Seashore Cabaret

Across the harbour and overlooking the city is Seashore Cabaret, a café housed in the Petone Rowing Club building that most definitely takes the title for best view of the city. The café’s name comes from the space’s history – it once was a dance hall.

Seashore Cabaret is a cacophony of colour, sound and energy. The café is decked out with colourful tiled ceilings, vintage-style signage, industrial-style lighting and furniture, and booths that look like rugged seaside bach walls. But best of all, the space is packed out with old-school pinball machines. As if the harbour and city views weren’t enough…

On the food front, there’s a solid breakfast menu that caters to all dietary requirements, an impressive lineup of fresh cabinet food from the in-house bakery, and come 11 am, there’s everything from fish tacos to burgers and more. The café opens late into the evening Thursday through Sunday, and has firmly cemented itself as the favourite spot for local craft beers, cocktails, and stunning sunsets on this side of the city. There’s also a lineup of homemade sodas and milkshakes. 

Seashore Cabaret still runs their crazy popular Thursday night 2-4-1 burger deal, a happy hour on Friday, and 2-4-1 desserts on Sunday evenings. On weekends, the well-loved downstairs kiosk provides gelato, takeaway coffees and freshly made carnival doughnuts to people enjoying the Esplanade.

A café that certainly doesn’t do anything by halves, Seashore Cabaret is good fun and high octane. It’s constantly teeming with people (and their four-legged friends on the dog-friendly deck), so do expect to wait for a table – though the staff are attentive and good at keeping things moving. Seashore Cabaret is a Wellington institution.