Cafe & Coffee Shop & Pub in Wellington

“This is such a charming little café. The service was fantastic and the food was delicious. We went to try their WOAP burger which was by far the best we had during the event. We'll definitely be going back.”

“Very efficient service and very delicious coffee. And it's a great place to get work done on your laptop.”

“they taught me the words to use to avoid getting my cappuccinos with too much milk. honestly if they weren't so close to my work I'd probably quit my job. keep up the good java team!”

“Just popped in here for a late breakfast. Who knew oatmeal could be such a work of art! Delicious and a pleasure to the senses on multiple levels. My wife had the smashed avocado with feta and humus on sourdough toast which she also loved.”

“All the staff are simply the best. We are so lucky. My daily walk.”

“Very cool vibe, spacious and authentic, these are the words is choose due Hataitai's cool new micro-brewery. With a little range of other beers to compliment their own Pale Ale, beer snobs and their friends will all be satisfied. Yummy snacks keep you going as the evening sun encourages you to stick around longer. Go here and enjoy seeing the club evolve and grow.”

“Just stopped in to try coffee and check out food - so good! Great service and quick wait. Coffee amazing! Good selection of food and prices. Love the seating and old school stools.”

“My parents are moving to the area soon (from out of town). They've been to this cafe a couple of times while finding a house, doing inspections, etc. The staff remembered their faces and to my Mum in particular that meant the world. Thank-you!!”

“Makara Beach Cafe (Wharekai) is a special place. It’s in one of the wildest parts of New Zealand. The cafe is open Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays (subject to management’s discretion) from 11am till 5pm (again… it can change!!). It’s actually a really hard place to run a cafe because of its location. You either drive through Takarau Gorge (a narrow, winding road through an active fault from Johnsonville), or Makara Road via Karori (more friendly for inexperienced drivers). While only 15-20 minutes from the city, it is considered remote. There is very little infrastructure out there. No town water services exist, there is a public toilet block with 2 loos and a change room. They are connected to a septic system and there is no drinkable public water supply (byo or buy one at the cafe). Everyone working here is a local resident. The current proprietors have dedicated their lives to serving their community. They are the local posties, working 7 days a week…. Ronnie and Mark decided to take up the lease of the cafe post-covid. There is nothing else anywhere nearby. The nearby Makara Beach walkway is the busiest public recreational walking track in the whole Wellington Region! Ronnie, once the catering manager with Cook Strait ferries, brings her epic culinary skills to creating and cooking everything on the menu personally, in a very small kitchen. She batters the fish as ordered, making some of the freshest and most delicious fish and chips you will ever have. Her Lasagne is legendary, Toasties are a very popular mainstay (if you are Coeliac, you can even have a Gluten Free toastie!!!). The Big Beefy Burger is always a winner after doing an epic walk to the gun emplacements. I personally can’t get enough of the Bacon and Egg Butties! Ronnie has an extensive menu, catering for all tastes and levels of hunger, including those of our most precious Tamariki (children). The cafe’s busy-ness is directly linked to weather conditions and time of the year. On a sunny day with little wind, you can guarantee the Makara Beach area will be very busy. It is advisable to take this into consideration when trying to park, use the bathrooms and the cafe. Obviously, you may need to wait for services.. including the toilets!!! Perhaps consider whether you should visit the area on such days if you are likely to be frustrated by waiting in queues. The services here are provided by Wellington Council. It is almost impossible to consistently predict the numbers of visitors to the area and visitors need to plan accordingly. This can result in the cafe being closed with little warning if the weather is terrible. There is very little shelter outside the cafe. During summer’s hot days please ensure you have sufficient water, sun cream, hats and shelters. Also respect the residents and the animals (including the recently released Kiwi) who reside there. Park in allocated spaces along Makara Road or in the carpark behind the toilets. Don’t block driveways or the boat ramp access or park on septic tanks and planted areas. Don’t use people’s homes as a urinal and please dispose of your rubbish in the bins provided. Ronnie, Mark and staff do everything they can to make the best food and drinks, and provide the best experience possible for visitors. Their hearts are in everything they do, stop by for a chat and say hi!”

“A sweet and welcoming venue. "The Heiress" was a world class performance! Loved our night at the Gryphon.”

“Nice selection of Hemp clothes, crystals, salt lamps & knick-knacks.”

“Simple, down to earth, best coffee at a good price. I not only get my coffee in their shops , I get their beans so that I can enjoy their coffee when I’m working from home too”

“Highly rate. Great food selection. Coffee excellent. Friendly people to serve you:-) They’ve even got T-Shirt merch!! Had Frittata with Homemade Chutney, coffee and Afghan biscuit. Excellent.”

“Very good spot for our spontaneous WOAP burger pick for the night, welcoming staff who were easy going and inviting & yummy food & drinks! We tried the adult mango-lime drink there will definitely be back to try another flavour ☺️”

“This is an interesting place to others an amazing vibe, it has the choices I am generally interested in and of course it has a hint of southern African quinine, whether you come for a coffee, or a breakfast with boerewors or you lunch with a bunny chow can you really go wrong in a place like this, I think not! It is definitely a great place to eat and you should give it a go!”

“they've been around in the valley since I've been born, their pies are incredibly good and I always urge people visiting me in the valley to swing by. Great donuts, apple turnovers and cheesecake too! and their pizza bread is a must try. staff has always been incredibly welcoming and lovely :-)”

“What a fantastic cafe! Friendly, efficient staff, incredible food and great views. Love the decor, highly recommended to all!”

“Great coffee, service and pre made food. The chicken cranberry Panini is excellent”

“A delightful brunch. Had the lady breakfast which was the perfect size and verything was cooked to perfection. Lovely piano music to accompany the ambient din of people catching up over coffee and brunch.”

“Best coffee in town, and tasty snacks for a good price. Always speedy service and good banter from the crew. Can't wait for them to return from Christmas break....”

“What a hidden gem!! Super tender and crispy chicken and yummy sauces, also very reasonably low price for the portion you get! You can also order online and it only took 5min for my order to be ready :) Just an FYI I got the kimchi bowl which is the only bowl that doesn’t include steamed rice which I didn’t notice.”

“Great little Cafe. Dog friendly. Had an excellent mocha and almond croissant. Also taste of beautifully made scone. Lots of regulars. Very clean. Highly recommend”

“Great service right from entry. Heaps of options. Plenty of gluten free and vegetarian options also. Food was so good and very reasonably priced!!!”

“my first time here. love my scrambled eggs and bacon. best coffee ive had since Maccas McCafe lol. thank you for a great first experience.”

“Probably the friendliest staff of any cafe in the country. They're always bubbly and ready for a good yarn. The monthly changing scones and overnight oats are , 11 times out of 12, excellent , the olive lover(s) might say 12 out of 12. Good banter, excellent coffee and not a bad location either.”

“Every Thursday I come for looking forward for it. There hot chocolates always make me nice and warm also one of the best hot chocolates ever. Staff are super chatty and nice. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”

“They are hosting dinners from time to time. Service made by students. Cooking made by students. Great culinary school !”

“Amazing coffee at better price than the other cafes around. The folks working there are super nice, and the atmosphere is fantastic.”

“Matcha and donuts are really nice! Staff is lovely and friendly. New location is sunny with large space, good to stay to slow down.”