Beach Babylon

About Beach Babylon

Beach Babylon is a beloved retro beachside café and restaurant set right across from the waterfront on Oriental Parade in Wellington. Serving locals and seaside strollers from sunrise to sunset seven days a week, it offers an all-day coastal dining experience that spans morning brunch, relaxed lunches, and lively evening dinners.

The kitchen takes pride in crafting generous comfort food with extensive options for all dietary needs, highlighting free-range eggs and meats alongside a dedicated lineup of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free choices. From their famous handmade agria potato rösti and towering burgers to evening fondue pots and whole cakes, the food is complemented by People's Coffee, New Zealand craft beers, local wines, and crafted cocktails.

Whether seated inside by the cosy fireplace or outdoors soaking up the seaside view along Wellington’s iconic harbour boulevard, Beach Babylon pairs friendly retro nostalgia with relaxed waterfront dining. They welcome walk-ins and bookings alike, complete with dog-friendly touches, family-friendly specials, and evening wine BYO.

Beach Babylon: Retro Seaside Dining Along Wellington's Oriental Parade

Perched directly opposite the sand along Wellington's iconic harbour boulevard, Beach Babylon has stood for years as a quintessential seaside hangout. Offering sweeping views of Oriental Bay, this retro-styled café and restaurant delivers a vibrant, sun-drenched atmosphere by day and an intimate, cosy retreat as the sun sets over the water.

The space radiates nostalgic coastal charm, featuring indoor and outdoor seating that makes the most of the capital's finest waterfront promenade. Inside, vintage details and a warming fireplace invite diners to linger on breezy Wellington afternoons, while the outdoor tables let you soak up the harbour buzz with a cup of locally roasted People's Coffee or a refreshing spritz in hand.

Generous Plates from Morning to Night

Beach Babylon operates an extensive kitchen that transitions effortlessly from early breakfast through daytime brunch to hearty dinners. Mornings are celebrated with their famous handmade agria potato rösti, served with free-range poached eggs, house hollandaise, and a choice of wilted spinach, free-range bacon, halloumi, or smoked salmon. Those seeking an indulgent feast gravitate toward loaded hotcakes or 'The Fat Bastard'—a legendary big breakfast complete with cheese kransky, chunky chips, and eggs.

As midday arrives, the menu widens into comforting lunchtime staples. Expect generous bowls of nachos, loaded sriracha fries, toasted quesadillas, and crisp beer-battered fish and chips. Burger enthusiasts can choose between juicy Wagyu beef on the Babylon Royale and crispy buttermilk fried chicken layered with maple-cured bacon and tangy chilli jam.

Dedicated Dietary Menus and Retro Cheese Fondue

A hallmark of Beach Babylon is its genuine commitment to inclusive dining. The kitchen caters meticulously to varied lifestyles, offering extensive gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, and vegan options. Rather than treating plant-based diners as an afterthought, Babylon serves dedicated southern-fried vegan chicken burgers, loaded vegan fries, and housemade sweetcorn fritters with romesco.

Evenings introduce one of the restaurant's most celebrated signatures: bubbling pots of cheese fondue. Diners can gather around four-cheese blends of smoked cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan, or opt for a completely plant-based three-cheese fondue crafted in-house, each served with crusty sourdough bread. To round out the night, whole cakes and sweet slices—such as their famous dark chocolate ganache cake and warm sticky date pudding—deliver a memorable finish along the waterfront.

Signature items

• The Famous Rösti
• Babylon Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger
• Four Cheese Fondue
• The Fat Bastard
• Famous Chocolate Cake
• Vegan Three Cheese Fondue

Menu

Burgers

• Beer-Battered Market Fish Burger — Battered fish, red cabbage slaw, smoky tartare, pickles, melted cheese, red onion and chilli jam on a brioche bun with chunky fries
• Babylon Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger — Fried chicken breast, maple-bacon, american cheddar, lettuce, pickles, chilli jam and sriracha mayo on brioche with chunky fries
• Vegan Fried Chicken Burger — Southern fried vegan chicken, maple-facon, vegan cheese, lettuce, dill pickles, chilli jam and sriracha mayo on brioche with chunky fries
• Babylon Royale with Cheese — Wagyu beef patty, bacon, cheddar, onion rings, lettuce, bourbon bbq sauce, pickles and aioli on a brioche bun with chunky fries

