The Old Quarter

About The Old Quarter

The Old Quarter is a Vietnamese restaurant and bar on Dixon Street in Te Aro, Wellington, serving street-food classics from bao buns and pho to curries, dumplings and Vietnamese baguettes — all with a playful streak that runs through names like Dump Him Dumpling, Mum I Dropped My Ice Cream and the Communist Cooler mocktail.

The menu runs deep: Bao Wow Buns with fillings from fried tofu to five-spice roasted pork and soft shell crab, share plates like summer rolls and salt and pepper squid, bone-broth pho, Grandma's Beef Curry, and salads from seared-beef nôm thit bō to roast duck with fresh orange. Free-range chicken and Kāpiti line-caught fish appear throughout, an allergen key flags gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian choices, and lunch specials arrive with a little pho broth and a mini brownie.

The bar keeps pace with Vietnamese-twisted cocktails, a Mean As Mocktails board, Saigon beer and Parrot Dog brews, and a broad wine list, with selected drinks on special daily from 5pm to 6.30pm and cocktail specials on Wednesdays. Group set menus cater for tables of five or more, a tasting menu covers parties of four or more, and takeout is available for pickup or delivery via DeliverEasy and Uber Eats, with gift vouchers sold online.

The Old Quarter: Vietnamese Street Food, Bao Buns & Pho on Dixon Street, Wellington

On Dixon Street in the heart of Te Aro, The Old Quarter serves the flavours of Vietnam with a generous side of Wellington humour. This is a restaurant that doesn't take itself too seriously — the dumpling section is headed 'Dump Him Dumpling', a dessert goes by 'Mum I Dropped My Ice Cream', and the mocktail list includes a Communist Cooler — but the cooking is the real deal.

The kitchen's calling card is the bao bun. The Bao Wow Buns come filled with fried tofu, five-spice roasted pork with crackling skin, salt and pepper soft shell crab, honey-and-lemongrass BBQ chicken, tempura eggplant or tempura oyster mushroom, each tucked up with pickled carrot and daikon, coriander and a swoosh of hoisin chilli or sriracha mayo. Around them sits a full street-food line-up: summer rolls, crispy pork spring rolls with nam prik, salt and pepper squid, sizzling banh xeo pancakes and bun cha Hanoi, piled with lemongrass pork, free-range fried chicken, spring rolls and pork patties.

Noodle lovers are covered under the OMG Pho Bro heading: rare beef pho on bone broth, a stone bowl version with cooked beef and slow-cooked short rib, and Hue's spicy noodle soup with lemongrass-charged broth, fried tofu and Vietnamese ham. Curries run from Grandma's Beef Curry — slow-cooked beef with ginger, peanuts, garlic, chilli, lemongrass and kaffir lime — to a mild creamy chicken curry and a vegan green curry with edamame and thai basil. There are local touches too: the chicken is free range, and the cha ca la vong uses turmeric-seasoned Kāpiti line-caught fish, fried and heaped with dill, spring onion, coriander, peanuts and shrimp paste.

Lunch, Set Menus and Groups

Lunch is quick and cheerful. Specials pair any bao bun with chicken and shiitake dumplings, Aunty's juicy chicken wings or pork pot stickers, and every one arrives with 'a little pho broth & mini brownie'. Vegetarian, vegan and meat-lovers combos, Vietnamese baguettes and big salads round out the daytime menu.

For groups, the set menus take the debate out of ordering: book for five or more and the table shares its way through bao, dumplings, spring rolls, curries and caramelised pork belly before pannacotta lands. A dinner tasting menu runs eleven dishes from summer rolls to seared beef salad for tables of four or more, finishing with a mini brownie.

The Bar

Drinks lean into the theme. The Saigon Sour blends lemongrass-infused gin with Vietnamese mint, the Vietnamese Espresso Martini gets its silk from condensed milk, and the Heartbreak in Hanoi mixes vodka, rose, lemon and pomegranate. Not drinking? The Mean As Mocktails board has the Lychee Sour, Ho Chi Mint Mule and Phong Nha Phizz. Taps pour Saigon beer beside Parrot Dog brews, the bottle list adds Moa cider and Garage Project's near-zero-percent hazy, and the wine list runs from Marlborough sauvignon blanc to Argentinian malbec. Selected drinks are on special every day from 5pm to 6.30pm, and Wednesdays bring their own cocktail specials — ask your server what's cooking.

