I stop in here briefly to pass a little time before meeting a flight at the airport. I wish I have more time, as the service is very pleasant from the young lady with the (French?) accent, and if I wasn’t piling on the kilos from eating out so much on my month long holiday in NZ, I would certainly be tempted with the goods in the display cabinet. All I can manage today is a berry smoothie, sweetened with honey and yoghurt. The balance of consistency and sweetness is spot on, and I’m in my happy place.
There are a lot of seats, spread over three areas, and the decor is clean and functional, with some nice pieces gracing the walls - I especially love the large mirror, which looks like it’s framed in a door frame, with industrial fridge hinges. There’s also Nadia Liam’s latest magazine near my table, which makes for inspirational browsing. Keep up the great work team.
Great coffee, great food and reasonable pricing! Can't ask for much more really! We had the French toast and eggs on toast with added hash browns and hollandaise.
I have had two very memorable dining experiences here. Some of the most incredibly tasty food I have ever eaten to be honest. Highlights include fish pie and cheese souffle which you absolutely must try if you visit. Price point is an accurate reflection of the quality of service and food - super professional, super efficient, fantastic quality, perfect execution. This place is an asset to Lyall Bay. If you live in Wellington you must visit here at least once. It won't disappoint.
Every morning these guys make the best coffee to date in Wellington.
Friendly staff always onto it as they remember their regulars coffee orders when entering.
Their awesome 'text your order ' system is great for when you're in a hurry and need your coffee or food asap .
Highly recommend this place if you're around the bay .
Stopped in here with my 2 young kids after activities nearby. The entrance area is a bit tight but quite a decent amount of seating at the back, including a small kids play area.
Staff were wonderfully welcoming and put together a toasted cheese sandwich which wasn't even on the menu. I had the scrambled eggs on ciabatta which was really good.
Will definitely return when next in the area
This is the second time I have been here for brunch and both times the food has been delish. It has a great cozy feeling inside perfect to get away from the windy weather outside! Their lunch menu looks great too am definitely keen to come back and try the macaroni cheese!
Been here many times and love it. The Goats cheese soufflé with salad is to die for! Add to this - super friendly staff and prompt service, even on busy weekends. This cafe is Lyall Bay's best.
Dropped in on my way to the airport for a hot chocolate. Nice looking place. Ordered Large HChoc. more a medium. Nice cacao powder used. Life Foods? Slices nice but small little bland tasting lemon slice. Banana cake authentic home cooked lovely.
Place had a good vibe when you walk in and the food looks appetising. I only stayed for a coffee but it was a nice coffee, good service, fast too which was great even though they were busy. Coffee didnt seem very strong but was nice. Will be back.
Wonderful coffee! Ordered a long black to go and it was bang on. Thanks Mr Barista! The spinach and cheese scone... Could take it or leave it. Look forward to dining in however, as it looks as though that's the way to go.
The food and coffee at elements is always of excellent quality, not surprising seeing how popular it is! It's great at any time of the day. I really love the atmosphere and it's in such a nice peaceful location - you need to try it out whenever you are in Lyall Bay!
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Latest review: 3.5:
Used to come to Elements quite a lot, and a couple of years ago I would have given them a four (or more) but since the change of hands, this place has come down a bit. They used to have this amazing salmon dish which consisted of a generous piece of salmon, cherry tomatoes, roast kumara, coriander, coconut and kaffier lime. It was seriously the ultimate Lucy dish and I loved it. Now I look at the Elements menu with distain and disappear. Will I ever taste that wonderful creation again? I’ve tried to recreate it several times at home but damn it, it’s just not the same! I went to Elements about a week ago and as I am sitting here writing this review, dreaming of salmon and coconut, I can’t even remember what I ate on my latest visit! Oh yes, that’s right, chicken salad. It’s all coming back to me now. A mountain of leaves, a small amount of chicken and pumpkin seeds. The ingredients were fresh but the dish was seriously uninspired. The service here has always been up and down but on this visit it was particularly bad. We asked to have our drinks come out with our food, a reasonable request. Once we had our food we waited 5-7 minutes before we reminded the waitress about our drinks. We also had to ask her several times to fill up our water glasses. Overall, this place is still good, but not great. I won’t be back in a rush.
