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Unusual Café GuideHave a cup of coffee or tea in a cafe with character. There are 47 cafes listed, we have included cafes that are unusual because of the way they are built, eg. Cafe Eutopia, Kaiwaka; they are themed, eg. Cadillac Diner in Wellington or they have interesting attractions additional to the cafe itself, eg. Hep Set Mooch, Napier. If you have any suggestions for cafes to add, feel free to email us. If you have a sweet tooth you may like to visit the Chocolate Directory or High Tea information. (Created March 2010) PS. To find unusual restaurants around the world visit unusual-restaurants.com. What's New? Annie's Victorian Tea Rooms & Store, Oamaru; Big Wave Cafe & Airspresso, New Plymouth; Astro Cafe, Lake Tekapo & The Musterer's Hut, Twizel; Ka Pie Kiwi Kitsch'n, Nelson; Update - Naked Possum Cafe, Golden Bay
North Island Kaiwaka Café Eutopia, corner State Highway 1 & Oneriri Road www.eutopia.co.nz Café Eutopia is a work of art both inside and out. Produce is sourced locally and Allpress organic blend coffee and home baking are served. Second hand books are for sale as well as jewellery. It's an interesting place to break your journey for morning or afternoon tea. Open 7 days from 9am.
Matakana Morris & James Pottery & Tileworks, 48 Tongue Farm Road www.morrisandjames.co.nz
Beautiful pottery is made at Morris & James using Matakana clay and signature glazes. Cosi restaurant is onsite and you can sit outside in the courtyard or in winter take a seat by the fire. The menu offers substantial fare that is locally grown and produced, and often organic. However if you are looking for coffee and a sweet treat for morning or afternoon tea you will find something to tempt you at Cosi. To learn more about Morris and James you can take a free factory tour at 11.30am daily. You could also check out the recently published "Mud and Colour Man: The Morris and James Story". Cosi restaurant is open 9am - 3pm daily. (November 2010)
Puhoi Puhoi Cottage Tea Rooms, 50 Ahuroa Road www.puhoicottage.co.nz Puhoi Cottage Tea Rooms celebrated its 100th birthday in 2007, it has been a tea room for close to 40 years, making it the oldest tea room in the country still serving Devonshire Cream Teas. Everything except the pies are baked on the premises and recipes have been handed down by previous owners. The Tea Rooms are situated in a rustic, leafy garden in the Puhoi Valley and from January - March they have "Music in the Garden" on Sundays from 12.30pm - 3.00pm. I don't know how they bake their scones in Devon but they bake them tall in Puhoi, I sliced the "scone tower" into four and had no room for anything else except a cup of Earl Grey tea. Open 6 days, closed Wednesday.
Auckland The Library cafe, 55 Princes Street, Onehunga www.librarycafe.co.nz The Library cafe will appeal to book lovers as the building was originally a Carnegie Free Library and it has retained a separate reading lounge with shelves full of books. It's also a family friendly cafe with a play area for children. Food is sourced locally and is organic where possible, allergen free food choices are also available. There is a range of cabinet food as well as brunch/lunch options that can be ordered off the menu. Open 7 days. If you are looking for more books to read you could walk around the corner to 171 - 173 Onehunga Mall where you will find "Hard to Find (But Worth The Effort) Quality Second Hand Book Shop".
Orbit Restaurant, Sky Tower, Victoria Street, city www.skycity.co.nz On a clear day (or night) the views you get from the revolving restaurant Orbit make the journey worth while. Although technically a restaurant, a visit to Orbit is a unique experience and light food options include brunch ($35 per person), Saturday or Sunday, 10am - 3pm. A recent edition is the Kiwi style Orbit High Tea, served Saturday & Sunday, 2.30pm - 4.30pm, $30pp. You are also able to have lunch Monday - Saturday, dinner daily or visit for dessert - see the website for details. After dining in Orbit you can stop at the Sky Tower observation deck, so if you intend to visit the Sky Tower, adding on a dining option makes it good value. (Sky Tower trip to observation deck only, from $25).
The Bethells Store, Te Henga/Bethells Beach (approximately 30kms north west of Auckland city) If you are looking for some wild West Coast surf you will find it at Te Henga/Bethells Beach. Life guards were on duty the day we visited and it was just as well, the sea swells were mighty. There is an estuary that feeds into the surf that is safe for children to paddle around in. If you get hungry trek across the hot black sand to the store that whips up fruit smoothies, puts together West Coast burgers and sells ice creams, cakes and beverages. Open summer weekends only.
