The economic downturn that has closed some bars has created new opportunities for the bold businesses opening perpendicular to Courtenay place. Felix Clarke went to see what’s new.
When asked what pushed them to expand in 2026, Naj – the owner of Filipino restaurant Fiesta– says the answer is simple.
“Customers asked for more demanding dishes — traditional Filipino food like adobo and bone marrow soup. Our tiny kitchen on Chew’s Lane couldn't keep up!”
Food at the Allen Street restaurant is an experience. The traditional “boodle fight” style of dining builds camaraderie and togetherness: A feast is laid out on banana leaves, and you simply take what you like, with hands or gloves.
“We feel like a bridge between the Filipino and non-Filipino community. People come as part of a group, and it’s their first time with traditional Filipino food!” Naj says. “Usually they later come back for the “street food basket,” she adds, grinning.
Lucky8 and Patagonia store. Photos: Felix Clarke.
Lucky8 has a similar story. Mr Hao, a small kitchen in an Auckland Chinatown, went viral for its chilli-chicken bowl. Restaurateur Paul Wong took that attention and ran, developing a signature dining experience that’s everything Kiwis love — colourful, affordable, and reliably delicious. Paul’s approach is to charge less for food, and make up for tight profit margins through sheer popularity. Due to low costs and vibrant restaurant design, Lucky8 draws a much younger crowd than most. “We saw that Courtenay is becoming more of a food and drinks area rather than strictly nightclubs, and once that beautiful old building went up for sale, we had to go for it.” Paul said. Within a month of opening, you can find Lucky8 packed to the balcony, even on a weeknight, so don’t forget to call ahead!
If the closure of nightclubs created a temporary vacuum, a suite of canny businesses have leapt at the opportunity, creating a more diverse precinct that attracts people during the day as well as at night time.
O-Studio is a wellness centre that’s the complete package for physical and mental recovery. Its membership already includes both Phoenix and the Hurricanes. Healthfit, a new gym on Allen, has been noticing increased membership as the vibe becomes brighter, healthier. Even legendary US brand Patagonia opened their first New Zealand outlet store on the same block, betting that Wellingtonians will connect with their mission “to inspire people to protect our wild places” now more than ever.
The bar scene is not dead, though, just evolving. Seven Sisters Brewery, known for fruit smoothie sours that are probably the most unique thing happening in beer, opened on Blair, and Panhead Brewery is around the corner on Tory. Glou Glou in the Exchange building has been operating as a café but is now extending hours on Wednesday to Saturday, announcing they will “bring a little slice of European wine bar culture to the Courtenay Precinct.” Together with Thunder Road’s transformation into Lynott’s Irish Pub, brand new Courtenay-adjacent bars are enjoying crowds of exhausted locals who want more than just a $14 lager and Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” every weekend. If you’ve previously written off the quarter, now is a great time to explore the inner city again, as things truly haven’t been as positive, fresh, and plain fun since before Covid.
