TOP 10 BEST Restaurants in New Zealand - Updated October 2024

Ombra

93/100 (2899 ratings)

Restaurants

Gluten Free Options

Mediterranean

Contemporary

Italian

Vegan Options

Vegetarian Friendly

Mediterranean

Contemporary

European

Gluten Free Options

Vegan Options

Vegetarian Friendly

After-hours

Dinner

Lunch

Drinks

Lamb

Bruschette

Tapas

Pesto

Fish

Cod

Pork

Ragu

Beef

Crostino

Polenta

Tiramisu

Eggplant

Meatballs

Pasta

Saltimbocca

Prosciutto

Salad

Arancini

Duck

Crostini

Risotto

Sit down

Italian

Contemporary

European

Mediterranean

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Serves Alcohol

Gift Cards Available

Full Bar

Accepts Credit Cards

Accepts Mastercard

Reservations

Accepts Visa

Accepts American Express

Seating

Lunch

Drinks

After-hours

Dinner

Mid-range

"Pumpkin pizza and meatballs were fantastic! And the chocolate volcano...next level! Food was so great we ended up there again the following day!..."

Rohan

"Absolutely loved this place. Food was so good, ambience perfect and Stella was the best host. Even though they were fully booked, they happily..."

I'm Hungry

"Really appreciated the prompt and friendly hospitality from staff who made me feel welcomed. The bruschetta bread was soft and the..."

Veeral Patel

"Love anything that I ordered, especially the polenta chips. Good size and price and quality . Very busy place but with good..."

Tian Sweetly

"The food was really good. Fish was done perfectly and lamb rump was tender and juicy. Staff were accommodating. I recommend this place for first time..."

Anika Almadi

"Really enjoyed our dinner at Ombra. Staff were friendly and attentive. Food was reasonably priced and delicious. Great atmosphere - would recommend..."

Littlemiss

"This place is AMAZING!I've been there with 2 friends on a Saturday night. We ordered two arancinis; a ciabatina; polenta chips; mozzarella,..."

Cane - Gold Code -20% OFF: CANE7285

"Amazing Food and great atmosphere. If you are on Cuba street, don’t miss this place!! Gnocchi and Polenta Chips are out of this world!..."

The Hungry Glutton

"First visit to Welly and went to Ombra for lunch and we could not stop talking about how delicious these two meals were during our lunch. Had Gnocci..."

Juyeong Chang

"Awesome dining experience with my partner at Ombra! This is my first time visiting but it did not disappoint! Will go again to try other food on the..."

Hallie Low

"We went to Ombra after reading the reviews on Zomato and our expectations were pretty high! But it definitely did not disappoint, the service was..."

Courtney Millanta

"Amazing food however the rocket salad was disgustingly highly price for two mouth fulls was $10... the rest of the meals and drinks were amazing..."

Komal Swamy

"We had high expectations going here due to all the amazing reviews & they were all met! The service, ambience and food were all..."

Sarah Vera

"I came here for lunch and had a pizza and it was very tasty and tasted very authentic would highly recommend. The staff were very friendly and gave..."

Kate.mcpherson123

"The food here is delicious, one of the best restaurants in Wellington I’ve been to date. They have a rotating menu, so there’s always something..."

Steff.ho

"Decor, food and service is 10/10! Came for dinner, wait staff were present and attentive, immediately asked for drinks etc. Food came out and was..."

Charlotte Chazz Colgan

"One of the best italian resturants I've been to, with best quality and delicious food. Good vibes friendly staff. Will visit this place next time I..."

Tarun Parmar

"I promised the staff that my first line in the review would be that the Tiramisu was over! So there it is! One of the best Italian restaurants I..."

Bhavna

"Service was fantastic! The range of food choices really broadens your pallet. If I was to recommend any dishes, it would be the venison meet balls...."

Alex Von Lanthen

"I must say I'm very impressed with the 4.8 rating here on Zomato, so decided to try it for myself. And what better time than at the Wellington On A..."

James Ong

"This place allows you to order 3 or 4 plates per person which you can share to make up a meal. Just as well because there was so much on the menu I..."

Alyssa Martin

"Best Italian restaurant in Wellington. I don't say that lightly. Great food, great service, great ambience. Also, their Bellini's..."

