ADDRESS:   10 Kent Terrace, Mt Victoria, Wellington
CHECK WEBSITE FOR OPENING HOURS
MAINS:   $25 – $42
WEBSITE:    capitolrestaurant.co.nz
CONTACT:   04 384 2855
SCORE:   16 / 20

Chef/owner Tom Hutchison has gone around the world and back again in his pursuit and delivery of good taste. Christchurch-born, he’s fine- tuned his skills in Auckland, Melbourne, London and the south of France. The capital has had him, and Capitol, for 18 years. His wife Kate manages this Kent St restaurant, which prides itself on local seafood and ethical produce. Hutchison extols his restaurant’s values – fresh, pure and uncluttered – and embraces the ‘less is more’ approach, saying he doesn’t like to layer ingredients with ego, he’d rather just enhance their flavour. The warm and vibrant Capitol is but a hop, skip and jump from Courtenay Place, so it serves a number of needs, from a cocktail at the bar, to lunch or a spontaneous after-work meal, to a fully- fledged grand occasion. Any time is a good time to go.

IN BRIEF Where the ingredients speak for themselves