Cafe & Coffee Shop & Pub in Wellington

“It's 11.30 and we have an hour to spare before boarding the ferry. To top it off, we are feeling a little peckish. I had heard good things about The Kanteen, so off we go. You are greeted by a warm yet industrial atmosphere, with a professional air. The vibe is very much like a shared workspace, the occasional table hosting a laptop and an impromptu meeting or two. We made our way to the service desk and we're greeted with a lovely welcome and friendly smile. The food in the cabinet looked amazing, so I ordered the Mushroom Melt, and my friend the Swiss Cheese BLT. And of course, a couple of Flat Whites!! The food was served promptly and was amazing. The melt did exactly that, with dripping cheese, caremalised onions and loads of mushrooms, this toasted sandwich ticked all of my boxes. Made with care and with fresh ingredients, it was the gift which kept on giving. And for the price tag it was a great deal. The coffee was equally good, and served in a suave eco friendly disposable cup. Please try this place out, it's definitely worth it!”

“I came here a whil ago and was not impressed with the steak. However decided to come today, and i could not fault my scotch fillet steak, cooked med rare, tasted amazing. Long horn double patty burger looked delicious and mouth watering, the patties were cooked to perfection and the flavors awesome. Kids nugget meal, fresh nuggets!! Kidsmeal free on sundays. Customer service, lady was super nice and chef stayed open even when we arrived cutting it close for kitchen to close. Desserts were yumm too.”

“Good coffee and I like the interior sitting area. Great service and staff.”

“Great little cafe, very friendly staff. Awesome atmosphere great flat whites and never very busy. Very well priced food and coffee, highly recommend!!!!”

“Devilskin We Rise 2024 Concert. A mother and daughter outlet.”

“The establishment recently underwent a change in ownership, and we had the opportunity to dine there a few weeks following the transition. We found the cuisine to be exceptional, and the service was both prompt and outstanding. The quality of service significantly enhanced my dining experience, making it highly likely that I will return.”

“We used the function area for a 21st recently.The service and food were outstanding. Staff were very responsive and keen to make our evening as enjoyable as possible. Communication was excellent and the food platters were huge and extremely good value for money. Highly recommended and would hold another event here in the future.”

“My partner and I like coming to Hudsons. Beautifully presented coffees always! These guys are Christmas ready too. Great ambience. Excellent staff, food and coffee...”

“First of all this is a pub not a fancy restaurant - set your expectations accordingly. Having said that the food is excellent value for money and a big range of options on the menu and specials board and an amazing selection of sweets in the cabinet. Have had the "small" beef burger here and it's just spot on, usually can't finish the fries that come with it (hey have small/large sizes that really should be described as big/huge). Friendly service at the counter, clean and tidy premises and what looked like a number of locals in for Monday lunch - clearly popular.”

“Coffee is A++ and I’m a coffee snob, was nice to finish a good coffee. I had chicken wings, while they’re were a tad oily they were still tasty and a decent serving! Had a chips on the side and that was also a decent serving and were very tasty, bonus points for not having dry wings. Partner had the chicken burger which he really enjoyed. Overall a really nice experience, the lady who served us was super polite and had fab hospo skills - very welcoming. Fire was also on so we were toasty warm. We will back back in the summer ☀️”

“We had our wedding at The Waterfront in March 2025 and couldn't be happier with our choice. Zara was involved from the start, bringing a calm, professional approach that made the planning process easy and stress-free. Her communication was excellent, and she used her experience to ensure everything went smoothly. She even took on extra tasks like printing and setup, allowing us to focus on other aspects. The staff were outstanding—proactive and attentive. Our guests raved about the food and overall atmosphere. We highly recommend The Waterfront for any event. They've set a new standard for hospitality on the coast, comparable to the best in Auckland or Melbourne. Keep it up & thank you for everything!!”

“Watched football and some good softball. Only the weather let things down. Pies from the Ricoh cafe were yummy!!!”

“Great spot for a quiet drink. Kitchen was closed but snacks available - enjoyed the Hawaiian pizza”

“Highly recommend. I absolutely loved my breakfast. The omelette was delicious and the butter was served at room temperature so it actually spread on my toast. The service was fast but you weren't rushed. Great chilling music played in the back ground.”

“Great location, the were able to accommodate all 30 of us, and the space worked really well for 13 kids in our group! Everyone enjoyed the food, my wife and I went for the schnitzel which was a decent size, and came paired with really nice coleslaw salad an sauce. I had the chance my son's fried chicken which was delicious! there was a lot going on for a Sunday, as they had salsa dancing and the music was LOUD! we didn't mind, but some in our group made a comment as they couldn't hear each other. I'd say it's a great place with very nice atmosphere, and they have great food and fantastic service, will definitely come again.”

“Service was fantastic from an attentive server. Oysters and mussels were tasty and presented well. Flounder was cooked perfectly and the meat from the ribs fell off the bone. Delicious and good portions! Very happy.”