Good to Know

The menu carries a full allergen key — gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan and nut free, some on request — and plant-based diners have genuine choices, from the vegan option lunches to the grilled mushroom vegan salad. Heed the house note on heat: most dishes hold a bit of warmth, and the ones flagged with chilli kick noticeably harder. If you can't stay, takeout runs for pickup through the website with delivery via DeliverEasy and Uber Eats, and gift vouchers are available online.

Whether it's a fast bao at lunchtime, a long shared feast or a night of espresso martinis on Dixon Street, The Old Quarter keeps things warm, playful and proudly Vietnamese.

Signature items

• Bao Wow Buns
• Grandma's Beef Curry
• Rare Beef Pho
• Bun Cha Hanoi
• Cha Ca La Vong
• Vietnamese Espresso Martini

Menu

Wine

• Pol Remy Brut — French sparkling, brioche & creamy lemon
• Tempus Two Prosecco — Australian prosecco, crisp green apple & citrus
• Mount Olympus Rosé — Marlborough, raspberry & cherry blossom
• River Delta Sauvignon Blanc — Marlborough, tropical fruit, red apple & citrus
• Rongopai Pinot Gris — Marlborough, pear, apple, lime, ginger & melon
• Kim Crawford Chardonnay — Hawke's Bay, creamy melon & peach
• Babich Chardonnay — Hawke's Bay, citrus, tropical fruit & butterscotch
• Hunters Rose — Marlborough, strawberry, floral & nectarine
• Neudorf Tiritiri Pinot Gris — Nelson, white pear, starfruit & golden kiwi
• Pegasus Bay Riesling — Marlborough, mandarin, pineapple & honeydew
• Blank Canvas Sauvignon Blanc — Marlborough, blackcurrant & white florals
• Trapiche Malbec — Argentina, plum, cherry, truffle & vanilla
• Angove Shiraz — Australia, dark red fruits, licorice, chocolate & soft oak
• Gold River Pinot Noir — Waipara, red & black fruits, thyme & forest

Mains

• Twice Cooked Beef Short Rib — Shaved coconut, red cabbage, fresh herb salad & nahm prik sauce
• Banh Xeo Pancake — Pork & prawn in a sizzling rice crepe with lettuce cups & nuoc cham
• Bun Cha Hanoi — Lemongrass pork, fried chicken, spring rolls, pork patties, herbs & pickles
• Caramelised Pork Belly — Fragrant herb salad & crackling dust
• Cha Ca La Vong — Turmeric Kāpiti line-caught fish with dill, peanuts & shrimp paste
• Chargrilled Chicken — Five-spice chicken thigh, fresh herbs & hot and sour dipping sauce
• Popcorn Chicken — Honey & lemongrass marinated, served with sriracha mayo
• Salmon & Prawn Parcels — Ginger, coriander & dill, with pickles, cashew pesto & chilli soy dip

Sides

• Long Grain Rice — Steamed plain rice
• Coconut Rice — Fragrant steamed rice with coconut
• Hanoi Egg Fried Rice — Wok-tossed egg fried rice, Hanoi style
• Double Crunchy Fries — Twice-cooked crunchy fries
• Cajun Prawn Crackers — Prawn crackers with cajun spice
• Sesame Smashed Cucumber — Smashed cucumber with sesame

Salads

• Free Range Chicken & Mango — Five-spice chicken, Vietnamese mint, cashews, fried shallots & chilli dressing
• Roast Duck & Fresh Orange — Fried garlic, cherry tomatoes, mung beans, pine nuts & hoisin chilli dressing
• Prawn & Green Papaya — Prawns, carrot, chilli, coriander, mint & crushed peanuts
• Nôm Thit Bō — Seared beef sirloin, herbs, lemongrass, peanuts, fried shallots & nam prik
• Grilled Mushroom Vegan Salad — Tofu, mushroom, edamame, cashews, radish & creamy chilli dressing

Curries

• Grandma's Beef Curry — Slow-cooked beef, coriander, ginger, peanuts, chilli, lemongrass & kaffir lime
• Tropical Duck Curry — Lychee, pineapple, capsicum, thai basil & fried shallots
• Creamy Chicken Curry — Mild & creamy with free range chicken, seasonal veges, lemongrass & coconut
• Vegan Green Curry — Edamame, baby corn, long beans, tofu & thai basil

