Kisa is a new Middle Eastern restaurant in Wellington first brought to life as a pop-up by hospitality entrepreneur Dean White. Wonderfully, its permanent residence is quickly becoming a hotspot for foodies since its opening last week.
Located at Cuba Street, the 90-seater space boasts an open bar and kitchen with a charcoal barbecue oven. As well as simple brown and white tones, cosy long couches that’s perfect for group dining and much more.
If you love its sister Ombra, you’ll be pleased with Kisa which puts particular emphasis on Turkish cuisine as well as the wider Middle Eastern region. Consequently, the focus is shared platters like creamy hummus, fresh flatbreads and spicy kebabs, to name a few.
Excellently, Chef Jonny Taggart puts effort into creating large platters that are gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian-friendly.
Menu highlights include flavourful mezze plates such as the Grilled Octopus ($23) with harissa, grilled fennel, leek ash, hot paprika oil, Kebabs from $23 with fillings like lamb, flank steak, garlic yoghurt and more. Plus, the Shawarma Spiced Lamb Shoulder ($54) and Pan-Fried Market Fish ($42) are serious crowd-pleasers.
Dessert is also unmissable. Go for the traditional Baklava ($14) with pistachio ice cream, orange blossom syrup, toasted walnut and filo or the rare Chocolate Labneh Cheesecake ($14) infused with lime and sea salt.
Additionally, enjoy a range of cocktails with a Turkish twist and plenty of Martinborough wines and local craft beers. Certainly, Kisa in Wellington is the authentic Middle Eastern dining experience to try this season.
📍 195 Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand