Atlas

When the much-loved seafood restaurant Whitebait closed in 2019, it left a gap on Wellington’s waterfront. But the team behind Whitebait moved fast, establishing Atlas as a fine-dining wine bar just months later, led by executive chef James Pask.

Sample international dishes from a diverse degustation menu, including a fully vegetarian (or vegan) option. Courses vary with the seasons but might include crayfish bisque, local Albacore tuna or wild-caught venison, with corn sorbet for dessert. The emphasis is on ethically sourced, local ingredients, and much of the food is made from scratch in-house.

Plenty come here primarily for the wine and that's understandable, with over 400 international and New Zealand options available, the vast majority organic or biodynamic.

Green and gold furnishings will have Aussies feeling right at home. It’s a suave atmosphere, intelligently lit and with angled acoustic panels on the ceiling designed to quell the cacophony of chatter. It’s the kind of place you can really kick back into a long, leisurely night, providing your wallet is up to the task.