Previous review: 4:
I have always found this place really good. The food here is glorious. From fish cakes to cheesecake, I am never disappointed with the food. The service can be a bit up and down but generally the staff are very friendly and attentive. The last time I came here the salmon dish had shredded salmon throughout it. This dish used to come with a whole piece of salmon which I found much more pleasing. I recommend this place if you are in the area but if your not, it's definitely worth the drive to get to it.
I tried the cheesecake and was awesome, fresh, also the truffles, the coffee was great and the place is cosy, nice and clean. All good, but the service was ok, just ok.
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I like the name Elements. And in some ways the restaurant / cafe goes in that direction. A simple glass fronted exterior on a corner site. The three large dining spaces look quite simple - banquette seating, pale wooden tables and chairs, simple blue and cream walls. Cutting into the blue, the amber lighting almost makes it cosy.
I've been there maybe half a dozen times and today we went for brunch - Sunday at 11am. The parking was easy.
It was starting to get busy but the staff were extremely friendly, attentive and efficient. Within three minutes we were reading the menu, sipping two Supreme flat whites.
I thought the menu looked good - easy to find something that looked ok. We chose kedgeree and the bacon and poached eggs on sourdough. The coffee meanwhile was pleasant -
Brunch arrived within 5 - 10minutes.
I think elements is a place that should be better than it is and I don't think it would take much to be a larder or polo - to go from nice to delicious.
For example: Kedgeree - there are a couple of restaurants doing kedgeree at present (Nikau for example) and each is different. However it needs to be remembered that kedgeree is Anglo-Indian, not English boarding house. Element's kedgeree was pleasant but quite bland with slightly undercooked rice in a creamy sauce that lacked spice from the heat of a good curry powder. I think it also needs accompaniments - a slice of lemon to drizzle - to provide contrasting acidity to the salty fish and a mango chutney to provide spicy sweetness. It's these touches that make the dish truly delicious. Jane Grigson's is worth looking at.
The bacon and poached eggs - looked pretty forlorn. The two poached eggs which are dry on the exterior sat on almost dry sourdough - no or minimal butter. The two slices of bacon sat at the side. There was a sense of disconnection between the elements until you plunged into the eggs and gave the dish a sauce to make things look cohesive - on presentation it didn't look delicious and it could have. The eggs were perfectly cooked and the bacon good quality - so the elements are all there!
My sense is that this is a restaurant that hasn't yet reached its real potential but, with a step up in the direction of deliciousness it is capable of becoming as good as any in Wellington.
Have been here twice in the past month and have come away satisfied both times. The 'biggy' breakfast is tasty but a little on the big side for me so only get if you're starving (the name should've been a warning!). The staff are friendly and attentive - I always love a restaurant that fills my water glass up so I don't have to ask (the little things). I have never had to wait for a table but it always seems busy and bustling - I would recommend as a great alternative to Maranui or Spruce Goose if you can bear to give up the views!
I've only ever been here for brunch but it's bang on! Clean, fresh and airy inside you start the day feeling refreshed and awake. The coffee is fab and the food never disappoints. This place is much easier to get at a table at than Maranui (just down the road), and in my opinion, much better!
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The decor and service was bang on. If only it had the food of Chocolate Frog. The 3 gold award plates on the wall are impressive but not enough to make me want to go back again and again. We started with toast and jam - enough for two would have been 4 slices but they gave us 6 and charged $12.00. We asked for enough for two, not necessarily 2 portions - there was no negotiation as to what that entailed, but we went with it so as not to rock the boat on our first visit. There were also no bread plates so we were careful not to drip melted butter down our fronts as we leaned over the single plate it was served on. We might rock the boat a little on our second. I had the brioche with caramelised orange and mascapone, with a pot of tea. Hubby had the big breakfast (eggs, hash brown, mushroom, bacon, tomato & Island Bay Butchery sausage) with a luke warm mocha (not hot enough to melt the sugar or marshmallows). The meals were a bit pricey for what they were, and they were nothing spectacular. I've decided I'm not a fan of brioche now - it was quite soggy.
