The full Wellington on a Plate (WOAP) festival line-up is more than enough to get tummies rumbling, but we thought we’d highlight a few events that we can’t wait to enjoy.
A Bar of Chocolate
When: Thursday 5th of August
Where: The Library bar
Price: Free entry
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible.
Local lounge bar, The Library, is hosting the must-see event for all sweet tooths, A Bar of Chocolate. A full menu of chocolate cocktails, chocolate tasting plates, savoury chocolate treats, and a range of chocolate desserts that will satisfy any chocolate lover. Innovative menu items like eggplant caponata bruschetta with Whittaker's 72% and double-cream brie with cocoa husk lavosh make the experience truly unique.
A Feast for the Senses
When: Monday the 9th, Tuesday the 10th, and Wednesday the 11th of August.
Where: The Salty Pidgin restaurant
Price: $150 per person
Accessibility: No wheelchair accessibility
With over six courses in six rounds, a Feast for the Senses lives up to its name. Enjoy new experiences in this night of intellectual confabulation and sensory stimulation. Entertainment throughout the evening and a welcome drink when you arrive makes for a multi-sensory treat.
A Little Bit Country
When: Midday to late every day from the 1st of August to the 14th of August
Where: Beach Babylon café
Price: Free entry
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Southern soul food and live bluegrass music transform this beachside café with A Little Bit Country. Try the Tennessee-inspired menu with items like sweetcorn and pepperdew hush puppies, Nashville hot chicken wings, whiskey-apple braised port cheek, Kāpiti gruyere-parmesan mac 'n' cheese, and MoonPie fondue. Pair the meal with cocktails and good vibes.
A Game of Wine
When: Sunday the 29th of August, 12:00pm - 4:30pm
Where: Matahiwi Estate Winery
Price: $124 per person
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible
Wine tasting becomes even more fun at A Game of Wine with blind tasting, competitions, and prizes. Come and compete as a team or come solo and form groups on the day. You’ll compete to identify details of local wines, with a final round of recreating a specific wine blend. Then enjoy a wine-matched, three-course lunch by Kent Baddeley and one final quiz before the winning team is crowned. Tickets include tastings and lunch as well as a return shuttle from Masterton train station.
Around the WORLD
When: Tuesday the 17th to Friday the 20th of August from 6pm-8pm each day.
Where: WORLD Wellington
Price: $75 per person
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
With worldwide travel unavailable for most, the WORLD team is bringing travel to Wellington with Around the WORLD. A perfume itinerary exploring scents from a collection that will take your nose all across the globe. Travel along the Silk Road from China to Arabia, sail the Pacific from Japan, walk through English countryside, traverse the Mediterranean, and more. Olfactory delights are accompanied by specialty, hand-crafted for the evening, canapés and cocktails from The Canapé Company and J.M.R Cocktail & Co. to enhance the evening of multi-sensory pleasures.
Beervana
When: Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th of August at 11am-4pm and 6pm-11pm on each day
Where: Sky Stadium
Price: $50 per person
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Celebrating beer (or craft beer as it’s know in the rest of the world), Beervana is New Zealands biggest and most popular beer festival. Beervana is taking over Sky Stadium to quench any beer-lovers thirst. Interactive events, brewery displays, delicious food, and art-meets-circus entertainment make for an immersive celebration of beer.
Battle of the Galaxies
When: Tuesday the 3rd and Wednesday the 4th of August, 6pm-10:30pm on both days
Where: Foxglove Bar & Kitchen
Price: $75 per person or $450 for a team of six
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
The ultimate sci-fi showdown it taking place in Wellington with the Battle of the Galaxies: Star Wars vs Star Trek. In the ultimate quiz on both universes, teams set out to win glory for their favourite franchise. Sign up with friends as a team, or declare your loyalty when purchasing a single ticket to be paired with like-minded quizzers. As you answer questions on Star Wars and Star Trek, including bonus food and beverage rounds, you’ll dine on dishes from the cuisines of Endor, Naboo, Vulcan, and Remus. Every ticket comes with two drinks and a shared table banquet of dishes from all over the universe(s).
Foodies Cup of Tea
When: the 20th of August from 4:30pm-6pm and 6:30pm-8pm
Where: t Lounge by Dilmah
Price: $65 per person
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
The Foodies Cup of Tea is where tea-infused masterpieces come to life. Learn the beautiful complexities of tea from a tea sommelier and discover tea flavoured and inspired drinks with food pairings. The event showcases the versatility of tea, with tea for every mood, occasion, and taste or culinary preference. For foodies who love a cuppa, there’s no better place to be.
What’s on Beyond WOAP?
If you’re visiting Wellington and you want to see more of the city and its surrounds after enjoying the culinary creations, there are plenty of unmissable activities in Wellington.
• Discover Wild Wellington and see some of the natural beauty that makes up New Zealand’s capital.
• Get your coffee fix at one (or two, or three…) of Wellington’s best coffee haunts.
• Hit the links at one of the must-play golf courses in New Zealand.
Find the Perfect Accommodation for your Trip
Before setting out on a Wellington adventure, make sure you have your home away from home waiting for you. Accor offers hotels and accommodation in Wellington to suit every type of visitor, from budget-friendly to luxury stays.
