Smoked & pickled is a restaurant on Mornington Road in Brooklyn, the hillside suburb south of central Wellington, and it holds a strong 4.7 Google rating. The best neighbourhood restaurants tend to do a handful of things properly rather than a long menu adequately, letting seasonal produce shape the specials. In a suburb like Brooklyn, where most diners live within walking distance, word of mouth is the real advertising and consistency between visits is what keeps tables full. Small dining rooms fill quickly on Friday and Saturday nights, so it pays to book ahead or arrive early. When you ring, it is also worth asking whether the place is licensed or BYO, as plenty of smaller Wellington restaurants run one or the other. For Brooklyn locals after a good dinner without the trip into town, Smoked & pickled is exactly the sort of place to try.