The burger was an absolute flavour bomb featuring tender chicken and crispy veges 🙌 The chilli mayo was delicious, and helped bring the whole burger together for satisfying bite after satisfying bite. Shoestring fries were a tad salty, but were well cooked.
This was out first visit since the new owners have taken over and the food did not disappoint. The refreshed menu had something for everyone. Four of us each had a fabulous evening meal this week, including duck, steak, salmon and lamb. Very tasty and definitely glad we hadn't had any nibbles before our mains as the mains were filling. The wait staff was awesome as usual.
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Wonderful customer service, waitresses were lovely! Got to sit in an exclusive reserved area as a booking had just been cancelled so we were super stoked! The ambience was lovely and relatively calm also here despite they were extremely busy! Was also stoked with their cabinet, the choices looked very extensive and they had some raw pieces to choose from too!
Mermaid latte-definitely something different and cute which I had to get due to the name. Super creamy which I enjoyed and quite a spicy hit, reminiscent of chai. If you’re a coffee/chai drinker, this one could be for you. 4/5
Cappuccino-extremely frothy and well done! 4.5/5
Starfish stack-looked beautiful, wasn’t my meal but the feedback was good!
Original gangster burgers
Burger buns were well done with a little crisp, the patty was soft and not tough and a decent thick patty!!! The thickest beef patty I’ve seen, definitely made from scratch and was very content with it. It was a mince patty and not steak which was different-see if that’s your thing. I liked it, but my friend (experienced with burger) prefers something more juicy and not a huge fan of the mince patty. The egg was a nice addition and overall was a pleasant giant burger. 4/5
Sides of fries, salmon, sausage
Salmon was smoked very lightly and was tender and the sausage looked quite gourmet, was smoked to a mild flavor and had a crisp skin, tasty. Fries was a very generous portion but not crispy but still tasty. 4/5
Soup of the day with ciabatta; orange carrot and tumeric
Soup was really tasty! A very lovely balanced creamy blend and all the elements really worked the bread was also super fresh! 4/5
Seafood chowder with grain bread (able to switch out ciabatta)
Really tasty chowder wow! Creamy with the right amount of savory-ness yum! The seafood flavor was fresh and not pungent, and the mussels chewy and tender. 4.5/5
From their cabinet I thought I’d splurge and chose the ginger crunch and raw pineapple mint slice! -to be updated!
Super happy with the ginger crunch-the part bade was delicious in texture and gritty whilst very well proportionally matches with a sweet but not sickly ginger icing. Yuuuuum 4/5
The pineapple slice was definitely different. I liked the element of piebeapple and enjoyed the slightly (apricot-y?) base but wasn’t a huge fan of the coconut cream which overpowered the tropical direction I thought this was heading for. 3/5
Portion sizes were very generous and we had a lovely hearty brunch. Would recommend!
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Brunch @starfish.cafe today and OMG did not fail to disappoint as usual. Service was a 10/10 coffees were perfect and didnt burn my mouth which is always a bonus when your about to eat something this delicious!
I had the mexibowl and I didnt realise it was vegetarian until it came out and my sister told me.... but I didnt miss the mince, just made me feel a bit healthier haha. This was packed full of flavour with heaps of herbs, and a nice big helping of fresh crunchy mixed salad greens and cabbages kale etc on the side. The avo was so fresh and nice and chunky so you know its legit not the shit out of the frozen packet. 10/10 yummmmmm
The others had the salmon omelette which is just a safe delicious choice and never fails to take youbto food heaven. Good for those #lowcarb or #glutenfree people. Other dish was the smashed avo on paleo toast with smoked salmon and eggs.
Not one of us had any complaints or negatives about any of this.... such well priced and top quality food, i'm glad I don't live any closer or i'd be in danger of having a permanent chair in this cute wee cafe 😍🤤🤤
Great spot out at St Claire’s beach. Busy cafe, friendly service and a great atmosphere. Good coffee!! We had the Starfish Stacks for breakfast- definitely would recommend and have this again
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@starfishcafe
Overall rating: 10/10 🔥
We ordered: Dr Feelgood Trio 💪$23.50. So worth it because it came with poached eggs🥚 on toast🍞 + chia seed pudding + Green Goddess Juice🥦🥒🍐🍏 ! Added hollindase sauce for $3 to make it into an eggs bene🙌🏽. Polenta fries 🍟 $10.50 were yummy but probably a little expensive. Unless you’re in love with polenta fries would recommend the normal ones. Mocha around $5 ☕️and mermaid latte🧜🏽♂️ $7 which was quite peculiar but super pretty🧜🏽♀️! Twice cooked Agria fried potatoes 🥔 $18.50 was basically an eggs bene but with potatoes. Definitely filling and yummy . Everything was so delish and fresh and aesthetically pleasing 😍. What more do you need in a brunch?!
