This post covers my favourite places to visit on Cuba Street in Wellington, you should spend time here when you visit the city.

Cuba Street epitomises Wellington’s culture and you can’t help but adore everything about it. I can’t believe I used the word adore? When referring to a street?

Anyway, when my friend recently visited, she declared her love for Wellington on her second day in the city after one walk up Cuba Street. So much so she was regretting her decision to choose Auckland as her home base rather than Wellington as we munched away on cake and hummus at Midnight Espresso.

I bet she’s not the only one. In general, people love Cuba Street because…

• there’s Cuba Street Mall, the pedestrian-only zone.
• there’s the iconic bucket fountain, always bringing smiles to faces.
• the buskers and artists.
• the quirky independent shops.
• the variety of restaurants and bars you can find.

Having spent four years studying in Wellington (2007-2010), and returning to NZ every year or two since I’ve spent plenty of time on Cuba Street.

With that being said, these are the places I frequent on Cuba Street, with a brief reason why.

At the bottom I’ve included a map of the Cuba Street shops mentioned in this post.

11 OF MY FAVOURTIE PLACES ON CUBA STREET

(They’re in no particular order)

1. MIDNIGHT ESPRESSO

Midnight Espresso sums up the hipsterish vibe that many see in Cuba Street. It’s a late-night cafe and during University my buddies and I would love to visit at about midnight (yay, pun) and grab dessert. Because that’s University life right? Joe Sundaes were the best (they might not make them anymore). Having not visited for ages, I was impressed with the vegan snack and meal options, and while the snacks are expensive, you can definitely share a piece of cake…it’s super filling!

2. WELLINGTON TRAWLING (FISH AND CHIPS)

I’m a sucker for fish and chips, and this place does amazing chips. While they’re on the more expensive side (I guess that’s too be expected with the location) if you want fish and chips in the CBD it’s the place to go. They also offer fresh seafood but I’m not familiar with that stuff (my bad). If it’s a sunny day, they’ve got outdoor seating next to the shop which gets the afternoon sun.

*For the vegans and vegetarians, they use cottonseed oil.

3. LAUNDRY (RESTAURANT & BAR)

As you walk past this place for the first place and you aren’t familiar with Cuba Street the bright green colour might catch your attention, but with the typical laundry (like where you wash your clothes) slogans (see photo) you’d not think twice about going in (unless you’ve only one pair of undies).

But, it’s a quirky restaurant with a bar and kitchen. The menu (#burgerlife) is awesome, and of course, they’ve got craft beers on tap and if you stay past 10 pm, they’ll shift the tables and let everyone show off their dance moves.

4. EKIM (BURGERS)

Ekim is a caravan cooking a long list of burgers, perfect for those who are fussy. They’ve got super casual outdoor seating you can’t help but relax here. It doesn’t seem to have a liquor license, but if it’s a decent day and not too windy, and you’re after a cheaper lunch on Cuba Street (that you don’t have to make), a burger here is perfect!

5. FIDELS (CAFE)

I’m not a coffee drinker, but this is the place to go if I take friends in Wellington for the first time and they want coffee. No one ever complains about the quality, and while you could debate forever about who has the best coffee in Wellington, Fidel’s has been around since the 90’s so they’ve got that nostalgic thing going for them (well, it works for me). The staff is awesome and the covered outdoor seating is cool on a nice morning.

6. HEY DAY (BREWERY)

Wellington, the brewery capital of NZ, woo! Hey Day is one of the newer kids (by kids I mean breweries…but imagine a kid called Hey Day) on the block and is one of my favourite spots to have a beer on a sunny day. The crowd is always lighthearted and they’ve got bean bags! The sun dips down behind the building mid-late afternoon so if you’re looking for a beer in the sun, make it an early afternoon beer (this was so good after running the Pelorus Trust Half Marathon).

There are a dozen or so craft beers on tap, so there’s something for everyone here…and the pricing is standard for the city.

7. IKO IKO (GIFTS)

During University there was an endless amount of BYO’s at restaurants around the CBD to celebrate someone’s birthday. For those of you who are like me and are shocking at buying gifts, this is the place I’d always go to on the way to dinner, and I did the same thing recently. They’ve got such an array of gifts to fit everyone’s humour and personality. They rotate them often, and it’s a good place to pick up a couple of unique New Zealand souvenirs too.

8. JJ MURPHY’S (PUB)

How could I not list Cuba Streets Irish Bar! This is the spot me and friends would go whenever there was some sport we wanted to watch on because they had cheap beer, a cheap lunch menu, and a pool table. We loved it! I haven’t visited in a while, but it makes me happy every time I walk past. They’ve got outdoor seating on Cuba Street Mall too, which makes for great people-watching. The Bristol a couple of spots down is good too.

9. LORD OF THE FRIES (VEGAN FOOD)

Back in the Uni days I would opt for the classic drunk kebab won the way home. But now my drunk meal of choice after a night out in Wellington is a Lord of the Fries burger. They aren’t the best vegan burgers in Wellington in my opinion, but you can’t go wrong . They’re a solid alternative to Ekim Burgers if you want a quick lunch on the go on a not so nice day as well.

This was the first thing I ate after watching the fireworks at the waterfront to bring in the 2020 New Year, haha.

10. SAN FRAN

While the majority of my partying (a rare thing now) in Wellington occurs on Courtney Place, I find myself at San Fran from time to time if a buddy really wants to see the live music there. I’d object, it’s an institution (the good type) of sorts on Cuba Street, every local goes to San Fran at least once, and it’s rare you’ll have a bad night out there.

11. V1 VEGAN STORE

This one’s for the vegans I guess. If you’re after specialty vegan food products in Wellington, this is the shop to look. It’s not cheap, but the staff is super knowledgeable so if they don’t have something in stock, they’ll at least be able to point you in the right direction. Mmmmm….jackfruit.

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MAP OF THE FEATURED SHOPS ON CUBA STREET

(you can save this map by click on the star)

Well there you go, I hope this helped you in some way shape or form when choosing a place to eat, drink, and/or shop on Cuba Street.

Once you’ve visited I’d love to hear what your Cuba Street favourites were.

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