The 5 Best Restaurants in Lower Hutt Worth Eating At
David Harris
| Last Updated: October 2025 Not every restaurant serves up dishes worthy of being on MasterChef.
I remember one time I was eating at a restaurant in Arrowtown, and the steak was so overcooked. Gordon Ramsay probably would have screamed the chef’s head off if he were served the steak I got.
So when I found out I’ll be going back and forth to Lower Hutt for some business matters, I used it as an opportunity to try plenty of spots. After several visits (and a few misses), I found restaurants that actually served meals I’d happily eat again.
If you find yourself starving in Lower Hutt, here are the best restaurants I found.
How much does it cost to eat at a restaurant in Lower Hutt?
1. Ruchi Indian Cuisine
Address: 91 Jackson Street, Petone
Contact Details: +64 4 568 7000
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday to Saturday – 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM, 5 PM to 9:30 PM
- Sunday – 5 PM to 9:30 PM
Ruchi Indian Cuisine is where many go for authentic Indian food. All of their cooking is done using traditional spices from India, with the spice level to match.
I started my meal with their masala pappadum. For those who have never had it, it’s a crunchy lentil wafer topped with onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. I liked the sweet and refreshing mango chutney dip that came with it.
For my main, I couldn’t resist their butter chicken. I like how they use grilled boneless chicken and toss in cashew nut purée instead of just drowning the dish in tomato paste.
I also appreciated the option to choose my spice level, ranging from a gentle mild to a fiery “Kiwi Hot” or “Indian Hot.”
Their Tadka Dal, prepared Dhaba style, had that hearty blend of lentils and spice. The garlicky aftertaste, though, was a bit too strong for me.
Despite that, I liked their buttery ghee rice and the perfectly roasted cashews on top.
Food is delicious and customer service is exceptional
“Ruchi is one of the best restaurants in Lower Hutt / Petone!
Food is delicious and customer service is exceptional – one of the reason we keep going back is because we feel so warmly welcomed every time we walk through the doors.”
– Rachel Bullard, Google Reviews
One of the best Indian restaurants in Lower Hutt
“Definitely one of the best Indian restaurants in Lower Hutt. The Indian style butter chicken was really nice. If you like butter chicken but wants it less sweet then do try the Indian style option.”
– Daisuke Maki, Google Reviews
2. Gear Street Union
Address: 18 Gear Street, Petone
Contact Details: +64 4 282 1733
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Thursday – 11:30 AM to 10 PM
- Friday – 11:30 AM to Midnight
- Saturday – 9 AM to Midnight
- Sunday – 9 AM to 10 PM
Gear Street Union is housed in the retro old Wellington Motorcycles building, with cool artefacts and decor.
The best part? They’re dog-friendly!
While their menu has everything from loaded fries to bomb mac and cheese, it’s their burgers and hot dogs that won me over.
The “Who’s Your Daddy” and ”The Big Boiii Baby” burgers stood out the most.
The Southern fried chicken and two juicy beef patties in the “Who’s Your Daddy” are enough to keep you full. But I love how they pile on the pickles, smoky pulled brisket, savoury onion rings, and Korean BBQ sauce.
“The Big Boiii Baby” is equally top-tier. This monster burger has delicious pulled birria chicken with deep-fried mozzarella.
The burger has a creamy hot honey ranch that enhances the flavours of the beef patty, southern fried chicken, and onion rings.
Their hot dogs are just as good. The “Do Me Dirty” is a classic American hot dog topped with Texas-style BBQ brisket. It’s smothered in their triple cheesy mac, with pickles and a kick of sriracha mayo.
The only real con? The prices are high.
The food is always amazing
“This has been my go-to spot since the day they opened, and I’ve never once been disappointed. I’m a regular here for a reason the food is always amazing, and the service is just as incredible. Recently, I even hosted an event here, and I was so grateful for the management and team who supported me every step of the way. Their encouragement has me excited to host more in the future. I’ve recommended this place to so many of my friends and whānau, and they’ve all been just as impressed. Definitely my favourite spot!”
