Been in Wellington for a week, not that hard to find good food and coffee but this place has both + great service. Friendly, helpful and engaged, they actually looked like they enjoyed working there too. The older I get the more important good service is to me, will be back before I leave town
The chocolate brownie was super rich in taste and soft; and I love the crispy edge of it. My second time buying off from them, would definitely go again. Tried the iced latte and Green juice too, those were average.
Selina EverHungry Nihalani
+5
Friendly, professional staff. This café spells out class from the decor, to the uniform, the service, presentation and the taste. Have not yet had better coffee than this.
We ordered a Cappuccino and a Latte (Gusto beans), and tried their Festival dish for Wellington on a Plate - Gnocc your socks off. Gnocchi with Pork and Fennel ragu and parmesan. Beautiful, every way.
The food is always good but today the service from matt was exceptional. Above and beyond but did have the opposite service experience a few weeks ago. I have the breakfast which is incredible value but off the menu. Matt put it back on the menu hence the review but he also sorted out the dodgy table, fixed the spilled coffee and paid attention to our table
One of the best meals in a long time! I got the normal sized pancakes and was told that the pancakes normally take a bit longer but they didn’t take long at all. They were fluffy, had lots of banana and berry to top it with, super nice, and kept me full until dinner!
I ordered a mango-passionfruit smoothie (the menu on here is a little old) and it was okay, although I did see lots of the other meals and drinks coming out and they looked divine.
The atmosphere was really nice and so were the staff. A really enjoyable experience and would definitely recommend.
Their tomato and basil soup of the day is a faaaave for our work group, and the coffee is always great (of course). Plus the staff are awesome and remember that we always order the soup! 🙈🍜
8:00am breakfast on a Saturday morning. Cool layout. Big space. I ordered the pancakes with banana and blueberries with mascarpone. I also ordered a large soy flat white.
The coffee was on weak and watery side and not too hot which was a shame.
The pancakes arrived. Large portion. Really soft and light. Mascarpone was a great addition. Maybe a little more would have been the perfect amount but it was a very enjoyable dish.
The staff were very friendly and attentive.
Excellent service, excellent coffee. Haven't been for awhile but last time I went I did coffee training here and it was terrific. I dined for breakfast here frequently a few years back - it's great and in a very good spot in Wellington. Highly recommend!
Perhaps of one the best cafes in Wellington. There is a coffee roastery and bean shop attached to the cafe. The atmosphere and decor were great. The staff was energetic, polite, and helpful. The food items were straightforward. I had a toasted ham and cheese baguette (from the counter) with rocket sauce - so simple yet incredibly tasty! Coffee was great too.
Great food and coffee. It is usually quite loud and busy but well worth it for the food.
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Despite mixing my coffee order and didn't have the drink I want, I still rate this place..
Love the atmosphere, newspaper for customers to read, different styles of seatings, people mining their own business enjoying the coffee..Great deco...Good customer service..
The breakfast was delicious.. nicely presented and all flavours mixed in so well together. Coffee was great!!
Happy with the minimal wait for a coffee this morning! My cappuccino was fine, nothing to rave about. Scone was light and fluffy. Friendly service.
Coffee best coffee in Wellington! Great service fast efficient customer service is wonderful! Food just as fabulous decent size proportions and well priced!
This place gives me some nostalgic memories. I knew the previous owners before it was sold to Japanese company. It is still run by Kiwis though.
Coffee beans are roasted on the spot and freshly made to your liking. Dishes are great. One of previous owners opened another cafe nearby called prefab - very busy place. Many of ex staff from L'affare now work for prefab. However I personally like cafe L'affare more than prefab. One of best cafes in town.
People seem to really like this place in Wellington. It seems every time I am going to meet someone for breakfast or lunch they suggest this spot, so I've been here a bit. It's ok, but I'm a bit bemused as to why it's so popular. It's definitely not bad. It's just not mind-blowing - so why is it so busy? It's ALWAYS busy. And loud. But that's nice - there's a vibe. And the service is good despite the crowds. It's solid - so no complaints, just fairly standard cafe fare. Perhaps I'm not ordering the right thing?