Average price: $25 incluing drinks ☕️
Vibes: chill brunch at the beach on a sunny day 🌞
Parking: free parking along the beach 🏝 or side streets 🚘
Negative: Quite busy so kind of cramped inside but no biggie! 👍🏻
Loved: outdoor seating options ☀️ friendly staff 😃. Located right by the beach 🏝 . Food presentation is 10/10 👌and so many healthy options 🌿! Lots of choices on the menu too! Woo 😍
What a nice place for breakfast! Would definitely recommend my friends and families to come here. The price isn’t too bad and the location is great. The staffs were welcoming and the menu list for brunch was decent.
My go to. I ALWAYS order the shoestring fries and the iced coffee every time I go, I cannot get enough of them! I must try something new but i’m too stuck on what I already love! ☺️
Been twice for breakfast and food was great and service was quick. Great location by the water front so all and all a great spot for a coffee and cake.
Good ambiance but pricey and the juices and smoothies are atrocious, especially for $9. Wait can be long as place packs up in the weekend or on sunny days but overall a nice place for breakfast and brunch if you’re willing to spend a bit. Personal favourite is the avo smash with bacon!
We were looking for something a little bit delightful with some nice seafood for a early evening meal in St Clair. This appeared to fit the bill. It's not obvious when you enter but there is a dining area upstairs as well and this was a more inviting environment that the downstairs area so I was pleased.
There were a number of times on the menu not available that evening - and I would rather food be fresh or not availably - but it limited choices and an inventive chef I though could have created a couple of substitutions as specials. The dish I wanted came with skinny fries so I was pleased when I asked if it could be replaced with thick cut fires (which were featured on another dish) that this was not a problem.
The food came quickly and was really well presented. I really wanted a sparkling water and was surprised that this time was not stocked.The wait staff were a little hit and miss but none of that would prevent me giving this place another go if we were in town.
This place is hard to rate. I'd recommend coming here for brunch and they have a good selection of takeaway cabinet food. 4.5 for that sort of thing. We've had dinner here though and that was bland - seemingly tailored to not offend (low in heat/spice on things that need it like tacos for example). Much better places within 60 seconds walk to grab dinner. Also, beware of primetime brunch, place can suffer from making too many coffees too fast (burntish).
I went to the Starfish Cafe with a friend for brunch on a sunny Saturday. To say that the place was heaving would be an understatement but we managed to find a table inside by waiting a few minutes or so.
We both ordered the ‘famous’ Starfish Stack - I don’t know who or what made it famous but it was basically a large wedge of toasted bread with bacon, hash brown, a sweet chutney/relish, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. It was tasty but not spectacular.
We had two flat whites - lukewarm and pretty average.
The one thing that did stand out was their cheese rolls - lovely flavour and consistency but be warned, do not let the cheese touch your skin - it’s volcanic hot!
Located right next to St Clair Beach, Starfish is always bustling with energy! I have been here on numerous occasions, usually to get away from North Dunedin, and love the bright beach vibes of this super café. It is somewhere that you can take your grandma for brunch or a place that you and a mate can go to for a quick coffee. Something that I love is their "Beetroot Latte" & "Tumeric Latte"; how pretty, creative and tasty!! I have tried many of the dishes on their expansive menu and have never been disappointed. Also, a special shout out for their beautiful interior. The only downside would be that it is on the pricier side of café food, however I do feel that it is really good quality food so is still worth it - @gastrogeeny
First time: We had breakfast early. Was ok food, coffee ok, daughter liked her smoothie. Nice place though we didnt feeel it was that clean on the day we were sitting outside.
Second time: We had drinks and nibbles. Great service. Good price and the food was yum. The decor and relaxed ambience inside and out was very nice.
Third time: came with the kids again for drinks and snacks. The service was consistent, helpful, attentive, and friendly. Everything felt clean, the food was good.
Fourth time: Came for our first evening meal. Again the service was excellent, not over bearing but friendly and helpful. Asked if our meal was ok BERFORE we finished them. Both of us had the grilled salmon and we both agree it is the nicest and most memorable meal we have had in a long time. Beautifully cooked salmon with a delicious range of flavours and textures - was totally YUM!