Hubbabubba

"We stopped by on our travels through Wellington.Customer service was perfect, staff were very friendly, tentative and helpful.Meals were..."

Brando

"Lovely food. It's a busy place and I can see why. Standout dishes for me were the gnocchi and the brussel sprouts. The pizza was also good. Would..."

Hue Bullen

"Loved the service, drinks, and food. If you go you really should try the snapper, venison meatballs, and mulled wine and gorgonzola gelato - I kid..."

Matt L

"Very pleasant experience. Portion sizes were a bit small. Great staff and friendly service. We had a late lunch and place was still busy. Deserves a..."

Emma Thompson

"The best Italian food I've ever had. Not only that, but the whole experience from the initial warm welcome to the fantastic service to the beautiful..."

Paul O

"A lively place with friendly service and ambiance. The gnocchi is so delicious and tasty. Polenta chips, light and fluffy. Broccolini and beans are..."

Christy.destradi

"Great vibe, great service, great food. All of the sharing plates were delicious. The duck risotto, venison meatballs, and anchovy pizza notable. The..."

Gus

"Really delicious meals, the pappardelle pasta was very yummy and the server we had was so great explaining the menu to us as we didn’t understand..."

Steph Gully

"One of the best italian food i have ever had. Their pizzas are super tempting and totally filling and not big at all. Staff is very friendly and the..."

Manas Mittal

"Wow the place was packed out and we was offered seating and drinks while we waited for a table to become available.Once seated the food came..."

David Ent

"OutstandingService excellentFood the sameHad Arancini Balls and Polenta Chips to startThen the Roast Potatoes PizetteAnd the Lamb..."

Glenn Town

"Went here for my father’s birthday and had the best experience and filled to the brim in delicious decadent food! Our waiter was lovely and..."

Hannah.milne11

"What a great little restaurant in Cuba Street -Italian tapas.We had the white anchovies, Parma ham, two small pizzas, beef meatballs and..."

Austin

"This is a lovely restaurant for delicious Italian food. The staff are lovely and the food is delicious and hearty. We will definitely be..."

Megha Dogra

"Wonderful first experience that we couldn't stop raving about. For us the stars of the meal were definitely the pork belly saltimbocca and black..."

AJ

"••• Vegetarian Night •••I LOVED the 3seconds greeting! Highly Recommended! Well Done & Thank You (both customer service +..."

MarvellousSeven

"Wonderful service, just want to thank in particular the blonde waitress in the red shirt who served my group who went out of her way to accommodate..."

Nicole Paterson

"Ombra is all about Italian food & their menu has many favourites. One recommendation was their meatballs, & having enjoyed the ones from Baduzzi in..."

Stephy_NakiGirl

"Had lunch at Ombra. All shared food, everything was delicious and reasonably priced. We shared 4 different serves of meatballs, two pizzas,..."

Ldimm

"Very nice gnocchi great atmosphere we really enjoyed this place will definitely return next time in wellington great prices. Portions are little on..."

Justin Todd

"Always consistently good service, up there with Scopa and other Wellington favourites. Solid options for wine and beer but the food is next level...."

Cam Newman

"YUM! I moved away from Wellington seven years ago and visit home around once a year - I can't remember what used to be in this spot, but who cares...."

Shanna

"Love, love, love this place! Beautiful food in a lovely atmosphere. Generally order 3-4 dishes to share and enjoy every one. Must have the gnocchi..."

Grace

"The interior was all stripped down to the bare minimum which made it look really cool! The food very good I recon! It's a shame we only here..."

Ethan Liaw

"Great food fantastic atmosphere and brilliant service. The option to order sharing plates is a fantastic idea and love the food choices. Not..."

Jason Berryman

"SO yum, been here twice and will definitely be going back soon. A really nice atmosphere and great food, some favourites are the gnocchi and the..."

Brittany Robson

"I love this place!Had the Eggplant Parmigiana (pictured) and it was absolutely delicious. The perfect combination of crunchy and soft; good..."

Jen

"Had two of us stop in for lunch. Lovely food, great service and nice atmosphere. The only bugbear was I had to go back to work.... Would definitely..."

Chris Cattermole

"Fantastic ambiance, superb food, and impeccable service. Despite arriving during the busiest part of the night, we were warmly welcomed by the maitre..."

