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Cafe Crawler Lucy

Food Reviews in Wellington, New Zealand and Beyond

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As well as being a place to find reviews in and around Wellington and New Zealand, I also dabble in cooking! 4 years ago I worked a very long summer as a junior chef, which gave me the passion I have for food today and also a few little trade recipes that I still cook today. Get inspired below!

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I think I can speak for everyone who works full time when I say you get HUNGRY during an 8-hour shift - and so what better way to satiate those mid-day cravings than to hit up one of the best lunch deals in town at @theoldqtr 👌. At this place, a mere $15 can get you a lunch that’ll keep you filled to the brim all the way until dinner! You’ve also got so many Vietnamese combo meals to choose from to heal your hunger - form Vietnamese Bahn Mi’s, to Summer rolls, and even traditional curry! My favourite, however, are these bao buns that you see before you. These little bao’s are absolutely banging, no matter which filling you choose, but my personal faves are the tempura aubergine, marinated tofu or the soft-shell crab. The tofu bao is super sticky and sweet, but that fresh popping’ pickle really cut through the sugary sauce. The Aubergine one looked innocent, but don’t underestimate as this bad-boy bao had a KICK to it. The hot sauce really brought out the sweet juiciness of the aubergine, and the tempura batter and salad gave it that much-needed crunch against the soft bao. Overall, another fantastic lunch here at The Old Quarter that had me energised for the rest of the work-day! If you work around here and have a hankering for some Viet-food, make sure to make this your first stop. 👏 #cafecrawlerlucy #cafecrawl #cafenz #restaurantnz #theoldquarter #theoldquarterwellington #vietnamesenz #baobun #vietnamesecuisine #baobunnz #foodwellington #wellingtonlive #wellingtonlivenz #foodienz #foodnz #wellingtonfood #wellingtoneats #foodblog #foodblogger #blog #follow

Noble Rot: To some people, noble rot is a type of fungus that infests crops of grapes, damaging their properties. To us Wellingtonians, @noblerotwinebar is the prestigious wine bar tucked away on Swan Lane. Check out my latest review on this 5-star wine bar - Link in my bio! 🍷

Another absolutely delicious meal made by our friends at @ciciocacioosteria ! For starters, we have a little cheeky antipasto platter (well, I didn’t because that thing was meaty), and also some bruschetta with oozy melted cheese with ripe cherry tomatoes and a pop of balsamic drizzle. For the mains, I decided to go for their asparagus fettuccini which was fresh, green, and creamy - but surprisingly not too heavy on the ol’ stomach! The homemade pasta was the real star of the dosh, however - with every slither of fettuccini, you could taste even more of the love and effort the chefs put into these meals. I also tried their seared swordfish and bean salad, which is a fish I’ve never tried, but after this meal, I’m definitely searching for another slice of this seafood! The fish was meaty but also melt-in-the-mouth, and it held this strong but mellow flavour that carried throughout the dish wonderfully. Every single dish here is made from the heart, and I can speak for every single customer when I say that we definitely taste the passion. If you haven’t tried this place and have a crazy craving for some Italian, make this your next dinner date out! #cafecrawlerlucy #cafecrawl #cafenz #restaurantnz #ciciocacio #ciciocaciowellington #italiannz #pasta #italiancuisine #pastanz #foodwellington #wellingtonlive #wellingtonlivenz #foodienz #foodnz #wellingtonfood #wellingtoneats #foodblog #foodblogger #blog #follow

What's better than one cocktail? Obviously, its 2 cocktails - and luckily at our resident modern-Asian inspired dining lounge, @dragonflywgtn, these cracking cocktails are half price every single Tuesday - meaning double the fun for the price of one! My friend and I were totally unadventurous and went for their Coconut Raspberry Colada, which was a truly oriental take on the classic Pina Colada, using lychees and raspberries which added a delicious pop of sweetness and tanginess alongside the savoury coconut rum. The new drink we devoured was their Pear and Passion, which gave us big summer vibes (even though the weather is still shit) - not only from the radiant colour, but the sour and sweetness of the pear, orange and passionfruit that gave us a pop of fruity freshness with every sip. The cocktails and food here at Dragonfly are no-joke delicious, and if you’re ever in need of a spot for date night, girls night, or even a night for yourself - this place is the place to come for impeccable food and drink. #cafecrawlerlucy #cafecrawl #cafenz #restaurantnz #dragonfly #dragonflywellington #cocktails #pinacolada #asiancuisine #cocktailnz #foodwellington #wellingtonlive #wellingtonlivenz #foodienz #foodnz #wellingtonfood #wellingtoneats #foodblog #foodblogger #blog #follow

