Great coffee, had the gourgeres which were delicious. The only feedback I would give is that the prices are slightly too high for what you get.
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Tout le mond, this cafe is the perfect place to sink your teeth into food worth actually paying for. None of this Seashore Cabaret, Zany Zeus rubbish. Give me fine dining! Anyway, the best French patisserie in Wellington for sure. Today, I ventured off with my friend (Croissant_Muncher) to this little gem in Kaiwharawhara in the hopes we could resurrect the rapidly declining sense of quality our tastebuds have so unfortunately succumbed to over the past year or so. First thing to note is that this place feels authentic. You walk through the door and you feel transported to a modern twist on a classic French bakery. The decor screams French Revolution with its industrial chic architectural aesthetic and it’s furnishings which flick you back down the timeline of France’s history. Not to also mention this place is very clean! Like the floors actually look like they’ve been swept and mopped. Most importantly, the food is just out of this world. I think especially being from a country where the general public’s go-to so called “gourmet brunch” would be McDonalds, this just sets the bar even higher for business’ to further be in pursuit of. I mean the desserts I had the pleasure of putting my elderly mitts on and placing in my mouse trap were truly eye opening. I had the strawberry tart, lightly glazed with a strawberry sugar jam and the lemon tart. They were both truly sublime. My friend had the caramel buttercream choux which also was a delightful mouthful of authentic French flavours. The coffee art produced here is second to none also, not to mention it was absolutely amazing. Now, don’t get me started on brunch! I had the salmon and leek tart with a salad on the side and let me tell you this! That Salmon tart was exquisite in flavour. As for the salad, I’m so happy one place in the Wellington region knows how to make a salad. Like this salad was only a side salad and it was beyond magnificent in flavour. I’m so use to going to places and they throw me a bag of mescaline and dice up various cheap Pak’nSave vegetables to try to deter my attention away from how tragically confused the food really is. (not naming names, lol Fig Tree! xD). Anyway, the desserts look like world class chefs made them and I was very happy to experience a cafe which embodies a sense of luxury with good hearty tucker and might I also add, affordable at that.
A great place for a relaxed lunch, friendly staff and nice decor. I don't think you can beat a bowl of their French Onion Soup and a glass or two of Cote du Rhone.
I love this cafe. The little cakes they have are delicious but they also have brunch. I’ve had the French toast twice and it is soooo good! The creme anglaise and berries are delicious.
We just had coffee and sweet. Dark chocolate mousse was so creamy melting in our mouth. They have a variety of sweets and they all look beautiful - a little more expensive than other cafes but it is worth to try. Coffee was good and staff were friendly. Nice cafe. Recommended.
Quite nice place for morning pastry, tea, and coffee. Staff was friendly and the coffee was excellent. Skip the world wide coffee chain and try here.
I heard this place was great and it definitely exceeded expectations. Some of the strongest coffee in the city. Food is amazingly delicious. Cheese to die for. Sweets for the masses and French staff. Adorbs!
Been here (thorndon & once on the terrace) many times over the years, both for meals or a quick cuppa. Not been disappointed yet. Friendly, attentive service, comfortable atmosphere, good coffee plus they make the most amazing custard square I've ever eaten 😍.
Loved it. It was very busy when went but the food was awesome, coffee great. We didn’t wait too long and even though the place was full it wasn’t overbearing or too noisy. Will definitely be back for some of those desserts we saw!
•• SUP Monday ••
I LOVED they served Flight Coffee!
I LOVED it & MY tummy LOVED it! Highly Recommended! Well Done & Thank You (both customer service + food) Must Visit!
:: store visit 4/9/17 | 9:15AM | Featherston Street
We've been here so many times -- it's one of our favorites. I like the rosti - pictured below; he gets the savoury crepe. Good bread and coffee. Solid and delicious.
I have walked past La Cloche's Featherstone street outlet on my way to work many times and finally succumbed to the tempting delights on display today.
I opted for an Almond Croissant and a coffee top takeaway. Both the croissant and coffee were delicious. Staff were bubbly and very friendly. Service was a bit slow for the coffee (but it was the morning rush so to be expected), and probably slightly on the pricier scale of things for a small coffee. However, the taste more than made up for the damage to the hip pocket!
