Review Restaurant 88 - Wellington

Loved the food, everything was super fresh and flavorsome. Good value. Attentive & friendly staff. Outstanding care with allergies, I have Celiacs and I had no symptoms. Highly recommended.

We had dinner at this restaurant during our recent visit to Wellington. The restaurant was pleasantly decorated. Nice atmosphere. Service was friendly. The food was tasty. If you are in Wellington and would like a taste of Vietnamese, you should not miss this palce.

A quick lunch that didn’t disappoint. Summer rolls were packed full of flavour, and authentic mango sticky rice. Yum.

Love the taste of Crispy Pork. The set up of the restaurant is very cute and relaxing to eat. Very clean and the staff are very polite and friendly.

Great service, delicious food. The Pho’ is outstanding so it’s the Strawberry Sweet and Sour Pork.

Fresh delicious food recommend to all ..great friendly service, nice atmosphere

Yummy food and cocktails, reasonably priced and cozy vibe.

Great atmosphere, quiet, pricy, special Vietnamese menu - a lot of dishes hard to find elsewhere with decent portion.

Absolutely delightful experience. Food was exceptionally fresh and filling. A nice way to end the meal with their mango sticky rice pudding. Waiters are very friendly and take good care of their customers. Thank you, will definitely be back again

Pleasantly surprised. Food was amazing! Portion was a little on the smaller side, but very delicious. Service was perfect

Went there for a family lunch with pho, grilled beef wrap and pad viet. The first two were great. Pad viet was a little too sweet for us.

Nice vietnamese restaurant. Quite cosy and intimate. So not loud, easy fir dinner conversation. Very attentive staff and quick service from table order to delivery and eating. Very tasty meals. The creme brulee desert was particularly nice. Would go back again.

Fantastic authentic Vietnamese food and great prices

Good experience, with good food.

Ate here for dinner on a Sunday night. Food was full of flavour, decent sizes and great vege options. We each had one of the deserts and they were all fantastic. Staff were attentive and friendly. I would go back. They were out of couple of wines from the menu, which was the only disappointment.

Dinner for 6 on Friday night, although we ran late they were very gracious and super hospitable. The food was delicious from entrees and mains, lovely wine and even a cocktail to give it a go - all were fantastic and we’ll definitely be back!

Went here for lunch today. Staff was very friendly with good service. Ordered crispy spring roll, curry rice noodles and pork salad noodles, we were satisfied with the taste. Although some previous reviews showed the quality of food dropped compared with before, we could feel and taste the restaurant has worked on improving the food based on the previous customers’ reviews. I can see and taste lemongrass on my curry rice noodles :-) Only one thing to suggest is the spring roll, it’s advertised as 6 on the menu but it’s actually 3 rolls cut in half. Maybe description can be more precise on the menu to match customer’s expectation. We like the place and wish the restaurant to keep improving, will definitely come back again.

Food was good, but nothing too special. The real let-down was the service. They were clearly understaffed so everything was very slow - at least 45 minutes until we got our drinks and well over an hour before we got our food. Could’ve been a lovely experience but ended up a bit of a disappointment.

We were disappointed wth our meal at Restaurant 88. My husband's tofu was very overcooked and dry. My chicken was mediocre: basically chicken and coleslaw. Not really good enough for the price.

Best meal we have had in ages. <br/>Our groups of friends meets every 6 weeks at different restaurants for dinner. This has been the best meal we have had in a long time. <br/>The entrees were great, especially the mini pancakes. The mains were all lovely, I recommend the shaking beef. The desserts were equally as nice and I highly recommend the Creme brûlée with sesame ice cream. Delicious and a great mix of tastes. <br/>Very highly recommended, and it’s in the Entertainment Book!<br/>The only downside is the slow meal appearances but it was definitely worth the wait. Our water glasses were filled often and the wine, although expensive, was very nice.

Amazing service staff very friendly and attentive, food was delicious, great atmosphere, not rushed, relaxed dining very pleasant date night

Food was really good, but the restaurant wasn't busy and I still waited 1 hour for the food. Not impressed by the slow service. The duck taco-inspired wrap as an entree was really good though. The rest of the food was warm and got cold pretty quick. Staff were not really well trained. The waitress asked me if I wanted another beer as my glass was empty, having finished my beer. I said I was ok and she didn't take the glass away! Lol

Lovely ambience and lighting. Creates an experience. Lovely and warm. Small but creative menu.Not one specific vegetarian main choice tho. When asked Tofu was available. I found the food to be authentic Vietnamese flavour. I had the Shaking Beef noodle salad. Very yummy and filling. My friend had same dish with Tofu, and my other friend had Marinated Fish and Prawn skewer. Both really tasty and filling. Our waitress was a little over attentive to begin with and we felt pressured. This settled as more people arrived. Recommend eating here. Yum yum yum.

