So
this is our top 10 cafes in Wellington.
Now you may know of better places that make better coffee or have better
food, but for us cafes are not just a place to grab a coffee and a bite to eat
they offer an experience! A place with a
great energy where friends and family come together and enjoy each other’s
company with simple well done delights that warm the heart and soul. We feel
that this top 10 offers all of that and more.
We have
enjoyed every moment in these cafes and have visited them on more than one occasion
during our research. We have enjoyed the
food, the coffee and most of all the hard working staff that make these cafes
the best in our great little Capital.
We hope that
you enjoy reading our top 10 list, but most of all we hope that you go out and
enjoy these cafes and their surroundings.
THE CHOCOLATE FISH CAFÉ
Located in
the old Defence buildings on Miramar’s Shelly Bay with superb views of
Wellington harbour, this café optimizes the saying ‘you can’t beat Wellington
on a good day’
With hand
painted seats and great authentic kiwi décor next to the sea, this is the
perfect place to sit back and enjoy the delicious seafood cooked on the
barbeque or the many treats from the counter with a great coffee which is
guaranteed!!
The café has 70
seats indoors and 100 outdoor seats along with deck chairs and bean bags to lie
on the grass and enjoy the great weather.
There are plenty of things for the kids to do with lots of scooters,
bikes and trikes and a large area for them to ride around.
·
The
café also has Gluten free, and vegetarian options.
·
The
café is licenced
All and all
this would be one of if not the best family café in Wellington and a great
place to spend an afternoon in the sun.
Pataka
Museum, Porirua library, and a wonderfully crafted Japanese garden provide the
perfect back drop to this friendly café with its handmade meals and treats.
With great
indoor outdoor flow Kaizen is the perfect place to relax and take in your
surroundings while enjoying the delicious food off a full menu board or any one
of the many desserts on offer, with the rhubarb short cake an absolute must.
Kaizen offers
fantastic friendly service, where everyone is welcome and is must for anyone
needing a coffee or a bite to eat while visiting Porirua.
Kaizen also
does a high tea during the week which is a real hit with the locals or those
wanting to do things the way they used to be.
·
The
café also has Gluten free, and vegetarian options.
·
The
café is licenced
All up Kaizen
is an ideal café for the family, and a great place to stop after a walk around
the wonderful Pataka Museum.
Located on
Petone’s famed Jackson Street, Go Bang is the perfect stop while walking the
many bouquet shops of Jackson Street. Retro signage with a pale blue Bedford
colour adds to the anticipation.
Situated at
the southern end of Jackson Street, this small cosy, child friendly café offers
some truly memorable dishes with the signature dish of grilled in-house hash
cakes with spinach, free-range eggs, hollandaise and salmon or bacon or
mushrooms an absolute must.
There is also
a good range of taste treats from the cabinet to have with a great coffee.
Granny’s gluten free chocolate cake a real favourite.
Go Bangs’
staff are polite and professional lending to a great experience to be enjoyed
while strolling the Ponsonby Road of Wellington.
The décor is
straight from the seventies, which gives Laundry on Cuba the feeling like it’s
always been there, or like you are back at that old holiday batch you loved as
a kid where everything was miss matched, but the times were so good.
From burgers
to wraps and delightful handmade fries the food is full of flavour and all
cooked in an old caravan situated in the outdoor area at the rear of the café
all adding to the wonderful experience that is Laundry on Cuba.
This quirky
little café tucked away on Dixon Street just in front of Pigeon Park (Te Aro) has
arguably Wellingtons best coffee. The Memphis
Belle offers a range of coffee types and a variety of brewing options such as
syphon, chemex and cold drip with baristas who really know their stuff.
If you are
out strolling the bottom halve of Cuba Street then this is the place to head
for a coffee that will blow you mind.
They have a range of taste treats from the cabinet that are a good match
with their coffee, but it is the coffee and great service that will ultimately
keep bringing you back to Memphis Belle.
