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The Crab Shack

3.7 (82 reviews)
PriceySeafood, Bars
Open 11:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

The Crab Shack Seafood Restaurant Photos

THE CRAB SHACK ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Touristy
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - The Crab Shack

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Reviews With Photos

Sauteed calamari gf with aioli
Elisabeth P.

We were enjoying walking and exploring the Wellington waterfront when the hungers hit. I go from Disney princess to hangry wicked witch pretty quickly, so luckily the husband spotted this place with tables featuring tranquil water views and whisked me inside. The interior of the restaurant is beautifully lit with large windows permitting natural lighting to flood the open space dining area. The high ceilings with net and basket lighting give it a fun fishmonger theme and the casual atmosphere is created by the rustic wood floors, mismatched stools, and wooden boxes with utensils at each table. Our server was friendly and helped me navigate the menu which has notations for gluten free items and items that can easily be modified. I had some sauteed calamari rings with a delicious aioli sauce and a by the scoop mussels and clams with a tasty thai green curry sauce. The mussels were massive and quite delicious but the sauce was a little hard to identify and got watered down. The husband isn't a lover of seafood, so he went turf with the mooloo burger which was good but could have used a bit more crisp on the fries. We loved the atmosphere, the proximity to the water, and really appreciated the ease of ordering gf. Definitely a perfect spot to de-hangrify yourself or that special someone in your life.

Stephanie C.

Granted that the ingredients here seem fresh, the way they cook it is only average. My fish & chips were semi-soggy, dry, and also took 70 mins to arrive. The crab cakes were also not firm enough and had the consistency of mashed potatoes. I'd say come for the vibe but not so much for the food. Don't expect fast service.

Dining area
Carol T.

Giant New Zealand mussels on special Mondays between 3-6pm for half price. It was very quiet when we went around 5pm. It worked out to be $15 for 1kg of mussels which is an amazing deal. The mussels were fresh, plump and large. We just had the white wine sauce which is a classic. I'd definitely come here for the mussels. I dunno if it's because they call themselves a shack and wanted a rustic feel but the cutlery didn't seem very clean. No biggie, I just used some water and gave them a clean myself. Bread and butter was $6.50 which is quite pricey for what it is. Nothing special, a small, white baguette with some butter on the side. Overall, great place for cocktails and seafood by the water and a great deal of you can catch their special. I'd definitely give this place a try!

Catch of the day taco was fresh, light, and just fantastic.
Sean M.

Maybe it was because it was raining and there is no close parking, but this place was not crowded. pretty quiet with 80's rock background music, and chill the night I visited. The food was great and fit the atmosphere perfectly. Not pretentious at all, but high quality, fresh, and just laid back. I'd definitely come back if in the area and looking for a neighborhood feeling place with great food. My server was awesome too! Super friendly and happy, she was on top of everything I could have needed, but not intrusive.

Paddle Crab
Rob B.

Fun with 4 types of crab I had the local paddle crab in the spicy preperation. The crab was rather mushy, not sure if that's the crab or the preparation. Lovely spot to sit and pick crabs for a while. Service was friendly and very nice. You still pay at the bar or hostess station as is the NZ custom.

David N.

45 min wait for this $25 piece of grilled salmon, salsa and slaw. On the up side is was an adequately sized all be it undercooked (and I love sushi) salmon -- rather than over cooked, piece of grilled fish. The shiraz was lovely after an equally wanting undersized margarita. Overall this meal is now is the worst without exception that I have had in the 4 weeks I have been in Australia and New Zealand.

Eton mess- sooo good
Janice T.

My sister and I were here on vacation back in Feb. It seems businesses here close relatively early. We decided to eat at the wharf and were not disappointed. This establishment has a more sophisticated menu that's on the dressier side connected to it called SHed 5. I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere at the crab shack and our waiter, Johhny (I believe) was very kind and helpful in aiding in our dinner choices. Our food was tasty, the service was great and it was the first time I was able to try Eton Mess and I was in complete love with it. (We definitely don't get that dessert in the U.S.) A great place to eat on the water!

& clam linguini!
Belle A.

Best dinner I've had in a long while! Our waiter Johnny, who hails from Ontario, recommended the Crab & Clam Linguine as well as the catch of the day Grouper! Topped off with Eton Mess for dessert!

John L.

