Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
International
Organic
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
European
Vegetarian restaurant on the south coast of Wellington serving innovative cuisine, local and organic wines, botanical cocktails and craft beer on tap. The restaurant has a sheltered courtyard and views of the bay. Bookings recommended. Open Mon-Sun 9:00am-10:00pm.
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Rep Onepu Road, Lyall Bay, Wellington, New Zealand
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 18 Apr 2023 by VeganRunner_88
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Added by Wildevegan on 12 Mar 2017
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89 Reviews
First Review by Wildevegan
dave-alter
Points +199
One of my favorite places in Wellington - Edit
Love the location. Food is great, people are friendly!
Read morePros: Affordable , Delicious, Cozy
Guest
lesbeanflannel
Points +753
Solid fish n chips - Edit
Have been severely let down by vegan fish and chips before, but these ones were delicious! Wish the whole place was vegan but was glad that we visited. Found everything very laid back and had good service. Would recommend for the fish n chips!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-09-13
Guest
MerchantAdventurer
Points +104
Yum to the power of yum - Edit
Great meal, lovely staff. The vegan fish and chips were fantastic.
Read moreGuest
ninala36
Points +46
Tasty food, friendly service - Edit
Great food, vegan options clearly labeled. Friendly service, really great restaurant, would go again in a heartbeat.
Read morePros: Tasty, Clearly labeled, Nice views of Beach
Guest
Rigorous_hiss
Points +21
Okay - Edit
We went on a Tuesday night, so it wasn't very busy but the service was sub-par. We had to ask for basic things - side plates, more water when ours ran out, the right cutlery for our meals. Our server made us feel like a burden when we asked for these things.
Read moreThe food was good, not amazing. It is great to have a place that caters to a gluten free and a vegetarian person in the same family.
Overall, an okay night, but let down by the service.
Pros: Creative menu, Options for multiple food intolerances, Nice cocktails
Cons: Service, Run down bathrooms, Two different soundtracks in the restaurant
Guest
deadendjob
Points +2566
Lived up to the hype - Edit
Highly rated Vegan places have been disappointing for me in the past but this place is great. Nicely laid out interior, doggos allowed inside, friendly accommodating staff (managed to squeeze my meal in before my flight) and great food. Highly recommend checking this out if you love Vegan food and have time to kill before a flight.
Read moreGuest
VeganSoapDude
Points +8127
Worth a stop if you're near the airport - Edit
Nice food. I wish they were fully vegan. They have vegan cheeses. They're so close 😋
Read moreCons: Not 100% vegan
Guest
SaraNorlin
Points +3541
Great for breakfast - Edit
Beautiful food and a lovely view. The chia seed bowl was great and their vegan sausages were amazing.
Read moreGuest
Dance4Plants
Points +332
Amazing creative food - Edit
The botanist consistently delivers on both taste and creativity. Always worth visiting if you're in lyall bay #Veganuary
Read moreGuest
ChanelleRodeka
Points +601
Terrible service - Edit
I’ve been here many times before and the service seems to get worse and worse.
Read moreYes they were busy today, but we were not warned of this nor of any delay.
Waited 10 mins before anyone even took our order. 25 mins later no food or drinks arrived despite us asking. On asking on the second occasion she says sorry there’s a delay it’ll be another 30 mins! Wtf!
So we left and went elsewhere.
Best avoid these holidays!! You’ve been warned!
Guest
Liiiiina
Points +208
Amazing Restaurant! - Edit
Simply loved everything about this place! The interior was super cute, the staff was extremely friendly (even when we were the last guests there) and the food was just delicious. The Jalapeño Poppers were the best I‘ve ever had and the fish & chips were super yummy, too. Would 100% visit again 🥰
Read moreGuest
Traboy21
Points +16
Brunch - Edit
I had a tasty breakfast burrito (vegan).
Read moreDelicious burrito with a nice side slaw.
The staff were both lovely.
Guest
Louanthes
Points +20
Fresh, Tasty Value - Edit
This bistro with plant-based fare is great for singles, couples and families of all kinds of folks. I had the banana flower "fish and chips" and it blew me away! The poutine was delish, the slaw was light and yummy. The service was friendly if a little slow, but the ambiance was warm and cozy with a seaside view.
Read moreGuest
SagaVigreBohinen
Points +1079
Great experience, bad marketing - Edit
There were so many negative reviews on Google, but we decided to try this place anyway. Apart from one staff, we had a great experience and everyone else were super friendly. Food was amazing, though I think it really depends on what you order. We had the breakfast platter, and it was great! We also had the pancakes which I wouldn't order again..
Read moreMy one big issue with this place though, is their "vegan" marketing. Everywhere online they're calling themselves "plant-based" yet they serve eggs and are a vegetarian restaurant. If they are a vegetarian restaurant, please just use the word "vegetarian restaurant" on your socials! It's clearly a marketing-ploy, and they are not plant based.
Pros: Great vegan breakfast, Good drink options, Cosy in summer
Cons: Calling themselves plant based but vegetarian, Seem to have an issue with some staff
Guest
rhinoxara
Points +310
Friendly staff but pancakes way to sweet - Edit
The staff was very friendly and helpful. I ordered the Tiramisu pancakes and they were way to sweet because they were drowning in Sirup. I could only eat half of them and when I looked around, most people who had ordered the pancakes couldn’t finish their portion either. But I think I will come back and give it another try and order something else.
Read moreGuest
RoopaKrithivasan
Points +92
Everything was excellent - Edit
Ordered a soup, a pasta, and a kids burger, and the tiramisu. All were very good or excellent.
