Ten of the Best Suburban Restaurants in Wellington

Sure, the food choice on your office block is tantalising enough, but Wellington has so much more to offer than just CBD cuisine. The days of settling for boring food out in the suburbs are long gone. Suburbia is in, so spread the word.

BROOKLYN DELI, BROOKLYN

If the food at Brooklyn Deli is anything to go by, it's high time for Austrian cuisine to have its time in the limelight. Provided you can pronounce the name of the Kaiserschmarrn dish when it comes time to ordering, you'll be duly rewarded with a plate of sweet pancake puffs and a side of plum compote — one of their best. On Saturdays they open late for cocktails and pizza, and you can also pick up fresh bread and traditional deli fare for takeaway any day of the week.

199 Ohiro Road, Brooklyn.

Kate Macpherson.

AUTOMAT, KHANDALLAH

Right off the main road of Khandallah you'll find Automat, a converted garage yard that's ditched the petrol refills and settled on serving gourmet burgers instead. Think a retro American diner fit-out, craft beer, sliders and sharing plates. If you're keen for dessert then you know the drill: fruit pies and sundaes are the stars of the show. You can also pick up a takeaway if you don't have time to stick around.

7 Burma Road, Khandallah.

MARANUI SURF LIFESAVING CAFE, LYALL BAY

Panoramic views of Lyall Bay coupled with an enticing menu and a buzzing atmosphere make for the perfect end to a beach walk. Maranui serves up Euro-Kiwi dishes with a side of Mexican influence — hot cakes, fresh salads, kai moana, and drool-worthy enchiladas make notable appearances. And if it's good enough for royalty then it's probably worth checking out. There's a decent wait on sunny days, so it's best to aim for a visit outside of peak weekend hours.

7A Lyall Parade, Lyall Bay.

THE RAMEN SHOP, NEWTOWN

Whichever international food you're craving, you're sure to find it somewhere in Newtown. For the best Japanese cuisine head to The Ramen Shop. Aside from house-made ramen you can also find a range of steamed buns, seasonal sweets, sake and Japanese beer. The sun-drenched interior, decked out in wooden panels and chic furnishings, will keep you in your seat long after you've finished slurping.

191 Riddiford Street, Newtown.

SUGAR FLOUR, KILBIRNIE

Forget having to venture to Paris for your pastry fix: try central Kirbirnie. Run by a prodigal pastry chef who established the cafe when she was 22, Sugar Flour offers up exquisite desserts and a luxurious dining experience for an accessible price tag. Bring a friend and share a plate of pastries; maybe you'll go for the mango, buffalo curd and sumac puffs, or the lemon elderflower meringue, or even the stracchino and onion weed tart. Whichever you choose, make sure to pair it with a cup of filter coffee or loose leaf tea.

29 Coutts Street, Kilbirnie.

DELHI-7, NORTHLAND

Northland is a suburb best known for its plethora of takeaway pizza shops, but forget pizza, because from now on Delhi-7's dal makhani is the only takeaway you'll want on a lazy Friday night. They have a menu that can cater to most of your special dietary fancies, and $15 will buy you their curry, naan and rice deal any time that it's your turn to cook.

66 Northland Road, Northland.

THE BOTANIST, LYALL BAY

The Botanist is the favourite haunt of every plant-based food lover in Wellington. The whole menu is vegetarian or vegan but it holds its own even amongst the meat eaters. The Botanist is legendary for its breakfast options, which are best complemented by a cup of their coconut milk coffee. The interior is decked out in lush plants, from the walls to the ceilings, which is the icing on the vegan cake.

219 Onepu Road, Lyall Bay.

HILLSIDE KITCHEN & CELLAR, THORNDON

Hillside Kitchen & Cellar is technically located in the city, but the pint-sized Thorndon favourite is known for some of the most exciting dishes in Wellington. Earlier this head chef Asher Boote made the gutsy decision to cut meat from the restaurant's menu and go entirely plant-based. As well as minimising the restaurant's global footprint, the decision welcomes delicious new additions like asparagus with freekeh, and charred broccoli with polenta, soft egg and grated hazelnuts.

241 Tinakori Road, Thorndon.

OIKOS HELLENIC CUISINE, MIRAMAR

Chef Theo Papouis brought Oikis (pronounced 'eekos') to Miramar last year introducing a fresh approach to rustic Greek food. While on paper some of the ingredients may be unfamiliar, the menu comes with a glossary to make things easier. Oikos makes food to share with a menu of mezze-style plates to pick and mix from, or if you're not in the mood for choosing there's a set shared menu. The dishes are delivered to the table as they're ready to create an abundant feast.

382 Broadway, Miramar.

Lesley Wild.

LA BELLA ITALIA, PETONE

La Bella is well worth the journey to Petone. This pizzeria is famed particularly for its authentically delicious dishes and unrivalled market place for imported Italian goods. Particularly of fame is the Bravo Gubello — marinated king salmon, mascarpone and baby spinach — deservedly awarded as one of the top ten pizzas in the world. However, if salmon is not the way you swim, there are plenty of options with the high quality imported ingredients. If you want to find out more, they share some of their culinary secrets in monthly cooking classes. Simply, they live up to their name and show us the beauty of Italian cuisine.

10 Nevis Street, Petone.