Really solid cafe. Love the interesting decor. Noisy but it in the nicest way. Accommodating staff too. We asked for something that had been removed from the menu -- and the made a nice variant, no fuss!
Came here in a weekday morning bout 8am and it was busy. I ordered the Porridge with Poached Fruits and a Flat White. The Porridge surprised me as it wasn't the standard oat porridge. It was filled with Barley, Quinoa, Coconut Flakes, Nuts and topped with Poached Rhubarb and served with brown sugar and coconut milk on the side. It was delicious and would go back for it. Coffee was good and smooth. Good place to go for breakfast.
I have been here a few times and always had a good meal! I got the porridge with fruit which was yummy and came nice and hot, and my brother got the eggs benedict which he also said was delicious!
We also ordered a flat white and mocha which came with a chocolate bar and marshmallows Great how they dot charge extra for soy milk or an extra shot.
Friendly service however I asked for soy milk with my porridge instead of cream and I had to remind the waitress.
However, overall great, quick friendly service. We will definitely be back!
Excellent food, great coffee and atmosphere... What more can you ask for in a café? I particularly liked the coffee brewing equipment out on display giving a unique feel to the decor.
I come here most weeks for the cabinet food as a fast lunch. Always many options of delicious and fresh sandwiches / paninis. Plus very reasonably priced compared to many places! I have eaten in once or twice and also enjoyed my meals. Such a busy, big cafe. It is clearly a favourite of many!
This place is very popular so expect to wait for a table! We have enjoyed both visits here, but I must say the best was when they had the artisan menu, that was amazing and excellent prices, the regular menu is a bit more costly. Would love the artisan menu to become a permanent feature, especially the pulled beef sandwich! :-)
Coffee was good! Fruit salad was really good, $13.50 maybe a bit over priced. Nice place to just sit and chat and had lovely staff. The people next to me got the eggs benny which looked soooo good! Would try that next time
L'affare have changed their menu. Delicious. Not cheap but well worth what we had. The fruit salad was beautifully presented and had some unusual fruit in it such as Dragon fruit. Lovely and refreshing. My husband had the baked eggs which he said was great and much better than the big breakfast. The service was excellent, friendly and welcoming. Would recommend l'affare for that up market brunch.
Went here on a Sunday morning. Had heard it was very busy but we were greeted and seated straight away! Our order was quickly taken and the food brought out shortly after. I ordered the baked eggs- really liked the melted feta on top but found the eggs a little under cooked. The dukkah was a nice garnish for the dish however! Was overall a pretty good experience, would like to go back to try the halloumi dish I was torn between. A good humming environment, and plenty going on!
Came in here the other day with my spouse and was pleasantly surprised by the lively atmosphere without being too intense. I am older woman so when going into cafes I am sometimes worry that it might not be my 'scene'.... boy was I wrong!!!!! Grabbed a paper, took a seat and before I even had a chance to open it, I was greeted by a friendly face asking how my day was ( which meant a lot to me ). I ordered the baked eggs, what a treat ( especially for a cumin and feta lover). A+++ from Marg. Keep up the good work team
Great spot for a morning coffee. I went there for my breakfast coffee. Nice atmosphere and very popular as shown by the busyness and the flow of traffic thru. Didnt get the pleasure of eating there but I was impressed with what I saw come out of the kitchen.
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Sexy name, sexy location..... Sexy food?
Cafe L'affaire, is good, decent and probably at best a mid-table cafe.
Coffee was great, however not the best I've had in Wellington.
It was really packed so it gave the place a great vibe and we had someone show us a table pretty much immediately upon entry.
I was quite surprised how they remembered us because it was so busy and it looked like they only had 3 waiters working. So thumbs up for service!
Our order was the pancakes with hash brown and bacon on the sides plus the beef burger. Nothing outstanding about the beef burger however it wasn't bad either, quite a solid meal. The pancakes were really nice, they were soft and fluffy, the sides of bacon and hashbrown was really generous.
I believe that people come here for the vibe more than anything else. The food is certainly not bad and is actually quite good, but nothing mind blowing . The service was great but we were made to wait for 30 mins and no notice was given to us about this.
Overall grade: B
Showstopper: The sides of bacon and hash brown were huge!!!