Read morePros: All vegan, Allergens clearly marked, Good coffee
Guest
JohnBalkwill
Points +64
Excellent Food 😃 - Edit
Great options! We had takeaways and I loved the ‘Veganise Me’ - so filling & delicious!
Read morePros: Dine in or takeaway. , Try ‘Veganise Me’
Guest
VeganMountie
Points +503
Delicious brunch, best I have ever had. - Edit
So good, blew my mind. And a lovely view. Super happy.
Read moreAlso had a macadamia milk hot chocolate. I would have given them a five but they are vegetarian not vegan.
Pros: Breakfast was flawless , Across the road from the beach , Good options
Guest
TabithaA
Points +4799
Vegan! - Edit
100% vegan menu
Read moreWas very good service
Lovely place right opposite the bay
Generous sized meals, we shared a summer spaghetti and a lemon cheesecake
Really good selection if bites, mains, sides, desserts and a fully vegan wine & beer list
Pros: All vegan
LilacHippy
Hi, are you sure this is a vegan restaurant because their menu lists dairy and eggs?
Read moreTabithaA
They said 100% vegan, no eggs, no dairy, nothing on their menu was egg or dairy.
Read moreGuest
cashoocat
Points +203
Service lacking and freezing - Edit
Service was terrible. Staff didn't seem to have any care factor at all. The place was freezing.
Read moreCocktails were delicious. Food ok and good portion sizes.
Lovely decor.
Pros: Most of the menu vegan, Lovely decor, Nice cocktails
Cons: Terrible service, Freezing inside
Guest
hack_man
Points +25222
An A in Phytology - Edit
An absolutely stunning place with sea views overlooking Lyall Bay close to the airport and a short bus ride on the no. 3 from central Wellington. Arriving just after 3 we missed out on the lunch and brunch menu so had to gladly make do with a couple of burgers both served with fries or poutine from the reduced afternoon menu. My seitan chicken burger was particularly good with a lovely crisp spicy coating. There are also a wide selection of local craft beers and wines on offer which of course we dipped into to accompany the food.
Read morePros: Fab location , Great food , Nice interior
Guest
vegansoul88
Points +646
Nice food, bad service - Edit
**no more vegan fish and chips on the menu** (photo on Happy Cow is out of date)
Read moreWe are not overly excited about The Botanist as the service staff was pretty slow although the restaurant was only about half full. Our two coffees were standing at the counter for quite a while and when I got up to get them myself I was told that those ones were not ours. However, more mintues have passed and eventually one of the staff picked up to same coffees to bring to us. When making her aware that I was told that these ones where not ours she confirmed that suddenly they are and that these ones would be fresh ones...which definitely was a lie to my face as I had observed them clearly. And while we had to wait all this time our waitress obviously even had time to sit done and eat at peak lunch time.
We had the salmon bagel and die Banh Mi Baguette which were yummy.
Pros: Yummy food, Lots of vegan options
Cons: Slow and dishonest service staff
Guest
muzzletoff
Points +48
Creative and delicious - Edit
The dinner menu is fully vegan, and was hard to choose as it all sounded so amazing! I’m a sucker for a bao bun so we shared one of each and then had Tom yum soy chaap thing with noodles, and the “pork belly” main. All so amazing. My friend had the chicken noodle salad and said that was awesome too. Lovely spot by the beach, and good drinks
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-02-25
Guest
Lunasea55
Points +136
Dining by the sea - Edit
Our friends took us to this, their favourite restaurant, when we visited for a long weekend. Great location by the sea, lovely friendly staff, all the food is vegan and portions were very generous - we took leftovers home and had for lunch the next day. The jalapeño poppers were delicious and went well with my Aperol spritz. Our friends went for burgers but I was happy with a bunch of sides, including the most amazing char-grilled broccoli with a miso-sesame sauce. The edamame gyoza were also a highlight. I would have had dessert if I’d had room! Will definitely go back next time i visit. 😀
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-02-04
Pros: Delicious food , Good drinks selection , Beautiful location
Guest
Roger in PA
Points +317
Entirely vegan, imaginative menu, delicious food, nice atmosphere - Edit
Five stars. All items are vegan. I had the hot and sour chaap (soy based ‘meat’ with rice noodles, julienned seasonal veg and broccoli), my other half had the broccoli and tofu buckwheat (smoked tofu, charred broccoli steak, roasted sesame sauce, tarragon butter buckwheat), and we shared the cheesecake of the day (chocolate with vanilla 'ice cream'), and thoroughly enjoyed it all. Imaginatively conceived, very tasty, and beautifully presented. Terrific beer selection. Outdoor seating. Pleasant interior atmosphere. We sat inside on a high table at a window in the front — the best seat in the house, where we enjoyed watching the goings-on on the beach and planes landing across the bay into Wellington Airport. The neighborhood, Lyall Bay, is a lively beach town, not (yet) gentrified, and thoroughly pleasant.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-02-03
Pros: Really tasty vegan food with generous portions, Good service, Pleasing atmosphere
Cons: Acoustics amplify loud talkers — a minor issue
Guest
Savannastent
Points +102
Vegan heaven - Edit
Delicious food always!!! Lovely dining experience, amazing staff and the food is so scrumptious, their crème brûlée and cheesecake is to die for and I will always be a regular here.
Read moreGuest
rpoulova
Points +1622
Beautiful interior and nice staff - Edit
Really cosy place just next to the beach. The restaurant is spacious, bright, decorated with plants and has lots of seating both inside and outside. It has a pleasant vibe and lovely staff.
Read moreI came there for the "salmon" bagel but on spot decided for the banh mi. It was good and fresh, and the service was quick. They have many vegan options, specially on the brunch menu, so I definitely need to come back to taste more.
Pros: Loads of seating , Cosy interior , Many vegan options
Guest
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