A new Plant-Based Eatery has opened in Wellington. I first tried it during the Cuba carnival and then went a second time with a group of workmates. Slightly disappointed with the table we were given as we were seated on the high table and the seating after a while, started being really uncomfortable. We all suspected that they put us there as Nolita wanted us to arrive earlier. One of their staff did not notice that we had made a booking and accepted another booking of similar size and they were not sure if the kitchen and staff could handle it.

The service was pretty good especially for the place being relatively busy. The menu also has a lot of options between starter plates, pasta and pizza. We originally started with a couple of gluten-free garlic bread and I was really impressed with them. They tasted good and had lots of depth. I was really surprised how relatively light the base was and went really well with the chilli oil on the table.

II ordered the Orecchiette as my main and to be honest, it was really disappointing. It was something that I could have made at home and really had no depth to it. The initial flavour was good and loved the texture of the pasta but not enough seasoning from the capers, sun-dried tomatoes and olives. It just needed more. I also tried the Margherita, and it was far too much tomato sauce and no depth from the cheese. Also, tried the Tarfuto pizza and it basically tasted like mushroom soup. Finally, I ended the meal with the sourdough doughnuts and they looked like they were cooked in oil that was far too hot, as they were quite brown and the final product was really quite heavy in texture.

To be honest, I am don’t eat a lot of European plant-based cuisine and I was not impressed with this place. Originally, I went during Cuba Carnival and I was and recommend it to quite a few people. However, this time round I don’t think I will make an effort to return. The food lacked depth and felt like the cooks lacked passion for their craft. As a meat-eater, I needed more flavour in my food and was tasteless. It was really disappointing.

Address: 203 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011

Website: Nolita