Crab shack was busy when I came but they directed me to the bar at the back (shed 5) to wait for a table. The bar was fabulous playing Sinatra and making classic cocktails. Back to the crab shack. Service was swift and great. Good beers on tap and the suggestions on food were spot on. Come here.

Bibs and crab crackers
Jack C.

I visited this hugely popular Wellington eatery recently. And I was god smacked, not by the quality of the food they served. But the huge price difference between the Wellington restaurant and the newly opened Auckland one. I ordered pretty much everything that I could consume in one sitting. At the end, it was almost 50 dollars cheaper than what I would have paid in Auckland's the Crab Shack. The paddle crab was supposed to be in chilli sauce, but the chilli flavour was almost muted. The hot wings on the other hand was spot on with the hotness. It wasn't in your face spicy, but if you don't like the tabasco kinda of flavour then please don't order it. It can come across as a bit sour. The scoops of Tua tuas, diamond shells were pretty good. The cream sauce worked best with them. But they all felt like was coated in the sauces and not cooked in them. I also ordered the Jonas crab, which was a pot of 500grams of crab claws. Yes, it does taste frozen. As we don't have those kind of crab in our waters around New Zealand. Nonetheless it was a good eating dish, albeit a bit messy. But they do provide you with those adult bibs to cover up most of the torso, just be mindful of the incoming crab particles from the others around the table. The highlight of the meal had to be the bread platter. Yes, one of the cheapest things on the menu. The crab meat dip and the Indian flavour inspired dip was the best thing on that plate. I am not sure why they felt obligated to sprinkle large amount of parsley over the bread rolls. I mean come on guys, we no longer live in the 80's. Now, we have talked about the food. I am a huge fan of the modern industrial decor. The whole, we have spent money to renovate but you can't tell that we have look works best with the family style dinning atmosphere. If you want class, then the connected shed 5 would probably be a better match. But if you would just like to relax and enjoy some nicely cooked seafood then the Crab Shack is not such a place to be.

Crab Shack Wellington, inside Shed 5
Arena W.

A table for six took about 35mins on a Tuesday night at 8. I wasn't expecting to wait in Wellington, but it was well worth it and the friendly staff called us when our table was ready. Our table was close to the kitchen, so interest piqued about the elaborate stone oven contraption. Our waitress explained it was "hangi inspired" for the meat dishes on the menu, and while it sounded intriguing we weren't there for anything without a shell. The four clam scoops arrived first. We tried every sauce, and the white wine was the favourite. They were absolutely delicious and made for a meal in themselves with chewy sourdough to mop up the sauce. Then two pots full to the brim with Nelson paddle crabs arrived, and the clams were forgotten. Simply done with garlic, the meat was perfect. The fun of crunching through the crab legs would be lost for two dinners- go with a group!

The Lamb melted..

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The Crab Shack Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - The Crab Shack

Our food was tasty, the service was great and it was the first time I was able to try Eton Mess and I was in complete love with it.

Mentioned in 2 reviews

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Ortega Fish Shack - Fish dish

Ortega Fish Shack

4.7(50 reviews)
1.2 km
$$$

This was by far our favorite meal in Wellington and the service was super attentive and friendly…read more We never went without food or drink or the staff asking how things were going. To start with the appetizers the Oysters with the vinaigrette were the best I had in New Zealand we ended up ordering more because they were that good and the ceviche was excellent as well. Our daughters lemon prawn pappardelle pasta was fantastic she soaked up every last bit with the delicious bread. Both my wife and I ordered fish which were both prepared well and delicious. If I had to pick one restaurant to go back and visit in the North Island this would be it. The ambiance was quaint and comfortable with a fun vibe. We would highly recommend Ortega and hope to visit again.

We were a group of 3 with hunger in our eyes and jet lag in our spirit…read more 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.

Photos
Ortega Fish Shack - Duck pate

Duck pate

Ortega Fish Shack - Toasties

Toasties

Ortega Fish Shack - Shrimp and pasta

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Shrimp and pasta

WBC Restaurant

WBC Restaurant

4.6(8 reviews)
0.7 km

Up a flight of stairs, the Wholesale Boot Company is popping with energy and easily recognized by…read morethe amazing flavors wafting out. We had to wait a few minutes for our table (a good sign) and alit at the small bar, ordering a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from a vineyard recommended by the manager (Dogpoint, in Marlborough). We chose a series of small bites and were soon shown to our table; food started arriving rapidly, everything delicious! Bluff oysters and tempura oyster mushrooms; prawn sambal tacos; sticky Vietnamese-style chicken wings; prawn/chili jam salad. Too full for more, other dishes also tempted; a half-chicken satay style, Jamaican bbq fish, and smoked fish croquettes, among others. A solid recommendation, make an effort to come here!

