We're spoilt for choice with great cafés and coffee bars in New Zealand. Neat Places has visited them all, and this is our pick of the best.
No stranger to a good cup of coffee, New Zealand plays host to a huge variety of coffee houses, tearooms, slick cafés and roasteries, all joint in their effort to bring you the finest cup of caffeine you’ll have that day.
Whether you’re city hopping from North to South, or driving through some of New Zealand’s smaller towns, you’re sure to find coffee at every stop. That’s because our small population has never been an excuse for a non-quality brew, and as more and more spots pop up around the country, Kiwis are simply spoilt for choice when it comes to soaking up a bit of café culture.
Leading the charge in the North is the super city Auckland, where most of New Zealand’s coffee drinkers reside. Slick, modern and confident in their ability to bring you the best, Auckland’s café scene is something not to be missed.
Further down the country Wellington is also known for its love of caffeine, and true to its hip and arty scene, coffee shops here are eclectic, quirky and full of colourful characters behind the counter.
Christchurch is no stranger to the party either, and a growing reputation as a city well worth its weight in coffee bean gold means visitors here will be impressed with both the number and quality of fun and creative coffee stops.
The further South you go, the more pleased you will be to hear a good hot cup of coffee is not hard to come by, and for people of Dunedin who face some of the coolest temperatures in the country, something to warm your hands on that also tastes bloody good is something worth celebrating. Proud of their city, fashion and food scene, Dunedin locals have let their passion for coffee infiltrate the streets, meaning within a stone’s throw of the Octagon are any number of cafés and eateries that are serving up quality cups of the good stuff.
Not to be missed too are the smaller towns dotted around the country, who may be less in population but certainly aren’t less in their love of hospitality. Cosy up at an old school tearoom with a lamington or custard square, or pop into an easy-going café that knows its locals by name – a New Zealand experience in itself, small town and rural sections of the country will perhaps make you feel more welcome than anywhere else.
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Bellbird Eatery
Museum and art gallery cafes have really upped their game in recent years, evolving from simple refreshment pit stops to become attractions in their own right.
House of Good Fortune
Petone’s myriad side streets hold plenty of delightful surprises, and if you’re lucky enough, you might just stumble upon the House of Good Fortune.
Trade School Kitchen
Described as the ‘living room of the Naenae community’, Trade School Kitchen is a not-for-profit community based cafe doing what it can to give back to its people.
Cake & Kitchen
Cake & Kitchen is a cafe in Upper Hutt, bringing people together over delicious food and coffee.
Seashore Cabaret
This café definitely takes out the title for best view of the city.
Tricky's Sandwich Co
It’s hard to beat a good sandwich – and Tricky’s Sandwich Co is a family-run sandwich joint that have made it their business to be unbeatable.
Miss Fortune's
Lower Hutt’s industrial precinct isn’t exactly where you’d think to head for a slice of quintessential Wellington hospitality, but at Miss Fortune’s, you’ll find one of the region’s most charismatic little brunch spots.
Twenty Eight
Named for their address on Cornwall Street, Twenty Eight is a modern, well lit and welcoming Lower Hutt cafe serving up interesting cabinet food, a thoughtfully crafted...
Small Batch, Ripe Coffee Roasters
This small but mighty Petone-based coffee roaster has well and truly established itself as a trusty local for many Hutt goers.
How to Spend a Day in Petone, Lower Hutt
Nestled along the picturesque shores of Wellington Harbour, Pito-one, or Petone, is a suburb of Lower Hutt offering a well-blended happy mix of old-world charm and modern-day sophistication. Its seaside location adds to its natural allure and its historic main street exudes a charm that is often hard to come by in small towns — or in this case, suburbs.
Jean's
Upper Hutt’s Fergusson Drive may often feel like a long, monotonous road, but thanks to its little boutique shops like Jeans, you can find plenty of life and character...
Dough Upper Hutt
Come for the art, stay for the coffee and doughnuts at Dough Bakery in Upper Hutt – conveniently located in one of the town's most popular cultural haunts.
Cars Inc.
What started out as simply a young boy with a passion has turned into a lifelong project for car enthusiast Paul Boden, and the opening of Cars Inc.
Fig Tree Café
Nestled in the leafy green suburb of Heretaunga, the Fig Tree Cafe has made its home in a converted church.
Comes & Goes
Comes & Goes is a brilliant addition to the Wellington café scene, bringing an explosion of edible flowers and culinary masterpieces that Wellingtonians are welcoming with open arms.
Tartines French Cafe
Tartines offers a small slice of French culinary delight, with handmade tarts, pastries, fresh bread and classic dishes that will have you mistaking Lower Hutt for Lyon.