Lunch Mains

• Winter Salad Bowl — Rocket, crispy kale, roasted sweet potato, pickled beets, crispy chickpeas, puy lentils, avocado-ranch dressing and toasted seeds
• Sweetcorn Fritters — Salad of rocket, avocado, pickled onion, cherry tomato, sprouts, pumpkin seeds and citrus crème fraîche with smoked salmon, bacon or halloumi
• Vegan Sweetcorn Fritters — Romesco, portobello mushrooms, chives and a fresh rocket, avocado, tomato and sprout salad
• Fish & Chips — Beer-battered market fish, chunky fries, smoky tartare sauce, tomato sauce, red cabbage slaw and lemon

Quesadillas

• Three Cheese Quesadilla — Feta, cheddar, mozzarella, baby spinach, black beans, charred corn, chipotle sauce, guacamole, sour cream and coriander
• Vegan Quesadilla — Vegan mozzarella, cheddar, feta, baby spinach, black beans, charred corn, chipotle sauce, guacamole and vegan sour cream
• Pulled Chicken Quesadilla — Shredded chicken, three cheeses, baby spinach, black beans, charred corn, chipotle sauce, guacamole and sour cream
• Pulled Pork Quesadilla — Pulled pork, three cheeses, baby spinach, black beans, charred corn, chipotle sauce, guacamole and sour cream

The Big Boys

• Vegan Big Breakfast — Black beans, field mushrooms, jalapeno cheddar corn poppers, slow-roasted tomato, smashed avocado, grain toast and romesco
• The Vegeholic Breakfast — Free-range poached eggs, smashed avocado, black beans, field mushrooms, slow-roasted tomato, herbed potato rösti, grain toast and hollandaise
• The Fat Bastard — Free-range poached eggs, free-range bacon, cheese kransky, field mushrooms, chunky chips, slow-roasted tomato, sourdough toast and hollandaise
• Keto Breakfast — Free-range poached eggs, bacon, halloumi, mushrooms, avocado, spinach and hollandaise

Cheese Fondue

• Four Cheese Fondue — Melted mozzarella, smoked cheese, aged cheddar and parmesan served with fresh sourdough
• Vegan Three Cheese Fondue — Housemade vegan cheese, vegan cheddar and vegan mozzarella served with fresh sourdough

Fries & Nachos

• Curly Fries — Crispy seasoned curly fries served with tomato sauce and aioli
• Chunky Fries — Thick cut chunky potato fries served with tomato sauce and aioli
• Loaded Sriracha Fries — Cheese, bacon, sriracha, sour cream, crispy shallots and chives over fries
• Vegan Loaded Fries — Fries topped with vegan cheese, sriracha sauce, vegan sour cream, crispy shallots and chives
• Nachos — Black beans, cheese, tomato salsa, coriander, avocado smash and sour cream
• Vegan Nachos — Black beans, vegan cheese, tomato salsa, smashed avocado, coriander and vegan sour cream

Toast & Grains

• Toasted Bagel — With raspberry jam and cream cheese; vegan cream cheese option available
• Smoked Salmon Bagel — With cream cheese, citrus dressed rocket, capers and chives
• Smashed Avocado on Grain Toast — With beetroot purée, pickled beetroot, sprouts, toasted pumpkin seeds, lemon and feta
• Granola Bowl — Housemade toasted oat-nut-seed granola, poached fruit, boysenberry compote, coconut yoghurt, chia seeds and oat milk
• Babylon Hotcakes — Served with fresh banana and maple syrup; apple pie compote with vanilla mascarpone; or banana, bacon and maple syrup
• Loaded Pancakes — Hotcakes served loaded with fresh fruit, compotes, bacon and sweet toppings
• Mince on Toast — Savoury beef mince with slow-roasted tomato and cheddar on sourdough
• Halloumi Butty — Halloumi, rocket, avocado, roasted capsicum romesco and hollandaise in a ciabatta bap

Eggs & Skillets

• Poached Eggs on Toast — Free-range poached eggs served on toasted bread
• Chilli-Feta Scramble — Scrambled eggs, chilli oil, feta, sprouts, crispy shallots and chilli jam on sourdough
• Babylon Bacon & Egg Butty — Free-range bacon, fried egg, chilli jam and hollandaise in a ciabatta bap
• Smoked Chorizo Omelette — Roasted red peppers, feta, rocket, red onion and herb oil
• Breakfast Burrito Bowl — Tortilla, black beans, jalapeños, scrambled eggs, cheese, tomato salsa, smashed avocado, coriander and sour cream
• Persian Eggs — Poached eggs, beetroot purée, halloumi, smoked yoghurt, dukkah and turkish bread