Carriages Cafe, 299 State Highway 16, Kumeu http://carriagescafe.co.nz Dine in one of the two NZ Rail carriages or sit outside on the covered deck. There are treats in the cabinet like berry and peach crumble and chocolate nut slice. You can order the NZ Railway breakfast for $19 or choose the stuffed mushrooms, fritatas and more from the cabinet. The staff are friendly and very efficient clearing tables, Carriages is a good option for breakfast or lunch if you're in the area. Pull into the parking area with the Huapai Wines & Spirits sign and walk through the garden centre into Carriages. Open 7 days, 8.30am - 4pm.
Kauri Gum Store Cafe, 22 School Road, Riverhead In the 1860's the cafe building was a trading post for the local gold digging community. These days it's choc full of memorabilia from times gone by and home to a macabre gum digging display under a glass floor window (I'll let you discover that for yourself). We only stopped in for a snack but the food we saw delivered to tables was very generous in portion size. Order the garlic and rosemary mushrooms on toasted Maori bread or Gum Diggers Lunch - ham, pepperoni, cheese, pickles and bread, $18. Open Thursday & Friday 8am - 3pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am - 4pm.
Waihi Waterlily Garden & Café, 441 Pukekauri Road, RD2 www.waterlily.co.nz Waihi Waterlily Garden & Cafe are open daily from Labour weekend until Easter from 10am - 4pm. The cafe is beside a lily pond, home to croaking frogs and blue, pink and white flowering lilies; peacocks and colourful hens are frequent visitors. The cafe is licensed and menu items include salmon, feta and zucchini tart; vegetarian wraps, platters and sweet treats like custard squares and lemon cake. There is a giant chess set in the garden and it's a lovely setting to wile away an hour or two playing chess or just enjoying the surroundings.
Entry to the cafe is free (seasonal hours), to walk around the lily ponds and gardens, adult admission is $8.50, children free. Luxury cottage accommodation is available. Note: If you like water lilies you may also like to visit Wrights Watergardens & Cafe, 128 Mauku Road, Patumahoe. Morrinsville Cafe Frock, 2 Marshall Street www.annahstretton.co.nz At the World of Wearable Art (WOW) show in 2004 a model walked on stage in a jewel covered ball gown and a boar's head. The design was highly commended in the avante garde section, and I became a fan of Annah Stretton. Annah Stretton is one of New Zealand's most successful entrepreneurs, her many roles include fashion designer, fashion retailer, author, philanthropist and editor and owner of Her magazine.
Cafe Frock is part of the Stretton Group, it's licensed and serves local, seasonal and free range products including meat. The cafe is 70's inspired and includes photographs of Annah's WOW and Westfield Style Pasifika entries, and garments are for sale. You can purchase Annah's books or read the latest edition of Her magazine while you enjoy dishes like Thai chicken salad and Frock fritters. Open Monday - Friday, 8am - 3pm. Katikati Katikati Bird Gardens, 263 Walker Road East(7kms south of Katikati) www.birdgardens.co.nz The bird gardens are a pleasant place to break your journey for morning or afternoon tea. We were lucky enough to see a peacock proudly display its plumage. You can sit on the verandah and look out over the gardens and/or pay an entrance fee to walk through the gardens. Open 10am - 4.30pm, 7 days, please note winter hours - June, July, August, 10am - 4pm weekends and school holidays only. Groups are able to visit year round by appointment.
Something unusual we discovered about Katikati - it has a Haiku Pathway. Walk the trail that runs behind the main street and alongside the Uretara stream and you will find 31 boulders engraved with haiku. Look out for the Haiku sign outside Mitre 10 hardware store on the main street. Haiku above: Whitebait season - fishermen fritter away the day. Mount Maunganui Avgas Cafe & Bar, 9 Jean Batten Drive, Mount Maunganui www.classicflyers.com Avgas Cafe & Bar is an aviation themed cafe located next to the Aviation Museum. Model vintage planes hang from the ceiling, archival aviation and classic aircraft footage is on screen inside and there's a plane for the kids to pilot in the outdoor play area. Take a seat in the large outdoor seating area and have a beverage in the sun (the cafe is licensed).
