Kisa

This is a great restaurant situated on corner of Cuba and Vivian Street in Wellington. It was busy for a Monday night. The service and food were excellent. This is a turkish restaurant. They cater for dietary needs and allergies. They have vegan and gluten free options . The food was extremely tasty. The staff were friendly and provided fantastic service. One that was interesting is there is not a great deal of privacy. It is on a busy street corner and you have people watching from the street. Photos include a beef short rib on rice and chickpea, lamb chop, tahr kebab, beetroot salad...

Such a treat! 🥙✨ This place has decent options of DF and GF (think their GF bread was bit on the crispier side) also a super clear allergens menu — ordering is a breeze. The garlic pilaf was pure magic, my partner relished all their dishes, especially the wild thar, and for my fellow non-meat eaters, the falafel main plate is a total win (and great for sharing!). Dessert was fresh and light, though I was hoping for a stronger hit of the pomegranate sauce. One of their staff, who took our coats, was incredibly professional and spot-on with customer service. Delicious food we’ll definitely be back.

A well-established, well-marketed spot that delivers exactly what it promises: good food and reliably attentive service. Our experience was smooth from start to finish, with dishes prepared competently and staff keeping things running efficiently. While nothing missed the mark, there wasn’t a single showstopping plate that made us eager to plan a return visit purely for the wow factor. Still, it’s a solid, satisfying choice—especially for casual catch-ups or a lively meal with friends. The ambiance leans more social than intimate, so it’s better suited to groups than a romantic dinner for two. Overall, a confident 4-star pick and a dependable place to have a good time and a good meal.

Kisa in Wellington was an absolute delight — every dish felt fresh, light, and wonderfully authentic. The menu offered a perfect mix of vibrant veggies and flavorful meats, made for sharing and savoring. The atmosphere had that rare warmth that makes you want to stay just a little longer, and the service was attentive, genuine, and kind. Perfect for a long lunch or an easygoing dinner — highly recommend.

FAVOURITE RESTO IN WELLY. before visiting kisa, i’d never actually tried middle eastern food only those drunk kebabs in the middle of courtenay place (iykyk, if that even counts). this was my first time trying real authentic middle eastern dishes and omg… every single one was delish. i had no clue what to order, so just picked a few different things off the menu and everything was worth trying. i usually don’t eat lamb bc i don’t like the flavour, but they totally changed my mind the lamb skewers were insanely good, so flavourful and full of umami. ⭐️HERE IS THE RECOMMENDATION ⭐️ TARAMASALATA (the lime oil was so flavourful) 9.7/10 HUMMUS (loved the crispy chickpeas) 9.4/10 MUHAMMARA (creamy with a nice walnut taste) 9.3/10 SPICED WILD GOAT MINCE LAHMACUN FLATBREAD (wasn’t sure what to expect but wow probably the best dish i’ve had this year. never liked lamb mince before but the combo with the flatbread was amazing please order this) 9.8/10 FRIED BRUSSEL SPROUTS (omg the woodfired flavour!! i used to hate brussel sprouts but hell yeah so flavourful, a must order) 9.7/10 NOHUTLU GARLIC PILAF (never say no to pilaf loved this as a side with lamb skewers, perfect duo) 8.5/10 CHARCOAL LEEKS (yum with the almond dip) 9.1/10 MOZZARELLA BÖREKS (like mozzarella sticks with a crispy thin layer great starter) 8.2/10 SMACKED CUCUMBER (garlic yoghurt cucumber, not too special but good as a side) 8.0/10 LAMB PIRZOLA (tried 3 different skewers on the menu and this was the best the meat just melts on your tongue, so soft, perfectly grilled medium-rare. love you chef) 10/10 FLANK STEAK ŞIŞ KEBAB (a bit firm but still tender enough, and the smoked butter with two sauces made it so good) 9.4/10 LAMB URFA KEBAB (classic lamb kebab flavour, really good meat just didn’t love the whole tomato on yoghurt part. still flavourful overall) 9.1/10 TA'AMEYA FALAFEL 9.4/10

Hands down, the food at Kisa is delicious. Every dish hit the spot—flavorful, fresh, and perfectly executed. I’m not usually a bread person, but wow, the bread here was next level—tasty, warm, and honestly, I’d go back just for that. The service was super quick, which is always a win, and the prices were fair for the quality. Highly recommend if you're in Wellington!

Turkish inspired contemporary dining, quite authentic, a blend of Turkish flavours with fresh local produce. Service was very good, staff were attentive and friendly. One of my favourite spots to bring guests and visitors from overseas

Had a fantastic time at Kisa the other night! Really impressed by how kind & professional all the staff were. Highlights were the goat mince flat bread and the lemon tart. The dishes came out in appropriate order, and we waited no time at all for the first course. Wish the date pudding came with caramel sauce as it was a bit dry but overall an amazing experience.

Best meal I've had in New Zealand! Every dish we had was so delicious!! This place is cozy and really cute. The staff was really nice. We started out with the muhammara, which is a bit spicy, but really good. The pita bread was yummy. We split the lamb shoulder, which was superb! For dessert, we split the pumpkin ice cream sandwich. Man, was that the best! I can't rave about this place enough - one of the best restaurants in the world!!

WOW! I found this on a "top places to dine in Wellington" article and it did not lead us astray. We were worried about getting a seat here since it seemed so popular for dinner, but we went early and snagged a bar spot at the chef's table - right in front of the kitchen glass. Honestly, this is the best spot in the house! The menu had us drooling from the start - we ended up asking our waitress for some recommendations, and she didn't lead us astray. For dips and spreads, we got the lor cheese and the hummus - both incredible. I LOVE that they have gluten free flatbread available! And it was to die for. For mezze, we shared the lamb kebab and smacked cucumber. The kebab was a small portion but so well seasoned and the best lamb we had on our trip. The cucumber had a delicious punch and was the perfect pairing. Everything we ate here was unreal - and our waitress' service really helped us navigate the menu.

Had a great dinner on Friday night with a group. We had made a reservations and were seated immediately. Our server was quite attentive and took our food and drink orders in a timely fashion. He was also really helpful in recommending the right volume of food to order for our group, as well as drink pairings. For five adults, we ordered three dips (with pita), 3 small plates, and two large plates. It felt like the right amount, we might've been able to order one fewer small plate. The dips were all super tasty and the pita was really hot and fresh. The small plates were also great, the fried brussels sprouts were a true stand out. the Large Plates (market fish and the falafel) were both delicious, but our meal was a little bit marred by the fact that one of our small plates (the charred cabbage) and one large (the falafel) came out probably 20 minutes after the other things. Since half of our group was vegetarian and half were not, this meant that the fish eating folks were done with their meal like 20 minutes before everyone else. We left those folks to pick on a dessert while the vegetarians finished up. For dessert, we tried the lemon tart and the chocolate labneh cheesecake. The lemon tart was..properly tart - would order again. That cheesecake was definitely unique, but had kind of an unexpected sour taste that I'm not sure I would recommend. Overall, the food and service were great and I'd be happy to eat here again, but it might be better in a smaller group with fewer items ordered so everything could come out in closer proximity.