We came here the other day as we were in Wellington and strolling along. They had great reviews on…read moreYelp so it was worth a shot to check out. The restaurant is up some stairs in kind of a neat place. We were seated right away and given menus. There was a physical menu handed to us but they also have menus as well as specials written on different chalkboards. Everything sounded so delicious and it was truly hard to narrow down what we wanted. We chose to get several things and split them in order to be able to experience as much of the menu as possible. We started with the pulled pork toast which was delicious. It was a buttery toast with the pulled pork on top. It was similar to a crostini. Next we had fried fish with a salad that had some great ingredients. It tasted like it had olive oil with lime vinaigrette and red pepper alongside an egg. Then we also had the market fish which was kingfish I believe. It was served sashimi style with chili sauce. Last but certainly not least we had fried clams. I was surprised at how amazing these were! To finish off the great meal we ordered the banana donuts for dessert. And WOW is all I can say! They had caramel sauce with chocolate, and were so delicious. Also be sure to try the vietnamese lemonade. The service was fantastic as well. Will definitely be back!

Photos
WBC Restaurant - Bone marrow w roasted lemon.

Bone marrow w roasted lemon.

WBC Restaurant - Note that several chips had been devoured already.

Note that several chips had been devoured already.

WBC Restaurant - Fried Eggplants

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Fried Eggplants

Wellington Sea Market - Fish

Wellington Sea Market

3.9(8 reviews)
1.3 km
$$

A great range of choices. Love this place. If you want…read morefresh fish, and cooked fish and chips this is the place to come.

Fish and chips are on my to eat list during my visit to NZ. After Googling for "best fish and chips…read morein Wellington", I headed over to Trawling Sea Market, which happens to be about 4 blocks from my hotel. This place is not a restaurant. It's a seafood market that also cooks your fish for you. They can grill or fry it. They do have a few tables and chairs but most people take their food to go. The store is clean! I walked in there and did not smell "dead fish" at all even though they are there. That shows you how fresh everything is! They sell combo meals that come with X pieces of fish and hot dogs with fries and drink(s). I really just wanted to try their fish and chips. One piece of fried fish is $4.10 (NZ dollars). Since everything I ate in NZ seemed to come in smaller portions compare to US, I ordered 2 pieces and skipped the chips (about $3). All the cooked orders are placed in paper bags. As soon as I got mine, I rushed back to my hotel room. As I took it out from the bag, I was very impressed with the size of each piece! I could have just ordered 1 piece! It was also very crispy outside with very fresh fish inside. I LOVED it but I could only each one piece. The other piece will be my breakfast tomorrow. The staff in the market were very friendly. The older guy at the counter greeted many of the customers by their names.

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Wellington Sea Market - Huge American size portion and super crispy batter.

Huge American size portion and super crispy batter.

Wellington Sea Market - Can't even begin to express how excited I am about this breakfast!

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Can't even begin to express how excited I am about this breakfast!

Whitebait - Smoked salmon. Carrots and radish.