At 7 am all I want is good coffee and that's exactly what these guys do. With the amount of people come in at that time of the morning you know it has to be good. Not only do they have a coffee menu but also have bottomless coffee,making this somewhere I really want to try for brunch.
There was lots of seating inside as well as a couple of tables outdoors.
My first time here and ordered grilled halloumi bruschetta and breakfast quesadilla. The food tasted good and rich of flavor. However, the portion was really small considering the amount of money that we need to pay for the food.
My group came to have lunch at 1pm on Sunday. I had the egg montreal, and my wife had the breakfast quesadilla. The food was good, but the services were kinda sad. 4 of us waited over 20 mins for our coffees, which they forgot the ice chocolate. Food finally arrived at almost 2pm. Our waitress had a cold face the whole time, no smiling or even checking our table. The only positive thing was the food.
Love counter food here. Carrot cake is amazing with lots nuts. Beef burger is really big, have to share with friend. Soup is average but bread is fresh and chewy
With a Farina roaster in the middle of the restaurant, and stacks of eggs and plates on the counter of the open kitchen, it’s a snapshot of production in motion, fashionably worn and incredibly chic. It’s quirky too, populated by Pinocchios in all sizes and permutations, their existence held together by a tenuous tale that ‘…someone brought one back from Italy once, and they’ve been here ever since…’ Somehow they fit, though, with the earthy, unconventional patrons who populate this place.
Helen | Grab Your Fork
+4.5
Caffe L'affare is known for its coffee roastery, a range of beans roasted daily, then packaged and sold around the country...
Caffe L'affare seems to sprawl beneath the building in which it resides. They've been going strong for over a decade, sharing the industrial space with an equipment showroom and packaging plant, roaster and place to buy the beans.
9 am Sunday breakfast - busy hectic not peaceful but vibrant ,great place to people watch Good food the chorizo and sautéed potatoes a definite choice.
Definitely a mood cafe ... Choose wisely
Iconic chaotic vibrant
One of my local haunts when I am in this part of town. Serving good coffee, good selection of counterfood and food off the menu. No matter what time of day you go, this place is always buzzing. You will be well looked after even if you are just after a coffee or coffee and food.
The food here is relatively priced compared to other neighbouring cafes which also makes this a draw card.
Caffe Laffare roasts their own beans that are distributed around Wellington and some cafes/restaurants within New Zealand. You can actually see the roaster at the back of the cafe.
The middle of the cafe houses a little play area for children, which make this place family friendly. There are a variety of seating from tables to communal tables.
Check out my website for a more detailed review.
Been 4 years since I last visited Wellington, and walking into the cafe I could pick up the vibe of City life; people, coffee, and the general hustle bustle!
Coffee was great and we just picked some things from the cabinet as it was too late for the menu. I had a beautiful tortilla with salsa and Prawns (mm could have more prawns, but one can always have more prawns!). We also ordered 2 sides of salad. Wow! They counted as an entire salad! And the flavors in em were just yummy and detailed! The waiter did fail to hear the last order of quiche, but our friend was full on just the side salad (with bread which was yummy apparently!). Cheap as well, $21 for 3 hungry people! Thanks Cafe L'affare, wouldn't mind visiting again! :)
Called in during the weekend when the place was heaving, but the staff were all super friendly and welcoming. Didn't try any food, but the coffee was the best I've had in Wellington, and I wasn't waiting very long, considering how busy the place was. Looking forward to returning for lunch and some more of that fantastic coffee next week.
I've seen their coffee being sold all over the place so I obviously needed to pay a visit with a friend. The coffee are indeed very good here, but it did take them a while to get made, and it wasn't very busy. The staff did take note when we made gave feedback, so the service was professional. Yet to try the lunch menu
I've been to Caffe L'affare a number of times and enjoy the atmosphere. Yes there are kids running round yes the service can be a bit slow but the family atmosphere gives it a genuine feel. The staff are always pleasant even when faced with the kind of criticism in the other reviews.
The Coffee is good, the food has always been good and the staff friendly.