– Anita & Alec McCreath, Google Reviews
Flavourful and cooked perfectly
“Always a great experience here; the food is exceptional, some fun unique pairings of flavours. Brunch, lunch, dinner, rugby game, we’ve done it and loved it. Tonight i had the fried chicken burger, really delicious. Chicken was so well fried, flavourful and cooked perfectly. If anything the burger just needs a bit more spice kick. The place has a great drink selection, it’s great for non/light alcohol options too. Nihar was exceptional in looking after us, we really appreciated his time – he’s a credit to the venue“
– J C, Google Reviews
3. Rata’s Kitchen
Address: 5/274C Jackson Street, Petone
Contact Details: +6446501052
Operating Hours:
- Wednesday & Thursday – 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM
- Friday & Saturday – 5 PM to 10 PM
- Sunday – 5 PM to 9 PM
Rata’s Kitchen’s service is top-tier. I appreciated how the waiter always refilled my drink and answered all my questions about their menu.
The food served here can best be described as fusion dishes with a touch of inspiration from around the world. Take their Lumina Lamb Rump, for example.
I loved how the lamb itself was cooked perfectly, tender and juicy. The real kicker is their Asian-inspired date & tamarind jus, which brought a sweet and sour complexity to the dish.
For vegetarians, the Saffron Tagliolini is decadent but not overly heavy. The mushroom adds an umami punch, and the vegan parmesan goes well with the herbal saffron.
Plus, they have tonnes of beers, ciders, and wines. Their spirits and liquor selection is equally impressive, featuring a range of gins, rums, and whiskies.
I just wish the portions were a bit larger. While the food is undeniably delicious, I left feeling like I could have eaten a bit more.
The food was spectacular
“WOW! An incredible dining experience! The best we’ve ever had in Petone or Lower Hutt. We popped in to share a glass of wine with friends while they dined there. After hearing them repeating “Wow!” and “OMG!” so many times, we relented and ordered our own plates of entrees. I’m thrilled that we did because the food was spectacular. It’s rare that a chef can fuse cuisines together like this chef does. And, as fabulous as the food was, the service was even better. This young couple have put their heart and soul into this restaurant and it shows in all the small details. Most impressive of all, they don’t overcharge for the privilege of enjoying their food and wine. We enjoyed a delicious French red for $13.50 a glass. And at $32.50, the dearest item on the menu costs little more than a hamburger at many other restaurants. For dessert, you can enjoy a gelato for $5.50 or affogato for just $10, which is great value for mony. Don’t hesitate, give it a try! I hope the community gets behind this outstanding restaurant so we can enjoy their brand of magic for a very long time.“
– Kersi Taylor, Google Reviews
Best Restaurant in Lower Hutt
“Best Restaurant in Lower Hutt and in my opinion within the top three in the Wellington region. The menu was innovative, ambitious, well executed and well priced and the service was great.”
– Marcal Sanmarti, Google Reviews
4. EL TURKO CHARCOAL GRILL
Address: 146 High Street, Hutt Central
Contact Details: +64 4 979 2834
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday – 10 AM to 9 PM
El Turks Charcoal Grill made it on my list because of their authentic Turkish meats, cooked the traditional way over real charcoal. Their charcoal grill cooking method really helps the marinade sear into the meat completely, leaving each bite full of flavour.
Although the Iskenders looked tempting, I went with the Ottoman Feast. I loved how savoury the Adana (minced meat kebab) was and how juicy and tender both the chicken and lamb shish were.
It came with rice (they offer both regular and Turkish rice), a fresh salad, dips, and their homemade tomato sauce.
However, for those who feel like splurging, do try their Turkish beef steak. It’s a grilled porterhouse marinated in Mediterranean spices, topped with delicious garlic butter & their homemade sauce.
For dessert, I had to finish off with their baklava, which was flaky and buttery. It was topped with sweet chocolate syrup and had chopped nuts that gave the dessert a crunchy texture.
I’m just not the biggest fan of their drink selection. The tea I got tasted more watery than anything. At least, I know now that I can bring a bottle of red for next time because they are BYO.