Outstanding food, group of boys in today and all served really quick and not one bad meal. Smashed avacado was fresh and eggs cooked perfect. Thanks and look forward to coming back! Try the smashed avacado and eggs..... 👌🏽
You will regularly find me at Starfish cafe sipping on a coconut milk mochaccino.
The place is wonderful, cafe-styled food made with quality ingredients and customer service is great. The cafe is strategically placed in from to the beautiful St. Claire beach.
Recommend this to anyone and everyone who is passing by the greater Dunedin area.
Beautiful food at a very nice location. Friendly staff that made the lunch an enjoyable experience. I have traveled a long way to get to this part of the world and felt it was worth it just even to be at this restaurant.
I use to buy hot drinks from this place quite a lot whenever I was around the esplanade. Recently, I bought a delux hot chocolate and unfortunately there was nothing delux about it at all. I was expecting it to be grand. I won't buy it again, but whenever I'm at Starfish I'll buy something else from their menu.
Great place to stop by, right next to the beach and easy to find carpark.
We ordered creamy fish and shrimp chowder and kumara bacon and spring onion cakes. They were both amazing.
I had the fish and prawn chowder which was delicious and served with nice bread. Good coffee as well. The atmosphere is also really fantastic, laid back but with good food. There are two floors, so plenty of space to sit outside or inside. On a sunny day I'd definitely recommend coming here and sitting outside with a wine or beer, and enjoying the view.
Starfish always provides nice food with a great vibe!. The breakfasts are amaze balls, try the breakfast stack.. its a winner. Love the renovations. Love the coffee, Love the atmosphere. ALWAYS great!
We went for lunch to check out the new setup there. The line to order went super slowly however the food came out quite quickly once ordered. Nice coffee and really good burgers. We had a nice spot in the sun as well. Nice atmosphere however now I'm slightly burnt :)
Great coffee and love the food!
Me and my friend went here for lunch and enjoyed some really really delicious lunch!! Service was great too and the food came out in less than 10 minutes! All in all a really great place!
Starfish is the best for lunch, coffee and slice !!! Service great as usual. Friendly and helpful. I would however, like more vegetarian options on the evening menu please. Thank you.
Nick the owner is probably the best barista in town and if he made coffee every day I'd be there more often. The location is superb next to the esplanade and the kids park. I don't eat here because the seating is just not conducive to dining. The people watching opportunity is great because everyone in St Clair and surrounding suburbs drive past at least once a day.
Great experience love it, will be back great views on a sunny day and st Clair is a lovely place to visit. Kids loved the huge waves crashing on the beach opposite. Visited st Clair on a hot and sunny day and this beach is the place to be, star fish looks clean and tidy and appealing from the street front too
This place is wonderful. Have tried their seafood chowder and thought it one of the best I have ever tasted. We regularly eat out and have travelled extensively overseas - this chowder truly divine! Recently my partner called in to buy some cheesecake to take home for a dessert treat for us, and Wow! how delicious. We will certainly be recommending this place to family and friends and our wider circle. A must do again.
Love starfish, The cakes and sweet treats are always sooo yummy looking that I can't resist!, coffee's great and it's our favourite brunch cafe amongst the nearby eating establishments. they do a mean brekkie stack!
We had a lovely long catchup with friends today, the food was great, the cafe was warm and the staff were friendly and welcoming. Price wise, it's really reasonable and the pink iced muffins today were amazing - both visually and taste. See you soon starfish!
This is the best eatery and coffee in town at the moment, i love my morning cappuccino there and have eaten the chowder (the best in the world in my opinion), the lamb shanks (awesome) husband has had steak (he rated this high) and the Chocolate to Die for cake. The service is excellent. Worth the visit :) And to add to this their savory scones are the best around and the shortcakes we tried today were divine we had the raspberry and white chocolate and the apple and blueberry......
Coffee excellent! Service excellent!
We enjoyed our visit at StarFish, our food was fresh and tasty.
The waitstaff went out of their way to make something on request. Thanks
Great atmosphere!
great evening meal. I had the fillet steak and my daughter the lamb shanks and both were first class. service excellent and cafe lovely and warm on a cold night. we told them we were on a tight time frame and ordered, ate, and were out within 45 minutes. Added bonus was we used our entertainment card which made it fantastic value (not that the prices are over the top anyway) recommended.
Went to starfish for a hungover breakfast on Sunday. As usual the food was amazing and the service quick and friendly. Love this place. Well done guys, will always return and recommend other go too
I've only been here for lunch but it is always nice to sit outside in the sun with a beer and one of Starfish's delicious burgers. Yum Yum. The service is normally pretty good here too
I eat out at least 2-3 times every week at numerous places due to my job, and I have just taken friends out tonight and had a fantastic meal, the food was great, the service was great and location was great, not to mention great value for money. Very impressed and will certainly be back!
