Cafe Laz is a Turkish kebab house on Riddiford Street in Newtown, Wellington, the sort of neighbourhood place that earns its following one generous plate at a time. It calls itself one of the tastiest little kebab houses in the capital, tucked away in the suburb, and fellow Newtown restaurateurs rank it among the two best kebab spots in Wellington. Kebabs are what it is best known for, yet regulars are just as fond of its salads and iskender plates, and the portions are some of the biggest you will find in Newtown. It is also BYO, so a bottle from home can join a relaxed meal at the table, while pickup and delivery look after nights in.
The kebab list runs through chicken, lamb, a mixed version and kofta made with meatballs, along with pairings of chicken or lamb with falafel, and most come in small or large sizes. Every wrap is filled with fresh salad and finished with sauces picked from a long lineup: hot, mild or sweet chilli, garlic yoghurt, plain yoghurt, tahini, aioli, satay, barbecue, tomato and mayonnaise, with cheese as an extra. Vegetarian wraps get their own heading, offering hummus with tabouli, halloumi, falafel and mujver, a zucchini fritter that turns up right across the menu, while a mixed vegetarian kebab brings several of those fillings together in one wrap.
For a fuller meal there are the iskender plates. Chicken, lamb, kofte or a mix arrives over rice with hummus, beetroot, a red cabbage dip, a mixture of salads and the kitchen’s own carrot dip, and some versions pair the meat with falafel or zucchini fritters. The vegetarian iskender swaps in falafel and mujver. Salad meals start from lettuce, carrot, cabbage, hummus and tabouli, then add chicken, lamb, falafel, halloumi or mujver with the same choice of sauces, a lighter route that still fills the plate. Iskender plates also come in small or large sizes.
Burgers are stacked with two kinds of cheese, lettuce, mesclun, pickles, fried onions and a homemade burger sauce, with fries alongside, in lamb, kofta, chicken, falafel and zucchini versions among others. Meat on fries comes under cheese and sauce, and a vegetarian take piles falafel and mujver over chips with salad, hummus and fried onions. Younger diners can order chicken, lamb or falafel on rice or chips. Fried bread served with hummus and a swirl of pomegranate sauce makes a good side to share, and dessert keeps to tradition with baklava built from layers of filo and chopped nuts, or a creamy rice pudding sprinkled with cinnamon.
Address: 121 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington 6021
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