Wellington's mayor has admitted to being a "bit tipsy" at a local restaurant but denies asking a waiter if he knew who she was.
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau told Newshub she was out at the local restaurant, The Old Quarter, on Friday night with a friend and walked out without paying.
"The Old Quarter is one of my favourite restaurants. I'm a regular patron. I am so embarrassed that we walked out without paying," Whanau told Newshub in a statement.
"It was an honest mistake, one that we corrected the next morning."
Workers at The Old Quarter told The Post Whanau arrived at around 7pm with a friend already "tipsy" and they considered refusing to serve her more alcohol.
Shay Lomus, manager of The Old Quarter, told RNZ Whanau and her friend ordered a bottle of wine and the restaurant decided if they ordered food as well, staff could serve the mayor and not have to "cut her off".
Lomas didn't serve the pair but said the server who did told him at one point Whanau asked them "Do you know who I am?"
"The server recognised her but wasn't entirely sure so he was just kinda like, 'ah nah I'm not too sure who you are', and she was like 'I'm the mayor of Wellington,'" Lomas said.
"She just kept saying stuff like that."
Lomus said he did not think she acted inappropriately or rudely, it was just "silly little comments".
"The staff didn't find her rude or disrespectful at all, ah - up until she left without paying - but it was just her being ... slightly drunk or something like that, Lomas said.
"But it was nothing too major or too bad from her."
Whanau told Newshub she "strenuously deny any other accusations" about her conduct and being refused service.
"They are simply false," she said.
"I will continue to work towards delivering on positive outcomes for the city, delivering accelerated climate action, affordable housing, and better services for Wellington."
After the revelations came to light on Monday morning, Whanau told Newstalk ZB she was a little tipsy and "merry" but denied being drunk or asking the question: "Do you know who I am?"
"That's just something I wouldn't say, I deny saying that," Whanau said.
"I was tipsy, you know, and I'm always honest about that. I'd had a few wines. But this is just the reality of public figures, especially politicians. I'm keen to move past this."