Desserts & Cakes

• Old School Banana Split — Vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, cream, nuts and a pink wafer
• Sticky Date Pudding — Warm pudding with butterscotch sauce, vanilla bean ice cream and walnut crumble
• Loaded Brownie — Warm chocolate brownie, salted caramel, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate-frangelico sauce and hazelnuts
• Spiced Apple Crumble — Spiced baked apples with coconut custard and vanilla bean ice cream
• Carrot & Walnut Cake — Gluten-free spiced carrot cake topped with rich cream cheese icing
• Famous Chocolate Cake — Gluten-free and vegan chocolate cake layered with dark chocolate ganache icing and freeze-dried raspberries

Morning Cocktails

• Morning Mimosa — Sparkling bubbles blended with chilled orange juice
• Breakfast Bellini — Peach schnapps, sparkling bubbles and fresh berries
• Feijoa Spiced Honey Spritz — Roasted feijoa vodka, spiced honey, feijoa juice, soda and lime
• Bloody Mary — Vodka with savoury spiced tomato juice
• Espresso Martini — Espresso shot shaken with vodka and Kahlúa

The Famous RöSti

• Wilted Spinach Rösti — Two handmade agria potato rösti topped with poached eggs, hollandaise and wilted spinach
• Free-Range Ham Rösti — Two handmade agria potato rösti topped with poached eggs, hollandaise and free-range ham
• Free-Range Bacon Rösti — Two handmade agria potato rösti topped with poached eggs, hollandaise and free-range bacon
• Halloumi Rösti — Two handmade agria potato rösti topped with poached eggs, hollandaise and halloumi
• Smoked Salmon Rösti — Two handmade agria potato rösti topped with poached eggs, hollandaise and smoked salmon
• Vegan Rösti — Handmade potato rösti with roasted mushrooms, spinach and veganaise

Afternoon Cocktails

• Sangria — Red wine infused with triple sec, orange juice, simple syrup and lime
• Pimms Cup — Pimms mixed with seasonal fruit, elderflower and lemonade
• Berry Marg — Tequila, triple sec, muddled berries, lime and rosemary
• Mojito — White rum, raw sugar, fresh lime and garden mint

Frequently asked questions

Where is Beach Babylon located?

Beach Babylon is located on the ground floor at 232 Oriental Parade in Oriental Bay, Wellington.

What are the opening hours?

They are open seven days a week from 8:00am until late, every day of the year except Christmas Day.

Does Beach Babylon allow BYO wine?

Yes, wine-only BYO is permitted from 5:30pm with a corkage fee of $7 per drinking person, requiring a minimum spend of one main meal or two entrées and a table time limit of 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Are there vegan and gluten-free choices available?

Yes, the menu features extensive plant-based and gluten-free offerings, including vegan cheese fondues, vegan burgers, gluten-free rösti, and certified vegan/gluten-free cakes.

Can I book a table in advance?

Yes, table reservations can be made online via their website for any day, including weekend and public holiday brunches.

Are dogs welcome at the café?

Yes, Beach Babylon welcomes dogs and even maintains a dedicated dog menu for visiting four-legged companions.

Is delivery or takeaway available?

Yes, takeaway pick-up and deliveries are available daily from 10:00am to 8:00pm through DoorDash, Delivereasy, and Uber Eats.

Tips

• {"body":"Oriental Bay fills up quickly on sunny days; reserve a table online to guarantee a spot overlooking the water.","title":"Book Ahead for Weekend Brunch"}
• {"body":"Visit from 5:30pm for their signature bubbling four-cheese or housemade vegan cheese fondues paired with crusty sourdough.","title":"Try the Evening Fondue"}
• {"body":"Their popular gluten-free carrot cake and vegan chocolate cake can be ordered whole with three or more days' notice.","title":"Order Whole Cakes in Advance"}
• {"body":"If visiting between April and July, take advantage of daily specials like 2-for-1 mains on Mondays and burger deals on Tuesdays.","title":"Check Out Weekly Winter Deals"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids menu offered; Sunday winter dining special where kids eat free","dietary":"Extensive vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, and keto options available","parking":"Mostly free on-street parking available along Oriental Parade"}