ATMOSPHERE: We went at lunchtime and it was hustle and bustle but not too loud. Spacious enough open spaces and bright. Enough seating with wall tables
FOOD: The French onion soup was really good and filling, slightly salty. The mocha was great and presently really well
STAFF: Friendly and attentive
Love this place! It's usually busy but we still always manage to get a table. Their coffee is solid and they have a good selection of pastries and tarts. If you love french patisseries then you've come to the right place. They also do galette, which we haven't tried yet, and a downtown branch.
I am a regular at la cloche. The coffee is fantastic and the food is in typical French style. The service can be slow and it is hard to get a table and a car park. The pastries are amazing. I will go back.
Went to La Cloche for the first time yesterday for lunch. Place was extremely busy, it was a full house. Ordered the steak/frites to be cooked medium rare. It was cooked to perfection, the fries were nice & crunchy, and was beautifully presented. Finished it off with the delicate pastries from the cabinet. Will definitely be back for the mousse cakes and to try the escargots!!
Been trying to get here for a few weeks but parking can be a challenge so there has been a build up to this breakfast.
I had a mushroom and cheese crepe with a side salad and despite the interedting colour of it, it was ok. For its size it was quite filling which surprised me.
The coffee wasn't strong (which some may prefer) and didn't seem to have a bold flavour despite being Flight Coffee which was a let down.
Atmosphere and service were above average. Coffee and food came out quick which was appreciated.
Overall decent breakfast but I won't be rushing back.
This was my third time back to La Cloche, I took my partner for a very late brunch, i had a chicken croissant which was super flaky and packed with flavors, to top it off i treated my self to a pear and almond tart. The base was perfect, soft and i could taste the butter in it, the almond filling was really good i just wish it was bigger because it went so fast. I will definitely be back to try all the other tarts they have on offer.
My go to place with the best French breakfast the day before I go back on the Paleo Diet. NZ butter, real fruit jam, croissants plain an chocolate, orange juice, hot chocolate and a crunchy on the outside soft in the middle baguette for $15, better if you have an entertainment book 2 for 1. There are some amazing sweets to be had here too.
First time visiting La Cloche today and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. My partner and I ordered coffees, a sweet treat and croissants that came with a small salad. All of the sweets were tempting and beautifully presented but I chose the Mousse Praline and it tasted amazing, not too sweet or rich which was perfect. I loved that it wasn't directly in the hustle and bustle of the city. The ambience was lovely and I will definitely be returning to try the macarons (yum!).
their dessert is the best in town, coffee is also great. But the lunch food are overpriced. My friend had a small steak which was also overcooked for $26. And the seafood plate is not like the picture, only a little seafood with 2 mini bread and salad for $23. But still highly recommend their mouse cakes and Mille feuille.
I came here the other week with a friend and had a really nice time. Firstly, the staff here are fabulous and very attentive. The food here is classic French and they have some great dishes on offer. I ordered the onion tart which came with salad. I found the tart a little bland, it needed more oomph! I still enjoyed it but thought it lacked flavour. My friend ordered the beef bourguinon which was de-lish! We had a dessert each, both of the lemon variety, of course. My lemon meringue tart was suburb. I would definitely come back here to try more of the menu.
This rating is purely based on the yummyness of their almond croissant – sooooo good!
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There are some restaurants where the mental image doesn't match the reality. I think la cloche is one of those. The brand image is one of excellent patisserie, french bistro style food and quality processed food - pates etc. That's the positive mental image. But the restaurant experience never seems to live up to it.
La cloche is sited in a weird position and I guess it's commercially sensible capturing those going out of or into Wellington and in need of a quick coffee, ngaio and khandallah locals, the pet owners going to animates, and those going to Thorndon quay who are choosing between three french cafes - la cloche, Marche and Bordeaux.
La cloche's cabinet food is excellent. It probably has to be, considering increased competition from the local cafes/bakeries as well as Louis seargeant in town. But whereas the preprepared food is good, the restaurant itself seems to focus on throughput rather than individuals.
When you enter through either door, it is not intuitive what the seating protocol is - wait to be seated or order first then find a seat. I confess to hating the latter. You eye up a seat only to have it taken by someone in front or more likely by some ill mannered person behind dumping their bags on the seat, or having one person in their party claim the seat. etc etc. Basically you are queueing for food with no certain knowledge that you can eat it there. Trivial I know but when you enter a restaurant the protocol should be obvious and the focus should be on making it easy and making you feel at ease. La cloche doesn't do that - the focus, the central point of the whole space is the till, behind which you queue, sandwiched between the cabinets and tables, passing the patisseries but not the savoury cabinets, making any decision about savouries a late entry.
