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A Few Thoughts…

It’s not often we struggle to write the opening sentence of our review each week, but today we are feeling the pinch.

This sentence has been written and deleted a dozen times and it still doesn’t feel right. Last weekend we laughed in jest at the rapid pace the CoronaVirus seemed to be changing the World, with little concern for how that might impact on us personally. In the seven days since, everything has ground to a halt, and we are suddenly very aware of the challenging times ahead. Sadly, given the gravity of the situation at the moment, we have decided it is time for our blog to come to an end.

We set out with no real plans at the beginning of this journey, other than to get to know our local area a little better and suss out the odd decent coffee. It’s not well known, that Rachael’s anxiety around eating at unfamiliar places is often debilitating, and has on more than one occasion changed our preset plans. This blog was an opportunity to work on that too.

It turns out our little adventure has had a huge impact on our lives and has taught us a few more life lessons than just where to pick up a decent flat white. While not many of us enjoy reading other peoples ‘life advice’ lists, we are going to share ours anyway. Here’s what we have learnt:

Some of the best coffee is right here in our own backyard.
Friendly service and happy staff can improve pretty average food A LOT!
Most people can’t tell who has written our blog. We have taken week about to write up our reviews, and even we are surprised at how similar our styles are.
Writing a blog is almost as much effort as looking after a baby! We thought we would just pop out for coffee and cake each Sunday then ‘whip up’ our thoughts. It turns out those thoughts often take 2 or more hours to put into something semi publishable! Let’s not even mention the proofreading and editing required.
We started off taking notes each week (if you know Rachael well you will know there was a checklist involved). After 48 reviews that was no longer needed and we could judge a good cafe within three minutes of entering.
After 48 weeks consecutively (other than one week we were rained in), Rachael can no longer eat scrambled eggs and bacon.
Our kids don’t read our blog – but 3,686 other people from around the World did.

It’s not all bad news though. We have loved every minute of our reviews. We have had some hilarious experiences along the way, and had many fabulous brunches with friends and family, and one time even with strangers when Dunshea’s Cafe ‘encouraged’ us to share a table. We have seen a whole lot more of the Wellington region and will continue to support our local business once the lockdown has been lifted.

We do have another big adventure in the works and hope to blog about it when plans are up and running. Thanks for sharing our journey with us. We appreciate every single one of you who have stopped in once, twice or every week for a read. We have loved every minute of it.

Stay safe.

Rach and Dre xo

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Equinox

Upper Hutt

With the current climate becoming more serious by the hour, we gave significant thought to whether we should continue with our review or not this week. Ultimately when it comes to food we are a lazy pair, so decided as long as we didn’t share a table with a large group of Grey Power delegates we should be ok. It was agreed that we would stick close to home, more to help support our local businesses than out of concern for community contamination further afield. We also decided to complete this review on Saturday morning.

This decision saw us pulling up outside our local Brendan Foot Car Dealership. When I say ‘car dealership’, I literally mean car – singular. It has ONE car inside the cafe with a price tag of $43,000. How would you even order that? “Ummmm, hi there. I’ll take the Mitsubishi Outlander and a flat white to go thanks”. “Certainly Sir, that will be $43,005.50”.

The cafe itself is called Equinox, and it shares a space with Brendon Foot Supersite. To be fair, the only thing super about this site is that there is coffee! The cafe tables subtly merge into the dealership office area. We originally chose a large table at the far end of the room, however, the odd looks and quiet whispers soon alerted us to the fact something was wrong. Whoops – it turns out we may have been sitting at Brendan Foot’s office desk. Nothing unusual about sitting at a table with a portable phone and swivel chairs – we don’t think so anyway.

Unfortunately lady luck was not smiling on Equinox this weekend, and they had fallen victim to the underbelly of Upper Hutt. The lovely lady serving us apologised for the gaping hole in the wall where two masked intruders had smashed their way onto the cafe during the early hours of the night and taken their cash register. We couldn’t help but admire the fact they continued to provide a full service, with a smile, despite being there at 3am to clean up the mess.

