Café restaurants in New Zealand
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Sheinkin
Sheinkin stands out amongst the other eggs-and-coffee joints in Auckland's CBD due to its stellar Israeli-inspired food, quality coffee and unhurried atmosphere. They do a fabulous tasting plate, soups and salads and there is plenty of glossy reading material to peruse while you wait for your bagel.
reviewed
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Caffe Roma
Closed until further notice.
Often voted Christchurch’s best spot for breakfast, a relaxed attitude at Caffe Roma means goodies such as salmon with hash browns are available until 3.30pm every day.
reviewed
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Espressoholic
A serious supporter of coffee addiction is this grungy café, with chipped black tables and colourful graffiti art. Espressoholic keeps late hours (midnight or later), keeping punters happy with a good veggie selection, cool music and courtyard.
reviewed
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Chocolate Fish
Much is made of this café being a favourite with film stars working in Wellywood, but it's good enough without such validation. It's a colourful, quirky place in Scorching Bay, east of the city (for the scenic route, take Oriental Pde all the way around Evans Bay, a total of 13km). Sit outside right on the beach (good for swimming) and tuck into a bumper breakfast, perfect panini or hunk of cake. Expect to wait for a table on sunny weekends.
reviewed
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Cafe L’Affare
Cafe L’Affare is the centre of a small empire, from which its own beans are roasted and distributed. Its Professor Brainstorm–emporium interior is a hive of activity, with speedy baristas, crowded communal tables and a disco ball. At weekends, kids aplenty add to the cacophony, but everyone adds their cheery thanks to snappy service and wicked brekkies of eggie excellence.
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Hislops
This snappy, feel-good cafe maintains its reputation for fresh, wholesome food. Start the morning with a guilt-free fry-up, then come back at night for organic meats plus local seafood, veg and vegan choices. Notable salads, such as goats feta and avocado.
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Waterfront Cafe
It’s a sausage-roll-and-custard-square kind of place, but it’s Russell’s best weekday breakfast option.
reviewed
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Hot Mama's Cafe
Hot Mama's Cafe This breezy, open-fronted food room is the funkiest café in town, and the best spot to down a few local lagers to boot. Repair last night's damage with a Hangover Brekkie (eggs, bacon, spicy sausage etc), or close out the day with a Hardcore Prawn or Bombay Chicken pizza before adjourning to the bar, hip lounge area or balmy courtyard. Plenty of laughter; excellent wine list; live bands, jam nights and DJs on summer weekends.
reviewed
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La Commune
La Commune Vegetarians and ecowarriors rejoice! Not only does this bohemian place deliver fresh, well-presented meals, it has a selection of vegan wines, good magazines, funky 1950s furniture and a commitment to recycling and ecofriendly products. Special treats are the Thursday buffet ($10) and live music on the weekends.
reviewed
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Bellafico
A mainstream, main-street eatery with a huge wine and beer list that makes great reading. The menu drifts from light afternoon fare into evening mains with an emphasis on local produce (shellfish, venison, rabbit, field-mushroom paté) cooked with Italian zest. Beware the easy-listening soundtrack, sometimes emanating from a human.
reviewed
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Cafe de Paris
This oh-so-French café is very popular, but we were underwhelmed when we visited for dinner. Breakfast, lunch or coffee and delicious cakes at any time are excellent, but later at night their Gallic culinary aspirations can exceed their abilities in the kitchen. On Saturday nights there's live music from 19:00.
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K
Logos
Space Age meets New Age at Logos café. With low-slung lightbulbs downstairs and themed rooms upstairs (brought to you by the colour blue, green and one Mid-East-inspired). The mostly veg menu sneaks in some chicken and seafood, but offers lots of animal-free dishes. It's all healthy, including the wine-list.
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St Lees
Making great use of an old Methodist church, St Lees has interesting artworks, an open fire and plenty of comfy lounge chairs on which to sit as you enjoy coffee, a meal or a glass of wine. Their speciality is pizzas and pastas (available for takeaway too) but you should also try their unique salads and burgers.
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Brazil
Boho Brazil café's exposed plumbing and peeling paint would make Terry Gilliam proud. Serious coffee drinkers are also proud of Brazil's home-roast brew from beans prepared in the basement. Filled bagels and great breakfasts are served amongst electro-industrial soundscapes and aromas of steaming coffee.
reviewed
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Zigana
Owner Ramazan Semiz is everyone's friend so give him a wave before before tucking into Zigana's house-roast coffee or a Mod-NZ main of chicken, lamb or fish. Thin-crust pizzas promise the world, with toppings from Alaska, Greece, Sicily and (not least) Turkey - spiced lamb, butter, parsley and fresh tomato.
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Potpourri
Funky, homey and very kid-friendly, this small cafe has been fattening up Dunedin’s vegetarians and vegans for almost 40 years. Tuck into big, inexpensive portions of quiche, pizza, flatbread melts and spicy samosas. There are lots of organic, free-range and gluten-free options, and takeaways are available.
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Metro Café & Bar
A safe haven for travellers, vegie/vegans, or just people after a chilled-out place for a pot of tea and a mean steak sandwich atop an inventive salad. Be warned that the delightful laid-back attitude applies to meal preparation too – not a place to go if you're in a hurry. Occasional live music/DJs.
reviewed
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Le Café
A perennially popular spot both for its quayside location, dependable food and Havana coffee. The likes of salami sandwiches and sweets are in the cabinet, while a good antipasto platter, generous pasta, local mussels, lamb loin and expertly cooked fresh fish feature a la carte. Laid-back atmosphere, craft beer and occasional live gigs make this a good evening hang-out.
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Indigo
Along with Vega, Indigo dragged Whanganui dining into the new millennium. A decade later and the vibe is still up-to-the-minute snazzy; the lofty interior and outdoor terrace swim with NZ wines, and contemporary meat, pasta and fish dishes are assembled with progressive flair. The lamb pasties are huge.
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Yaza Cafe
Adjacent to the weekend markets, Yaza is a colourful, kid-friendly café with all-day breakfasts and live music most summer weekends (folk, blues, punk, pop and reggae). Food is free-range and organic (quiches pizzas, frittatas, wraps, soup); patchouli lingers in the air.
reviewed
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Pihanga Cafe
The Pihanga is a consistent performer with good-value meals along the lines of soup, salads and fancier fare such as osso bucco.
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Ultra Lounge
A fashionable bar and restaurant serving upmarket café fare during the day and upping the ante in the evenings. Plenty of top quality NZ produce served intelligently, fresh Med flavours and delicately-done Asian. Boasts a stylish interior and pleasant rooftop balcony.
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Stingray Café
From its ecofriendly ethos to sunny courtyard, well-priced meals and smooth tunes, Stingray embodies Nelson's upbeat mood. Drop by any time for relaxed vibes and to snaffle a pizza or salad. Later on, settle in with a cocktail and some live acoustic twanging or DJ.
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Morrison St Café
Part cafe, part gallery, Morrison St is a polished operator, with a menu that sticks out of the cafe crowd. Enjoy raspberry and cinnamon butter pancakes for brekkie, then sneak back for a zingy Burmese chicken salad or an afternoon pick-me-up of coffee and cake.
reviewed
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Barista
No matter what time you wander past, Barista seems to always be open. It's a big, bustling café-restaurant with professional staff shuffling out plates of pasta, meat, seafood and salad (try the Cajun chicken salad). The coffee will knock your socks off.
reviewed