We chose the salmon and asparagus quiche with salad for lunch and recommend it ($11.50). The cafe is open 7 days from 7am - 5pm (open late on Friday, happy hour from 5pm). If you'd like to go up in the air book a flight in one of the biplanes, soar through the sky in a glider or take a scenic flight in a Bell 47 helicopter. If you'd prefer to keep your feet on the ground you can buy a model plane from The Bunker gift shop.
Hamilton Camellia Tea House, 495 Gordonton Road www.camelliateahouse.co.nz Camellia Tea House is part of a multi million dollar development that includes the world's first commercial oolong tea plantation outside Asia. The tea house overlooks the tea plantation and visitors can enjoy high tea (with oolong tea of course), morning or afternoon tea treats and light lunches.
Zealong Oolong tea can be purchased from the tea shop adjacent to the tea house and the staff are more than willing to answer any questions. Tea tasting sessions and a Chinese tea ceremony can be arranged. An article in the Waikato Times shows the owners of Camellia Tea House and a Zealong staff member enjoying High Tea. Open Thursday - Sunday, 10am - 5pm. Waharoa Kaimai Cheese Company, corner State Highway 27 & Hawes Street www.kaimai.co.nz Kaimai Cheese Company is housed in a replica of the 1920's butter factory that was onsite, at its peak the butter factory was reputedly the largest in the world, producing 20 tonnes of butter a day.
These days you can watch cheese makers at work and order a cheesy meal from the menu - cheese platter, cheese toastie or Kaimai blue salad, you can also buy tubs of Kaimai ice cream. Open 7 days, 8am – 4pm. (Waharoa is north of Matamata, it's a good point to break the journey between Auckland and Rotorua).
Rotorua Abracadabra Cafe & Bar, 1263 Amohia Street www.abracadabracafe.com Abracadabra Cafe & Bar is Moroccan themed, the theme is most evident in the green, pink and blue rooms at the back of the cafe. The three rooms are beautifully decorated with cushions, curtains, lanterns, mirrors and tables. From fabulous furnishings to whopper sized slices of cake - afternoon tea was a slice of coconut citrus cake and it was the biggest slice of cake I've ever been served ($6.50 - tasted good too).
There is a menu to suit any time of the day and many of the dishes are Moroccan inspired, like the hearty lentil, pumpkin and kumara tangine. The cafe supports Buy1GIVE1 and provides a meal for someone in Kenya every time an order is placed from the blackboard menu.
The coloured rooms are popular, reservations recommended. The rooms are more suited to morning / afternoon tea and tapas because as you can see from the photographs the tables are low. However there is plenty of dinner suitable seating in the front dining room and covered outdoor area. Trip Advisor reviews say things like "Delicious, unpretentious food" and "Great place for any time". Closed Monday, open until 11pm Tuesday - Saturday, closes at 3pm on Sunday. Taupo L'Arte, 255 Mapara Road, Acacia Bay www.larte.co.nz Visit L'Arte for breakfast, lunch or a glass of wine and an antipasto platter. We chose lunch from the cabinet (both dishes pictured $9.50 each, great value) but you can order breakfast and lunch from the menu. If you like mosaic art you will love L'Arte's mosaic sculpture garden and in fine weather you can dine at the table and chairs in the outdoor mosaic living room (pictured below).
Follow the mosaic path to the small onsite gallery selling art work created by New Zealand artists. L'Arte is about 20 minutes drive from Taupo town centre, we think it's well worth the detour for the excellent food and inspiring art work. Open Wednesday - Sunday, 9am-4pm. Also open public holidays and every day in January.
New Plymouth Airspresso, Airport Drive, Bell Block, New Plymouth airport www.airspresso.co.nz Airspresso has a captive audience given it's the only cafe at New Plymouth airport but it won Taranaki Cafe of the Year in 2009 and I doubt many, if any, airport cafes pick up awards. The cafe pays tribute to Taranaki's flying pioneers including Jim Hickey, Spitfire Pilot and father of the cafe owner, pilot and popular TV personality Jim Hickey. A Spitfire cockpit canopy and Mustang fighter canopy are on display in the cockpit lounge as well as personal items like a WW2 Pilot's Jacket.