Desserts

• 'Mum I Dropped My Ice Cream' — Cone with vanilla ice cream, brown sugar crumble & chocolate sauce
• Sweet Sticky Rice Pudding — Fresh mango, sweet coconut cream & black sesame seeds
• Coconut Pannacotta — With seasonal berries
• Tropical Pannacotta — Coconut, vanilla & tropical fruit
• Dark Chocolate & Caramel Mousse — With chocolate soil
• Vietnamese Coffee Crème Brûlée — Crème brûlée infused with Vietnamese coffee

Cocktails

• Rose Quartz — Gin, lychee liqueur, rose, raspberry, lemon & egg white
• Apple Cinnamon Sour — Cinnamon-infused gin, apple, lemon & egg whites
• Monsoon Mule — Vodka, passionfruit, bitters, lime, mint & ginger beer
• Smoked by Sunset — Coconut rum, gold rum, lime, egg white, peach & passionfruit
• Heartbreak in Hanoi — Vodka, rose, lemon, egg white, pomegranate & soda
• Mango Dragon — White rum, chilli, mango, lemon & egg white
• Peach Mojito — White rum, lime, peach, mint & soda water
• Tropic Thunder — Gin, cointreau, passionfruit & lime with a sugar rim
• Fire + Ice Margarita — Tequila, cointreau, lemon, agave & tabasco with chilli salt rim
• Strawberry Caprioska — Vanilla vodka, strawberry, lime & rose with a sugar rim
• Lychini — Lychee martini with gin, lychee liqueur, lime & pomegranate
• Saigon Sour — Lemongrass-infused gin, cointreau, Vietnamese mint & lemon
• Vietnamese Espresso Martini — Vodka, kahlua, condensed milk & espresso with chocolate dust
• Skinny Colada — Gold rum, coconut, lime, pineapple & cinnamon dust
• Night Lotus Negroni — Campari, gin, chambord & bianco vermouth
• Mekong Cruise — Pineapple rum, cointreau, bianco vermouth & pomegranate

Dumplings

• Chicken & Shiitake Dumplings — Steamed or fried with black bean & hoisin chilli sauce
• Pork Pot Sticker Dumplings — Pork, chives, cabbage & ginger, grilled with chilli soy sauce
• Vege Dumplings — Sweetcorn, beans, mushrooms & garlic with red vinegar sauce

Mocktails

• Lychee Sour — Lychee, lemon, egg whites & pomegranate
• Communist Cooler — Apple, pomegranate, mint & soda
• Phong Nha Phizz — Strawberry, lime & ginger beer
• Yellow Lotus — Passionfruit, pineapple & lemon
• Ho Chi Mint Mule — Ginger beer, fresh mint & limes
• Mango Mixer — Mango, lemon & lemonade
• Iced Peach Tea — Peach iced tea & fresh lime

Set Menus

• Group Set Menu — Three shared courses of bao, dumplings, mains & dessert; minimum five people
• Tasting Menu — Eleven shared dishes from summer rolls to mini brownie; minimum four people

Bao Wow Buns

• Fried Tofu Bao — Pickled carrot & daikon, coriander & hoisin chilli sauce
• Five Spice Roasted Pork Bao — Crispy skin, pickled carrot & daikon, coriander & hoisin chilli sauce
• BBQ Chicken Bao — Honey & lemongrass marinated chicken, pickles, coriander & sriracha mayo
• Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab Bao — Pickled carrot & daikon, coriander & kimchi mayo
• Tempura Eggplant Bao — Pickled carrot & daikon with sriracha mayo
• Tempura Oyster Mushroom Bao — Pickled carrot & daikon, coriander & hoisin chilli sauce

Beer & Cider

• Sapporo — Japanese lager on tap (5.0%)
• Asahi — Japanese lager on tap (5.0%)
• Saigon — Vietnamese lager on tap (4.9%)
• Parrot Dog Raptor APA — NZ APA on tap (5.7%)
• Parrot Dog Birdseye Hazy IPA — NZ hazy IPA on tap (5.8%)
• Parrot Dog Sundog Pilsner — NZ pilsner on tap (5.2%)
• Garage Project Tiny Hazy IPA — Near-zero percent NZ hazy IPA (0.5%)
• Moa Apple Cider — NZ apple cider by the bottle (4%)

