Wellington may be in the economic doldrums, with some prominent recent closures in the hospitality sector (some lamented, such as La Metropolitain; others less so, such as The Big Kumara), but plenty of new places are opening too. Yesterday I slobbered all over Big Bad Wolf, but here’s a quick summary of some other openings. […]
The time that carnivorous Wellingtonians have been droolfully anticipating has arrived: Big Bad Wolf has opened in Wakefield St. This is a charcuterie with a local twist, as their products incorporate wild game animals along with the more familiarpork, lamb and beef. Beasts that have given their lives for a higher purpose are visible in […]
Given the passion of certain Wellingtonistas for all things coffee, and the obsession of others for cocktails, it was never going to be hard to tempt us to the launch of a new artisan coffee liqueur. Add a label featuring an anthropomorphised fox inspired by the Wildean dandy Lord Henry Wotton, and throw the party […]
I had a busy year, which shows in my poor posting record recently. Despite the manifold reasons to be cheerless, there were also plenty of good things happening in Wellington: on the waterfront, up Cuba St and all over town.
It used to be that if you wanted a good selection of independent and craft beers, your options were limited: Malthouse, perhaps Bar Bodega back in the day, or a bus out to Newtown for Bar Edward. But since the arrival of Hashigo Zake, it seems that boutique beer is in, and there’s a sudden […]
If you sometimes wonder what the hell Alf Rune is going on about (and to be honest, we all do at times), a link or two might help. When he recently posted about conspiracy theories regarding the “all-seeing eyes throughout Civic Square”, we had to ask him where the hell he heard about that. The […]
There are a few shops around town that cater to pop-culture junkies and seekers of retro memorabilia, but newcomer Vanishing Point (40 Abel Smith St) adds a personal twist. As quiffed and string-tied rockabillies wandered about the tiny shop on opening day, the owners had to point out that what looked like a café or […]
Wellington electronic music fans will have fond memories of the While_you_were_Sleeping nights. They’ve been hibernating for a couple of years, but will emerge blinking into the light on Sunday November the 14th at Betty’s. Expect a broad spectrum of sound, with an emphasis on ambient and experimental textures, but with touches of hip-hop, post-rock and […]
If you’re yet to venture down into the catacombs of Mygalaxi gallery at 39 Dixon St, this weekend might be a good opportunity. To go with their scary (but not too scary, unless you have an aversion to steampunk, tikis, creepy-cute jewellery and retro robots) Monsters exhibition, they’re running a Halloween Market on Saturday and […]
The recession may be grinding on, but it seems there are plenty of hospitality operators willing to take a bet on a new venture. In recent weeks, we’ve heard of the following (re-)openings and upcoming rumours:
The first three have already opened, with mixed results. Capri has had at least one very good review; Wasabi is part of the respected Kazu empire; and Keenan’s … not so much. If any of you have experiences to share about those, or juicy gossip to share about the others, let us know!