This is not your standard Vietnamese. The dishes are refined and definitely a bit different. The fresh rice paper rolls came with a very tasty dipping sauce. A delicate pancake filled with crispy lemongrass chicken was full of taste and texture. There was also a good wine list.

Some of friends recommend me this restaurant . So, my friends and my had lunch in here. Good food but served with small proportion of rice. .

We had dinner at this restaurant during our recent visit to Wellington.  The restaurant was pleasantly decorated.  Nice atmosphere.  Service was friendly.  The food was tasty.  If you are in Wellington and would like a taste of Vietnamese, you should not miss this palce.

Just give 3 for the decoration. The price is too expansive as their meal was too little. We ordered 2 beef pho for lunch, but we both felt hungry 1.5 hours. Usually we don't eat very much, but we still felt not enough this time. They used a very big bowl with a little noodles, plus the noodles was not fully cooked, it tasted a bit like plastic. The soup also with a ton of MSG.

Went for dinner with friends, got some tofu noodles and creme brulee for dessert, they were yum. They have a decent selection of drinks too. Would visit again.

Such good food and service. Have been a few times to Resturant 88 and have always enjoyed my meals. The spring rolls to start are yummy and my favorite dish is the shaking beef.

This place is incredible!! Having just got back from a trip to Vietnam I wasn't holding my breath for food as good as I'd had there. But this place completely delivered. I had the Ca (fish dish) which came with a gorgeous papaya salad (zingy, spicy, perfect) and rice. Was faultless, the flavours were out of this world. Had the creme brûlée to finish which was great although I wasn't a fan of the black sesame ice cream it came with. I tried a friend's dessert - waffles with coconut ice cream. Divine!!! (And a very generous portion). Great service too. Get yourself here!!

Loving the duck grabs! Such a tasty dishes even its the entree one ! The young coconut water was also amazing as well beef shaking was also really ! Always went to this place last year like every weekend honestly! But this year was too broke to go to ! Willing to come back again when i have money lol

Lovely and beautiful green Enviornment. It's so green and clean. Waiters are really friendly. For entre we had the coconut calamari which was really delicious and fries which were not so oily. My main was the lemongrass chicken with rice which was really filing as it also came with corn springrolls. Beautiful setting and lovely staff. Great place to dine out.

Hands down one of the best meals I've had in Wellington. Great fresh flavours and generous servings. Staff were attentive and there is an awesome drinks list. Restaurant 88 will be one of my go tos for a top notch dining experience.

Awesome as always, large portions and the most like the food we had in Vietnam, although more expensive. Our kids love it there and we shared two mains; lemongrass chicken and the crispy pancake with a couple of entrees. Yum!

Visiting NZ again. Flew in today and wanted something fresh and clean to fight my jet lag and was not disappointed. Best Vietnamese Pancake I've had outside roadside street stalls in the Delta! The lacy spring rolls that accompanied were sensational! Lovely service and was delighted they accommodated me as a walk in on Mother's Day! I'll be back!

Great food- especially they have some choices that not often seen in usual Vietnamese restaurant. The setting is also quite nice. Not very cheap but do worth a try if you love Asian/ Vietnamese clean favours.

The food they served in the place was so so so delicious!!! But a bit expensive, I had Vietnamese mini pancakes as en entree, and curry fish with prawn papaya salad as the main...Big full!!!

Always a good feed. Lately foods been a bit slow but wasn't a bother. Always fresh and tasty. Staff are welcoming and efficient and the menu has enough doe even unadventurous- always plenty

Have been there few times now and seen couple of iterations of the menu now. Every dish is packed with excellent Vietnamese flavours. I remember the prawn dish my wife had before a change in the menu and that was to die for. The chicken dishes are all very good and enjoyable. I remember the rice which came as an accompaniment to one of the dishes. It was cooked and served in some leaves and had coconut and mushrooms in it. Delish!

