Wellington has spoken, and C words rule.

The Capital is cool and creative, compact and clean with great cafes, coffee and culture. We love cycling, Cuba Street and the cable car. We’re not so keen on its changeable weather, but even less keen on those whinging about it. 

Capital Times readers have voted in our eighth annual Best of Wellington poll, and it seems as a bunch you’re a pretty happy lot.

You love the harbour, the waterfront and the beaches and while you like the hills, you don’t like lugging the food and firewood up them. The people are welcoming and chill, maybe too friendly - one reader says the best thing about Wellington is the promiscuous girls.

We mostly love our music, Fat Freddy’s Drop is our most popular band, but the weekend piper in Frank Kitts Park apparently ruins the waterfront ambience.

We really love our coffee.

“You’ll always find a good coffee in Wellington,” said one reader. “I could visit friends and hang out with Fidel’s every day,” says another.

But another begs, “Could somebody start making green tea ice lattes?”

And you love Capital Times. “It is such a good read anywhere, anytime,” a reader says.

We love our city. “Nowhere beats Wellington on a good day,” readers say.
 
We tend to agree.

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(KEY: number In brackets after each entry indicates placing in 2011)

BEST PEOPLE

A1 Barista/ coffee maker 

1. John Coddington @ Queen Sallys Diamond Deli Lyall Bay  (-)
2. Lucy MacDonald @ Havana Coffee Works Tory St (-)
3. Dave Lamason @ Peoples Coffee (-)

A2 Barperson 

1. Sally Thompson @ Mighty Mighty (2)
2. Bryony Skillington @ Pit Bar(1)
3. Max Hart @ Black Sparrow, (Embassy Theatre) (-)

A3 Front of house 

1. Dave McDonald @ Ortega Fish Shack and Bar Majoribanks St
2. Jacinta Saeki @ Encore Cafe, (Circa) Cable St
3. Shae Moleta @ Ambeli Majoribanks St

A4 City councillor

1. Ian McKinnon (2)
2. Celia Wade-Brown (1)
3. Iona Pannett (-)

A5 Local MP

1. Grant Robertson (1)
2. Annette King (2)
3. Russell Norman (-)

A6 Bus driver

1. Paul Baylis Route 21 (1)

A7 Capital Times writer/contributor

1. Dan Slevin (1)
2. Kieran Haslett-Moore (-)
3. Amanda Witherell (-)

A8 Street performer

1. King Home Boy- Paul Teariki Toki (1) 

A9 Best dressed local man 

1. Freddie Aitchison @ World 

A10 Best dressed local woman 

1. Cara Hill @ Circa Theatre

A11 Local sportsperson

1. Cory Jane (-)

A12 Wellington band

1. Fat Freddy's Drop

A13   Wellingtonian

1. Sir Peter Jackson (-)

BEST OTHER FOOD AND DRINK

J1 Bar

1. Havana Bar Wigan St (2)
2. Mighty Mighty Cuba St (1)
3. Library Bar Courtenay Place (3) 

J2 Outdoor bar

1. Southern Cross Abel Smith St (1)
2. St Johns Cable St (2)
3. Ancestral Courtenay Place (-)

J3 Cake shop

1. Martha's Pantry Karo Drive (2)
2. Le Moulin Willis St (1)
3. Moore Wilson’s College St (-)

J4 Tea made at

1. Martha's Pantry Karo Drive (1)
2. t Leafe Wellington (-)
3. Memphis Belle Dixon St (2)

J5 Hot Choc made at

1. Scopa Cuba St (1)
2. Fidels Cuba St (-)
3. Butlers Willis St (2)

J6 Milkshake

1. Fidels Cuba St (1)
2. Sweet Mothers Kitchen Courtenay Place (2)
3. Maranui Lyall Bay (-)

J7 Bottle shop

1. Regional Wines & Spirits Basin Reserve (1)
2. Glengarry Wellington (3)
3. Moore Wilson’s College St (2)

J8 Dairy

1. Mt Vic. Food Market Elizabeth St (2)
2. Kelburn 4 Square (-)
3. Fix on Cuba (-)

J9 Coffee

1. Havana (1)
2. Flight (2)
3. Peoples (3)

J10 NZ Beer

1. Tuatara (1)
2. Macs Gold (-)
3. Emersons (2)

J11 Chocolate

1. Whittakers (1)
2. Bohemein (-)
3. Butlers (-)

J12 Bakery

1. Pandoro Panetteria Wakefield St (1)
2. Le Moulin Willis St (2)
3. Bordeaux Bakery Thorndon Quay (-) 

WELLINGTON'S BEST

The three things I like best about Wellington

A lot of C words this year. Cafes, culture, coffee, compact, cool, cable car, creative, Cuba St, changeable weather, clean, cycling.

WELLINGTON'S WORST

The one thing I dislike most about Wellington

Weather/wind, people whinging about the weather.