Congrats to manager Olly convinving us to try the Cafe again. Our waiter, a Japanese man I think, was absolutely superb. His attention was immediate and consistent. The fish meal and steak sandwich with wine was very good. The coffee is very good which complimented our experience. What was impressive was the workethic of all those working in and around the Cafe. The overall price was very reasonable and yes, I will go back!
If I only had one day to live, I would start it with breakfast at Caffe L'affare.
The atmosphere is incredible. Liz runs the place so well. The coffee is amazing & the food is perfect.
This place seems to capture everything great about the coolest little capital in the world!
I personally believe this could be one of the best cafe's in Wellington. I much prefer the food, coffee and staff over Brooklyn cafe next door. Familiar faces and an awesome atmosphere, not to mention delicious food.
I especially like it when they mix the cabinet food up a bit and maybe could make this a more regular thing. Staff can sometimes come over abrupt.
We have never had a bad experience at L'affare. The staff always remember us and we have come to know many of them by name. They are warm, friendly and inviting.
The coffee is incredible and the food delicious. If you are wanting a light meal I would suggest the tuna pasta from the cabinet or the bacon & egg bagel- yum!
Always impressed with how smoothly everything runs there when the place is always packed with people. Go L'affare!
Probably the best atmosphere of any cafe in central Wellington. The food's pretty good and coffee's fantastic.
A favourite Saturday lunch spot and now I here they are opening on Sunday's as well.
The sort of place you'll want to visit again and again....well I do anyway.
The coffee is the main reason for coming here, but if caffeine isnt your thing try their hot chocolate or mocca with a big ol' chunky, diabetes inviting, slab of chocolate melting into your cup.
Staff are really good and attentive. Take a seat when you walk in and expect the waiting staff to come and take your order (can be slow when most busy) - also expect them to pop back and ask if you would like another. All with the bill being paid off AFTER you're done.
There isn't a huge selection of food, but then most people dont come here to eat. What is there looks edible - and thats what counts.
Not too many gripes you can have with great coffee other than many other people also appreciate it for its coffee, so its generally busy - although I have never not found a seat. Expect to find a wide array of people from business people plotting world domination, to students and even mothers with toddlers (the kids plotting world domination)
Amy @ My Dining Journey
+4.5
I love discovering all the cafes and restaurants in Wellington and since my sister moved down, I’ve made all sorts of excuses to fly down and visit. With that said, my friend and I flew down to enjoy a weekend away from Auckland a few weeks ago and we made our way to Caffe L’affare’s flagship cafe and coffee roastery for Saturday brunch. Coffee lovers in New Zealand should already know about Caffe L’affare, established in Wellington during 1990, their coffee beans can be found in supermarkets and over 200 cafes nationwide.
The cafe is very charming and it incorporates the roaster, open kitchen and the company’s packaging plant inside the same space. A great industrial vibe and it was bustling on Saturday. I started my meal with an Ethiopia Sidamo cold brew coffee served unsweetened and with a small tumbler of ice.
Offering all day breakfast, a la carte lunch and cafe style counter food, there was an endless option of food available. I opted for the Harrington’s Special. Similar to a big breakfast, this dish used three types of Harrington’s sausages (chorizo, venison and pork and fennel), two poached eggs, hash browns and Turkish toast. This was accompanied by a creamy and rich hollandaise sauce. The Harrington’s chorizo sausage was delectable. With a tasty smoky flavour and a rich paprika taste, the chorizo is moist and flavoursome. Both the eggs were perfectly poached and the gooey centre was luscious.
What a great meal! Even though the cafe was extremely busy, the staff were on top of things and the food came out quickly. It was quite amazing because the cafe ran with great efficiency and the staff were polite and friendly. Something that can be hard to come by in Auckland! I’m impressed and I will be back!
For more review, please check out my blog - http://mydiningjourney.wordpress.com/
I’ve been a regular at L’affare for years as it was one of my parents’ favourite cafes while I was growing up. It’s perpetually busy which is kind of a pain especially if I’m going on my own as I usually have to perch on the end of a table that has a large group seated there as well. I also find it awkward as you have to wait to be seated & more than once I’ve waited fruitlessly feeling completely ignored while trying to convince myself to not just leave. But, once I am seated, the service is always friendly & efficient. It’s an easy, simple menu & I’ll usually go for something small like the bagel with jam & cream cheese or muesli. The bacon & egg bagel is also tasty & I love the seafood chowder. The coffee is, it has to be said, excellent & I’ll always get a second cup. The counter food is not particularly inspiring (your standard muffins, slices & rolls) & I’m almost never tempted & usually just stick to the menu.