Wonderful family meal tonight. Extremely busy for a Sunday evening, not one spare table available. Everyone enjoyed their meal, service was as expected, nothing to write about though!! Well worth a visit!! The pho was delicious as was the salt and pepper chicken. I'd recommend them to extend their children's menu, not all kids want chicken nuggets and chips a Chicken noodle soup would go down well. Recommend

The food at this restaurant is truly inspired. From mini prawn pancakes to succulent chicken, to quirky cocktails and lashings of fresh coriander and mint, this place is doing (almost) everything right. I came here with a friend the other night and was totally blown away by the food. We had some above mentioned prawn pancakes which were absolutely delicious and left as salivating for the main course. For mains we shared two dishes – the beef and the chicken. The beef was done two ways. One was seared and came with a fresh salad packed full of fresh herbs. The other beef was sweet and sticky. Bouncing from savoury to sweet was an absolute delight for my taste buds and the sweet and sour tastes from the salad made for a fantastic flavour explosion. The chicken dish was divine. The chicken had been cooked perfectly and was accompanied by a noodle salad, which again, was packed with fresh herbs, namely coriander and mint – the top two herbs on my top 5 list. I had a cocktail which paired really well with the food. The service here isn’t overly friendly but our waitress was pleasant and very attentive. I much prefer attentive, pleasant service to overly chatty and conversational. So for me, the service was very good. As mentioned, this place is doing almost everything right. There is a lot of pork on the menu, none of which is free range. As a big supporter and activist for the free range pork movement, this is a deal-breaker for me. I do commend them on their honesty when I questioned them about it. So it’s a 4.5 from me, but I would have no qualms in giving this place a five otherwise.

A great restaurant. Having a booking we were seated immediately upon arrival and the service was A+. We dined as a large group for a staff Christmas do. Six of us opted for the banquet of which was delicious! Great having the opportunity to sample 'a little of a lot' on the menu. Every one in our group were feeling very full and satisfied by the end of the meal. The rest of the group also thoroughly enjoyed the amazing taste sensations of their chosen meals also commenting very positively. Only concern was with how hot it became with a 'full house' - possibly could have done with some more windows open? However, we're already planning our next trip back - maybe next time I'll have the mixed grill.

Nicely decorated with friendly greetings from staff. Beautiful food presentation and good selections. Quite and cosy environment is good for romantic dinning or friends gathering. 👍🏻

A great restaurant with great service and great food. We shared our meals and ate everything. Mongolian beef drunken chicken and the beef salad were delicious. I would definitely go back and try more.

Yummy authentic Vietnamese food! <br/><br/>The first impression is positive, we were shown our booked table straight away, in intimate dark corner, good for couples or small groups. <br/><br/>Not too bad drinks list, and the well portioned food was great! Highly recommend most dishes we got, including duck wraps and stuffed chicken for entrees, lemongrass chicken for main and creme brulee and black sesame ice cream for dessert. YUM! The prices are on the higher end, but worth it. <br/><br/>The only things that were a bit off were mains taking awhile to come out, but as someone with experience in hospitality, it was a busy night and not everything goes according to plan. one of the staff was wearing short shorts which did not suit the classy restaurant itself, but it wasn't a bother. What mattered was that they were friendly, polite and attentive.<br/><br/>Overall it was a great dining experience and would definitely go back. <br/><br/>Thank you for having us!

Enjoyed every aspect of our experience here. The food is fantastic - probably the best Vietnamese cuisine I've had outside of Vietnam. The service was attentive but not smothering, and I love the decor.

Hmmm not sure about this one. Was quite busy inside but after standing at the main counter and being ignored for about 10 mins I was finally spoken to about my booking. Ordered Entree and mains however they took an hour to come out!! <br/><br/>My main was the crepe and was bland and under seasoned. The crepe itself was soggy which I suspect was sitting around for a while which is a tad ironic because the owner (luke) once taught me how to make these properly in a cooking class. I could have made a better one!<br/><br/>So overall a pretty poor experience hence the low score