As with a previous reviewer I too have noticed that by ordering at the counter and telling the person where you'll be seated, can lead to confusion and the waitress going from table to table trying to offload a flat white.
The big problem I think is the space - it's not good - a rim of seating around the counter area which is partly taken up by the queueing customers and concrete supporting uprights. Two entrances add to the confusion. It feels very cramped and disorganised when full, and it feels that customers are left to fend for themselves. Table service or at least waiting to be seated, would make a huge difference. Having the counter and cabinets at the main entrance would also overcome some of the chaos - perhaps.
Although the food could appear on a bistro menu in France, La cloche lacks the ambience of a Parisian bistro - it is more of a canteen.
Coffee is Flight so it should be good, although when there last weekend it was slightly bitter and thin (trim cap), which surprised me.
The patisserie is good, but my personal favourite is the ham and cheese baguette - but I love these no matter (usually) where they are from. The blackboard menu is large and includes many french classics. I've ordered hot dishes four or five times and these were ok but not exceptional. Some seem to be accompanied by undressed rocket - a pet annoyance - a small mound of dry rocket does not look or taste appetising - it's a small matter but it suggests a lack of real interest in the food and perhaps the customer. It is an incredibly common phenomenon in cafes where the cook thinks it necessary to tart up the tart or pie or whatever. Personally I'd rather just have the main event than this desultory add on.
La cloche is child friendly - a rather dark area at one end of the rim seems to be set up for kids with a dollar in the slot ride.
Acoustics aren't great, and despite the warm red walls it barely manages any degree of cosyness.
Basically la cloche has good branding, good prepped food, but needs to try to make the customer experience more positive. Le Marche francaise isn't far down the road and, although on a smaller scale, if it wasn't hidden from view it would probably get my vote.
Would I go back - probably - unfortunately I can't overcome the mental image of what it should be I'm afraid.
La Cloche isn't somewhere I'd normally get to go, what with having no car, so it was a treat to go on a busy Saturday afternoon.
I think it's a bit pricey for what you get. I ordered the vegetable quiche which came with a salad and a choice of either fries or vegetables. I took the vegetables but was fairly disappointed with what I got. The ramekin was barely half full with a few chunks of vegetables, which did taste great, but why such a meagre serving?
You order at the counter and they ask where you're sitting but give you no table number. As a result, you have waitresses offering food and coffee to you fairly frequently that's not yours as they don't know where they're supposed to deliver it!
Don't get me wrong; the food is tasty and the staff are friendly but I think they need to brush up on the little things to make it a truly pleasant experience.
One of my favourite French cafes offering a good selection of French classics such as French onion soup, steak and frits, crepes, croque moniseur as well as sweet and savoury patisserie.
On my recent visit I ordered the Pain Perdu (French Toast) which, I must say has got to be the best I have had in recent times. Made from the soft rich brioche coated in egg and cooked till the outside is crispy while the middle is still light and fluffy served with a delicious thick berry coulis and a nice smooth crème anglaise.
Please check out my website for an indepth review.
Had lunch at La Cloche today with my partner, one word - amazing. The french onion soup has to be the best I have ever had, oniony, cheesey and just the most beautiful texture! Followed by a lovely chocolate mouse and I am now filled up for the rest of the day. My partner had a hot dog, with salad and chips which was fresh and deliciously seasoned. We will definitely be going back soon.
I've been to La Cloche twice now, and would recommend it as a French dining experience here in the capital. The staff have a relaxed attitude to service, which can get annoying when the place isn't busy and customers are anxiously waiting for their coffee as a way to warm up after coming in out of Wellington's blustery winds. The food, however, is superb.
J'adore la Cloche! Came for Sunday lunch last weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was lovely for the children to hear some french being spoken, and to browse the beautiful cabinet food. All of our meals were delicious, and the treats we took home for later were wonderful. We were gutted when our Mille-feuille (last slice!) fell on the floor before it reached us, but the staff handled it beautifully and we will be back again soon to try it :) This cafe is a wonderful find.
What a gorgeous French café! The food (both kitchen and counter) is totally authentic and really tasty. The coffee is very good too!
It's a bit out of the way, being down the Hutt Road and parking is a bit of a pain, but it's definitely worth a visit - easily the best French bakery in Wellington.
Got to love those coffee eclairs! Mmmmm...!
Fantastic!!! Had our first visit here today and what a little gem. Food was impeccable, service delightful and coffee spot on! Plenty of room and great access. Was even helped with baby buggy by staff. Will be back very soon, well done all at La Cloche, keep it up.