Lovely breakfast place. A nice ambiance. The toasted cheese scone was very delicious. The coffee is a bit too strong for me. A very friendly service. Great experience.
Excellent coffee. Best we had in Wellington. The crispy potatoes weren't crispy. I would go back and order something different next time. The food was generally good.
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With it being 12:30pm on a rainy Saturday, I was blown away by how well staff managed the influx customers. The business of this cafe is hands down a reflection of the quality of their service. We had to wait about 15 minutes for a table for two (understandable for that time of day) and was immediately greeted enthusiastically, welcomed and brought water by a staff member. She swiftly took our order, and our food was with us in less than 10 minutes.
I had seen on social media that all mocha's come with a complementary Whittakers sante bar, so obviously we got that. The concept of stirring the chocolate into the mocha and allowing it to melt was enjoyable, however the coffee itself wasn't quite hot enough. In hindsight, maybe we should have requested for it to be 'extra hot', however I believe this was just a one-off from the baristas as it was incredibly busy - I am certain their coffee would be delightful at a quieter point in the day (definitely an excuse to come back!) May I add, it was only $6.50 for the decently sized mocha alongside the sante bar and two marshmallows. A bargain if you ask me.
As for the food, I ordered the seed and nut granola which was absolutely loaded with greek yoghurt, a sweet berry compote and goji berries. Milk on the side was also available. I really enjoyed this meal. It was presented beautifully, and there was the perfect ratio of granola to yoghurt. For $16, it was definitely well worth it.
We also ordered the breakfast crumpets which came alongside a black dorris plum compote and cinnamon mascarpone. Within seconds, the crumpets were no where to be seen! They were so fluffy and light, and hands-down 100x better than store-brought crumpets. The flavours of the compote and mascarpone contrasted each other perfectly. I especially loved the mascarpone and will need a tub at home! The only negative of this meal was the presentation. Other people around us had ordered crumpets, which were displayed pristinely, however mine was sort of just a few crumpets soaked in moat of compote juice. Not sure what happened here, but no disregard to the chefs whatsoever. Its not about the looks, it's what's on the inside that counts, right?
Overall, we really enjoyed our experience at L'affare and will definitely return on a weekday when it may be slightly quieter. Awesome work team, keep it up!
Highly recommend!!
Despite us staying until closing and ordering extra cabinet food 10 minutes before close, the staff were incredibly kind to us throughout our stay. We were never made to feel like an inconvenience and there was just a great friendly atmosphere overall.
Love how they stock the Karma Drinks range and have a great range of cabinet and menu options, including an all day brunch.
Great food and coffee at Cafe L'affare. I had a flat white and the crumpets and both were delicious. Also bought some of their coffee to take home. Atmosphere was fun and quirky and staff were friendly. Prices a little higher for a cafe but their food is unique and good.
It’s always busy here but this time we managed to dine here. Had an iced coffee (with cream) and a bacon butty. I enjoyed it. Well presented drink and food and high quality bacon! Oh and coffee is nice too.
*30 minute wait and only walk ins on the weekend.
Pretty popular coffee shop, good for brunch or some afternoon coffee. I try the Kotowa coffee, feels good, not so bold and has very light fruity flavour on it. Sometimes it get very crowded in the morning, have to wait for several minutes to get the seat. Oh, the service takes a long time, maybe 10min to get your coffee.
I really liked the service, super friendly. We ordered for breakfast eggs benedict with bacon and poached eggs on toast with some smashed avo as extra. The food came very quick which I loved it, eventhough the place was almost full! Highly recommended!!
Incredibly delicious cafe with a ton of coffee options. They also have a great spicy chai! Loved every bite, really great textures and tastes. They’ve got a lot of fancy coffees and so many preparations to enjoy.
Great coffee, spacious venue and good food.
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