It's been many years since I came here - not long after it started I think. Back then it was OK, but not startling, and for that reason it lapsed out of memory. The street frontage is pretty underwhelming - it could be any old office building except for the lime green 88 on the door.<br/><br/>However flicking through the zomato reviews I realised it scores very highly - higher than I would I have imagined - 4.4 suggesting either its very good or its patrons are stupid. It seems to be the former.<br/><br/>Anyway last night on a friends recommendation, it came down to a toss up between a cheapy in Petone or restaurant 88 - 88 won.<br/><br/>I confess to hating trying to find a park in the area but yesterday we found a dream park very close to the restaurant.<br/><br/>It is exactly as I remember it. High ceilings, slightly clattery and not particularly warm - it was a cold night. But the decor and general ambience was pleasant and had the actual temperature been a little higher it would have been cosy.<br/><br/>A bottle of rabbit ranch pinot noir arrived quickly and we decided from the menu to go for five entrees rather than entree / mains.<br/><br/>Vietnamese caramelised sticky baby-back ribs: Lovely, gooey long cooked - delicious.<br/>Roast duck wraps with plum sauce: My favourite, the wrap was excellent but in combination with the dipping sauce was inspired.<br/>Stuffed chicken wings with pork and prawns: Good, pleasant, slightly predictable.<br/>Vietnames fresh spring rolls: Fresh yes, but the wrapping rather rubbery - the thought "vegetarian condom" came to mind, but nice, and again with the dipping sauce quite moreish.<br/>"Glorious" vietnamese crispy mini pancakes: So interesting - a strange mix of flavours and textures.<br/><br/>By the end of those five, we were completely full. Any possibility of going further with main or dessert had disappeared.<br/><br/>Service was great, lovely wait staff - very very helpful and such good advice. Nothing too much trouble, very efficient and accurate.<br/><br/>Overall highly recommended for an informal dinner, I could imagine older kids loving it. A good alternative to and probably slightly better than Chow down the road<br/><br/>Date night: yes<br/>Kids: yes<br/>Big groups: yes<br/>Parking: hmmm but probably OK<br/>Foodies: yes

Great ambience, lots of natural light and interesting decor that makes you feel rather relaxed. Food was flavourful and well-worth what we paid. Service was a little bit slow, but it was understandable because the restaurant was quite busy.

Lunch with wife<br/>Service - Outstanding<br/>Food - Best I have had outside Vietnam and better than a few when I was there last so highly recommended.<br/>Value for Money - Not cheap, but not expensive pretty much the same middle of the road price as most.  Where is the value? When you eat the highest quality and freshest food like I had today you feel it was real value.<br/>Recommendation - Yep, highly recommended and please just try it yourself I will probably be there when you go!  Excellent place to have found and going back again soon.

I was recently in Wellington for work and caught up with an old friend. My friend wanted to try Restaurant 88 and I was open to something new so as you can do in Wellington, we made our way there on foot. When we arrived we were seated straight away even though we didn't have a booking. The place was buzzing for a Thursday night. Orders were taken promptly and we were left to enjoy chatting. The appetizers didn't take long to arrive and although slightly pricey, it was a decent sized portion and extremely delicious. The presentation was pretty cool as well. Mains arrived promptly after that and they were not disappointing either. I had the shaking beef and it was so good. The portion was too big, I couldn't finish it but that's better than paying big bucks and not getting enough food. My friend had the fish wrapped in banana leaf and that was amazing too. The food was so flavorful and well cooked. We decided to go elsewhere for dessert prior but they had some pretty tempting desserts on their menu as well. The menu is slightly limited but I found that there was still quite a nice variety to choose from. Waitstaff were polite, friendly and efficient. I would definitely recommend this place. The only downside was that I found the interior just a little too dark but that in no way impacted how amazing the food was.

Been here multiple times now. From groups varying from three people to about 15. All times, food and service is immaculate. Highly recommended

Tempted by the high rating, we went for a lunch at (Vietnamese) Restaurant 88. It was a Sunday & we were not the earliest customers. We ordered beef noodle soup with bean sprouts, rice crepe with pork & prawns & crème brûlée with black sesame ice-cream for sharing. Rice crepe was good but a bit bland; there must be too much MSG in the beef noodle soup; the dessert was the best part of our lunch.<br/><br/>Although there were already quite a lot of customers by 12:30, there was only a waiter running up & down, taking orders, filling waters, taking calls, greeting guests, and there was time and again that he seemed to “ignore” his customers. Lack of staff is not an excuse for the slack service – in the hospitality industry. (Food - 4/5; Service - 1/5; Ambience – 4/5)

I very nice place to eat.  Good service and great food.  Always reliable.!  Had the Lemongrass chicken with coconut noodles, so good and worked well together.  If you want a my full review visit my website.

Good place for a group or just two people. Food is always good and good portions. Atmosphere is always good. Baby chicken and rice a high favourite

A great little gem on Tory Street, that gets real busy in weekends, so a booking is highly recommended to avoid disappointment!The service is always impeccable, with well train staff, who have an eye to detail, although, I must admit that the "would you like another beer" use to be systematic in the past, but not so now, where the waiter/waitress is happy to take your glass away without asking if you would like another one, so that would be the only "stain" for an otherwise great service. I never go without having the fresh spring rolls as a starter (call me boring), but they have also to my great despair removed a grilled steak served with a mushroom sauce and potatoes that was to die for, alas, it hasn't made it back on the menu, surely I can't be the only one missing that!! So for the main, I do not have a favorite, not that there is anything wrong with them, but nothing match the steak! I have tried their dessert, but nevertheless, I highly recommend this place!

