Updated September 2025
Weekend brunch outings to catch up with friends or family members is one of my favourite favourite pastimes and as a result I seem to have amassed an impressive number of photos of Wellington brunch places on my phone.
Wellington’s best brunch spots have to be checked out if you’re visiting – here are my absolute favourite places to have brunch in Wellington New Zealand.
Beach Babylon
232 Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay
Brunch at Beach Babylon is a vegetarian’s dream: a menu with too many amazing options to choose between! Fortunately their Big Breakfasts contain a little bit of everything so you can have the eggs, the Mexican beans AND the mushrooms on toast should you wish to.
Beach Babylon doesn’t take bookings which usually puts me off suggesting it as a location to meet large numbers of friends, however that’s a sign of an establishment being excellent. The food comes out fast and the portions are decent. Sit outside on a fine day and take your dog if you have one – there’s a menu for them too!
Maranui Cafe
7 Lyall Parade, Lyall Bay
If Maranui was busy before Harry and Megan visited, it’s only got much busier now. Located above the Maranui surf lifesaving club with amazing coastal views, I love to pop in with visitors to Wellington on our way from the airport.
There’s always a wait at weekends – the shortest time I’ve had to wait for a table on a weekend is around 10 minutes and often the queue is out the door and right down the stairs.
The food is worth it however, some of my recommendations being the crumpets which are sweet and delicious and the tofu scramble which was lovely though not a large portion and the toast with avocado seemed overcooked and dry. It was also a novelty having Rice Milk in my flat white.
Choice Bros
62 Ghuznee Street
When a new Wellington brunch eatery starts to regularly appear in my Instagram feed I take notice. The entrance way to Choice Bros Guznee Street (formerly Husk) features a lot of fairy lights which quickly made it a social media favourite among my friends.
Walking in for the first time I wondered about the history of the building and what used to be there but I have no recollection – Choice Bros just appeared suddenly and was immediately popular.
The Choice Bros brewery is on site as well as a roastery and their production is visibly exposed which is pretty cool to watch. As brunch spots in Wellington go Choice Bros has a great vibe, different spaces and the Skakshouka (Turkish style baked Eggs), Green Breakfast and Hot Smoked Salmon are all flawless meals.
Choice Bros offers some of the best coffee in Wellington but after a couple I’d recommend trying a cider or sour beer. The bar staff let me taste basically everything on tap in order to make an informed decision.
Southern Cross Garden Bar & Restaurant
39 Abel Smith St
Another of my favourite Wellington brunch spots is somewhere I love to to take out-of-towners to. ‘The Cross’ feels quite uniquely Wellington with its garden bar. Blankets and hot water bottles are required most of the year, but the sun, lighting and atmosphere make it an awesome place to hang out.
There’s enough space that you can rock up with a large group without a booking and get a table and be assured that there will be something for everyone.
My current favourite on the Southern Cross brunch menu is the Portobello Benedict (sesame seed avocado balls on English muffins with portobello mushrooms, spinach & cashew hollandaise) with a side of eggs and a flat white coffee with coconut milk.
Loretta
181 Cuba Street
A Wellington Brunch Guide wouldn’t be complete without mention of Loretta.
The monthly menu is printed on paper and the helpful staff are happy to mark up what will soon those with intollerances. Water glasses are also topped up continually.
The plates are very pretty – Green Eggs, Continental Breakfast with Salmon, crumpets and open sandwiches for something smaller.
Loretta has seating for around 120 people but being busy and they way people and tables are dispersed around the place still makes it challenging to find a table for a large group if you don’t have a booking.
August Eatery
75 Taranaki Street
In a heritage-listed Methodist church building with large windows, the menu at August Eatery is Mediterranean inspired (Istanbul eggs, spanakopita) with a nod to Greek roots (tsoureki french toast). They have a strong focus on fresh produce, so the menu changes with the seasons. With both a breakfast menu and a brunch/lunch menu which starts later, it pays choose your booking time based on your menu preference.
It’s a busy wee spot with tables closely packed. The staff are lovely and attentive and the coffee is excellent.
Your turn – where is your favourite brunch spot in Wellington or anywhere else?
