Hydro Café & Twizel Bookshop

Hydro Café has been keeping the good people of Twizel well hydrated for nearly a decade. Located in the town centre, the locally owned and operated cafe, plus the adjoining hole-in-the-wall bookshop, have a strong following and are a definite must-drop-in when in town.

Coffee at Hydro Café is brewed with Christchurch based Switch Espresso beans, and all the food in the cabinet and on the menu is made from scratch on-site. The coffee shop opens early and is a regular morning stop for many locals, with crowd favourite items such as bacon and eggs buns and cheese rolls flying out the door well before lunchtime. That being said, the cabinet heaves with plenty of options throughout the day, which the busy staff keep topped up to meet the demand.

There is plenty of outdoor seating in the sun at the edge of the pleasant town green, and various nooks to make your own indoors. Greenery dots the interior, keeping it cosy and fresh, while industrial lighting and sturdy wood beams add a touch of grunge.

The adjoining petite Twizel Bookshop is also a must-poke-your-nose-into while here. Despite its small size, the store packs in a great collection of titles for adults and children alike. There used to be a mixture of second hand and new books here, but these days the focus is on fresh-from-the-press products. Plenty of new works as well as classics and special interest books fill the cute space. Perhaps a new read and a great cup of coffee are exactly what you are after, in which case you’ve come to the right place.