This place is always busy, so if you are interested in visiting, I would suggest you make a booking to avoid disappointment.<br/><br/>I have dine here twice, and in both instances I have been very impressed with the flavours of the dishes, where it has exceeded my expectation.<br/><br/>The prices here are not cheap when compared to other Vietnamese restaurants around Wellington, but do not let that hinder your decision, as I do advise giving this place a try.<br/><br/>Please visit my website for an indepth review of my visits and what we ate.

This year's birthday celebration was low-key – I had a group dinner with close friends at Restaurant 88 last night where we got to catch up over drinks and the delicious Vietnamese cuisine. We started off with drinks at 5.30pm and I tried their Saigon 333 beer which was nice and somewhat sweet to taste. A few of us got entrees and I got to sample some stuffed chicken wings with pork and prawn, and caramelised sticky baby back ribs as we await more friends to turn up. Yummy!

Dinner kicked off with a good start, all tender and juicy in the form of caramelised baby back ribs, slowly baked in a deliciously sweet tamarind sauce. There was sourness in there as well and with the slightest touch of a fork, the meat came off the bones effortlessly.

I wanted to enjoy this place, but it was a poor substitute for my own city's local version that I was hoping 88 would emulate. 88 used more sugar than I'd even want in my desserts, and the absence of fish sauce and fresh chilli was felt with each bite. I'd say this place has loads of potential: menu was creative, place was clean and service was polite. However, I wish they wouldn't capitulate to local tastes and reduce the authenticity of their Vietnamese dishes. You've accomplished the tough stuff yet lost the essence, that excellent Vietnamese balance of flavours.

Good portions, tasty food.  Service could have been a bit more attentive.  Nice decor but atmosphere a bit lacking. A bit pricey but would go again.

Yum! This place was fabulous when we went. We went for our anniversary and foud it to be nice a quiet/romantic. No kids in sight! The food was spot on and we thoroughly enjoyed the fresh spring rolls! Highly recommend this little restaurant.

I've dined here a number of times and always try to have something different! While there have been no disappointments, my favourites have been the 'shaking beef' mixed platter for those times when you're feeling indecisive, and the spicy grilled fish for when you want a little kick of heat.<br/><br/>The food is excellent Vietnamese cuisine served with a more modern twist, and the atmosphere is lovely too!

Nice place, seated quickly when we arrived. Drinks and food orders taken quickly and food arrived at a good pace. However the food was very average at best, not very interesting and rather overpriced. Those of us that had food like ribs got a finger bowl of cold water :-(<br/>Would not go back again, compared to their sandwich shop this restaurant for both food quality and price is a big let down

This was a pleasant enough experience. I really enjoyed the entree, much more than the main. I didn't think there was anything special about the main. A bit over priced for what it is, but definitely just above average.

We were on our way to another restaurant when we were passing by Restaurant 88. My wife loves Vietnamese food so we stopped and had a look at the outside menu. We decided to go in and were we ever glad we did. The food was delicious. Perfectly prepared and seasoned. Service was impeccable. They changed all plates, flatware and even chopsticks with each course. A sign of a quality place.

Our meals at this place were deeelicious. I love vietnamese food and this place did not disappoint. I think it is a little bit pricey for what it is however they do serve generous portions. Me and a friend also each had a mango ice crusher type drink alongside our meals - yum!! This place is also in the entertainment book and offers two meals for the price of one when you take your entertainment card along.

When you think Vietnamese food, you imagine fresh herbs &amp; zesty flavors. And that's exactly how to describe the food. A very unique and different take on dinner than any other restaurant in Wellington. Most defiantly will be back again.

Absolutely great! This place provides great food each and every time I dine here. The service is great and it shows that the staff really care. I've been to Vietnam and the dishes are authentic. I highly recommend this place.