Here's the hubby's 10 cents worth:
It was all....good. Elements is bigger than your average cafe, which meant room to move and made things quite comfortable.
After having to ask for menus and finding a table we were each bought tepid water in a warm glass. Orders were given for the 'Biggy' breakfast ($23 plus the extra for hollandaise) for moi with a mocha, and some orange/brioche thing ($17-ish) for the missus and her obligatory pot of tea. Also asked for some toast for two.
Tea and coffee arrived promptly, however my mocha was luke warm and not capable of melting the sugar or even softening the floating marshmallows. Was a bit weak too - not a great start. However the toast was amazing. Well cooked and piping hot Ciabatta I think (no babe, sourdough).
Food arrived, nicely presented and was all pretty good, though it's fair to say it was at the top-end of what could be considered a reasonable price. The eggs were top-notch, both in quality and taste and were poached to perfection.
Service was pleasant from an attentive staff member, and all in all it was a successful first-time experience. Probably won't drive from the Hutt just to go again, but if we're in the 'hood' we won't hesitate to go back.
31/12/2014:
We went back today for brunch & I have to say I was disappointed. I thought $23 for the "Biggy" was a bit much so I got the bacon & potato hash with braised cabbage, poached eggs & hollandaise (with a side if tomato), and a pot of tea. The tea was VERY strong & needed 3X more hot water. My meal was scolding hot so I couldn't really taste the flavours - the tomato on the side ruined it - they seemed to be reconstituted sundried tomatoes that had been fried, so they were dry as a bone. The meal could've done with a dollop pf relish. Hubby had the eggs benny and another luke warm mocha, along with fries & aioli (which was more like garlic butter). The floor show of a woman determined to get into a park too small for her car right outside was entertaining - especially when she got the tow bar of the car in front lodged in her bumper, thus proceeded to hit the car behind three times to dislodge it. I doubt we'll be going back.
The hubby's thoughts:
Struggling to find somewhere of substance open saw us back here for Round Two.
Cafe of the Year Finalist? Hard to see why. Again my coffee was a shocker, luke warm and not much oomph. The missus said her tea was too strong, and our two drinks arrived about 10mins apart. I reverted to type and ordered an Eggs Bennie and a bowl of fries with aioli. The main was very underwhelming with eggs about 10secs away from being over-cooked and being sent back, and the dish of aioli that came with the fries had dried-out and yellowish-coloured sauce stuck to the side of it. Bit of glad wrap over it in the fridge may have solved that. Can get better Eggs Bennie in Kings Cres, better aioli from a fish and chip shop and better coffee at Maccas. A shame, as the service is great and it feels like a restaurant at cafe prices. There won't be a Round Three.
Elements is the place to go for a wicked good brunch! The poached eggs on hash is to die for! Definitely a firm favourite! Last time we went we bought some of their smoked sea salt to take home - yummo!!
My friend and I had lunch at Elements Cafe today. Wonderful food, even for vegetarians, lovely coffee and very good service.
Thank you for a most enjoyable experience.
I loved my goats cheese tart, and the salad with it was delicious. My friend had the souffle and salad followed by a large piece of carrot cake and she was very happy!
Love this place. I quite often come here for breakfast and it is always fast and delicious. Not very original of me, but I usually get the Benedict, they do it well. When I do branch out everything else I have tried has been a winner. Love their take on lambs fry(always reminds me of mum)
And I enjoyed the lamb pie I had recently .
Nice and relaxed atmosphere.
Looking forward to trying out the evening menu at some stage.
Being from out of town and wanting to host a celebration dinner with family and friends, Elements Cafe was the perfect choice with the private room.