I must say, like our first visit to Starfish; our second was not disappointing.
Both the meal and the venue were enjoyable. The beef and the lamb shank were very tasty and the serving size was good; not too large. The venue was fantastic with a view out to St Clair Beach.
The staff should be commended. The waitress offered to refill our dips to compliment the last piece of bread left. This is something that is rarely offered at most cafes/restaurants nowadays.
This is not a five-star cuisine restaurant but if you're looking for a place to have a consistently enjoyable, reasonably priced meal at a decent, clean cafe, this is the place!
Well done Starfish. We will be back again for sure!
OUTSTANDING!!
I have a coffee at starfish every morning. It is always fantastic and the staff are outstanding!!
They are also very good looking!!
I eat there atleast twice a week and the food is always fresh and portion sizes are bang on!
GO STARFISH!
With the ongoing development of other cafes in the area we, as regular patrons of "Starfish", have tried the others and are very happy to stay with "Starfish" as our local restaurant of choice. Friendly efficient service,buzzy happy atmosphere and food that is consistently good and affordable as well.
We love to dine here or just have a coffee. Very Good menu and has always been a very nice meal.The staff are very pleasant and helpful.
We live just round the corner from Starfish and often go there for a drink, but not often to eat. When we do go for a meal it is always excellent and with the great staff and good music why would you want to go anywhere else?
Great venue.
My husband and I took our teenage sons there for dinner last night and all our meals were superb. One of the boys had the chicken burger and the other Meatlovers pizza, together between they shared a massive bowl of fries with aoili so needless to say they were in heaven! I had the Lamb curry (devine and not too hot) and my husband the blue cod. Portion sizes are great, atmosphere is excellent - we'd definitely recommend!
The friendly owners and staff of Starfish should be proud of the great food and atmosphere they create. There is a great selection of both blackboard menu food and more elegant, fine dining selections on their new menu.
Before the cafe expanded - I used to live in the flat above the cafe. How could I resist eating there? Quite fond of eating out for breakfast - I usually opted for the delicious Breakfast Stack with a delicious, always consistent, Flat White espresso.
It's a great atmosphere with outdoor seating at street level, inside dining at ground floor and the upstairs dining has great windows and a balcony for great sea views...while you enjoy your meal.
Other favorites are the antipasta platter and the Falafal Burgers!
I tried egg Benedict with fried chicken for breakfast . The combination of perfectly poached eggs, tender fried chicken, and creamy hollandaise sauce was very tasty. The fried chicken felt very fresh and flavorsome. Cinnamon scroll with butter was mouth watering. The coffee was okay. I will gladly return to try another satisfying meal.
Starfish is one of my favourite spots. Really nice coffee, delicious cheese scones, warm inside when it’s cold outside, great atmosphere and kind service.
TIP: Sit upstairs for additional room and nice views.
Friendly and attentive service.
Smashed Avocado outstanding!! Others ordered Egg Benedict with Pork Belly and seemed very happy.
Overall 10/10!!
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Dined in for breakfast on a Thursday as part of FT at 8am. Was excited to see a very comprehensive menu being offered so early in the morning, with a wide range of cabinet food to choose from as well. Between cabinet food and the menu there was a wide range of GF food which is a must for my GF partner. The atmosphere and vibe so early in the morning has to be one of the best in NZ, lots of sun, good hustle and bustle but not overly busy, quiet but comfortable seating upstairs where you can look out over the st Clair waves. Service was at the counter and was excellent, fast, approachable and most importantly friendly, me and my partner ordered the salmon and the pork belly gluten free, the salmon was delicious, balanced perfectly and would give it a 10/10, the pork was marinated in a sticky sweet rich sauce and was sooo tender, balanced perfectly with the salad but was a little overpowering in the end, 9/10. We ordered a lemonade and a minty green juice, partner said it was 10/10 juice and no complaints on the lemonade, good size but a little on the pricey side. Overall a great experience, well run cafe with a great team. Would highly recommend as a top cafe of NZ.
P.S you need to tighten the hot tap in the upstairs toilet.
Thanks again,
Ordered the fish n chips, eggs Benedict with fried schicken, and Berry smoothie. Fish was delicious, with crunchy chips, seasoned beautifully. Fried chicken was delicious, eggs cooked very well. Smoothie 10/10. Friendly staff and great vibes and decor
Excellent and attentive service here . Really good Japanese pancake - great coffee too. Highly recommend going here.