In Wellington
there are better café’s to go to for atmosphere, food and surroundings, but
none match Memphis Belle for coffee, and that is why it makes the top 10 with
ease.
Just over the
Blue Mountains of Silverstream, nestled in Whitemans valley is the aptly named
Short Straw Café, this café is indeed made from straw (hay bales) at least
which give it a great country feel.
The Short
Straw is open from Wednesday to Sunday and has a great outdoor area for the
kids to run around while taking in the wonderful country air. The cakes and slices are some of the best you
will find in Wellington with a very generous portion size.
The coffee is
ok, the food is great, the service is great and the setting is exceptional. All up this is a great place to go for a
Sunday drive. The hill over is a bit
twisty, but it is only a short trip and the views down the other side are worth
the ride.
Come in and
get away from the hustle the noise and intensity of Cuba Street. Olive is as
warm and comfortable as sitting by the fire with a hot chocolate on a wet and
windy Sunday afternoon. It has an understated style and decor that suits the
unassuming to the “look at me’s”. The food easily compliments the ambience with
savoury treats and a classy menu which is done exceptionally well.
Halloumi,
Brioche, ricotta, lemon, red pepper, chorizo, beetroot and bacon are just some
of the flavours on offer. The coffee is consistently fantastic and the front of
house service friendly and professional.
The rear of
the premises exudes an ambience of the Mediterranean. Olive’s garden has a
great setting with seating and tables to match and a Mediterranean feel which
is complemented through the olive tree, bushes and slightly chaotic layout. The
Thursday thru Sunday grill gives the premises yet another dimension. With
seating for over one hundred Olive is a little piece of magic in the heart of
the capital.
Having stood
the test of time Olive reflects Wellington’s passionate cafe culture and makes
our top 10 with ease. A definite must for any cafe connoisseur.
Brooklyn
Bread and Bagel include a huge kitchen which outputs all day with baking which
is as good as the best you’d find anywhere in Wellington, supplying cafe’s and restaurants
throughout the Wellington region. Artisian breads to pastries through to muffins
tea cakes and sweets are all made on site.
So what about
the cafe you may ask. Much of what is made for the wholesale market can be
purchased by the public in their cafe. Coupled to this is seating for many
diners with a kiddies menu and play area making this a great dining venue for
both children and their parents.
French toast
and a good latte are our favourite here but that’s not just it. Cabinet food is
plentiful and if you’re after something a little smaller the canapes are
worthwhile.
All in all
Brooklyn Bread and Bagel offer something for everyone and that something is
good!
The southern
end of Wellington City you’ll see surfers, airplanes and the odd seal or even
penguin. It’s here on Wellingtons Lyall Bay beachfront you’ll find ‘Maranui
Cafe’. Like your favourite pair of sand shoes it just feels relaxed and right
Perched on
the second floor of The Maranui Surf Club House the views are amazing as is the
typically scrumptious menu which covers some real delights like the chocolate
coconut roughs and includes a haven for tastebuds of vegetarian/vegan choice,
not to mention those who have a penchant for steak sandwiches. ‘Kiddies Kai’
keeps the kiddies happy too.
The funky unique
and very cool 1940’s style dining space includes a mix of table sizes and
seating arrangements for around 100. The wide varieties of beverages include
milkshakes to coffee and fizzy soda drinks to wine.
This is one
of the best cafes at the southern end of Wellington, and one that we highly recommend.
Nestled in
the northern end of our port city is the aptly named Cafe El Porteno.
Daily fare
ranging from the beetroot chocolate cake, the argentinian slice, mushroom
savoury muffins and fresh out-of-the-oven quiche are just some of the lovingly
crafted eats, made by the owner, to delight the senses. The walk in casual
setting, a mixture of retro 70’s coupled with Argentinian flair gives the cafe
a unique feel, and as a bonus the owner is Argentinian.
The best is
sometimes left till last and here it is. The coffee. Cafe El Porteno offers a
specialised set of coffees but the highlight has to be the Vietnamese.
A chance to
experience this quaint café is a chance to visit many parts of the world.
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