Neera J.
Yelp
When I'm in Wellington, I usually try to scope out at least one new spot. While visiting for work, my Airbnb hosts recommended Loretta when they heard I was vegetarian. It was pretty spot-on with plenty of options.
The feel of the place is kind of modern european country... bit of an industrial napa feel? Concrete and wood came together to make a clean but warm space (the heaters around inside also helped keep it from being a cold wasteland!)
The menu was interesting - they do roast chicken and have a beef and fish option, wood fired pizzas, a nice sounding crispy chickpea pasta dish, and then a heap of dinner main-sized salads featuring a variety of of grains - farro, quinoa, buckwheat, freekeh. There's also a number of small sides for sharing.
I was having a really hard time deciding (not a bad thing!), but finally decided on a halloumi salad with raddichio - but what really sold me was the promise of nashi pear and persimmon. Sadly, the very thin slices of pear and persimmon where barely noticeable and seemed to disintegrate the second I tried to spear them with my fork.
I tried their seeded sourdough as a side. I was a little disappointed - I was expecting more traditional San Francisco-style sourdough, and it was more of a dense loaf. Also, it came out cold and for some reason I was envisioning something nice and toasted.
Their wine list is a mix of french, italian, and kiwi wines. It's pretty extensive.
HIghly recommend skipping the dessert and grabbing a salted caramel to go at the counter. $4 a pop - pretty steep, but if you're a salted/burnt caramel fan like me, you won't be disappointed!
I think this place is relatively new in Welly - I'd definitely check it out again and try a pizza or one of the grain salads next time 'round!