If anybody says @@tjkatsu_nz isn’t their fave Welly sushi joint, they’re lying. Why? I mean, just take a look at this sushi and tell me it doesn’t look downright delectable 🤤 TJ Katsu is honestly a lunchtime lifesaver, with so many choices for pescatarians and vegetarians, this place caters to all without slipping on the flavours! My favourite rolls are the eel, salmon, and crab - but I can’t come here without getting a skewer of their fried and definitely fatty Takoyaki balls - if you’ve never tried them, you’d better make them your next order! Always a solid 10/10 for TJ Kastu from me - super cheap nosh that fills me up with my favourite fishy food 😍 #cafecrawlerlucy #cafecrawl #cafenz #restaurantnz #TJkatsu #TJKatsuwellington #sushi #seafood #takoyaki #sushinz #foodwellington #wellingtonlive #wellingtonlivenz #foodienz #foodnz #wellingtonfood #wellingtoneats #foodblog #foodblogger #blog #follow

After a 3 hour hike up the Bermont Trig you better believe I was down for something carb-loaded, and what better way to get my daily dose of calories than to visit the pasta pioneers of Petone - @wholymac 🍝If you haven't already heard of them, you need to get out of your cave (or Aro Valley flat), as they have been blowing up on every Wellington food blog since they opened their doors, serving the citizens of Wellington macaroni cheese that's better than any mums recipe. The huge hype piqued my interest, and last Sunday when I found myself in Petone I knew I had to go. I ordered their Mac n Sea which was their classic creamy mac topped with succulent smoked fish, capers, creme fraiche, and herb crumbs. I've never been a big Mac n' Cheese eater, but boy I could have a bite of this every day. The smoked fish and tangy capers matched the creamy heaviness of the mac n' cheese, and the crumbs gave it the little crunch texture it needed. My partner ordered their vegan Mac a Phoni with Kasundi, chickpeas and spinach - and honestly? You wouldn't tell it was vegan. The creaminess was still there, and the spicy Kasundi and chickpeas cut through the thiccc cheese super well. All in all, a bloody massive meal that was 100% flavour and damn well worth it on price - $14.90 for a bowl of Mac that could feed a small village? I'm in! The only downside is that I have to journey out to Petone to enjoy Wholy Mac, which on reflection is probably a good thing for my waistline. 9/10 for you guys at Wholy Mac - you've set the bar high for any Mac n Cheese now and onwards! #cafecrawlerlucy #cafecrawl #cafenz #restaurantnz #wholymac #wholymacwellington #macncheese #seafood #vegan #foodwellington #wellingtonlive #wellingtonlivenz #foodienz #foodnz #wellingtonfood #wellingtoneats #foodblog #foodblogger #blog #follow

The plant-based people of @thebotanistlb have only gone and done it again - and when I say this, I mean they’ve pulled some meal-time magic from up their sleeve.🌱Friday last week my partner and I treated ourselves to something we’ve been meaning to try for ages - the Botanist platter. You might think “how can you have a platter without meat”, but holy smokes, I’d come back for this every day. The ensemble of breads, chips, tempeh, cheese, guac, olives, tomatoes, salads, pumpkin and spreads encouraged our taste buds to try new combinations of foods I’d Never have paired together. Every element was delectable and well worth the $38 we paid for the board. Of course, we couldn’t help but get a few sides, which my waistline isn’t happy about but boy were my taste buds when I sunk my teeth into those succulent Jalapeño poppers and the crunchy cauliflower wings! This place has to be my favourite in the whole of Wellington, every single time I’ve been here they absolutely smashed it out the park for service, flavour, ambience, and of course, plant-based cuisine! #cafecrawlerlucy #cafecrawl #cafenz #restaurantnz #thebotanist #thebotanistwellington #wineplatter #plantbased #vegan #vegetarian #foodwellington #wellingtonlive #wellingtonlivenz #foodienz #foodnz #wellingtonfood #wellingtoneats #foodblog #foodblogger #blog #follow

What do you get when you cross Greek food with Italian Food? A feast that has your senses kicked into overdrive. Check out my newest blog reviewing the @ciciocacioosteria X @oikoshellenic Mediterranean Master Feast collaboration - link in my bio!

What’s this dirty looking box of food? Only the best drunk feed in Wellington, that’s what. @lordofthefries.nz I’m not sure about your burgers, but I can 100% vouch for you fries - they are hella dirty and hella delicious. These fries are the thickest potatoes (perfect for soaking up alcohol), which have been smeared in hot, Smokey, creamy sauces and sprinkles with ‘cheese’ curds and ‘meat’. It’s the naughtiest post-town feed out for vegans and vegetarians, but boy is it the best. No part of me regrets smashin this back. If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s definitely worth the stumble from Courtenay place to Cuba street! 🤙 #cafecrawlerlucy #cafecrawl #cafe #restaurant #fastfood #veganfastfood #lordofthefries #lordofthefrieswellington #dirtyfries #drunkfood #drunkeats #wellingtonfood #wellingtoneats #wellingtonlive #wellingtonnz #foodblog #blogger

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