The correspondence I had with the staff in organising the dinner we always helpful and the evening itself was a great success. Everyone commented on the excellent food and friendly, professional service even when the 30 of us kept changing places!
I cannot recommend Elements highly enough, it was perfect.
We celebrated a 50th birthday with 25 others at this restaurant last night. The food was fantastic - and I'm pretty picky! The waiting staff were also helpful and efficient. I would return again and again. Well done!
Love the cafe and love the food. The salmon, excellent. Pate, delicious and well seasoned. Souffle was about as good as a twice baked souffle can get.
The problem I have here is the steak. I eat my steak blue, and the chefs don't seem to be able to cook steak blue the first time.
Steak #1 came out rare - sent it back, came out perfectly the second time.
Steak #2, I told the waiter to make sure it still moved when I stuck a fork into it. The steak came out, I stuck my fork in it and sighed - overcooked, probably medium. Before I could cut it though, the waiter came out and told me he had been informed that it wasn't blue - and offered to replace it before I could take a bite. Gave me a free beer too. The second blue steak was perfect.
The lemongrass panna cotta was oversweet, though this may be my palate. Couldn't finish it.
Awesome menu, awesome food. Wait staff were full of humour and seriously awesome service.
Tread with caution if you eat blue steak though. That's all.
great place, nice food,clean, staff extremely helpful, always high standard.
always leave feeling had a feed, but not bloated.
We ate here on a freezing,rainy Friday night so the warm welcome was especially welcome.We hadn't booked but came early at 6pm with our 3 kids and we treated beautifully. Delightfully, for a restaurant with such superb food, there were 2 kids options offered of steak andchips and fish and chips, which were beautifully cooked and presented. We tried the outstanding Wellington on a Plate dinner offering, which was sublime. We've never tasted lamb ravioli like it in our lives - and we've eaten around the world a great deal. This is a real discovery - a superb restaurant, with great service, relaxed and welcoming, right in the suburbs. The owners and staff deserve congratulations for a great idea, brilliantly executed. "Build it, and they will come"....
I had the pleasure to eat at Elements recently for dinner
Whilst the decor is nothing specical the food was excellent and the wine list is very well priced with a good selection of little known bottles to tempt you, as well as interesting wines available by the glass.
The prices are reasonable and reflect the quality of the food.
All in all well worth a visit.
Really good food, but the coffee is absolute rubbish - order a cold drink instead!! Always friendly staff... gets very busy on weekends.
I have only eaten here once and it was thoroughly delicious esp the cheese soufflé and pate - it was a wet windy and wild night and we were waiting for guests to get into the Wgtn airport so ordered pretty late - the food was really great but the service was a little lax (had to go to the counter a couple of times to ask for wine/cutlery etc). Love the concept and the proof that you don't have to dine in the CBD to have outstanding food.
Stunning food, top service, friendly smiles, oodles of room and they do a 'What's Cooking' nite where you learn how to cook stuff and enjoy it with some well matched wines. Scott the chef is clever and believes in 'fresh', Nicky his able matre de and wife is awesomely organised and you'll love the whole experience.
Top cafe, my favourite in town.
Very good coffee, great staff and a friendly relaxing environment.
Sandy.
This is such a great cafe!! The food is amazing,the staff are always friendly and service is excellent!!! Well done to the owners for putting in all of your hard work, as you have a winner!!!!
I'm a bit of a regular and I have to addmit that I always get the lambs fry and bacon because it's the BEST in town!!
So thank you xx
I agree this place is awesome! Great menu, food doesn't only sound good it tastes fantastic! Lots of choices for vegetarian, heaps better than anywhere else in this area. Have been for lunch and after looking at the dinner menu can't wait to go again!
Good restaurants outside of Wellingtons CBD are pretty thin on the ground, but one stands out head and shoulders above the others, Elements in Lyall Bay.
Its an unpretentious venue that has great ambience, but the real star is the food. Everything I've ever eaten there has been cooked consistiently to an incredibly high standard. The real standout for me are the deserts - the affogato or the pannacotta are both real standouts. Equally impressive are the coffees, Elements had previously entered staff into the NZ barista championships and it shows with their flat whites being as closed to perfection as is possible.