Breakfast is on the menu, dishes include Touchdown Eggs Benedict ($16.90) and Runway Hot Bacon & Egg Sandwich ($9.50). There's a high flying lunch menu, snacks and slices, and whopper lamingtons - big enough for two. The cafe's licensed and serves the local Mike's organic ale. Airport parking is free for the first 60 minutes, then $1 an hour. Airspresso is open 7 days, 7am until 7pm. (Aviation enthusiasts may also like to visit Avgas Cafe & Bar in Mount Maunganui, see above). Big Wave Cafe, East End Reserve/Coastal Walkway Big Wave Cafe on Facebook There are plenty of mobile cafes around the country but Big Wave Cafe is the best we've seen. The cafe is shaped like a wave and was purpose built by owner and surfer Mike Welsh. Surf boards are incorporated into the overall design and serve as counters, coffee tables, menus and light fittings. Pizza, bagels, ice creams and beverages are on the menu and I always like a cafe that serves a chocolate fish with my coffee.
You can reach the cafe by car and park in East End Reserve or walk or cycle to the cafe on the Coastal Walkway. Dogs are welcome on the walkway as long as they're on a leash and Big Wave will serve your pooch three dog biscuits for $1. There's plenty of seating at the cafe including retro chairs that provide a perfect view of beach goers and kite surfers. Wind Wanderers Bike Hire is next door if you'd like to ride the walkway on two or four wheels. Please note: Big Wave Cafe is mobile so it attends events, the hours are also weather dependent, visit Facebook for details. Hawera Mr Badger's Cafe, Tawhiti Museum, 401 Ohangai Road www.tawhitimuseum.co.nz Mr Badger's Cafe is at the Tawhiti Museum in Hawera. The cafe is named after "The Wind in the Willows" character and Mr Badger himself reclines by the fire place in the cafe. Small scale models of scenes from the book are at the cafe entrance and figgy nut slice is often in the cabinet. Figgy nut slice is inspired by figgy pudding mentioned in the song "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and sung by the mice in "The Wind in the Willows" story. It's well worth visiting Tawhiti Museum while you are there to see the visual history of the Taranaki area. Visit the museum website for opening times.
Napier Port'O'Call, 9 Nelson Quay, Ahuriri www.portocall.co.nz Port'O'Call is the kind of place you might like to take your grandmother for morning tea - it's half tea shop, half design store. You can order a Devonshire tea ($9.90) and select your own china cup and saucer, high tea is also on the menu. Nice napkins, flowers and cute tea cosies make this a port'o'call for the girls. I first read about Port'O'Call in the "Crafty Girls' Road Trip" by Ann Packer (latest edition April 2012). Port'O'Call is open Monday to Sunday, 10am - 4pm (closed Monday in winter).
Hep Set Mooch, 58 West Quay, Ahuriri What makes Hep Set Mooch cafe unusual, apart from its interesting mix and mismatch decor, is that it is inside the Kiwi Adventure Company. While you design your own breakfast for $14.50 in the cafe, those aged 4 and over can climb the walls next door. Later in the day enjoy bubble and squeak, home made bagels, salads, open sandwiches, omelettes and more. Open 7 days. (Thanks to Dennis at Hep Set Mooch for the top quality images).
Wild Roses Cafe at Missionview Garden Centre, 10A West Place, Greenmeadows www.missionviewgardens.co.nz Quite a few garden centres attach a cafe these days, but Wild Roses Cafe is something special, especially if you like sweet treats. Tucked away on a quiet culdesac in the suburb of Greenmeadows, Wild Roses Cafe is an ideal spot for lunch or a snack on a sunny day. Wild Roses takes sweet treats to a new level as you will see from the photos below. There are plates of melting moments, raspberry and chocolate slices, cheesecake and layered chocolate cake, and that's just in the fridge.
As well as the cafe, garden centre and gift shop, there are concept gardens on display. If you would like to recreate the concept gardens for your own special occasion the displays can be hired. Missionview Garden Centre is a lovely place to spend an afternoon with the girls, little ladies will like the bubbacinos. Open 7 days. (March 2011) Bulls Mothered Goose, Cafe, Deli, Vino! (Delect-a-Bull), 119 Bridge Street http://unforgetabull.co.nz Situated in Bulls - "The Unforget-a-Bull town like no udder" is Mothered Goose, roosted on the corner of State Highways 1 and 3. The building was originally the Bank of New Zealand and is the site of New Zealand's first armed bank robbery. These days robbers would be making away with deli food and wine that are stored in the old bank vault and delect-a-bull counter food.
