. Lucky for us, Unlucky is there to fill our tummies and make our drunken hearts happy. This small takeaway joint on the corner of Courtenay Place and Taranaki Street dishes out hot, drippy, completely vegan fast food. Crispy burgers and gravy fries, or onion rings and potato mash! Unlucky has all you need to end your night with. (Update: Unlucky has sadly closed down)
Located on Courtenay Place, Wellington.
Wellington BYO Restaurants
Suppose you’ve got a birthday or work-do coming up and want to book dinner for a larger group of people as cheaply as possible. Get yourself a table at a BYO restaurant! Rock up with your own personal bottle of wine, and settle in for an epic feed with your pals. There are many of these restaurants in Wellington, and are very popular with the students for obvious reasons! Our full BYO post is here if you need more options.
Beach Babylon
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: beachside restaurants are simply elite. A mean feed after a long swim in the ocean? A cold drink in the sun after sunbathing at the beach across the road? 100 times yes. But Beach Babylon is popular for not only this reason!
The massive selection of vegan kai on the menu, as well as the quality, is what contributes to their popularity in the vegan community. Even better is they offer the option of BYO! Bring your own bottle of wine in and pay a small corkage fee. Enjoy your favourite alcoholic beverage with their cheese and dessert fondu, or a crispy vegan chicken burger. Being vegan in Wellington is easy at Beach Babylon!
Located on Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay, Wellington
Mother of coffee
A highly underrated restaurant in Wellington is Mother of Coffee. Hiding at the end of Left Bank on Cuba Street, this Ethiopian restaurant offers traditional Ethiopian eats for both omnis and vegans. They have a decent vegan spread consisting of chickpea, vegetable and mushroom dishes. However, we always get their vegan banquet for two! This includes a portion of the 5 different vegan dishes (such as sauteed kale and onion curry and a selection of lentil dishes) accompanied by traditional injera bread to scoop up the goodness! If you haven’t experienced the genuine wonder of Ethiopian cuisine, book yourself a table at Mother of Coffee for your next BYO!
Restaurant Located down Left Bank off Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Thai chef – Wellington Vegan
Thai food and a BYO? Yes, please. Thai Chef is a great restaurant whether you want to organise larger gatherings or just go with a couple of mates. If it’s a bigger group, there is the option for a vegan banquet which is ideal alongside a couple of bottles of wine you and your friends might bring along with you. The vegan dishes include wok-tossed veggies, cashew stir-fry, a range of Thai curries (green, red or yellow) with rice, and noodle dishes! There’s plenty to choose from, and each one is full of flavour and spice that will leave your belly satisfied.
Located on Blair Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Sweet Treats – Wellington Vegan
We know what it feels like to be standing in a bakery and not seeing any vegan sweets in the cabinet. We’ve done our fair share of asking the baker if they have anything egg-free and dairy-free to which they shake their head and mutter something about what the world is coming to. But fear no more! Here’s a sweet list of plant-based treats to get your hands on in Wellington.
Dirty Donuts
These vegan donuts are as dirty as they come. Crazy flavours like pumpkin spiced oat milk latte, ice cream sundae, wheatbix with brown sugar custard and even a coffee, stout and oreo flavour?! Dirty donuts serve a 100% vegan selection of messy and deliciously sweet treats that’ll have you licking your fingers afterwards. Order them online or follow their insta to keep in the know about who in Wellington is stocking them each week!
Located at the Sunday harbourside market and check there instagram for cafe stockists
Chunk’d Cookies
These vegan cookies taste like they are made in vegan heaven. Chunk’d gives the vegans of Wellington a gift by baking us cookies that our taste buds probably don’t deserve. With flavours like lotus biscoff (are we drooling?), ferrero rocher and churro, these are home-made treats that are perfect – soft in the middle and crunchy around the edges. They even offer a cookie coffee deal for $7! Yuss!
Located on Manners Street, Wellington Central, Wellington
Vonuts -Wellington Vegan
Vonuts. ‘V’ for ‘vegan’, ‘onuts’ for…well, you know. Order these beautiful treats online or from there permanent store located in Press Hall! With gorgeous flavours like vanilla rose, lemon and poppyseed, and apple cinnamon custard. These are the type of treats your grandmother won’t find hideously sweet, but just perfect for a tea party!
Located at Press Hall 80 Willis Street
Weekend Markets in Wellington
Wellington has loads of great weekend markets to choose from. One of our favourites is the Harbourside market on a Sunday from 7:30 a.m. till 2 p.m. With beautiful harbour views and plenty of fruit and veggie stalls to choose from. The market tends to be cheaper than the nearby supermarkets. There are also heaps of food carts selling coffee and a few have vegan options too. Dirty Donuts are one of our favourite stalls and all their donuts are vegan!
If you do not want to come to the city Newtown Market is a great option. It’s on a Saturday morning from 7:30 a.m. but is smaller and mostly fruit and veggies. For the Greater Wellington region, there are a few options. The Brewtown Farmers Market Upper Hutt on Sunday from 8 a.m. till 2 p.m., the Riverbank Market Lower Hut on Saturday from 6:30 a.m., and the Paraparaumu Beach Saturday Market at 7:30 a.m. No matter which part of Wellington you are in there is most definitely a weekend market near you.
The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover
The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover is one of our favourite food festivals in New Zealand. Restaurants compete to make the best toasty, the main rule is it does have to include McClure’s Pickles. Even though restaurants throughout New Zealand can partake in the Toasty Take Over if you are vegan you definitely want to be in Wellington for the most vegan options. The festival runs from April to May, again this is not a fully vegan event but there are a lot of vegan options make sure to check out their website for more information.
Wellington On a Plate
Wellington on a plate also known as WOAP is New Zealand’s largest food festival. There is a theme every year and restaurants make food with the theme in mind. Dine Wellington happens in May alongside Cocktail Wellington. This section of the festival tends to be mainly events and set menus. The restaurants will also put out special dishes to match the theme as well.
The most popular part of WOAP is Burger Wellington which runs in August where restaurants submit burgers with a Garage Project beer pairing. For a period of two weeks, you can try the limited edition burgers at the participating restaurants. The public votes for their favourites and at the end of the two weeks a winner is announced. Keep in mind this is not a vegan festival but if you visit their website they list all the burgers and you can filter for the vegan options and there are always a lot of options to choose from.
Final Thoughts on the Wellington Vegan Scene
We’ll end by saying that the Vegans of Wellington have it pretty good. From fully vegan cafes and pizzerias to donut stalls. To get to know more about us click here. Make sure to follow us on social media so you don’t miss a post! We love hearing about all the different vegan options around New Zealand so make sure to send us your recommendations for restaurants near you!
