Ombra

Wow, high reviews for an Italian restaurant that is overpriced, but offers small portions, and absolutely mediocre Italian food. My friend commented that the pasta was very oily and lacked flavor. Same can be said for the risotto. The pizza was tiny, but they will inform you of that beforehand. The drinks did not taste good either. The restaurant itself was very warm to the point where you would be sweating. The service was fine, staff did not appear to care too much about customer service. Absolutely not worth it and I'm sure they're way better Italian spots in the area.

Had an amazing dinner at Ombra! The braised beef pizza was absolutely delicious — crispy base, rich toppings, and the flavors just melted together perfectly. The polenta chips were fun and crispy, and the octopus risotto was creamy with a nice kick. Great wine, cozy vibe, and friendly staff. Highly recommend this spot if you’re in Wellington! 🍷🍕

I recently dined at this establishment and was quite pleased with the overall experience. The food was of good quality, and the prices were set at a reasonable level, providing great value for money. It's an ideal spot for those seeking a casual dining atmosphere. While there isn't much to critique, one area for improvement would be the professionalism of the waiting staff, as it could be enhanced. Nonetheless, my experience was enjoyable enough to warrant a 5-star rating at this point. I highly recommend it for casual dining enthusiasts.

An absolutely divine dining experience at Ombra! We had a wonderful evening full of delicious food, friendly service and a cozy ambience. The food was reasonably priced, but outstandingly delicious. I would highly recommend the Baccala Crostini, it was to die for!! 10/10 experience, I highly recommend and a must visit when in Wellington!

I can feel my Italian grandmother rolling around in her grave with how bad the duck risotto was. I'm not sure if the chef was just focused on something else or what because it was not busy at all when I came in. But the risotto was severely undercooked. The rice was not chewy it was crunchy. Obviously rice that had been grabbed from the cooler and then not allowed enough time to properly absorb any liquids. It was terrible. Absolutely terrible. I ate a couple bites and then just could not stomach anymore even though I was hungry. Additionally, the wine in the dish was too strong. It just really needed more time to cook. The potatoes and octopus were excellent. The octopus was tender and flavorful. As were the potatoes and the sauce they came with. The servers were fairly polite if a little bit rushed because they have reservations in 70 mins. But they were perfectly fine seating me with the knowledge that I would need to leave within an hour or so. It didn't take me that long to finish my meal because I did not like it and it just honestly turned my stomach after a few bites. But at this price point I absolutely cannot recommend this restaurant. I don't know if they just saw a foreigner so they didn't bother to give it their all or what happened but honestly this was a terrible meal. The actual worst I have had while visiting New Zealand. Honestly the worst I've had in any restaurant in over a year, it was unpalatable.

My husband and I were a walk in. Staff very accommodating and good service. Food was amazing, we enjoyed all our choices. I savoured the Chianti and tiramisu which took me back to our trip in Italy last year. Thanks for a wonderful experience.

Went here for dinner on our anniversary day. They have some nice Italian food but not something out of the ordinary. The service was decent but seemed a little hurried up as we had booked a late slot. The atmosphere is decent. Their tiramisu is a must try!!!!! Overall it was slightly disappointing and definitely not a place for a special day dinner.

Pizza was insane. We could have done 1 pizza for each person.🤣 Other food was really good overall. Dessert was okay, but I guess it's pretty good considering the price? I highly recommend pizza for sure! Our staff was really kind and we were well looked after.

A lovey lunch we share the green salad, then ARANCINI and then the small Capsicum pizzette. The staff were so hospitable and were helpful in selecting our entrees. The green nut pesto was nice.

I gave my name for a table and was never contacted. Clearly the staff was bothered that I had a child with me. When I said I needed a high chair I was told they don't have any, to which I replied was fine as my daughter is old enough to sit in a normal chair if necessary. I told him I had a US number and he told me he'd find the country code... should have known at that point. Horrible service. Not sure what the name of the gentleman who told a lie to my face was when he said I'd get a text when the table was ready, but wish I had gone back for it.

