Marinated chicken, with grilled pineapple, pineapple sauce, and chilli in a Pōneke Bakery brioche bun.

Crispy pork cheek, with beef tongue bacon, gem lettuce, Thai basil, smoked cheese, kawakawa BBQ sauce, and sriracha in a housemade brioche bun, with Sichuan seasoned shoestring fries.

Beef and prawn patty, with pink onion, pickled ginger, rocket, and togarashi spice prawn mayonnaise and nori infused Kewpie in a Brezelmania bun with fries.

Strait Speared butterfish and Tora Collective octopus chorizo patty, with smoked gouda, Mills Bay mussel fritter, smoked kina and tomato custard, pāua and cucumber escabeche, and butterfish skin crackling in a Capital Millers housemade pretzel slider bun.

Before late licences and 3am closes there was the lock-in. When the doors officially shut, the real night began. If you were in the know, you stayed. Curtains were drawn, doors were locked and glasses filled. For one night only, The Thistle Inn is bringing that spirit back through an after-hours evening of drinks, canapés, long-table dining and live music. The Lock INN is a modern take on the after-hours tradition - an evening that begins with drinks and canapés before guests gather for lavish long-table dining once the doors close to the public. Think generous shared plates, flowing drinks, and the kind of feast that’s built for passing, pouring and lingering at the table. As the evening unfolds, a live band shifts the atmosphere as the night carries on, as things move into a more social close. It will be a little indulgent, a little rebellious and entirely unforgettable. Your ticket includes canapés, a five-course shared feast, four drinks served throughout the evening, and live music.

Beef patty, with Kāpiti smoked havarti, tamarind and makrut lime onion jam, laab-style herb coleslaw, pickled daikon and carrot, and Thai chilli paste mayonnaise in an Arobake brioche bun, with toasted rice, lime, and chilli salt fries and Thai chilli cheese sauce.

The laneway beside Double Vision Brewing transforms into a full Mexican street fiesta. Expect a stacked lineup of taco vendors serving bold, authentic flavours, from slow-cooked meats and grilled proteins to handmade tortillas and cow tongue tacos (the crowd favourite that asks questions and gives bold answers). Mexican dancers and live entertainment bring the atmosphere to life from start to finish. Free entry, family-friendly, pay as you go. This year, there's an extra draw: three brand-new festival beers brewed for Visa Wellington On a Plate make their exclusive first appearance here. It's a sneak peek at what's coming, a celebration of Mexican culture supported by the Mexican Embassy since day one, and proof that the best food spreads through word of mouth, locals telling locals, friends bringing friends, the kind of buzz that fills a laneway.

Panko crusted slow-cooked pork cheek patty, with iceberg lettuce, pickled red cabbage, American cheese, and kimchi mayonnaise in a Brezelmania brioche bun.

Honey-cured bacon and scrambled Shevington Farm egg, with gouda, hash brown, and Mojo Coffee BBQ sauce in a Family Bakery burger bun.

Tom and Cole of Strait Speared have been supplying Wellington's best venues with spear-caught butterfish for four years using methods that have minimal impact on the ocean. Knowing your fisherman matters, and tonight they're coming to the table to talk you through why. A nine-course degustation using all the parts of the butterfish: fillets, collars, roe. Each preparation different, each one revealing something new about the fish and the selectivity it takes to harvest responsibly. You'll chat with the fishermen about their work, with the chef about different butterfish preparations, and with the people beside you as course after course unfolds. This is what transparent seafood looks like when the person who caught it is sitting across from you. Your ticket includes nine courses and one welcome drink on arrival. Additional alcohol can be purchased.

Tabasco honey-glazed chorizo patty, with jalapeño corn beignet, lime-smashed avocado, chorizo crumble, caramelised onion jam, coriander, and chipotle lime crema in an Arobake brioche bun grilled with tequila burnt corn butter.

Double Vision Brewing pilsner-brined chicken parmigiana, with mozzarella, napolitana sauce, iceberg lettuce, and bacon parmesan mayonnaise in a housemade brioche bun.