Dined here on a Saturday night with 4 friends who live in Welly (I live in Palmy) who had recommended it...and boy was it worth the recommendation!!! This is without a doubt the best restaurant I've ever been to. The food was completely delicious, so fresh,fragrant and flavourful.It was really difficult to pick from the menu as everything sounded so delicious! I had the caramelised sticky baby back pork ribs, prawn two ways and the creme caramel with black sesame ice cream...A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!Black sesame is now my new favourite ice cream flavour! Everyone at the table raved about their dishes and we all had to try each others food...it was all just so delish! The service was wonderfully attentive though non obtrusive and especially good seeing as the restaurant was fully booked and they were very busy. The decor was authentic and really added to the whole experience. The layout was great as you didn't feel too crowded by other tables and could easily carry on a conversation as the music was not too loud. The price was extremely reasonable and everyone had a truly wonderful night. I can't wait to return. Be sure to book as Restaurant 88 is crazy popular (for good reason). I've recommended this restaurant to all my friends, family and co-workers...now I just need an excuse to get back to Welly so I can dine there again!!!;)

Have just my husband's 50th birthday dinner at Restaurant 88. <br/>Booked here because we've never been disappointed with the food or the service here and I thought it would appeal to most palates. Not disappointed. All our guests LOVED the food. It was my first time opting for a banquet meal. Absolutely beautiful - as always.<br/><br/>The service was impeccable - lovely polite staff and keen to help.<br/><br/>Thank you Restaurant 88.

Came here with friends in an effort to try something new, the food is delicious and well presented. Good portion sizes as well. Staff were attentive without being overbearing. Something for everyone on the menu and the layout means you can have conversations without having to yell. Awesome place!

My friend had recommended Restaurant 88 to me on many occasions so I thought I'd give it a go on Wednesday night. I really enjoyed the whole experience. <br/><br/>All the staff were accommodating, cheerful, and seemed like they really enjoyed working there. I also particularly liked the modern meets traditional décor. But the best part was indeed the food. Some people below have complained that it's designed for the Western palate. I am no connoisseur of Vietnamese cuisine, but the Saigon Lemongrass chicken I had tasted fantastic and was unlike any type of dish I've eaten before. <br/><br/>I will definitely be returning!

Go here a lot and never been let down. The food is always amazing.<br/>Sometimes the staff are a bit hit and miss but that just adds to the fun.

Visited with a group of seven, on a relatively busy night.<br/>Aside from having run out of Vietnamese beer, it was hard to fault. <br/>Staff strike the right balance of attentiveness without being overpowering; they were efficient and the food was very good. Everyone left well satisfied, and isn't that what it's all about

Came here on a Friday night. Was incredibly busy. I recommend booking. My partner and I had to wait at the bar for what was going to be 30 minutes but ended up being only 15-20min.<br/><br/>Service was great, always filling up your water etc - the staff had great attention to detail, emptied tables really quick and used a good spray for the table rather than just a damp cloth like I've seen at other places.<br/><br/>Food:<br/>To start, had the fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. These were perfect, so fresh and soft. The sauce which came with it was delicious - sweet soy with a hint of peanut and lots of herbs. There were also prawn crackers which were nice touch.<br/><br/>Mains - we had the shaking beef platter. This was amazing too. The beef was SO tender and pink, with a delicious sauce and large pieces of cracked pepper. The vermicelli noodles were great, and the pork meatballs accompanied by the sauce - YUM.<br/><br/>The other main we got the drunken salt and pepper chicken. This was beautiful too, very tender and flavoursome. The slaw was nice too full of coriander. This was a bit messy as you had to eat with your hands, but it was really yum - makes you feel like a bit of a cannibal ripping apart half a chicken with your mouth!<br/><br/>Didn't have dessert as was REALLY full. If you are super hungry - between two, share a starter. If you're not that hungry I suggest only getting two mains as they are quite filling.<br/><br/>A great place - a perfect combo of Western style service and menu plan - but with delicious Vietnamese food.

We are a family of 5 all with different tastes and we all really enjoyed our food. The service was fantastic, the staff were attentive, friendly and professional. Especially recommend the lemongrass chicken main. Thank you very much for an enjoyable evening :)

Had a great meal with friends a couple of Saturday nights ago.<br/><br/>The food was fantastic, but the service was a little slow, no problem more time to try the interesting beers!<br/><br/>Will definitely go back, keen to try more of the amazing looking meals on the menu.

Had a marvellous evening - surprised how full you were on a Tuesday which is a testament to both your food and service. The food was delicious - the service outstanding - especially impressive as there was a large table getting equally attentive service. The 'shaking beef' is an outstanding dish - tender beef and a depth of flavours to die for.

We have been coming here since the days when you didn't need to book. Luv luv luv the food, always fresh, service is great. You gotta try their main dish TWO PRAWNS yummy yummy. This dish has one side of the plate covered with up to 8 deep fried (sometimes more) good size prawns, the other side of the plate is a bowl of prawns soaking in the most delicious flavours ever. Presentation is awesome.<br/>This restaurant is the best.