We had lunch at Mothered Goose in December 2010, we chose the delect-a-bull counter food but if you are in the area and looking for brunch or a light lunch Mothered Goose is a lovely venue. The cafe is light, stylish and decorated with geese themed bits and pieces. There are some great gift ideas in the bank vault including jars of triple chocolate cup cake mix and Pallat-a-bull sauces. Open 9.30am - 4.30pm daily. Wellington Parade Cafe, The Tugboat, Freyberg Lagoon, Oriental Parade, city www.paradecafe.co.nz Parade Cafe is an old favourite from when I lived in Wellington. Once upon a time it was located in a building on Oriental Parade but it has been relocated to a new home on the Tugboat in Freyberg Lagoon. We enjoyed cups of hot chocolate with marsh mellows while looking out into Wellington harbour. The cafe offers casual cafe dining by day and changes to table service in the evening (a current promotion is two for one main meals on Wednesday nights). Visit the website to read the extensive and reasonably priced menus, we'll be back for the "scrumptious chocolate cake". Parade Cafe is licensed and there is an outdoor seating area along the gang plank where you can enjoy a glass of wine or beer. Open 7 days.
Maranui Cafe, The Parade, Lyall Bay www.maranuicafe.co.nz The Maranui Cafe shares a building with the Maranui Surf Life Saving Club. In 2009 the building was gutted by fire and faced permanent closure, however community support helped get the cafe and the SLSC up and running once again. The cafe theme is a colourful mixture of retro and surf to match the character of the building, we liked the oar banisters and the paddle divider.
The cafe is upstairs and looks out over the water and to Wellington airport, we saw five planes land in the time it took us to drink two bottles of Foxton Fizz. The menu includes Surf Snacks - tasty toasties ($10) and steamed mussels ($14). Breakfast is served every day from 7am and dishes include Maranui muesli ($12), pancake stack ($13) and free range eggs on organic sour dough ($8). There is also a Kiddies Kai menu - pixie pancakes from $5. Open 7 days, 7am - 5pm. (Note: As the cafe is upstairs and in a character building there is no easy access for wheel chairs). Cadillac Diner & Churrs Bar, 124 Willis Street www.cadillacdiner.co.nz
Cadillac Diner has relocated from Lower Hutt to down town Wellington and added Churrs Bar. The photos were taken at Cadillac Diner's previous location in Lower Hutt.
South Island Nelson Ka Pie Kiwi Kitsch'n, 91 Nile Street (corner Nile & Alton) If you're a fan of the Kiwi pie Ka Pie arguably serve some of the best - they're made onsite with butter, free range eggs and other quality ingredients. There's a large selection to choose from, flavours change daily and can include lamb and mint; rabbit; beef and blue cheese; and bacon and cream cheese. Priced from $5.50 they're not the cheapest pies around but Mike's a pie fan and they were kapai (good) enough for him to get seconds. There's also sandwiches, cakes, milk shakes and ice cream sodas on the menu.
The name of the cafe spells out the decor - Kiwiana, kitsch or stuff you'd find at nana's house if it hasn't changed much since the 60's or 70's. Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology is next door so it can get busy with staff and students at lunch time during term time. Ka Pie hosts a Craft and Vintage Market on Saturdays from 11am - 3pm, confirm dates at the cafe, it may be monthly or weekly depending on the time of year. Unfortunately I didn't confirm the opening hours, phone - 03 546 3111. Lambretta's Cafe - Bar, 204 Hardy Street www.lambrettascafe.co.nz Lambretta's is a tribute to the Italian made Lambretta motor scooter and one of the walls in the cafe has photographs of the pit stops where the Lambretta sticker has been taken. On the food front, a lean machine breakfast is $14 and I can recommend the home made muffins. The award winning barista is kept busy pumping out coffee to the many customers who sit outside in the sun or inside at one of the many tables. Lambretta's is open Monday - Saturday from 8am and Sunday from 9am. Lambretta trivia - "The Killermeters" had a hit song " sx225", an ode to the Lambretta motor scooter (The MayDay Scooter Club). If you're really keen you can listen to sx225 here.
