A fixture of Wellington dining since 2002, Capitol is the kind of restaurant that has earned its longevity the old-fashioned way: excellent ingredients, assured cooking and warm hospitality. Chef Tom Hutchison’s menu draws heavily on local seafood and seasonal produce, underpinned by modern Italian influences and an appealing lack of unnecessary complication. Long-standing favourites such as parmesan-crumbed lamb’s liver and fried squid sit alongside market fish, handmade breads and considered vegetable dishes. It is polished without feeling precious, equally suited to a spontaneous dinner at the bar or a meal that calls for a little more occasion.