We have been to Restaurant 88 many times in the past and have always had great meals and good service. I am still disappointed that the beef skewers are not now wrapped in bacon but the quality of meals has been consistently good. The meals are always a good size and we have never left hungry. This restaurant gives good value for money

I needed a place to take my partner to dinner for our anniversary, and I chose Restaurant 88 based off the reviews on this website. I wasn't sure it would live up to the hype, but it certainly did, and more! <br/>The service was friendly and efficient, attentive but not annoyingly so, and the waiter didn't get flustered or annoyed by our questions on dietary requirements (all except two of the mains are gluten free by the way!). <br/>The food came quickly, and was just divine, cooked perfectly and so full of flavour, not huge amounts so you feel bloated, just enough to feel satisfied. We indulged in dessert also, again a wonderful selection of gluten free items, and again served promptly, and full of flavour.<br/>Although the restaurant was busy, we did not feel rushed or pressured to leave our table when done.<br/>All in all an amazing dinning experience, and we will certainly be returning!

I was looking forward to returning to Cafe 88, which has always been a favourite of mine. I came away disappointed that the quality of the meal has gone from excellent to mediocre. I selected the pork and prawn crepe, which I've had in the past. It didn't have any of the usual fresh and succulent flavours, and worse of all, it had some strange tasting blob of paste in the middle.<br/><br/>Others seemed to be happy enough with their meals. And the service was excellent.

I'm not sure how much point there is in writing this review as they seem to have so many good ones already. We have dined at 88 four or five times now so it was about time to give them a big thumbs up.<br/>Every time we have been the service has been prompt and efficient, the food has been really tasty and we have always left with smiles on our faces and very full tummies. I am not going to comment on the authenticity of the Vietnamese dishes as i have not been to Vietnam (as i am sure neither have many of the other reviewers) but for us the dishes are well cooked and well presented and have always been very tasty.<br/>Feel free to try 88 and i hope like me you will not be disappointed.

Good food and service, very tasty

I have dined here about four times and the food is outstanding as is the service. The entrees are just amazing in variety and also in taste - extremely refreshing and just a pleasure to dine here. I will be making this Restaurant a must eat place when I am in Wellington

Best food ever! I have been here at least five times + can't wait to go back! The beef lemongrass salad is incredible. Service outstanding - even when you have 15+ people, they don't seem to mind. Recommend if you want a delicious meal and a great atmosphere

Fantastic!! decided to try it after reading the reviews and was not disappointed. Went with some friends and we loved it! The food was fantastic (we shared a selection of entrees), the service was great and the staff were very helpful in recommending some options for us. Will definitely be back to try out the mains.<br/>Highly recommend

This was the first time that I have been to Restaurant 88 and after hearing all the reviews about it, we decided to go there for a friends birthday for dinner.<br/>It was a Saturday night and they took a booking for a table of 10 at around 8pm. <br/><br/>We were seated and the waiter took our orders about ten minutes later. However, this is where my complaint lies. I was disappointed that we had to wait an hour for our entrees to come out and then five minutes later, our mains came out. This was appalling on their behalf as the food was simply cold when it came out. I don't know how long it was sitting in the kitchen before we got served it. We checked and check with the waiter wondering where our food was after half an hour waiting, and he said it would be there shortly. The waiter that was also assigned to our table, did not know the menu very well and did not speak good English. I simply asked whether the spring rolls were made from rice paper or spring roll paper, where he told me it was rice paper and when it came out, it was spring roll paper, which I cannot eat. Some indication of what is gluten free would be wonderful. <br/>Anyway, when we complained, the staff told us that it was simply not their fault, and we were over exaggerating when we said our food was cold. <br/><br/>The food was also not authentically Vietnamese. It is more Westernised for people around here, not as flavorsome as some other Vietnamese food that I have had.<br/><br/>I will not be dining here again. And I hope that their service the night I went was just a one off.

I been there twice<br/>First time is last 3 years<br/>Both time i founded this place made me really disappointing<br/>They said Its Vietnamese Cuisine, but It not a 100% Vietnames, its like 60% Western in the dishes, how can they put Tomato in a traditonal noodle soup !!!<br/>And the stir beef was gone off<br/>Sorry. not thing interesting for me

My all time favourite restaurant in Wellington! <br/><br/>I eat at Restaurant 88 on a fairly regular basis (monthly at the moment) and have never been disappointed. The food, choice of wines, service and overall experience has always been A+.<br/><br/>I took friends recently who have never been and they were also extremely impressed.<br/><br/>Keep up the great work Restaurant 88 ;-)

We went for Sunday lunch, and found this place disappointing, especially after reading so many outstanding reviews prior to choosing this place.<br/>Although the restaurant was only half full but there was a long wait for the food to be served.<br/>The decor is lovely and the wait staff are friendly. We found the food tasty but the portions are very small.

