Last Night's Dinner – Salty Pidgin

Wellington is a city surrounded by fringe suburbs, set among a beautiful hilly landscape. Nested in the middle of Brooklyn is the Salty Pidgin.

They say the early bird catches the worm, but the pigeon has a more leisurely approach to life, a life that I can certainly relate to when it comes to the weekend.

On a beautiful winter's day, after a good sleep to recover from the busy week that was, it was time to indulge in a cooked brunch, setting us up for a weekend full of activity. Salty Pidgin is a lively cafe and eatery situated in the heart of Wellington's Brooklyn, housed in a building with three different fully-utilised levels.

Upon entry, you'll arrive on the middle floor, met by a long bar with beers on tap, stool seating and a toasty fireplace nook. The remaining two levels have been used to create a more intimate dining atmosphere, making you feel right at home. I was seated on the bottom level, a space saturated with natural light.

My window seat provided a view of the busy street, people walking by in cosy winter jackets reminded me how cold it was, persuading me to order something warm and comforting. I choose the beef schnitzel served with potato mash and truffle parsnip followed by the traditional accompaniment of lemon slice, I also had to order the crispy cauliflower with harissa mayo, a perfect example of winter vege done well. What followed was a steady stream of beautifully-made flat whites and a freshly-baked muffin.

Salty Pidgin don't put all their eggs in one basket, serving breakfast and lunch on the weekends and dinner six days a week. They offer an extensive range of beverages to suit every occasion, including a hearty line-up of hot drinks, craft beers, a top wine list and a few classic cocktails.

The food here is a wonderful combination of classic flavours, presented in ways that will keep you coming back for more. Following my experience, it would be fair to say that Salty Pidgin is the kind of place that you want to claim as your local, even if you don’t live anywhere near Brooklyn.

Salty Pidgin
5 Todman Street,
Brooklyn, Wellington.
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Thursday – 4.00pm until late.
Friday – until late
Saturday and Sunday – 9.30am until late.