We sat at the bar and had some wonderful conversations with waiters and people next to us and across from us. The food was great. Here is a picture of delicious eggplant.

Great food, decent service, good atmosphere. I'd give it another star if they would put effort in to catering more to someone looking for a nice non-alcoholic beverage. No NA wines or mocktails offered, disappointing.

Service: sullen waitress who got our side dish order wrong. Venison meatballs tasted like beef. Tasty gnocchi. Waitress only brightened when she spoke to a young man in the corner, a man who immediately trailed us as we left the restaurant, and tag teamed with a very tall man. This city gets lots of cruise traffic, and with that comes pickpockets. We got the distinct impression that the waitress, young man , and tall man were a team, something that we can't prove. Cool tin ceiling that appears original.

Sit at the bar. I ordered a pizzeta with meat (I forget which), feta , chilis and honey. It was delicious. Good wine, great service and a lively atmosphere.

We stopped here for drinks, before dining elsewhere (we checked out the menu in case we wanted to stay...we didn't). Drinks were inexpensive @ $8.50 each, but you get a noticeably light pour for that.

Cozy place. Loved the music and ambiance. My husband and I had dinner here. The staff was friendly and attentive. We ordered the pizza, sautéed broccoli, risotto with duck and venison meatballs. Everything was yummy and delicious. The portions were enough to satisfy one

We were looking for a brunch spot on a Saturday and came here on a whim. We didn't get eggs and the normal breakfast fare, but what we did get was great. It wasn't busy - much better than others nearby that were packed - and we really enjoyed every dish ... cauliflower with blue cheese gratin, beef meatballs, gnocchi, walnut/mozzarella salad and the fish of the day. Everything was great, tasty, fresh and colourful. Our server was fabulous and we really enjoyed it. One thing ... coffee was not enjoyed by the one of our group who had it, so we went elsewhere for the rest of us to have one. Otherwise it was great and I'd come back.

Wonderful food. Wonderful lighting. Eat at the bar. Meet nice people. We enjoyed the entrees and that was plenty. With wine ... I couldn't be happier. The wait staff was friendly and helpful too. Thank you Ombra.

I took in 4 of my friends that where visiting from England for a lunch. We had a great time here with good food and some wonderful Italian wine...Wines. It is Italian tapas, so its sharing plates. We all love some good banter with staff, and that's just what we got. We had a waiter from Italy who was fantastic. My English friends where very impressed and wanted to go back there for dinner, but as we have a rule when on tour that we cant go to the same place twice in a week. Boohoo! The food may not be 5 stars, but the whole experience was. Enjoy!

We happened upon this place for lunch and am so glad to have found it. Everything was incredibly fresh and flavorful: rocket salad, polenta chips (yes, please!!), duck risotto, and venison meatballs. I don't give many 5 star reviews, but this establishment is worthy.

If I could give six stars I would. Ombra was perfetto. Excellent service from the moment we arrived. Delicious food. Great drinks. Reasonable pricing. This is as good as it gets.

It's fantastic atmosphere and just a great place if you want to try a lot of different food to share amongst friends. Just amazing!

YUUUUUMMM!! We came to this place on a whim and I am so so so glad we did. I got the home made gnocchi and let me tell you--it was SO GOOD. The places came out at they were ready which was awesome because we had time to nibble on each tapa. I would absolutely return here. The service was great, and overall just an awesome restaurant!

We really enjoyed this restaurant. The service was friendly and attentive. We shared the polenta chips, margarita pizza (not the right name but same thing) beet root salad and rolled beef with mozzarella and pistachio. I would pass on the polenta chips and my husband who ate the beet root salad didn't love it but the other two things were great. We just loved the atmosphere and service. It is definitely worth a try.