Food aside, the staff are also really decent and know their food front to back and back to front. they are also extremely personable too.
You've got to check out The (new) Wine Bar. Open on Friday and Saturday nights - a fabulous combo of great wines (the staff know their stuff), Gins, Aperol Spritz, beer, a snack food. It had a neighbourhood feel with the warmest, genuine, friendly welcome. We hear live music is coming up soon too. I recommend going for an early evening drink and a walk on stunning Lyall Bay beach to watch the sunset. Perfect!
Real good alternative to Maranui if you don’t care about the view. Service and food is top notch and also cater for coeliacs. Always go for the eggs on toast but also recently had the cheese soufflé which was also good. Do good coffee here as well!
Lovely friendly service with great ALLPRESS coffee and Harney Tea and delicious food. Wheelchair and stroller accessible and washrooms too.
I stop in here briefly to pass a little time before meeting a flight at the airport. I wish I have more time, as the service is very pleasant from the young lady with the (French?) accent, and if I wasn’t piling on the kilos from eating out so much on my month long holiday in NZ, I would certainly be tempted with the goods in the display cabinet. All I can manage today is a berry smoothie, sweetened with honey and yoghurt. The balance of consistency and sweetness is spot on, and I’m in my happy place.
There are a lot of seats, spread over three areas, and the decor is clean and functional, with some nice pieces gracing the walls - I especially love the large mirror, which looks like it’s framed in a door frame, with industrial fridge hinges. There’s also Nadia Liam’s latest magazine near my table, which makes for inspirational browsing. Keep up the great work team.
It is always lovely to be greeted by Chris and Nick, as well as all the team. We enjoy the ambience of Elements, the amazing service, the care which goes into the food preparation, and the great coffee. Thank you so much. Very much appreciated and a place we look forward to visiting.
Busy on a windy Sunday, but the staff seated my friend and I within 10mins. The menu was inventive with interesting ingredients including my favourite bread - Midnight Baker bread. I had the chicken liver pâté and asked for the buckwheat bread by Midnight Baker, which the café kindly swapped at no extra charge. I hadn’t had pâté in ages, and this was delicious - not too heavy/strong in flavour, smooth and rich texture, complemented nicely with cranberry jelly and a chunky beetroot relish.
Would love to revisit once I’m back in Wellington.
Lovely food with large portion sizes
The atmosphere at this cafe was great for brunch and the food was delicious. The black pudding extremely delicious! The staff were externally friendly. I disagree with previous comments about small portion sizes, all the portions were generous
Just a note that I think things are unsalted intentionally but this wasn't a big issue at all, plenty of salt on the table
Honestly the freshly made bread here is out of this world... Add that to the super friendly service, the amazing meals, unbelievable cinnamon ring donuts etc and you have your new favourite cafe location.
The vanilla milkshake was heavenly!!! the vegan toastie was fresh and crispy. Amazing place!
Happy with my takeaway cappuccino cinnamon! Elated I can have a coffee date mid - vaccination with my fully vaccinated fiancé.
Very popular place, always packed. Great food & coffee. Friendly & attentive service.
A bustling, busy cafe in Lyall Bay. The juices are made from scratch with real fruit and veges and their raw vegan chocolate tart is definitely worth a try! Can be a long wait time so keep that in mind if you’re in a hurry (like I was)! 😋
Lovely cafe with excellent French toast. Would love to come back for more.
Good food good vibe good staff 👌had the mac cheese
Stopped in again on fri nite for a coffee and cake and baaam the vegan raw chocolate tart 👌👌
The perfect wee spot - it wasn’t overly busy which made it a nice relaxing vibe!
Lovely service, delicious food (minus the coriander in the baguette) fresh juice was just what I needed.
Beautiful corner of gifts and other goodies.
Decent place, good food and strong coffee.
$47 for 2x meal and 2x iced coffee
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