A new restaurant in Wellington, and I thought I would give it a try. I booked through First Table, which meant having an early dinner, but that wasn’t a problem.

The restaurant has taken over the former Cinta premises, located beneath the well-known Red Hill. Very little has changed in terms of the fit-out, apart from a few minor touch-ups and the addition of a viewing window into the kitchen, which I don’t know if it was the wisest of moves.

After being seated, we were informed that there was a misprint on the menu—or should I say “manu”—with the ribs listed at the wrong price. Unfortunately, the pricing error wasn’t the only issue. The menu was riddled with spelling mistakes and inconsistent capitalisation throughout. However, the most glaring error of all was that the word “menu” had been printed as “manu.”

After struggling to read the menu, I ordered the fried chicken to share as a side and the brisket as my main. With each meal, you can choose from a selection of sauces. For the chicken, I chose the sweet honey sauce, and for the brisket, I ordered ranch.

When the brisket arrived, I was surprised to find that it was served pulled on a piece of bread, accompanied by vegetables and fries. The sauce also wasn’t ranch as expected; it was more like a sriracha-style sauce, although I didn’t mind the substitution. The vegetables were well-cooked, though I wasn’t expecting them to be included, and the fries were enjoyable. The bread at the bottom was brioche and toasted, which was nice but not expected.

My main disappointment was with the brisket itself. I had expected sliced brisket rather than pulled brisket. While the pulled presentation may have made it seem like a generous portion, I felt the actual amount was closer to 1.5 slices of brisket.

The fried chicken was good. It was coated in breadcrumbs rather than some of the other styles often used, and looked like chicken tenddies not fried chicken. The sweet honey sauce, however, didn’t look especially appealing. For some reason, I had expected the chicken to be tossed in the sauce, but instead it was served on the side.

I don’t want to be overly critical of this place, as it’s clearly a new business finding its feet. That said, I do feel it may face challenges in today’s competitive market. Also, don’t try to save money and use AI to design your menu and marketing. It may save money, but it really looks stroppy.

The restaurant itself didn’t feel particularly warm or inviting, and seeing the server wearing a puffer jacket reinforced that impression. The food was decent and will likely appeal to those who enjoy a traditional Kiwi-style meal — the classic meat-and-three-veg approach. There’s certainly a market for that style of dining. It also seems like it does a decent amount of food delivery

For me personally, however, it wasn’t quite my cup of tea. That doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it, but it wasn’t a dining experience that I would rush back for. I genuinely wish the owners and staff the best of luck. Starting a new restaurant is never easy, and I hope they build a loyal customer base and find steady success in the future.

Instagram: Wellington Smokehouse

Address: 119 Manners Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011