About
Learn more about Highwater Eatery — an award-winning Wellington restaurant and wine bar focused on seasonal menus, sustainable local produce, and a thoughtfully curated drinks list. Experience warm, modern hospitality with a relaxed, vibrant atmosphere, genuine authenticity, and a strong emphasis on quality and value — possibly one of the coolest restaurants in the coolest little capital.
About
RESTAURANT & WINE BAR
2026 Roads & Kingdoms top 50
2025 Cuisine Good Food Awards ‘1 Hat’
2024 Cuisine Good Food Awards ‘1 Hat’
2023 Cuisine Good Food Awards ‘1 Hat’
2022 Cuisine Good Food Awards ‘1 Hat’
2021 Felix award winner ‘Outstanding restaurant of the year’
2020 Felix award winner ‘Outstanding restaurant of the year’
2019 Felix award winner ‘Outstanding new establishment of the year’
Highwater Eatery is a modern inner-city Wellington restaurant and bar serving seasonal, flavoursome food, using traditional techniques and making nearly everything in-house. Our menus celebrate local, sustainable, and ethically sourced produce, working closely with local growers and like-minded suppliers.
Located on lower Cuba Street, Highwater is known for its seasonal menus, chefs menu, curated wine list, high quality cocktails, and warm, thoughtful hospitality. With a focus on charcoal oven cooking and seasonal dishes, we’ve become one of Wellington’s standout dining destinations for dinner, drinks, and Saturday brunch.
Our drinks list features a thoughtful selection of New Zealand and international wines from producers focused on sustainable and organic practices, alongside locally brewed beers, seasonal cocktails, and great coffee from our friends at Rich Coffee.
We are proudly owner-operated and committed to being open, inclusive, and welcoming — creating a space that we hope encourages curiosity, conversation, and a genuinely enjoyable dining experience.
We are currently open for Saturday brunch and lunch, and dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
You can find us on lower Cuba Street, in the heart of Wellington — we look forward to welcoming you.
Sustainability
Sustainability for us goes beyond the menu; we are making a continued and concerted effort. Some things we are doing are:
Minimising our wastage in diverting waste to landfill by composting food scraps and recycling.
Using cleaning products that are currently New Zealand’s leading environmentally friendly, hospitality grade products.
We are straw-free and use bio-degradable takeaway packaging.
We encourage BYO keep cups and takeaway food containers by offering a discount. We also stock and sell beautiful handcrafted pottery keep cups by local potter Galit Maxwell, which we hope will encourage keep cup purchases.
We will be continually looking for ways to minimise waste and increase our sustainability efficiency.