Johann Go

"The only problem is knowing what to pick...We came in for a light lunch and left a few pounds heavier. But it tasted well worth the added..."

Mya

"Well in must be precise while writing this one....What makes a great dining experience ...Ambience + good host + good host + good service +..."

Colaco.cassius

"This is a great little restaurant.Saturday evening dinner, walk in, no booking. Very courteously greeted and asked if we would like to wait 10..."

Magpie

"Great food and great service. We loved everything we tried. Even though it was really busy all the staff were friendly and went out of their way..."

Michelle Clarke

"Great dinner here the other night- the desserts are always a highlight. Great options not to big and really good prices. Service can sometimes be a..."

Theo

"Oh my gosh where do I even start. I would say this is definitely one of my favourite places in welly and I am itching to get back. We had the Roasted..."

Steph Michie

"Delicious and cheap for two people!! We are super happy with the mean we had the service was great too!!! We had venison meatballs, gnocchi and lemon..."

Dee Elizabeth Noble

"For great authentic Italian food hit this spot up in Wellywood! Decent tapa portions full of flavour and bloody great price all this for $71 sheeeet..."

Alwayseating

"Wonderful food, great service. Stayed in Wellington for a week last November and ate at ombra 3 times! Looking forward to going there again fir wow..."

Fliss Butcher

"Came here on a whim for a late Friday dinner. They were no longer serving the full menu but from what we tasted of the restricted menu, this place..."

Emily Pavey

"This place has such a fun environment with enthusiastic and attentive staff who are always onto it. We mentioned that it was my friends birthday and..."

Hungover Munch Kid

"Had the mozzarella carroza for ciccheti which was delicious on the inside but the bread was slightly over cooked. Also had the Pollo chicken, olive..."

Mana

"What an awesome concept, Italian tapas! Each dish was rich in unique flavor. Some of the best food I've eaten. Decent prices and the staff were all..."

Evan Roberts

"Service was great, love most of the dishes. Really enjoyed it. Only didn't like the Nutella banana pizza which is literally a pizza bread with..."

Jenny

"This is now my official welly favourite. A quirky place with warm atmosphere. The dishes are small designed to be shared with friends. We had a..."

Christian

"I went here with my partner for a weekend away in Welly. The restaurant was full when we arrived, but after sitting down for a drink we were offered..."

Emma Clark

"Nice little place. Service is quite good considering how busy it is especially for dinner. A friend and I ordered a San Marzano pizzette, lamb..."

M

"Came here for a birthday dinner with my parents and a few friends from Auckland. We all ordered separate dishes and shared them which worked out..."

Shalom Ngaro

"Really enjoyed our tapas at Ombra, there is a great menu with lots of variety and generous portions. The staff were very helpful and friendly, even..."

James Cole

"What a fabulous find Ombra is. After reading a few reviews here we though heck yeah let's give it a whirl. From the moment we sat down the service..."

Denys McEneaney

"On a cold and grey Sunday afternoon Ombra provided the lift we needed. The food was out of this world, every plate we ordered outdid the last. The..."

Annie

"Has to be one of the best restaurants in Wellington. Casual dining with excellently prepared food. The decor, atmosphere and service are all..."

Eric The Great

"This place is superb. The food is incredibly simple, yet authentic and about as tasty as is possible. I've tried pretty much everything Wellington..."

Pauline Smyth

"Excellent restaurant. We loved the food, great taste, beef risotto was absolutely delicious, nothing like anything I've seen before. Lamb was cooked..."

Natasha Caccioppoli

"Have only been here once before but a great place to go if you like sharing and tasting lots of different items. We ordered too many carbs so got..."

Jayna Patel

"Highly recommend this Italian restaurant. Various choices in dishes full of different flavours. So delicious! Will be going back for more..."

J Isla

"Italian Giants Ombra, certainly impresses with its selection of tapas and drinks.Kicking off with a robust shot of caffe had me primed for..."

Medium_Rare

"Great service, attentive and efficient. Such a good vibe, small busy and beautiful decoration. Ordered polenta and pizzette, so delicious! Simple but..."

Assalazarian

"Went to Ombra for the first time today and thought their menu had a really nice selection and actually quite cheap!I had the Rosemary, sea..."