Tasman Jester House Cafe, 320 Aporo Road (within 10km of Mapua) www.jesterhouse.co.nz Jester House Cafe has something to keep all of the family entertained. There is a giant chess set, hungry (and friendly) eels in the stream (September - May) and sculptures in the garden. Home made food is on the menu and we had a delicious platter for two, other options include open sandwiches and burgers. The cafe focuses more on meals than snacks however you could call in for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. The cafe is licensed and locally brewed beer and wine is served, I liked the Mussel Inn ginger beer. If you have ever wondered how a composting toilet works you get your chance to find out at Jester House. Jester House Cafe is open daily from October to April and weekends for the rest of the year. Jester House is also home to an enchanting B&B. (23 October 2010)
Upper Moutere Riverside Cafe (part of Riverside Community), Inland Moutere Highway, (5 minutes south of Motueka) www.riverside-cafe.co.nz If you are interested in learning about co-operative and sustainable community living visiting the Riverside Cafe is a good place to start. The Community make many of the items on the cafe menu and use their own as well as local ingredients. Jams, pickles, plants and homespun wool are also sold. Fair trade coffee and Riverside juice is served, and vegans, vegetarians and those requiring gluten free dishes are catered for. Work by local artists is on display and you can dine in the lovely garden or inside. If you would like to extend your stay at Riverside WWOOF opportunities are available year round and you can also stay in the hostel for $18 a night. Cafe is closed Monday, check the website for summer and winter hours. (23 October 2010)
Golden Bay The Naked Possum - Cafe/Possum Shop/Rata Nursery/Charitable Trust www.nakedpossum.com Wild game pies, the Kaituna River platter, light meals and snacks are on the menu at The Naked Possum, there's also vegetarian options. The cafe is licensed and serves local beer, wine and cider. Open daily 10am-4pm and late Friday and Saturday evening. The previous owners were on a mission to save the local rata forest from pests. They "recycled" one major pest - the possum, by making possum leather light shades and cushions. They also sold rata trees from the onsite nursery.
Kaituna Track is next door to the cafe and there are short walks ranging from 20 minutes to 2 hours. The Sleepy Possum is a short walk away if you'd like to stay the night. (The Naked Possum is located 14km inland from Collingwood, visit the website for directions). Note: Visit Facebook for updates, the business came under new ownership in November 2011 and unique possum products may no longer be available. Reefton Bearded Mining Company, Main Street www.reefton.co.nz Have a cup of black billy tea ($5) at the replica 1860's miners hut and listen to the Bearded Miner's stories about mining in the 19th century. If you're lucky there might be scones on the griddle but I'm sure the miners won't mind if you take morning or afternoon tea. The miners were telling stories elsewhere when we visited Reefton but the Bearded Mining Company is easy to find on the main street. For enquiries contact the Reefton Visitor's Centre on 03 732 8377 or email longsleep@xtra.co.nz. A note on Reefton: We were surprised to learn that Reefton had street lights before New York or London.
Domett Mainline Station Cafe, corner Main Road & Old Main Road (SH1) In 1982 Domett Railway Station was tendered for removal, it spent the next 14 or so years as a farm storage shed. A six month restoration enabled it to open as a cafe in 1996. NZ Railways memorabilia is in the cafe including menus from the days when a Great Railway Pie with stuffed potato and salad would set you back $6, and a cup of tea $1.10. If you're a Kiwi old enough to remember your mother collecting silver teaspoons you might recognise some of the NZ Railways inspired collection. We may have been served our tea in the practically unbreakable NZ Railways cups and saucers, however they're collector's items these days.
On the menu was soup and homemade bread, lasagne and good looking cakes, slices and muffins. There are a few cafes up the road in Cheviot so you won't go hungry in the area however the owners of the Mainline Station Cafe are chefs so it's a tasty pit stop to make. You can't see trains passing by from the cafe or garden but the railway line is visible from the driveway to the cafe. The cafe may be closed during July and August so if you are making a special trip you can ring them on 03 319 8776 to check their hours. (21 October 2010) Christchurch Cafe Lumes www.facebook.com Visit Facebook for news about Cafe Lumes, it should be re-opening in Christchurch.
Addington Coffee Co-op, Freeset clothing & Laundromat, 297 Lincoln Road, Addington www.addingtoncoffee.org.nz The Addington Coffee Co-op is well worth supporting, as well as using Fair Trade products where possible they also return their profits to the communities who initially supplied them. They sell Freeset clothing and bags made by women who have been offered employment as an alternative to working in the sex industry. (For more information about Freeset visit the website).
The food and coffee - both are very tasty and you know that every time you make a purchase you are helping to make the world a little bit of a better place. The laundromat - there are three washing machines ($3 a load) and two dryers ($2 for 20 minutes), eco friendly washing powder is provided free. If you are staying in the Jailhouse Accommodation at 338 Lincoln Road this great place is nearby. Open 7 days, from 7.30am Monday - Friday, from 9am Saturday and Sunday.
