Few things bring people together quite like Italian food, and Fratelli has been proving the point since March 2009 from its dining room at 15 Blair Street, just off Courtenay Place in the heart of Wellington's entertainment district. The room is welcoming, relaxed and modern in feel, and the kitchen's brief is simple: fresh Italian.
Fratelli specialises in 100% homemade pasta, gnocchi and risotto, alongside pizza baked in an authentic IZZO oven. The menu takes bits of old, traditional Italian cooking styles and assembles them with new modern ideas, changing seasonally so that only the freshest ingredients make it to the table — the authentic taste of Italy, as the team puts it, brought to your dining experience.
The menu covers the full Italian arc. Antipasti range from salted-cod bruschetta to saffron and mozzarella suppli, while the Napolitan pizza list runs from the classic Margherita to the spicy Diavola — and every pizza can be made vegetarian or vegan. Among the pasta e risotto you'll find signatures like Pappardelle con Polpette and Risotto di Cervo, with chargrilled lamb rump and the pan-fried fish of the day heading up the carne e pesce. Desserts go from tiramisu to a layered Sicilian cassata. On Monday and Tuesday nights the Fratelli Feast condenses the kitchen's most popular dishes into a three-course set menu. Dietary needs are well handled: gluten-free pizza bases, gluten-free pasta and a vegan gnocchi dish are all available on request.
Fratelli is fully licensed, matched with an extensive Italian wine list, and promises an intimate and relaxed dining experience for locals and visitors alike — the Courtenay Quarter at its most convivial, a short walk from Wellington's central attractions.
Tucked down Blair Street, just off the bustle of Courtenay Place, Fratelli has been part of Wellington's entertainment district since March 2009. The dining room is welcoming and relaxed, with a modern Italian feel that suits everything from a long dinner with friends to a quiet table for two. You're a short walk from the city's central attractions, but everything inside points squarely toward Italy.
Fratelli's concept is easy to say and demanding to deliver: fresh Italian. The pasta, gnocchi and risotto are 100% homemade, made fresh in house, and the pizzas come out of an authentic IZZO oven. The kitchen takes bits of old, traditional Italian cooking styles and assembles them with new modern ideas, and the menu changes seasonally so only the freshest ingredients make the plate. That philosophy runs through every course, from warm marinated olives and house-made flatbread to the last spoonful of dessert.
Start the Italian way with pane e antipasti: three bruschetta topped with salted cod, lemon, garlic and dill; gremolata-crumbled calamari with lemon and cornichon mayo; or vegetarian suppli — saffron and mozzarella risotto balls — on a Sicilian orange and tomato salsa. For groups, the Antipasto Piatto per due lays out cured Italian meats, olives, provolone and risotto balls for two.
The pizza list runs from the classic Margherita to the Diavola, with its spicy Calabrian 'nduja paste, hot peppers and gorgonzola, and the Pizza Bianco, loaded with roasted potato, pancetta, taleggio and truffle oil. Every pizza on the menu can be made vegetarian or vegan, with a gluten-free base and vegan cheese available on request.
Among the pasta e risotto, standouts include Pappardelle con Polpette — pork, beef and ricotta meatballs in a Napoli salsa with parmesan and straciatella — Spaghetti di Mare, squid-ink spaghetti with mussels, calamari, fish and chorizo, and Risotto di Cervo, a porcini and field mushroom risotto with pan-seared venison and vin cotto. The Gnocchi di Patate, pan-fried and finished with gorgonzola and masala sauce, braised beef cheek, beetroot, pear, fennel and walnuts, is one of the most layered plates in the house. From the carne e pesce, Agnello di Fratelli pairs chargrilled marinated lamb rump with a rosemary and thyme potato bake and salsa verde, while Pesce della Sera brings the pan-fried fish of the day. Add a contorno — the truffle and parmesan shoestring fries have a loyal following.
Monday and Tuesday nights belong to the Fratelli Feast, a three-course set menu drawn from the restaurant's most popular dishes. The table shares a starter — house flatbread with garlic and rosemary and a bowl of olives, or a Margherita — then each diner chooses a main between the pappardelle, the gnocchi and the venison risotto, and finishes with tiramisu or two scoops of house-made gelato. It's designed for group nights out and romantic evenings alike.
Save room for the dolci: a classic tiramisu, vanilla panna cotta with campari and blood orange sorbet, cannoli filled with the day's filling, and Cassata, a layered Sicilian gelato cake finished with a lemon sugar churro. A plate of three fine Italian cheeses rounds out the list, and an affogato is there for coffee lovers.
Fratelli is fully licensed, with an extensive Italian wine list matched to the seasonal menu. The team asks that you flag any allergies — some dishes contain ingredients not listed — and, in their words, good food takes time, so mention it if you're working to a schedule. Lunch service is available by arrangement, which makes the restaurant a flexible option for functions and group bookings; reservations can be made online or by getting in touch.
Since 2009, Fratelli has served quality Italian food to Wellingtonians and visitors alike, and the formula hasn't changed: fresh ingredients, handmade pasta and pizza from a proper Italian oven, right in the middle of the Courtenay Quarter.