Jessica Teasdale

"Came here with two friends who are Wellingtonians who recommended this place. Its an Italian tapas restaurant with a modern clean layout and friendly..."

FoodiePhysician

"Ombra is best enjoyed as an experience, not a meal. The mood, people, decor and tapas-style menu lend the restaurant the air of a homey, relaxing..."

Audra Lord

"Unfortunately on my last visit here was with a vegetarian, whilst I'm lactose intolerant, so it was hard to find dishes we would both enjoy. However,..."

Josh

"Loved the venison meatballs the flavours were just so clever and well balanced. Would have loved the meatball to be a bit less dense. The eggplant..."

Lex Antony Huang

"Beautiful food, friendly staff and warm atmosphere...."

Newtownboys

"This place has the most beautiful food. I have been back several times. I have recommended this place to multiple people. Despite the..."

Kimmie W

"I REALLY wish there was a 6 out of 5 rating for this place, because Ombra really is my favourite restaurant in Wellington. I've been so many times..."

Anna Garland

"Went here for breakfast with the wife on New Year's Day - great wait staff. He quickly pointed out the hazelnut filled donuts weren't available but..."

JaimeC

"Went to Ombra on a spur of the moment foodie whim and was richly rewarded with one of the best evenings ever. All the food was exquisite and..."

BKL

"Hands down best Italian cuisine in Wellington I've had so far! We arrived at Ombra around 9pm, a time I'd normally consider late for dinner...."

Sophia

"Awesome place for little plates of Italy. Has Peroni on tap;) Great ambiance and vibe. Helpful and friendly staff. In a great location in Central..."

Melanie Kolman

"Loved the food and customer service. Such a beautiful and unique experience???? The food for me was something I had never tried and I'm not really..."

Gina Matenga

"I had a fantastic late night dinner here with some friends. They were very accomodating when we rang up and requested a table at 9.30pm. The food was..."

Heather Scott

"Just loved the food, there was variety, and everything was extremely tasty. I would highly recommend others to visit. Staff were most helpful, many..."

Annie Alder

"Great service, excellent food, and a really good atmosphere. The venison meatballs were exquisite, and the risotto was delicious and all finished of..."

Isaac Prentice

"Really nice food! However we were sitting near the door which closes really slowly letting in a whole lot of cold air, and the server was slightly..."

Harry Chapman

"Absolutely delighted with the food. Fresh, flavourful, simple, bursting with flavours. After eating here, it's easy to understand why this place is..."

Wilson Chau

"Ombra has an Old World charm that made us feel at home right away. This was further reinforced by the warm, friendly but unobtrusive service. The..."

Minnie Sarmiento Tabilog

"Popular for a reason - service, food and good wine selection.Last Sat night, arrived just after 6 pm, it was packed with diners and drinkers; it..."

Joyce Tam

"Love this place. Great food at reasonable prices and really attentive staff. Can't recommend highly enough. Went with 2 fussy eaters and everyone was..."

Sue McRae

"Went to Ombra with the dark rider last night.Busy and crowded but that didnt stop us being seated after a moderate wait at the bar. The..."

Mhairead Connor

"I went to Ombra for the first time in November to catch up with some girl friends and we just loved the atmosphere and nibbly food so much that we..."

Flora Gotlieb

"I was astounded to read the review re bad service etc. I visited Ombra for the first time last Sat after a great review from a friend. It was..."

Louise

"Great building and atmosphere - buzzing on a Friday night. Friendly and efficient staff. Food was delicious. A wide range of small plates to choose..."

Heather Kirkman

"Took my neice who is a uni student there for a treat and we were not disappointed. The food and service were excellent - the best I have had in..."

Madhu

"AMAAAZING!Friendly helpful service and great atmosphere.The food was great, my favourite the Baccala Crostino and the Saffron..."

Emily

"Superb meal, lots to choose from and share. Petit dishes allowed me to pick several to try and each one was beautifully presented and sensational..."

Mariana Andrews

"luuvved the bustling busy but accommodating hype of Ombra. Kai was superb and fun. Definitely going back and recommending to others. The Italian..."

Ata

"I was surprised by amazing food and very friendly service at Ombra last night. At a Wednesday night we had to wait for a table, while having a drink..."