Stopped here for lunch today. The food was superb, simple, uncomplicated and very, very tasty. The staff were about the most helpful and cheerful group I've met in a busy lunchtime venue. I'll definitely be back.
Great for breakfast with good coffee. I really love its interior. Less crowded than the one in city. It feels so good to spend some times enjoying a cup of coffee with some danish while reading my favourite book.
This cafe has nice fresh cafe food. We ordered that hash cakes with mushroom and ham (love the fresh salad and crispy hash) and we ordered that fresh toast (crispy brioche toast with fresh bananas). Coffee was not too bad and service was good
We were blown away by all the choices! There’s a million different things in the cabinets as well as a full on menu and everything looked absolutely delicious.
We finally settled on some gougere, an almond croissant and a mille feuille which all went above and beyond our expectations.
Never had a gougere before, feel like I’ve been wasting my time eating scones when I could’ve been having the more superior and tasty gougere all along?!
Service was also fantastic.
Overall 10/10 ⭐️
Great food! Many options to choose from. I would definitely recommend it. A bit hard to find parking (like everywhere else in Wellington).
An absolutely stunning café! It was an impromptu visit, but I think we have found out place for catch ups during the day!
The food was exquisite and the patisserie selection was plentiful!
Had to try desserts today with my lunch! We will be visiting regularly.
Suuuuuper impressed! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Really great bakery! Delicious treats! Brilliant coffee. Friendly fast service. Great vibe. Really enjoyed that even though they were super busy, everyone was really kind and smiling and looked like they enjoyed working there. Always a plus for me. ♡
We tried three mains and each one had a unique yummy flavor. Staff were friendly too.
Have been a regular customer for years. French toast is my all time favourite. Their cabinet food and desserts are always good. And the team there are welcoming and friendly.
Tried the steak on the cook menu last week and it was over cooked, which is a let down, but the fries were perfect.
We have been to this place 2 weeks ago for the first time with my fiance. We absolutely loved the atmosphere, servis, and treats.
We have been waiting for our coffees for about 20 minutes, which can sometimes happen by accident. Our waitress (I don't know name, french looking i guess) handled the situation perfectly! She was sweet, thoughtful and knew what to do to make us feel special. We were leaving full and happy! ❤👍 We will be back for sure. 🙏
Had a really nice flat white that was just the perfect size. Tables were sparkling clean, seats were comfy, and the cafe is well laid out. Staff are friendly, parking around the corner wasn't a problem. Just a really nice place to actually sit and enjoy a morning coffee instead of feeling like you have to rush out of there.
Lovely cafe with dine in or takeaway options. They had a limited menu when I went due to staffing issues but everything was still excellent.
Great service, delish food and plenty of seating. Order from the menu or out of their amazing cabinet selection - sweet or savoury!
The french onion soup had just the right about of cheese, the crepes are gluten free and the frites were tasty.
Had a lovely time at La Cloche, I like this store a lot more than the central one! The soup was very nice and of course the desserts are always great! Not too sweet perfectly balanced.
Loved it so much, we went back the next day! The French toast was delicious. I also got an eclair to go and Omgoodness… literally the best eclair I’ve ever had in my life!
Ahh, all so fine 😋
Coffee good
Customer service v good. You can even get a piece of cheese to go with lunch- like by its self, how cool is that?!
Hazelnut slice (not correct name) was Devine!
Much to choose from
Only downside noisy & parking. Two spots ONLY behinds Animates 😕
Overall 9/10
Thanks
Highly Recommend
I really love going to La Cloche. The food when you enter looks amazing. The staff are welcoming and friendly. My food was really tasty, and it came out really quick even though they were busy. They have plenty of staff. The artwork and atmosphere are really fun and lovely. Definitely recommend going for any meal or snack.
Visited in the weekend during the holiday season and had no issues getting seated. Have heard this place is very popular in the weekend with the locals so keep that in mind. Great service, menu and cabinet food available. If you have young kids, there is a small area with toys for them to play. There is parking on the side street! Would highly recommend this place for brunch.
Came here for a nice Sunday brunch. The place was super busy but we managed to get a table fairly quick. The staff were very helpful.
Unfortunately we couldn't do the breakfast menu as this finished at 11:00, but there were plenty of other choices to choose from. They also accomodate different dietary needs.
Food was amazing, 5/5. Coffee also great. Service was fast as well.
The only thing that you should think about is parking. It is very limited and you will likely have to park much further away.
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