We always pick Restaurant 88 as the place to go out and eat on occasions. However the last service was really disappointing. We ordered three well-done steaks, however only one came out well-done. We also ordered a medium steak, which came out medium-rare. <br/><br/>The chef did not take the complaint well, instead threw the blame back on us, stating we were the only table ever to complain.<br/><br/>This will now make us re-think where we would go on our next occasion.

Great place to eat. Food was great and service excellent. Went with 5 others and all agreed we would eat here again.

I LOVE this place! The beef salad is my personal favourite. The staff are lovely and friendly. It would be great if they were able to label some of their menu items as Gluten Free (as I am sure there are some!), but other than that I have no complaints. Servings are always nice and large. They happily accept the Entertainment card.

Had a great evening here with 10 friends.<br/><br/>The food was great and a real delight to get a coffee in an Asian restaurant that tasted great as well. Rest of table enjoyed desserts and commented on the great selection of wine.<br/><br/>No grumbling when we used our entertainment cards and was happy to do split payments.<br/><br/>Great night and know the whole table said they were coming back again.<br/><br/>Good all round.

Had a quick trip in Wellington and for my supposedly last night there, we had a very lovely dinner in this restaurant. what an excellent choice!<br/>The food was superb and the serving was so big, we had to take home our excess food. =)<br/>The staff are so nice as well.and the price was fair enough.<br/>I'll be back, that's for sure. =)

My friends and I were undecided where to have lunch and decided to try this restaurant. It's quite a cozy little Vietnamese/Asian restaurant in Tory with a green motif and a green rickshaw outside the door.<br/><br/>The decor is very pleasant and warm --- however it took 30 mins for our lunch orders to come but they were very much worth the wait. I had Vietnamese pork meatballs and crispy spring rolls and they were very delicious. My friend and I had a bite of each other's meal and her fried pork loin was yummy as well --- everything was just perfect! <br/><br/>Will definitely return to this restaurant! Best Vietnamese food I've ever tasted. Very highly recommended!

I have been there couple of times and really enjoy every single dish ordered. My last visit, I ordered pork balls as entree, it was juicy, full flavors and delicious.

I cannot wait to go back. Great service, very tasty vegetarian dish, friendly staff. This Vietnamese may not the cheapest but its worth every cent! Nice atmosphere, no excessive loud music.

The food is great here. Friendly staff and a reasonable price.

I and my partner dinning out all the time, I have to say this is the best Asian restaurant in Wellington. The design of the restaurant is very elegant. The food are really good and tasty, no matter what you choose always give you a surprise, the staffs are very very friendly and helpful, they are very busy,but every customer still being look after very well. We always want to go there again, but just so hard to get a table on Saturday nights. My favourite dish are stuffed mussel as entree, and chili crispy chicken and prawn in a pot as main.

I've eaten here more than a dozen times and have never been disappointed, delicious and authentic food, quick service and well priced.

No trend breaking here. I have been the Restaurant 88 several times now and have yet to be let down. The menu is exciting and the food is just as delicious. Impeccable service, a great atmosphere and reasonable prices top off this great dining experience. Recommend this to everyone looking for a great night out and something other than your run-of-the-mill!

My partner and I went to this restaurant. it was full booked but the staff made us a table out of the end of the bar because we really wanted to try the place. We weren't disapointed. Food was AMAZING, great size and not expensive at all. I would recommend this place to anyone and we will definatly be going back :)

Excellent service, VERY tasty food. Catered for a party of twenty effortlessly on a very busy night. We'll be back!

We were seated immediately when entering the restaurant, and the staff were very attentive during the whole evening. The presentation of the food on the plate was stunning, and the flavours were there to match it. We had been recommended the ribs as a starter - and they did not let us down. The meal sizes were large enough that we did not feel like we could fit dessert in. Overall a very enjoyable evening, and we're likely to return for seconds.

Sunday night and the weekend is drawing to close. You need something extra strong to stave off those pre-monday blues. Will it be the drunken crispy salt & pepper baby chicken or the beef pho? decisions, decisions ...<br/>on a more practical note, this is a very popular vietnamese restaurant so you should book if coming at a busy time. decor is ok, and it can be a little noisy, but the food is real drawing card. great flavours, and some unusual dishes. <br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Ambience: 3.5/5<br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Value for Money: 4/5