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Wellington mayor Tory Whanau says she is so embarrassed that she walked out without paying. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Tory Whanau - Figure 1
Photo RNZ

A restaurant manager says Wellington mayor Tory Whanau appeared intoxicated at the establishment on Friday and left without paying.

Shay Lomas said Whanau arrived at The Old Quarter on Dixon Street with a friend, and seemed "tipsy".

They ordered a bottle wine and Lomas said the restaurant decided that if they ordered food as well staff could serve Whanau and not have to "cut her off".

The law does not allow intoxicated people to be served alcohol.

The Old Quarter restaurant, Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Tory Whanau - Figure 2
Photo RNZ

Lomas said while he did not personally wait on the pair, 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'.

"She just kept saying stuff like that."

Lomas 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.

Tory Whanau - Figure 3
Photo RNZ

"But it was nothing too major or too bad from her."

Lomas said the restaurant got a call from someone other than Whanau on Saturday morning and they invoiced that person the bill, which has now been paid.

Whanau said she was embarrassed to have walked out of the restaurant without paying, but said other accusations about her conduct were false.

In a statement, the mayor said she was a regular patron of The Old Quarter, and described the Dixon Street eatery as one of her favourite restaurants.

"I am so embarrassed that we walked out without paying. It was an honest mistake, one that we corrected the next morning," Whanau said.

Tory Whanau - Figure 4
Photo RNZ

However, she denied the other allegations against her.

"I strenuously deny any other accusations about my conduct and being refused service. They are simply false."

Tory Whanau said she would continue to work towards delivering accelerated climate action, affordable housing, and better services for Wellington.

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