Beach House and Kiosk

The Beach House and Kiosk (410 The Esplanade, Island Bay) Formerly known as The Bach, this sea-side spot has beautiful views of the South Coast, which even stretch as far as the South Island on a good day. A great stop off before or after visiting the Red Rocks, The Beach House and Kiosk has…

Ekor Bookshop & Cafe

Ekor Bookshop & Cafe (17b College Street) What a discovery. Tucked away a few metres along from Cafe L’affare (on the same street as Moore Wilsons) the Ekor Bookshop & Cafe is an absolute gem, just waiting to be found. It caught our eye as we were walking out to Newtown recently, and at our…

Plum Cafe

Plum Cafe (103 Cuba Street) One of the few cafes and restaurants on Cuba Street that doesn’t specialise in a particular cuisine, rather it has a focus on producing classic Western food with a side of class. It has a decadent cabinet, a yummy menu, and a kitchen that rivals the size of your broom…

Fratelli

Fratelli (15 Blair Street) This place caught my attention during Wellington On a Plate 2016. It received some absolutely glowing reviews, and I was baffled because I live just down the road and could have sworn that I had never noticed this place. I made it my mission to go, and together with a group…

The Riddiford Bar & Bistro

The Riddiford Bar & Bistro (16 Riddiford Street, Newtown) With a prime location of across the road from the hospital, business here should be booming. Unfortunately, I think The Riddiford probably needs a bit of a revamp before this happens. It took me a while to visit here because I’d heard extremely mixed things about…

House Cafe

House Cafe (corner of Crosses Road and Napier Road) Avoiding some of the more popular spots on a long weekend in the Bay, Dad suggested that we head along to House Cafe which is tucked away on the corner of Crosses Road and Napier Road. It’s not that obvious a spot; one of those places…

The Bach

The Bach (108 Maunganui Road) A super beachy looking place in the hub of the Mount township; I’ve always been attracted to it purely by its interior decor. It’s spacious, with large tables, menus on the wall and a cabinet + low counter across from which you order. The coffee is tasty, the brownie is…

The Rabbit Hole

The Rabbit Hole (217 Maunganui Road) Only recently opened, my mum essentially dragged me there to try the ‘cool-looking place’ with the ‘funky interior’. I have to admit, the rabbit (?) skins draped over the back of the chairs made for a pretty interesting sight. I couldn’t help but being mildly impressed by this sunny court-yard…

Café Polo

Café Polo (82 – 84 Rotherham Terrace, Miramar) All I knew of Café Polo was that it was supposed to have great bacon and eggs. A visit to Weta Workshop (which is incredible by the way) provided the perfect excuse to eat out this way, and I am so glad we did. I had to…

Bay Espresso

Bay Espresso (19 Middle Road) Bay Espresso is basically an HB institution. With locations not just in Havelock, but also on Karamu Road and Omahu Road, you are never that far away from a cafe. With its very own roastery (I’ve seen various cafes nationwide stocking Bay Espresso coffee) the coffee is extremely delicious, and…