Akaroa The Artist's Palate cafe, 68 Rue Balguerie www.linton.co.nz The Artist's Palate cafe is at The Giant's House (aka Linton) Bed and Breakfast in Akaroa. The cafe is open during summer only. A sensational attraction at The Giant's House is the landscaped garden that incorporates life size and larger mosaic creations and sculptures. The mosaic project began when the owner of the property, artist Josie Martin, started digging a garden. She dug up buried china and saved it up as part of the history of the property, she decided to start mosaicing the front step, then the floor of the conservatory ... until the work of art it is today. The gardens can be visited year round, 12 noon to 5pm daily from 26 December to 25 April 2011 and 2pm - 4pm outside summer hours. Cost to visit the garden: $20 per adult and $10 per child.
Lake Tekapo Astro Cafe, Godley Peaks Road www.earthandsky.co.nz During the day you can drive up the road to Astro Cafe, the cafe sits on the summit of Mount John, 300 metres above Lake Tekapo and Mackenzie Basin. The cafe serves breakfast (from 10am) and lunch from a menu, and has pre prepared food in the cabinet. The cafe has a glass roof and walls to make the most of the view day and night - the photograph below was taken from the cafe in March 2012 (no snow) - also see the panoramic view on the website.
Five tours are offered on Mount John, the Night-time Observatory Tour includes navigating the night sky with an astronomy guide and a complimentary hot chocolate in the candle lit Astro Cafe - a unique setting to make a wish upon a star. Please note: Visit the website to confirm public access hours for the road to Mount John. It's also possible to walk to the summit, one route begins near the skating rink next to Lake Tekapo Motels & Holiday Park. Timaru The Shearers' Quarters, 932 Seadown Road www.theshearersquarters.co.nz The owners of The Shearers' Quarters had the idea to turn their little used farm buildings into a cafe and gift shop. Judging by the number of cars and visitors that were at The Shearers' Quarters when we visited their idea has turned into a great success. The cafe and gift shop are housed in a former grain solo, woolshed and shearers' quarters. The sheep yards and paddocks have been converted into homes for pigs, goats and alpacas. You can also tee off (gently) on the mini golf course.
There are plenty of seating areas for diners and it's also a unique setting for weddings and events. Most of the produce is sourced locally and there are vegetarian options as well as a kid's menu. The Shearers' Quarters is a great family friendly cafe located ten minutes north of Timaru. If you are travelling south from Temuka, turn off around 2km down SH1 into Arowhenua Station Road and then turn into Seadown Road. (December 2010) (Off The Rail Cafe was mentioned in this guide however we visited the cafe in March 2012 and there's been a change in ownership and the cafe no longer has a retro feel with matching decor). Twizel The Musterer's Hut, 20 Ruataniwha Road www.musterershut.com We visited The Musterer's Hut in March 2012 and were pleased to find cheese rolls (a popular South Island dish) in the cabinet. The cafe has some unique Kiwi country and retro touches - corrugated iron counters, old wool presses for tables, a Kiwi "Baa", crochet rugs on retro chairs and my favourite - old glass milk bottles in crates for those who want water at their table.
It's a casual, family friendly cafe with an outdoor mini golf course, playground and gift shop. The gift shop has a collection of books written by local authors for both adults and children. WiFi is free with purchase. Open 7 days, 9am - 4pm. Oamaru Annie's Victorian Tea Rooms & Store, 1 Tees Street See thecuriouskiwi.co.nz/blog. Whitestone Cheese Cafe, Corner Torridge & Humber Streets www.whitestonecheese.co.nz We gobbled up a tasting plate of six Whitestone cheeses ($5) as the Cheesemaker's Choice platter - six cheeses, crackers, bread and quince paste ($18) was sold out. The menu has been scaled down so it's all about cheese at Whitestone. Those interested in the cheesemaking process can watch the cheesemakers at work in the viewing corridor, and cheese tours and talks by cheese makers may be possible by prior arrangement.