This place is so awesome. My two friends and I went for dinner one night when we were on vacation in Wellington and we had the BEST time! We sat at the counter right in front of the chefs. Those poor chefs. They had to listen to my friend talk their ear off for what was probably 3 hours. It was so fun to watch them make all of the dishes: the rocket salad was pears was great, the pizza was pretty fantastic. And I've lived in NY. It was the perfect size and fresh and delicious. They sent us free gnocchi and comped one of our pizzas because it took too long to get to us. The pork wrapped with proscuitto or bacon or whatever it was was great. The meatballs were super tasty. The whole experience was super fun and I'm sad it's so far away otherwise I'd eat here all the time!

Food was 10/10 and the service was excellent! Would I recommend to a friend? YES Perfect dining experience for couples or small groups

I went here for tapas with a group of four. The place was bustling when we walked in so we sat at the bar until a table became available. Fast service for food and beverages all around, and the tapas were amazing!!! Great place for a light meal or meeting point.

Nice little place - serves up great little Venetian style dishes (similar to tapas). Lovely flavours, good sizes and great price. Wait staff are really nice too.

Wandered around town for a bit before settling in at Ombra for dinner. We had the Fritto Misto, Lamb, and Risotto for dinner, all were very tasty and well prepared. For dessert we had the tiramisu and nutella and banana pizza, both were delicious, though the pizza wasn't anything I couldn't make at home. Worth stopping in for dinner if you're in town, this place has a hip vibe, so if that's your thing then swing on by Ombra.

When in Wellington, do as the Wellingtonians do. This includes walking in pouring rain and high winds and eating and drinking on Cuba Street. I ordered the mozzarella and tomato arancini and they were delicious. I also ordered the sardines which were not that good because the sardines had too much dark meat in them. I also ordered the small but delicious mozzarella and anchovy pizza and I ordered the eggplant Parmesan which was possibly the best eggplant Parmesan I ever had. The eggplant was sliced perfectly thin and it had just the right amount of tomato sauce on it. The eggplant Parmesan also had the perfect amount of mozzarella so it was not too cheesy. For dessert I had the orange Campari tart which was delicious and perfectly sweet and crunchy. The prosecco was amazing, the right amount of carbonation, not too dry but not too sweet. So why not five stars? The service was lackluster and way too sporadic. It took me over an hour to eat and I was the only person in the restaurant. Unacceptable! Sad! Overall, an essential Wellington restaurant.

What can I say, this is THE place to eat in Wellington. Great food, nice cozy ambience, and professional serving staff. The only drawback is they don't take reservations, so sometimes you have to wait for a table, but it is an interesting part of town to browse while you wait. I'm not going to recommend any of the dishes because I think I like them all.

Hands down my favorite restaurant in Wellington! Visited with girlfriends from Los Angeles - and Ombra accommodated my two girlfriends and I for dinner. The food was AMAZING - meatballs, pizza, salad and pasta were all super delicious. We are not typically gnocchi people and it was delicious. Wine was great too of course. We had the opportunity to meet the chefs and they were hard at work and super fun to talk to. If you are looking for quality fresh food and a great vibe and dining experience - go here! They are awesome!

This is one of my favourite places to eat in Wellington. The food is always great - delicious Spanish tapas that are great for sharing, that way you get to try everything! Service is great and a good selection of different wines to choose from. The atmosphere is also really awesome and last time I was there there was even a spot of live music. My favourite dishes here are the beef and blue cheese meatballs and the homemade sausage. The poached pear with Gorgonzola gelato was also rather delicious!

Most attentive service we have enjoyed in years. Food extremely tasty and very fast to come out. Chiada looked after us well.... Even though we were tucked into a corner. Would definitely come back if we lived here..!

Go for the polenta crisps! Great and friendly service. Like most of NZ very good on gluten free dining.

This is the best italian I've ever tried, everything I've tasted has been divine. The pizza base is to die for and the tiramisu got the started on tiramisu in a pretty big way (theirs is still the best I've tried by far). Can't wait to stop back through Wellington to eat here again!

Most surprising a taste sensation i think im inlove what a fantastic resturant bigger than tapas but smaller than a normal main 3 dishes plus dessert was just right for us - and we love to eat.. will be back well priced great food