A tour for every tastebud (and budget)

Wellington and its surrounds are home to just 400,000 people, but Wellingtonians like to boast that they have more restaurants and cafes per capita than New York.

This seems like one of those dubious pieces of accounting that small cities come up with – until you visit. For such a small city, there are a lot of places to eat out!

The good news is, the vast majority of what you might seek to experience on a short trip is, in fact, within a few kilometres of downtown, which makes it very walkable.

For a cheap and cheerful start, download the free Welly Walks App for iPhone and iPad, put together by Wellington Tourism, which takes you on a "beginner's" tour – eggs at Cuba Street institution Floriditas, kedgeree at Nikau in the City Gallery, curly fries (oh, the curly fries) at Sweet Mother's Kitchen. All too often, such apps are loaded with second-rate restaurants and paid-for content. This one has the goods and makes for a great start.

For a more hands-on experience, Zest Food Tours (zestfoodtours.co.nz) has built a reputation for their behind-the-scenes food tours and knowledgeable staff in both Wellington and Auckland. Its Walking Gourmet tour takes you behind the scenes in venues including coffee roasters and some of the city's top restaurant kitchens, and includes lunch at acclaimed Wellington restaurant Logan Brown.

Zest's Martinborough tour, meanwhile, takes you through the wine region of Wairarapa, and takes in historic Greytown and the wine region.

Jennifer Looman started Wild About Wellington (wildaboutwellington.co.nz) in 2005 to show off the city, her way. Eight years later she still runs the tours herself, with a little help from beer writer Neil Miller. Those on a timetable will appreciate her Sights and Bites tour (major attractions; lunch) while more serious eaters will like the beer tasting tour (taking in a brewery and a few bars) or Wild About Chocolate, taking in three chocolatiers.

Ruth Pretty (ruthpretty.co.nz) meanwhile, is a legend of New Zealand cookery. The author and chef now lives at Te Horo, an hour north of Wellington, where she runs a catering company and cooking school. Most weekends, there is a cooking class, either run by Pretty herself or a revolving cast of New Zealand food personalities, including New Zealand MasterChef judge Ray McVinnie.

Recent classes have covered everything from barbecue to fine dining; Pretty also runs private classes. Either way, they're incredibly good value – classes start in the morning with coffee and proceed through to a three-course lunch, matched with wine, finally finishing in the late afternoon. (Advice: don't plan on needing dinner.)

A little to the north, and then a little to the east, you'll find the Wairarapa, which you really should visit. There are two very good companies worth checking out here – Tour Wairarapa (tourwairarapa.co.nz) owned and run by photographer Jane Oliver, a sixth-generation Wairarapa resident. It takes in the wine and olive oil, as you'd expect, but they also venture to a side of the Wairarapa that is often forgotten: working sheep farms. See the dogs, the stock – and drink local pinot noir, of course.

For a less rustic approach, Tranzit Tours (tranzittours.co.nz) will show you four boutique vineyards. Meet some of the families behind them – and take in a wine tasting or four along the way. Both companies will help you arrange the train from Wellington, so there's no excuse not to build this into your itinerary, even if you don't get the chance to spend the night.

For the calendar...

Food festivals are another great way to get into the dining scene of a city, and Wellington has no shortage of them. Toast Martinborough (November 17) has been running for more than two decades, blending live music, great food and the wines of the Wairarapa. Plan ahead for this one though, tickets can sell out within minutes. Wellington on a Plate is another big one (August 9-25). This food festival is in its' fifth year and includes a series of masterclasses, producer awards and dining deals. The program launches in June but it is bound to include the yearly quest for the title of Burger Wellington.