Whitebait

4.2(13 reviews)
0.8 km
$$

If this is all I ever experienced of Wellington, I would be content. I'm having the "Story of Our…read moreSeas" tasting menu. There's no excuse when dining alone not to indulge in food porn photography ... so here goes every course and beverage. Writing about each would take more time than I have between courses... . The first oyster and vermouth with orange slice started me swooning... OMG the ravioli and the breads are a m a z I n g. I'm in heaven! OK I'm just going to say it: "This is the best restaurant meal I have ever eaten, in my life!" And the last time two times said that was at Fleur de Lys in SF, and at a little place in NOLA, no longer there, both many years ago. If only I could preserve the taste memories... definitely motivation to try! The beverage manager/sommelier is Rebekah, from Iowa. She has chosen the pairing and she knows her stuff! The wine pairings are amazing, and each is delicious. "Tough job?".... Nice career choice! The smoky Sancerre was delicious. I suppose that by beverage #4, everything is going to be superlative.... well the brassica (cabbage), celeriac, cheddar, and truffle... with this was inspiring. I want to learn to make food this good! My favorite of all - the perch. I pray that we conserve the seas so that our descendants don't just read about when the world was so full of a number of things... I tasted the cheeses too ( just to help finish off the Mancini Bianco. OK: decadent, over-the-top, once in a lifetime - Hope you can do this too! I added in a modest cheese course with raisin bread and pear? (to absorb the remaining wine. The "over-the-moon" 'Brie-like' cheese was orgasmic. Desert (read the menu description), inspired? along with small production: Petit Manseng. I'm sure I'm not the first to discover this... I'll have to look it up. Top Chef Master NZ? All guilt absolved, now that I have shared this... I may not be a sophisticated diner, but this is sensational! Wish y'all were here. To those who take this tip, and express your gratitude: YOU ARE VERY WELCOME! - so happy to share Also: service was teamwork - very caring, and improv choreography. Kudos! This is clearly their happy place. The chef and 'beverage manager' remind me of the Protopopovs (sp)?, ice dancing... That was two 1/2,hours very well spent! The other diners have company and are more blasé. I am the only one visibly swooning. My next career: food blogger?! BTW the $$ is misleading. At $100-200 ($75-150 USD) for tasting menu without/with wine pairings it is $$$$, BUT for this sublime, out-of-this-world experience, not unreasonable.

Outstanding dinner! It's a set menu, typically on the high end side for $90 per person. However,…read moreworth every penny. Food from preparation to presentation is fantastic, service is outstanding, friendly,prompt & knowledgeable, and the ambiance is quiet, nice & modern and spacious. One of the best meals we had. Can't rave enough about the food... it's so fresh & flavored perfectly. The oysters just melts in your mouth. The lamb had various cuts that you can taste the goodness & different texture from crunch to tenderness. And the desserts are just superb, very decadent yet simply wonderful. Very special dinner!

Photos
Whitebait - Beautiful tea service

Beautiful tea service

Whitebait - Dozen raw oysters (mixed coasts)

Dozen raw oysters (mixed coasts)

Whitebait - Market fish and shellfish (Ika mātaitai) roasted in the Josper oven Catalan style with saffron broth and romescada

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Market fish and shellfish (Ika mātaitai) roasted in the Josper oven Catalan style with saffron broth and romescada

Charley Noble - Greenstone creek scotch filet

Charley Noble

4.5(55 reviews)
0.1 km
$$$

Arrived in Wellington from Taupo around 3 pm. Checked into the hotel and researched dinner spots…read more Charley Noble came up so we took a short walk. Arrived right at opening. Seated quickly. We ordered a cider and beer. Dinner was delivered. Absolutely delicious. Perfect dinner. Perfect service.

This was my family and I's last meal in Wellington and this restaurant was a great way to end our…read moretrip here. It is beautiful inside and the staff are all very friendly. It is great for a nice dinner to sit down and enjoy a meal. We ordered quite a few appetizers and entrees to share as this was our last night here. We started with some raw oysters, smoke fish croquette ($9.50 each), focaccia bread ($9) with artichoke dip ($12), seafood chowder ($30), and the beef tartare ($28). Our favorites were probably the oysters and the focaccia bread with the spread. The oysters were fresh and we enjoyed trying them all. The focaccia bread went great with the spread as the bread was warm and the spinach dip was a nice cool dip to match. The bread was also perfect to dip in the chowder. For the entrees, we ordered a side of green beans ($14), fettuccine ($27|$37), Lumina Lamb Backstrap ($19 per 100g), and the Japanese wagyu ($85 per 100g). Our favorite out of everything was the wagyu. The lamb was delicious but it's not comparison after you have a bite of the wagyu. The Wagyu was cooked perfectly. The meat was not too thick of a piece to cut. The green beans were a great side to go along with the meal. The almonds added a nice crunch to the green beans. Overall, we enjoyed our meal very much. We felt that this restaurant was a perfect way to end our stay in Wellington!

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Charley Noble - Half the bar

Half the bar

Charley Noble - Oysters

Oysters

Charley Noble

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The Crab Shack - seafood - Updated May 2026

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