ortega fish shack & bar

i think the fish shack is one of the best restaurants in wellington. the food is beautifully cooked using fresh produce. the prawn tagliatelle is the must try dish and my personal favourite. highly recommended!

this was the perfect night out for every reason. amazing friendly warm service from every waiter who spoke to us. a delicious negroni cocktail to start followed by equally awesome food. every dish we had was so tasty and beautiful . the seafood was impeccable and the best meal of our trip to wellington. not being from the area we asked for a wine selection and it was exactly what we wanted and $20 cheaper then our first pick.

after dinner we moved to the bar for more local wine and spirits and the bar tender was super knowledgable and let us try lots of things. he opened a special bottle of rare wine and let us have it by the glass though usually only sold by the bottle.

we actually didn't want to leave . we the were recommended a bar to continue on to which was helpful a friendly of the bartender.

i can't recommend this place enough .

ortega is known as a must-do for any foodie who visits wellington, so it was fortunate that ortega was able to squeeze in a last minute booking for a typically busy friday night. 

we arrived and were seated at our table. having already perused the menu online, i already had some idea of what i was after, and had my eye on the sashimi given my weakness for raw fish. but as my partner so loves to do every time we eat out, he asked the waitress what she recommended. to my relief, the sashimi was a green light and she also suggested the shittake mushroom and oyster risotto. 

so we went with:
starters

- shiitake & oyster mushroom risotto, goats cheese, parsnip chips, hempseed oil: this was a lovely moreish dish, perfect for the slight nip in the wellington night air. the parsnip chips provided a nice texture and that extra crunch made things just a bit more interesting. the goats cheese was also a winner in my eyes, striking that delicate balance between heaviness and creaminess.
- kingfish sashimi, pickled cucumber, wakame, sweet wasabi, yuzu & white soy dressing: this was quite a contrast to the risotto, in a good way. the flavours were light and the entire dish was best enjoyed with all elements combined in one mouthful.

mains:
- pan roasted snapper, parma ham, sage, beluga lentils, pea, gnocchi & truffle broth: the ingredients were fresh and i could taste that. the gnocchi texture probably wasn't the best (if one wants good gnocchi - i would suggest pegasus bay winery), but it worked well in combination with the rest of the dish. 
- smoked warehou, ragout of flageolet beans, chorizo, piquillo peppers, artichoke & aioli: this dish had a slight mediterranean/moroccan flair to it and the slight spice mixed with the smokiness of the chorizo in each mouthful made things a bit different.

the dessert menu looked rather enticing, but alas our table was booked for at 8:15pm, and i was unwilling to scoff through my dessert, should we have chosen to order in the remaining fifteen minutes.

oh well, there's always next time. 

if you want something moreish, but a little bit more classy than your casserole, and less pretentious than other fine dining places around the block, ortega's the place to be.

amazing food and superb services. we ordered a few oysters to start with. i had a yellowfin tuna sashimi, it was delicious. my friends ordered snapper and pan-fried prawn tails pasta and they loved it. we had coconut panna cotta for dessert, it was very refreshing and i'd come back just for that! would definitely visit again on special occasions.

been here twice now, first time i was a little drunk so couldn't trust my tastebuds, but second time was incredible. going back again next week and can't wait!

best fish in the city. delightful dining experience and always interesting specials. their whitebait fritter/pancake was amazing as was their individually fried whitebait.

was an absolutely wonderful experience! when i made the booking i noted that we had a movie to see and that we'd like to have left within an hour. the staff were extremely accommodating and the entree and mains arrived promptly. not only were they prompt but they were exquisite. we had a half a dozen bluff oysters battered with remoulade, the batter was crunchy and the remoulade was a tasty and well matched.

featured in the world 50 restaurants to try before you die, not much more needs to be said. went for my brothers graduation dinner and was very very happy he picked ortega as i had dreamed to dine her. but actually, so my surprise, it's not as ridiculously expensive as you would expect. it's actually quite reasonable.

every dish was amazing. every single one. staff, awesome. beers, awesome. decor, awesome. just everything, awesome. my first 5 and would give it a 10 if i could. you have to go.

ortega fish shack is my favourite wellington restaurant. absolutely delicious food accompanied by friendly and knowledgeable staff and a huge range of fine wines. top quality produce and atmosphere every time. i totally recommend it.

i must be a romantic (either that or i had to use up a $50 voucher!) - anyway a visit to ortega was in order for valentine's day.

at $69/head this would have to be one of the best value set menus on v day in wellington.

the portions were well sized too.  the pate in fact was a huge serving and absolutely delicious.  main courses we enjoyed tremendously - one fish one steak.  the dessert too was gorgeous as was the cheese.

we never felt rushed even though we were at the first sitting and the deadline to leave loomed.  staff were friendly, attentive and helpful.

highly recommended.

it’s our first taste of exotic nz seafood, with entrées of richly murky paua (abalone) ravioli served with crayfish and pernod butter (22.9), gin-cured tuna sashimi, and mains of pan-roasted gurnard on a rich silky truffle and comté mash served with raw cow’s milk cheese, shitake mushrooms and silverbeet in red wine butter (34.90). surprising, rich, hypnotic, it’s seafood worth travelling for; a must stop!

finesse in seafood, perfectly balanced service, delectable cocktails. ortega is a highly reputed establishment.

we had two starters and shared the main. had the prawn tails and fresh tamarind raw tuna. prawn and tuna aren't exactly new, if anything, offered by most restaurants. but the way ortega executed both was great - refined flavours to die for. then had the snapper with squid ink risotto - a very rich, satisfying dish and snapper that melts in your mouth (most snapper dishes i've had are tough).

ortega's on the pricey end, and it's a shame we had to vacate by 8pm for the second sitting, but for foodies, especially those who don't visit wellington frequently, ortega is a must-try. will definitely come back!

just have to say this was one of the best meals i have ever had. the food was perfect, staff were friendly. i would rate higher if i could.

off the scale!!!!!
i was warned that the food would be awesome and the atmosphere would be great - and it was.
the food is delicious and the menu is very well designed. the staff were excellent and couldn't have been better
i'd highly recommend ortega, but not too much as i certainly want to be able to get a table the next time we're in wellington.
thanks ortega, you run a great restaurant!!

it has been a while since i was last here.  we decided to come here to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  having previously made a booking a few weeks out, i asked whether it was possible to request something special (a dessert) which i was willing to pay extra for.   the friendly staff at ortega informed me that it was no problem, which really made my day.

not only does the food look and taste good, the service here is exceptional, where staff are willing to go that extra mile to make your night a special one to remember.   i was very much impressed with the our meals that i would recommend this place to anyone.

please check out my website for an indepth review

review from november 2014
i do not know what all the hype is around this place.  i have visited this place twice, and in both visits i felt it is just a another restaurant, the only distinguishing feature is that they specialise in seafood - fish predominately.   the service here is good and attentive, though i did feel a bit cramped when i dined here.