“We opted for a range of share plates in lieu of mains - the pull-apart garlic loaf, pork belly bites, bacon wrapped scallops and calamari. Four plates was enough to fill two of us up, and the food was AMAZING - just good food well prepared and executed. I stepped out to take a phone call and by the time I came back, our food had arrived. The staff were awesome - personable, attentive, authentic and helpful. Kate in particular put us right at ease and was the consummate host. A nice, quiet table, great music not too loud to preclude conversation, and staff that seem like they actually want to be here dealing with you... that was the point of difference! Highly recommended.”

“Aubergine is our favourite restaurant in Wellington and we go there for every special occasion. This time it was my wife's birthday. As always, we were treated to a lovely evening with attentive service, fine wine and a beautiful meal. Aubergine has just the right ambience for an intimate evening dinner, the food has never been less than excellent and we are made to feel very welcome.”

“We had the festive high tea and the food and service was excellent. Our server especially was delightful and very knowledgeable about the teas.”

“My partner and I recently celebrated her birthday here, and we had an absolute fantastic experience. The wait staff were delightful to deal with, and the food was delicious, while being rather different (being Asian fusion food) yet incredibly clever. The spice levels in each dish were perfectly balanced, which is one of the several reasons why I consider this worthy of 5 stars. I had the salmon entree, which was perfectly cooked and tasty salmon, with one nice dollop of beetroot reduction, and one of a lemon/citrus reduction, which paired nicely. The main was the tandoori charcoal chicken which was simply fantastic. The spice on this was outstanding, with a little bit of heat, which I found really kicked it up a notch. The charcoal chicken was perfect to me, ever so slightly crisp on the outside as you would expect, but perfectly cooked and juicy on the inside. The sauce was an excellent pairing too, as was the wasabi mashed potato, even though I am not a fan of mashed potato. The addition of the cardamon seeds was simply genius, and added a little something to it that was incredibly enjoyable. As for desert, I sadly forgot to take a photo, but it was the caremalised charred pineapple, which was also delicious. I especially enjoyed the sticky salted butter sauce on the side, which also had a small touch of cardamon to really add to the dish. It was a desert that you would never really see elsewhere as it truly embodied the fusion style, and considering how yummy it was, that's a bit of a shame! I love different and interesting deserts, and this was a prime example of that. Aside from that, the decor had a very nice 1920's feel to it, with some modern twists, to make the room cosy yet stylish. The wine selection was also really well chosen too. All in all I would very much recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting something slightly different yet special”

“Me and my partner had a pork rib and a their signature Chicken Burger. It was absolutely delicious perfectly cooked, full of flavours, and beautifully presented. The service from Ashish was excellent. He was very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable which made our experience even better. Definitely recommend both the dish and the great service. We will surely visit Again.”

“This was a really good choice to meet up with friends for drinks before a show. Food is good with nice sized portions. A nice selection of beers, wines and ciders. Enough space to be comfortable and neat, clean bathrooms are always a plus.”

“First visit to New Zealand 2024 fell in love with this bar...will be back early May 2025 can't wait!!!!”

“Celebrated our end of year event for work - Great venue off the side of the main pub. Cool seperate bar. Great food and amazing service. The staff were always willing to answer questions and help when required. Would recommend.”

“My aunty and her sisters came here for dinner last night. She asked me to write a review bc she's not on Social Media. It was quiet but my aunt liked that bc they could chat. The lady who served us was lovely. She always let us know what was happening w our food. Loved her service! The kai was "smashing" so one of my aunts said. That one had the burger chicken. My aunt, Luana, thought the caramized steak was beautiful, she almost licked the plate and the salad was crispy and delicious. We were so full, we brought our puddings home. We had chocolate ice cream parfait w golden kiwi. Beautiful! We will definitely be back again, compliments to the chef and the lovely waitress!”

“We went in for the first time today with a group of 6. The good humoured Maîre d’ was able to accommodate our group and we all had the burger special. The seating was comfortable and the food was sooo good. The staff are really jovial and friendly with a dash of cheekiness which we loved. We shall be back!”

“We were served by Ash who provided top notch 5 star service. She made sure our drink and meal orders were taken promptly and all served at the right time. The meals were great. Ash settled our bill at the end accurately to our satisfaction so we were very happy with our experience at Khandallah Trading company. The place is highly recommend.”

“Good family meal, something for everyone. Loved the pork chops and mash, two for one nachos were a popular option, and lamb shank was great. Order and pay at the bar was handy as we had a table of two groups. Also have a good seperate gluten free menu with was needed on this occasion.”

“Was in Wellington recently for work. This was our place for breakfast, the food was consistently excellent (especially the eggs benedict without spinach), the coffee was superb and the service excellent. The house manager in the morning (from England) super friendly and the wait staff lovely too. Thank you”

“Great atmosphere and pretty good food too.”