Where I'd Rather Be: dining out and drinking at Wellington on a Plate

Wellington on a Plate kicks off today. Photo / WellingtonNZ

Wellington is the spot to be this weekend. Today is the day Wellington on a Plate kicks off, the annual food festival that celebrates the new, the surprising and the delicious.

This year's theme is Out of Place, and Wellington's vast collection of eateries and drinking dens will be hosting hundreds of feasts and parties over a full month.

Just today there is a cheese and wine pairing that imitates a traditional high tea, a pickling workshop, a cake decoration class and a celebration of chilli to choose from.

Far from focusing just on food, the festival has an awesome selection of drinks-based events such as cocktail and food pairings at bars and lounges around town, arts events (see Pour Your Art Out, a combination of high tea and life drawing class hosted at Hippopotamus restaurant in the QT Wellington), and the "Super Bumper Culinary Weekend", which sees the mini-festivals of Beervana, Dine Wellington, Burger Wellington and Cocktail Wellington launch all on the same weekend (August 13 to 15).

Take a look at visawoap.co.nz for events, tickets and more information.

For more New Zealand travel ideas and inspiration, go to newfinder.co.nz and newzealand.com