Lunch Specials

• Bao & Chicken Dumplings — Any bao bun with chicken & shiitake dumplings, a little pho broth & mini brownie
• Bao & Wings — Any bao bun with Aunty's juicy chicken wings, a little pho broth & mini brownie
• Bao & Grilled Pork — Any bao bun with pork pot sticker dumplings, a little pho broth & mini brownie
• Baguette & Vege Dumplings — Any baguette with seasonal vegetables, vege dumplings, pho broth & mini brownie
• The Vegetarian Option — Summer rolls, vegetarian dumpling, side salad & sweet sticky rice
• The Vegan Option — Summer rolls, green vegan curry, long grain rice & sweet sticky rice
• The Vegan Option 2 — Summer rolls, zucchini & corn fritters, side salad & sweet sticky rice
• The Vegan Option 3 — Popcorn tofu, zucchini & corn fritters, side salad & sticky rice
• Meat Lovers Option 1 — Chicken wings, pork spring rolls, a little pho broth & mini brownie
• Meat Lovers Option 2 — Chicken wings, popcorn chicken, a little pho broth & mini brownie

Sharing Plates

• Summer Rolls — Tofu, fresh herbs, rice noodles, crushed peanuts & chilli hoisin sauce
• Crispy Pork Spring Rolls — Fresh herbs, lettuce cups & Vietnamese nam prik dressing
• Salmon Sashimi — Wild-caught salmon, lime, chilli, coconut & green radish
• Salt & Pepper Squid — Crispy squid with kimchi mayo
• Popcorn Tofu — Served with black bean & hoisin chilli sauce
• Sticky Chicken Wings — Chilli caramel covered wings with sriracha mayo
• Zucchini & Corn Fritters — Golden fritters with chilli jam
• Stir Fried Seasonal Veges — Cashew nuts, oyster sauce, garlic & sesame oil

Pho & Noodle Soups

• Rare Beef Pho — Eye fillet, bone broth, rice noodles, raw onion, mung beans, chilli & lemon
• Stone Bowl Beef Pho — Eye fillet, cooked beef & short rib in bone broth with rice noodles & herbs
• Hue's Spicy Noodle Soup — Rare beef, fried tofu, Vietnamese ham & lemongrass broth, with chilli & lemon

Vietnamese Baguettes

• Lemongrass Beef Baguette — Coriander, pickles & sriracha mayo
• BBQ Chicken Baguette — Coriander, pickles & sriracha mayo
• BBQ Pork Baguette — Pâté, coriander, pickles & sriracha mayo
• Tofu & Avocado Baguette — Coriander, pickles, cashew nut pesto & sriracha mayo

Coffee, Tea & Soft Drinks

• Vietnamese Drip Coffee — Traditional slow-drip Vietnamese coffee
• White Coffee — Coffee with milk
• Black Coffee — Long black
• Loose Leaf Tea — Green, jasmine, peppermint, English Breakfast & Earl Grey
• Coconut Water — Nature's hangover cure, per the menu
• Sparkling Water — 300ml bottle
• KB Peach & Passionfruit Kombucha — Gut-friendly kombucha
• Fruit Juices — Apple, orange, pineapple or cranberry
• Soft Drinks — Classic cans & bottles

Frequently asked questions

What kind of food does The Old Quarter serve?

Vietnamese street food — bao buns, pho, dumplings, curries, salads, Vietnamese baguettes and share plates — plus cocktails, mocktails, beer and wine.

Are there vegan and gluten-free options?

Yes. The menu carries an allergen key with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free markers (some on request), including vegan green curry, vegan option lunches and a grilled mushroom vegan salad.

Can I order takeout or delivery?

Yes — pickup orders go through the website, with delivery available via DeliverEasy and Uber Eats.

Do you cater for groups?

Group set menus run on a minimum booking of five people, and the dinner tasting menu has a minimum of four. Bookings can be made online.

Is there a happy hour?

Yes — selected drinks are on special every day from 5pm to 6.30pm, and Wednesdays bring extra cocktail specials.

How spicy is the food?

Most dishes hold a bit of heat, and the ones flagged with chilli on the menu have more of a kick — staff can guide you.

Do you sell gift vouchers?

Yes, gift vouchers are available through the website.

Tips

• {"body":"Selected drinks on the list run a daily special from 5pm to 6.30pm — a good reason to arrive early.","title":"Daily happy hour"}
• {"body":"Set menus work for tables of five or more, and the dinner tasting menu serves a minimum of four — book ahead online.","title":"Feed a crowd"}
• {"body":"Lunch specials pair your bao or baguette with a little pho broth and a mini brownie.","title":"Lunch comes with extras"}
• {"body":"Most dishes hold a bit of heat; the ones flagged with chilli on the menu kick harder.","title":"Mind the chilli"}
• {"body":"Order pickup through the website, or get delivery via DeliverEasy and Uber Eats.","title":"Easy takeout"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options marked; allergen key on the menu, some on request"}