January 9-17, 2025

Kia ora! My fiancé and I took a trip of a lifetime to Aotearoa (the Māori place name for New Zealand, meaning “land of the long white cloud”). We spent a week in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, so that I could attend and present at the International Council for Traditional Music and Dance conference, and so that she could go shopping and experience Kiwi life. We stayed at the Naumi Studio Hotel on Cuba Street. It’s a boutique hotel that was clean, comfortable, and well worth the stay.

We spent a lot of time on Cuba Street. There were lots of shops, restaurants, coffee shops, and retail. There was an abundance of things to do!

When I was not at the conference, we went to several amazing locations:

• Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne: This 225-hectare wildlife sanctuary is home to Aoteatoa’s unique species of birds, reptiles, and plants. This was my fiancé’s favorite thing to do in Wellington! Our tour guide, John, took us on a 2-hour hike throughout the sanctuary. It was hard not to feel like we were walking through Jurassic Park, just minus the dinosaurs. We learned interesting facts about wildlife and gained a deeper appreciation for the biodiversity of New Zealand. We got to see a tuatara! This reptile is like a lizard but is the only species of its own order. It’s unique to other species of reptiles. Fun fact, baby tuataras have a third eye on their head, which is then covered by a scale when it grows.

• Cable Car:The iconic cable car takes you on a 5-minute scenic ride from the bottom of Lambton Quay to top of the hills in Kelburn. This was a fun experience riding to the top, where you are able to see a gorgeous, panoramic view of Wellington. In the direction that we’re facing, is the Cable Car museum where you can learn more about the history of its construction and cable cars in New Zealand. You can walk down towards Wellington through gardens. It was very scenic and worth going to.

• Wētā Workshop:If you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Avatar, you must check out Wētā Workshop! This guided tour takes you through the production of props, such as prosthetics, armor, and weapons, used in these iconic films. You can get hands-on experience with these props and take plenty of pictures. I’m a short guy…here’s some proof!

Some tours include transportation from Wellington to Wētā Workshop where get to learn about the film production of The Lord of the Rings. Definitely worth checking out.

Food

Finding a peanut-free restaurant in Wellington was a little harder than expected, given that many cafes told me that they had peanut items and could not guarantee cross-contamination. However, the safe restaurants that we did find in Wellington were incredible!

St. Pierre’s Sushi and Bento Bowl

My fiancé and I stumbled across this place on Cuba Street a few blocks from our hotel. Even though I’m Japanese American, I am always cautious around Asian cuisine since some Asian restaurants don’t fully understand the risks of cross contamination or peanuts are a core part of the cuisine. Japanese cuisine typically doesn’t use peanuts. I asked a worker if they had a food allergy menu, and to my surprise, they did! I checked through the list and did not see anything with peanuts. I asked to speak with the manager who then confirmed that there were not any peanuts. I got the bento bowl with Chicken Katsu, one of my favorites. My fiancé got some sushi, edamame, and miso soup, which hit just the spot. The food was pretty good. We went there twice during our stay.

Burger Fuel

I was interested in checking out how fast food in New Zealand compared to the U.S. In a google search before our flight, I found Burger Fuel. Their food allergen menu was comprehensive and clearly labeled out major allergens. At the time that we went to New Zealand, there were not any peanuts (they currently have a limited time peanut sauce for their Peanut Piston Burger at the moment of writing this blog [November 28, 2025]). I got a burger and was suckered into trying out the limited time hot rod fries, which was a bed of fries with a garlic aioli, hot sauce, bits of ham, and tiny pieces of pineapple.

Both the burger and hot rod fries were sooooo good. It definitely gave American fast food a run for its money.

1154 Pastaria

This pastaria was just flat out amazing. I ate here at least five times (because I loved it so much). The staff are very cognizant of food allergies. While there were no peanuts, they did have some tree nuts in some of their pasta dishes. The ticket range up “nut allergy” to make extra certain to avoid cross contamination. I got the pappardelle bolognese, fettucine carbonara, and rigatoni pomodoro.

*note: the toppings are bread crumbs

The restaurant space was a little squished, compared to American restaurants, but offered a nice view of Cuba street and had a welcoming atmosphere. Before our flight back to the U.S., I got a spaghetti dish to go to eat on the plane. The restaurant generously gave me it for free, on the house.

Nando’s Peri Peri

I’ve previously eaten at Nando’s when I lived in College Park attending the University of Maryland for graduate school. I was surprised to see this chain restaurant all the way in New Zealand. I checked their online food allergy menu, which did not have any peanut items. While I felt like their menu was not as extensive as the menu in the U.S., it had the same flavor and was just as delicious.

She got the halloumi cheese and I got grilled chicken. Both were equally delicious.

Los Banditos

I grew up in San Antonio, and so Mexican and TexMex cuisine are a core part of my palate. My fiancé and I decided to give this restaurant a try after walking around the shoreline in Wellington. I asked the hostess if they used peanuts, and she came back saying that one of the chefs has a peanut allergy and that they do not use peanuts in the restaurant. Great! We were seated in the restaurant. It was well decorated and had comfy seating. I got chicken tacos, and my fiancé got fish tacos. While I wouldn’t say that it was authentic Mexican cuisine, it was very delicious and satisfying. It hit the spot after spending some time out in the sun. It was a long day for us and so I forgot to take a picture; sorry!

Graze Wine Bar

Located in the hills of Kelburn (only a 10-minute Lyft ride away), Graze Wine Bar is a classy, intimate spaced restaurant that serves excellent wine and food. When I asked the waitress if they cooked with peanuts, she responded, “we only serve things that are only grown in New Zealand. Given that peanuts are not from here, we do not have any peanuts whatsoever.” Additionally, the owner and chef is from Chicago and had experience serving customers with food allergies. They both made me feel at ease very quickly. My fiancé and I ordered a flight of wine, ranging from New Zealand’s best reds and whites. We also got a pretzel with a cheese sauce for an appetizer and shared a strawberry shortcake for a dessert.

Y’all. The food. And. Wine. Were. Incredible. This was a great last date experience in New Zealand before heading back home.

Sweet Release

Wellington is known for being a vegan hub. Between my fiancé’s pescatarian diet and my peanut allergy, it is sometimes hard to find a vegan restaurant that is good for both of us. Sweet Release was exactly the spot for us. Everything there was nut-free. I tried numerous dishes, such as the BBQ bowl (which was made out of seitan), sandwich wraps, and brownies. Oh my God. The brownies were the best I’ve ever had. The fact that I could have dessert was a major win in my book. I also got my daily morning caffeine by getting their brown-sugar latte made with oat-milk.

*note: the small bowl in the left contains seeds, not nuts.

They made lunch boxes in to-go containers. We each took one to the harbor a couple blocks down the street. There were some high school students jumping into the harbor (there are designated areas for swimmers). Suddenly, a small penguin came out of nowhere and swam near the students. We watched the penguin swim in circles while finishing our lunch boxes.

Unfortunately, the restaurant closed in July 2025. Hopefully it will open back up one day!

Concluding Thoughts

Traveling to Aotearoa with a peanut-allergy is completely manageable. Kiwis understand the severity of food allergies and most are upfront if they are unable to accommodate. Don’t let anxiety or your food allergies keep you back from experiencing the breathtaking landscapes and welcoming communities of New Zealand. We hope to visit back again soon!