Chocolate Fish Cafe

Surprise birthday lunch on a super sunny day. Lovely Cafe that's a bit like visiting your auntie's. Welcoming atmosphere for people, their kids and their dogs. Lovely spread out campus of indoor and outdoor eating areas nestling on the Eastern side of the harbour. Wenot8ced that just about every sort of Wellingtonian was there soaking up the sun and the vibes. Some top quality dogs there too. My choice the chickpea salad with grilled fish was simply divine. My partner opted for a nicely spiced kedgeree topped with an egg. Plentiful nut delicate tucker that was perfect for lunch. My own dish had a very good value salad base rich in leek, spinach and tomato. But that fish! Thinly sliced, crisp and exquisite. I'll be back for more. Coffee was superb as was the preceding Pinot Gris. Dessert was in the form of cardamom cake with flawlessly smooth yogurt accompaniment. Spot on.

I visited with a group of three on a Saturday afternoon and really enjoyed our time here. It was quite busy when we arrived around noon, but we were seated quickly. We ordered the seafood chowder, the breakfast sandwich special (fish of the day, bacon, baby spinach, aioli), the burger special (Tasmanian scallops, bacon, black pudding, crispy fries), and the truffle fries. The meats were cooked nicely, and the fish tasted fresh. While the presentation varied a little in quality, the food was delicious! The staff were warm and welcoming, even offering to take photos for us. There was a spacious indoor seating area and plenty of outdoor seating. Outside, there’s lots of space for kids to run around, including a small playground with a trampoline—perfect if you have little ones with the zoomies! I’d definitely recommend a visit, especially if you're in Wellington and haven’t explored the other side of the harbour in Shelly Bay.

We came here as part of our Capital Personalized Tour. We probably would never have stopped here otherwise with the location, but we are so glad we did! Definitely worth stopping by if you are in the area. The food was to die for and their chocolate fishes were the best we had. The flavors of the food were unique (in a good way!). They were bold without being overpowering. Portions were large. Service was prompt and friendly.

Really great place for a debrief and a chat after a hectic Saturday. Great work from the waiter who could’ve been 9ft on a good day. Great place to lay down a yarn and let your hair down

We were on a city tour and this was our lunch stop. Service was friendly and quick. We had the tomato basil soup, pork belly and schnitzel. All three were delicious.

Haven't been out here for yonks, but it's still as good as I remembered. Staff are fantastic and up for a bit of banter, food was great and the atmosphere was really lively outside... But I'm old and grumpy and the hubby gets sunburnt easily, so we hid away inside and out was nice and peaceful 😂 also, takeaway cakes were great as there was no room left for it after eating lunch

Quirky fun cafe with some creative cooking flair. Kudos to the chef who came up with the special scallop black pudding burger. It was strange but wonderful and perfectly balanced in flavours. The fish sandwich was light and pleasant. Beautiful location as well. Really glad we made the detour here to check this place out as our last meal in NZ before we headed to the airport!

This place is an absolute gem to find for visiting Wellys with kids. We have been twice because it ticks all the boxes for everything we need: space for the kids, good food, free parking, highchairs, and a baby change table. It has different ride ons for the track for most ages and the trampoline is always a hit. Sitting outside with the kids on a sunny day with a lovely umbrella and view of the ocean is such a nice treat after a long drive.

Funky cafe that is buzzing with activity. Great food. Four of us. We had whitebait fritters, smoked salmon bagel and corn fitters. All delicious. Smoked salmon was large piece with capers and cream cheese Pricey but worth the visit. Great service. Very efficient and friendly

It was okay. The sandwiches need to be differentiated a bit more. Wrapping everything in egg, putting it between bread with aioli and greens. Tasty.

The daily (Tarakin-white) fish sandwich was amazingly good, despite using un-toasted white bread. Great service with a good variety of food choices. Chocolate and white fish (shaped) cookie were offered at the end of the meal. Both cookies were quite good.

The perfect amount of chill with beautiful food! Epic coffee and a little bit of something for everyone

Parting lunch with cousins,hands down an awesome laid back place to eat.fresh fish and great service .Take the Kidd's the outdoor space allows them to run and play or ride a bike.A must if your there for weekend.

I always enjoy my meals here, just like I enjoy the atmosphere and the service. But today was different: I ordered the grilled fish with green beans and roasted tomatoes. The fish of the day was tarakihi; perfect, my favourite. Sitting in the sun, making use of the spare sun hats on offer and watching kids of all sizes playing on the bikes, adults sprawled on the bean bags and the yachts on the harbour. Idyllic. I was really looking forward to the tarakihi and I was not disappointed. Perfectly cooked, moist and beautifully fresh. It was mouthwatering. A good sized serving of green beans, just snapping to the bite, sat alongside and was accompanied by thick sliced roast potatoes generously coated in a divine creamy sauce. Could it get any better? In fact it did. Also on the plate were three roast tomato halves. What they had done to them I do not know but I have never tasted such sweet tomatoes in my life. I always say that tomatoes like those in the Mediterranean do not exist in NZ. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! These were sweeter than anything; perfectly cooked so that they were still intact, the skins super soft and the contents only just held together on my fork. Thank you Chocolate Fish. You sent me to heaven today.

While on vacation in NZ years ago, I went to this cafe and it was my favorite. Back then I would have given them five stars. They are right on the water so you can have your breakfast or lunch with an amazing view. Earlier this year, I went back for another vacation and had to return to this cafe. They were still there, but the food was just not as good. I think the owners have changed, but the view is still amazing.

My husband and I frequent this establishment once a month. We love their Pork Belly Sandwich and of course the Open Steak Sammie. We never really try anything else on the menu unfortunately because we crave it once we're there. It is that delish. They have a semi open kitchen where you can see the chefs cooking your food behind a glass window. I sit outdoor whenever possible to soak up the sun and the gorgeous view. This place is dog friendly and kids friendly and that means a lot for us.

Well the chocolate starfish was ok, but they did NOT have any hot dog flavoured water! !! Terrible. Staff didn't care about me as Peter Jackson was present.

Really similar to the chocolate days cafe in Days Bay. Absolutely key visit when passing by. Nice custom tables and chairs with good food and coffee. Very Wellington.

Finally, a place with HOT chocolate. If you want your beverage warmer than ice cold this is the place to go. Didn't try the food.