The Wellington Coffee Diaries

‘I don’t know how people live without coffee, I really don’t.’ – Martha Quinn.

I’ve fallen out of love with Wellington a bit in the past couple of months. I’ve had less money to play with whilst I’m saving for my trip in December to the Philippines and the UK for Christmas. Plus, it’s winter. Lack of money + shitty weather = fed up Bethen!!

One of the things that has kept me going in this horrible, cold, wet, bloody windy winter in Wellington is coffee. Lots of delicious coffee. It’s one thing I’ll fork out for whilst I’m saving – especially if it’s served alongside a really great brunch (Eggs Benedict with extra hash browns all the way please!).

Wellington does coffee really well. The city is renowned for it’s cafe culture and Wellingtonian’s take pride in the fact that they have more cafes per capita than New York. I’ve embraced this culture wholeheartedly and love nothing more than the prospect of a warming flat white and the anticipation before brunch is put in front of me to devour.

Check out my Instagram feed for my future coffee updates – I tend to take photos of my coffee wherever I go and end up posting the photos a day or so later. My feed is: howthemindwanders.

Pandoro Panetteria, Willis Street

Unusually for me, I didn’t fancy brunch when I ate here, and had a mushroom and truffle oil risotto instead, with a side salad. The food was great and the coffee good too!! If you ask for a large cappuccino, the drink comes in a bowl, which is a bit of a talking point. This is also a bakery, so you can buy fresh bread and cakes here.

The Canteen, Bond off Willis Street
I only drank coffee here a couple of times, but the cafe is cute and nicely decorated with a good vibe. A couple of friends tried cakes and said they were very tasty, and who can resist the really beautiful spoons as well?! Definitely worth going back to at some point to try the food / eat all the cakes!!

The Larder, Miramar
By far the best brunch I’ve had so far in Wellington, and I’ve had a few. The staff were really stand-out friendly and didn’t even flinch at our order, which we mucked around with a bit and added/subtracted items on hungry whims (I ate Eggs Benedict on a potato rosti, with spinach and mushrooms and toast on the side). The coffee was good and strong and my friend, who had a hot chocolate, said it was really great!! Love the heart artwork on the top of my drink too. Great atmosphere and delicious food.

Tinakori Road, cafe name unknown
C and I stopped off here after a Sunday afternoon stroll through the Botanic Gardens, on our way back home. The coffee was tasty and C said the hot chocolate was also good. There were people eating around us and the food did look good, another one worth going back to in the future! One elderly lady was working her way through a massive brunch – if I get to her age and manage a full plate like that, I’ll be happy!

Vic Books, Victoria University Kelburn Campus
I get a takeaway coffee from the wonderful Vic Books now and again, but mostly I buy their amazing cheese scones for my breakfast!! They’re quite literally the best cheese scones I’ve ever eaten – I get mine cold but they could warm them up too and I bet that’s even better. When I do get coffee, it’s always good and it comes in these cute takeaway cups too. Great artwork!! Check it out if you’re ever in Kelburn for any reason.

Mojo, Thorndon
Confession: after 10 months living in New Zealand I only just made it to a Mojo for the first time this past weekend. A couple of friends and I wanted to get out for an hour or so, so wandered up to our nearest Mojo which is conveniently located only a two minute walk from the hostel. We had a great caramel slice with our coffee and ended up sitting in the cafe chatting for nearly two hours! Time flies when you’re drinking coffee…

Cuckoo, Wellington Waterfront
Cuckoo is a really awesome, retro style cafe situated between the waterfront and the New Zealand Portrait Gallery. One strangely warm winter’s afternoon, I popped by with a couple of friends and sat outside to enjoy this yummy coffee and a toastie. The spoon was suitably cute, and whilst it wasn’t the best coffee I’ve drunk in Wellington, I loved the atmosphere of the place and will definitely go back at some point.

The Wellington Skyline Cafe, at the top of the cable car
My favourite picture of coffee that I forgot I had!! Great coffee and cake with a view over Wellington, perfect to begin or end your cable car / Botanic Garden experience. If, like me, you were a bit underwhelmed by the cable car itself, this cafe will make the trip worthwhile. Or if you’ve just taken a walk in the Gardens and want to warm up before heading back into the city, make this your stop for coffee.

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