Lindap

"If you are after something different then this is the place. Small italian tapas. With a large variety of dishes to cater for all..."

Rosemary Young

"Did not disappoint. Best Italian food I have had in Wellington - must try the lamb and rosemary meatballs. Will definitely be going back to try..."

Amelia McMaster

"Do it! Go there! Finally Tapas is a happening thing in Wellington.People are good, Prosecco is good, Peroni is good, have fun enjoy and do..."

David Howard

"The food here is amazing! Small tasty plates, and enough to keep the vegetarians happy. such a nice way to eat, and it often works out really cheap..."

Mary Jane Thomas

"This place cooks seriously delicious food. It is in the style of a venetian bacaro, the food comes in small servings so you order a selection to go..."

Sophie Hunter

"This is a very cool spot to come with friends for relaxed shared dining. All the food we had was yummy, small portions but fine for 3 of us to share..."

Gillian Burrow

"This is such a cool bar. Come here a lot with friends, the kai is reka (tasty) and the wine list is good. Interesting and not the usual selection..."

Kai Luv

"Stopped by for a solo dinner and they were able to seat me at the bar (which I prefer anyway) pretty quickly. Staff was friendly, and the food (a..."

Edgar Liu

"Went here for a Thursday lunch, luckily didn’t seem to need a booking. The service was fantastic. We were very well attended to, water was always..."

Isabella Clague

"Small, gets very busy. Meats very nice. They make a good mojito. Very nice meal. Not too aesthetics inside but good food. Delicious..."

Augustine De la Crouse

"Nice place and food was delicious. Very crowded and was lucky to find a place and didn't have to wait. The duck rissoto is a must try in my..."

Ivan Bien

"Very delicious food and such yummy drinks I love the music they play inside as well it lights up the atmosphere with its vibes if you are in new..."

Black Cherry

"Took my son for his birthday 🎂 love the shared plates vibe, beautiful flavorsome food, happy hour 😋 will definitely go..."

Heidi Kursteiner

"BEST restaurant in Wellington cbd. It is a must visit whenever I am there. The quality of the food is always top tier, cooked to perfection and the..."

Ju W

"Service was on point I'd say despite it being a Good Friday holiday. And of cos, the food was really awesome. We had the Flatbreads, Polenta Chips,..."

Eileen Lui

"Excellent food and very friendly staff. Atmosphere was lovely and relaxed for dinner. We were there for a friends birthday, and the staff even let us..."

Kate Strawbridge

"Food was awesome. Absolutely love the Gnocchi, and Tiramisu. They don't have mocktails in the menu, but you can request the staff to make them and..."

Reset

There are 106 restaurants

Cuisine

Dietary restrictions

Meals

Structure

Dishes

European cuisine: the best places to taste it in Wellington

Ranking

Sort A-Z

near you

Filters

Gabi Chiele

Juwairiyah Nawaz

Carlos

Mari S

Jordana

Eduardo Oliveira (eduardocurva)

Jullian OXC

Shiori Onoda

Helena Vin

Kester Roberts

Vina Atkins

Mike and Rachel Dixon

B & B Sharpe

Angel

Wendy Whiteman

Nick Harding1965

Eddy Gara

Elizabeth H

Dorian David Leigh Wilson

Andrea Skews

Clément Campagna

Lachlan Fleming

Robin Lei Cliburn

Byron Elvey

Mohammed Al-Shaboti

Jason “SpeedyKiwi”

Tara Leigh Slade

Alison Peat

SaintBread

Chloe Gay

Stephen Wright

Ching Jung Lin

Sam Allen

Devon Bruce

Ryven Sonic

Ashley Krynen

Grant Peck

Larissa Cooney

Felicity Hopkins

Sean Johnson

Conor Daniel

Greg Kelly

Brittany McCown

Eliza W

Kristina Hagan

Dollar & Dollar

Pirmin Schürmann

S Panapa

Dean Hamlin

Ross Findlay

Alex de Liefde

Steffie Davids

Ben Stokes

Janet Blishen

Leo Browning

Gerard Hermans

Kim Parker

Carl

Rebecca Peterson

J K

Lucas Monge

Steven Pearson

Stephanie C

Jade Wihongi

Serena Johnston

Pat Taylor

XL Lyu

Karen Fereira