Ortega - Wellington

My Favorite restaurant in Wellington. Each dish has been perfected from their ceviche, with fragrant micro purple vietnamese mint, crisp shallots and crustacean oil to their Filet, overflowing with Bearnaise, with fries that taste like they have been fried in tallow, you don't want to add or subtract any element. Must eat at while in Wellington.

I must start by saying this is my favorite restaurant in Wellington. We were urged to stop in for a drink and once I laid eyes on the menu there was no other choice but to order until we could no longer muster the strength to eat another bite. Each dish delivered by the lovely wait staff was better than the previous. I'm writing this review on my third visit to Ortega in the last five days, so clearly it has struck me with lightning in a major way. I also had the pleasure of meeting the owner Davey who welcomed us with open arms every time we opened the door. Such a great guy! I would recommend items from the menu but really don't feel it's necessary here. Just walk in the door and let the staff lead you on your journey. Be sure to read the story of Ortega on the front page of the libations menu to properly immerse yourself into the experience.

Tasty seafood meal in Wellington. This place is extremely popular so either make a reservation or come early/late. Be willing to eat at the bar for additional flexibility, since there was plenty of seating available there. Drinks were super tasty, especially the El Pablito! Bartenders are very talented, so after seeing them make this one, I knew it was the drink I wanted. We shared the yellowfin tuna sashimi with yuzu and edamame, crayfish scrambled eggs, and the gurnard with yuzu and seaweed butter. The food was all very fresh. I definitely enjoyed the interesting mix of flavors for the gurnard. The crayfish scrambled eggs could be skipped.

We were a group of 3 with hunger in our eyes and jet lag in our spirit. They took us in, and let us know we couldn't sit longer than 90 minutes due to the busy night, and sat us at the bar. We ate fabulously and deliciously. Everything I read the description of and assumed wouldn't be as good as it sounded proved me wrong. cocktails were divine. They let us stay long enough for dessert and smiles, and a lil chit-chat with the bartender. All the staff seemed to love their jobs, the environment was warm and inviting, and I always look forward to going again when in Wellington. Go! You won't regret it.

What a lovely restaurant. The atmosphere, service and food were all fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed having dinner there.