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Wonderful customer service, waitresses were lovely! Got to sit in an exclusive reserved area as a booking had just been cancelled so we were super stoked! The ambience was lovely and relatively calm also here despite they were extremely busy! Was also stoked with their cabinet, the choices looked very extensive and they had some raw pieces to choose from too! Mermaid latte-definitely something different and cute
which I had to get due to the name. Super creamy which I enjoyed and quite a spicy hit, reminiscent of chai. If you're a coffee/chai drinker, this one could be for you.
Cappuccino-extremely frothy and well done.
Starfish stack-looked beautiful, wasn't my meal but the feedback was good.
Original gangster burgers burger buns were well done with a little crisp, the patty was soft and not tough and a decent thick patty. The thickest beef patty I've seen, definitely made from scratch and was very content with it. It was a mince patty and not steak which was different-see if that's your thing.
I liked it, but my friend (experienced with burger) prefers something more juicy and not a huge fan of the mince patty. The egg was a nice addition and overall was a
pleasant giant burger.
Sides of fries, salmon, sausage Salmon was smoked very lightly and was tender and the
sausage looked quite gourmet, was smoked to a mild flavor and had a crisp skin, tasty. Fries was a very generous portion but not crispy but still tasty.
Soup of the day with ciabatta; orange carrot and tumeric Soup was really tasty! A very lovely balanced creamy blend and all the elements really worked the bread was also super fresh!
Seafood chowder with grain bread (able to switch out ciabatta) Really tasty chowder wow! Creamy with the right amount of savory-ness yum! The seafood flavor was fresh and not pungent, and the mussels chewy and tender.
From their cabinet I thought I'd splurge and chose the ginger crunch and raw pineapple mint slice. As good as slices be.
The pineapple slice was definitely different. I liked the element of piebeapple and enjoyed the slightly (apricot-Y?) base but wasn't a huge fan of the coconut cream which overpowered the tropical direction I thought this was heading for.
Portion sizes were standard and we had a lovely hearty brunch.
Everything was next level delicious, coffee was spot on and lovely friendly staff. Will definitely be returning. We went for brunch and it was perfect. Great breakfast options for a vegetarian and carnivorous southland bloke.
Had the fried chicken waffle, it was delicious. Staff friendly, cafe was super busy on a public holiday so lucky to get a seat. This place has seating upstairs, downstairs and outside. Great selection of cabinet food and the menu covers a wide range of options. Would go back again but not on a public holiday, the surcharge of 20% added to the account was a bit if a shock with no notification prior to ordering.
Really good service, friendly staff and great breakfast. We ordered Eggs Benedict - one with salmon and another with streaky bacon, both were outstanding. A cozy space upstairs with window seats. Overall, nice experience!
Simple resturant with amazing food, great atmosphere & amazing service
👍👍👍
Delicious food. These people know how to cook! The chicken and beef tacos were amazing! Chicken were my favourite. Definitely recommend trying out this place! Desert was pretty good too
Good portion and flavour for the dishes. Presentation are extremely beautiful. Thank you for the great service and cocktails as well.
This place is elegant with an awesome vibe. We went for breakfast and the food was amazing. Well prepared, delicious dishes, beautiful presentation. The service was speedy and friendly.
Highly recommended.
Great restaurant for families and couples alike. We headed in on a Saturday evening without a booking and there were two tables available around 6pm, with 4 other tables reserved around us for later in the evening.
Our orders were taken quickly by our very friendly hostess. The well sized entrée was delivered in good time. We were offered drinks which were also delivered very quickly. There was a good selection of mains, in which we chose the steak, although viewing plates arriving around us, the fish and chips would have also hit the spot really well. Maybe next time. We had dessert too and it was a highlight of the evening!
Friendly staff, great food, well priced - we'll be back (for the fish and chips)!
Beautiful breakfast this morning. The place was packed. No space was unused and unfortunately it was elbow to elbow, a little bit too tightly for everyone's liking. On the plus side, the meal was superb, cooked to perfection and presented beautifully. I had the breakfast stack which turned up very timely and my friend ordered the biscoff waffles, which apparently was delicious!
I always enjoy stopping in at Starfish, they do great food, with great service. And (esp if you're upstairs) great atmosphere and view. It's always a happy, friendly environment to dine in. Thank you
First place open 👐 for good coffee and great breaky. Just a great local, friendly staff in an amazing morning 🌞 location 📍 5 ✨ Stars.
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