Gift boxes of Whitestone's award winning cheeses can be purchased from the cafe and online. Visit the FAQ section to find out the answers to lots of cheese related questions. The team involved with the American comedy Scrubs are big fans of Whitestone cheese and some of the actors have signed photos that are displayed in the cafe. Open 7 days, summer 9am - 5.30pm and winter 9am - 5pm; weekends 10am - 4pm. (December 2010) Wanaka Paradiso Cinema, Cafe & Bar, Ardmore Street www.paradiso.net.nz Strictly writing this is more of a cinema experience than a cafe experience however it has been described as "just maybe a NZ National Treasure" by Lonely Planet so what's a few broad definitions between travellers? According to reviews you can take a seat inside a VW Beetle or is it a Morris Minor? (maybe both) to watch a film. At intermission you can treat yourself to hot baked cookies and ice cream. Update: Visited Paradiso in December 2010, I didn't have time for a movie but on the menu in the cafe were pizza, burgers, salads and a couple of sweet treats in the cabinet. The cafe isn't anything out of the ordinary (although maybe the food is out of this world?) so the unusual experience would be found in the cinema. Cromwell Grain & Seed Cafe, Old Cromwell Town http://oldcromwelltown.co.nz The original Cromwell town centre, homes, farms and orchards were intentionally flooded to make way for Clyde Dam. Fortunately many historic buildings from the town centre were disassembled and put back together on the site that is now Old Cromwell Town. The seed and grain store is now Grain & Seed Cafe and we stopped in for a great lunch of giant sausage rolls and lemon slices. It was an overcast and wet day when we visited, however on a clear day a seat at a table overlooking Lake Dunstan with Old Cromwell Town as a backdrop, would be an ideal setting for lunch or morning or afternoon tea. (December 2010)
Queenstown Cookie Time Cookie Bar, 18 Camp Street www.cookietime.co.nz If you like giant cookies call in to Cookie Time and fill a bucket or a box for $15. Enjoy a cookie while you're there with a glass of milk or hot chocolate, and Kiwi music. There's a small table and cubes inside or stand outside in the sun. As well as giant cookies you can buy bumper bars, Cookie Time merchandise and NZ Natural ice creams.
Cookie Time is a Kiwi owned company and began in 1983 with the first delivery of giant cookies to dairies in Christchurch. The Cookie Time Factory Shop is located in Templeton, Christchurch and that's the place to visit for super cookie specials. Vesta Design Store & Cafe, Williams Cottage, 19 Marine Parade www.vestadesign.co.nz Vesta is a mix of history, design and espresso coffee. Vesta is inside Williams cottage - Queenstown's oldest house, built by John Williams in 1864. (December 2010 - Unfortunately Vesta was closed for an annual holiday when I visited in December 2010 but the little History / Mystery / Art / Fashion / Espresso Boutique looks like a place worth visiting, a seat in the glass house would be great in winter).
The Bathhouse, Marine Parade www.bathhouse.co.nz The Bathhouse was built in 1910 to commemorate the Coronation of King George V and the roof is topped with a crown. The Bathhouse was converted from changing sheds in 1988 so it could be used for commercial use. These days it operates as a restaurant/cafe and is in a superb lake front location (walk past Vesta Design Store & Cafe and into the gardens). If it is a light snack you are after home made muffins and cupcakes are on the menu, if you are looking for something more substantial you can visit for breakfast, lunch, dinner or wine and tapas. Unfortunately The Bathhouse was closed when we visited however overall it has very favourable reviews on Trip Advisor. (December 2010)
Dunedin Chinese Garden, corner of Rattray & Cumberland Streets (next to Otago Settlers Museum The Chinese Garden opened in 2008, it was built to acknowledge the contribution that Chinese settlers have made to Dunedin and Otago. "Lan Yuan" is the Chinese name for the garden and it was built to replicate nature's basic features, ie. mountains, grass, trees and sunshine. No nails were used to build the wooden structures, instead the method of mortise and tenon joints was used, this method has been used in China since the fourth century BC. All of the wooden structures were built in Shanghai and shipped to Dunedin, workmen and support staff came from Shanghai to help with the garden's construction.
The garden is a peaceful setting to enjoy a cup of tea and a Chinese board game if you are so inclined. If I was a resident I would buy a 12 month pass - $18 adult. The tea shop menu isn't large but items include traditional Chinese buns ($3-$4) - custard, vegetable, BBQ pork and cabbage; and fortune cookies ($2). Beverages include Chinese tea and plunger coffee, there is also green tea ice cream. Admission charge to the garden is $9 adults, children under 13 free. Guided tours are $20 per person. Open daily 10am - 5pm, Wednesday 7pm - 9pm. (December 2010). The gardens host a Moon Festival each September, visit Facebook for more information. Comments to date: 1. Page 1 of 1.
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