The portions were so generous
”Had a great meal here in Lower Hutt! The food was very tasty and the portions were so generous, we even had to takeaway some. Really appreciate that they don’t charge extra for a takeaway box—wish more places did this! The apple tea was delicious, too. Will definitely be back.”
– Jabez Yong, Google Reviews
Definitely keen to come back for that comfort meal
“They opened a few months ago in lower Hutt on high Street, I saw quite a few very positive reviews about them, so we were keen to give them a go. The prices were great, with a dessert you come out with around $40 for a very filling 2-course meal. The portions were impressive especially if you get the keto meal, you will definitely be very full at the end of the day.
I am not much of a lamb person but our tablemates said the lamb was really nice. I loved my chicken thigh (chicken Turkmen), it was tenderly charred with juice still oozing out of the meat. We also got mezze platter to share, as it was a big group so they presented it slightly different with all the dips separated into different dishes. My personal favourite was the yogurt dip and the beetroot, not a huge lover of beetroot but this dip was amazing, had a very nice tangy flavour and a creamy texture, goes perfectly with the bread.
For the mains, you could choose between the turmeric rice or the Turkish rice, but the staff recommended the Turkish rice, so everyone chose that, it was a mixture of grains and lentils with a lovely fragrance, mixed with a piece of grilled meat and the sauce on top was a match made in heaven. Very impressed with their offering and the whole table pretty much finished their plate so that was definitely saying something! Had to go for a dessert because they sounded so tempting, many of us went for the mango float because it seemed like a good refreshing palate cleanser after the rich meal, but I could not get past the tiramisu so I went for that. All who ordered the mango float raved about how nice and light it was, there were 2 different presentations so I took photo of both 🤣
The tiramisu was more like a nice chocolate sponge cake with cream, happy with it and the portion size was pretty impressive, with two scoops of vanilla ice cream on the side, so can’t complain! Definitely keen to come back for that comfort meal! Bonus that we had the chef come out to show us his balancing trick, what a treat!”
– Pei-Ying Pan, Google Reviews
5. Banoo Persian Restaurant & Takeaway
Address: Centre City Plaza 51 Queens Drive
Contact Details: +64 22 678 3671
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday to Friday – 11 AM to 9 PM
- Saturday & Sunday – 12 Noon to 9 PM
Every dish I’ve had so far at Banoo Persian Restaurant is full of fragrant spices and a reflection of Persian culinary heritage.
Their “4 Season Persian Chicken Kebab” is a nod to that. It’s a medley of four distinct chicken dishes that show the best of Persian spices.
Their grilled fish kebab is delicious. I like that the type of fish they cook depends on their catch of the day. Visitors could end up trying salmon, yellowfin tuna, or moki.
I also like the fact that you can taste the garlic and saffron marinade in both the fish skin and the flesh.
They also have a massive naan bread selection. Honestly, it’s impossible to choose just one, which is why I usually end up ordering a few.
The Ghee Naan has a rich, buttery flavour. Meanwhile, the Za’atar Bread is topped with dried herbs, sesame seeds, and sumac.
The only real con? The restaurant can get quite busy, especially in the evening.
The portion size is generous
“This is one of the best hospitality service I have come across in Lower Hutt..
The chef is so welcoming and the food presentation is so beautiful.
The portion size is generous. Surely visiting again.
Tried vazire kebab, Iranian tea, 4 seasons chicken kebab, and of course baklava.
This place is not your normal Turkish take away, 100% fine dining.“
– Chrisban Futado, Google Reviews
You’ll fall in love with Persian food
“I’ve always enjoyed Persian food, and Banoo Persian Restaurant & Takeaway in Lower Hutt is absolutely fantastic.
The food is always fresh, full of flavour, and beautifully prepared. They serve Halal food, and the owner is incredibly friendly and welcoming, which makes every visit a pleasure.
Once you try it, you’ll fall in love with Persian food! Highly recommended for anyone who loves delicious cuisine.❤️❤️❤️”
– Carol Tiong, Google Reviews