We were a trio of three this week, and ordered the following:

1 x Wild Benedict: Grilled potato slabs, caramelised red onions, roasted bell peppers, black beans, sautéed mushrooms topped with poached egg & avocado-lime hollandaise.

1 x Classic B.L.T: Toasted ciabatta smeared with lemon-laced mayonnaise, crispy smoked bacon, baby lettuce & thick juicy tomatoes

1 x Chicken, cranberry and brie panini

1 x chocolate caramel slice

2 x hot chocolate and a humble flat white.

We all waited in anticipation for the meals to be delivered as the grilled potato slabs really piqued our curiosity. It turns out that’s just a fancy name for hash browns! We did, however, all agree that Andre looked as though he was eating his way to good health with the medley of peppers, beans and fungai piled on his plate.

Our food arrived quickly and was delicious. We were impressed with the playhouse outside for the kids, the dog watering station and the cabinet offered a reasonable selection of treats.

Slightly less endearing was the local radio station, slightly out of range, blasting through the speakers. Nothing like the crackle of static feedback to jiggle that early morning nerve down to the wire.

All in all we enjoyed a pleasant meal and would recommend Equinox as a casual drop in spot on a lazy Sunday rather than a destination place.

For those of you wondering… we did not purchase the car with our meal. Maybe next time.

OVERALL SCORE: 3 Stars

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Between Cafe & Eatery

Karangahape Rd, Auckland.

This place should be open all hours God sent!

You’ll assume by the photo caption above that this review is going to end well and, if you do then read on…

Firstly, let’s meet the crew on this expedition.

The crew. One of these things is not like the others.

This week we find ourselves in the Corona capital of New Zealand…Auckland. Our crew of 6 have made an effort to travel there for the weekend to catch the show Book of Mormon (outstanding!) and of course it would be rude not to conduct a cafe review given they’re so prolific in the beautiful city of sails.

I have to point out the the gentlemen in blue positively beaming in the centre of the photo, goes by the name Bright. The reason he’s so happy is he’s just watched the show for free courtesy of our friends Graeme and Wendy who sadly at the last moment were unable to join our merry band. Bright, who was giving away Uber Eats vouchers outside the theatre literally happened to be in the right place at the right time and found himself the recipient of a free show ticket. I have never seen anyone more appreciative. It made our weekend as well as his. Anyway…on to the cafe!

It was a short walk from the Auckland Town Hall, close to our accommodation, up to “K Road” where the cafe is situated in the first block of shops traveling North. We can’t comment on parking as our transport was still on the tarmac at Auckland Airport but it could be tricky given the amount of road cones everywhere.

First impressions are promising. It looks clean and relatively new, with a funky “industrial office” interior. The cabinet food is somewhat limited to sweet treats so don’t expect a large range of sandwiches and cold quiche to choose from. The real gems are on the menu itself as we quickly discover.

Every dish is fresh and delicious and greatly enjoyed by each person who ordered them. A minor disappointment is one of the plates having a large crack running through the middle of it and while it held together during our visit it’s clearly a concern on several levels. We did point out the condition of the plate at the end of our visit and the staff were suitably apologetic. We’ve decided not to let this impact on our overall score as it’s easy for this kind of thing to occur and we’re confident that plate is now at the bottom of a recycling bin or where ever cracked plates end their days.

A highlight of the experience was the way the tea was served. The cup, pot and strainer all looked as if they had been made on a potter’s wheel somewhere out back. It certainly looked unusual and provided a point of difference we’ll remember for some time.

I’ve left the photo large so you can get a good look at this.

So a quick poll of the team upon consummation of our vittles revealed all were satisfied and, cracked plate aside, we’re giving Between a solid 5 stars! Here’s a few other random pics…

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Workshop Cafe and Bar

The Esplanade Petone

Every now and then Andre needs to put credit on his “man card” and he looks for a project that will allow him such an opportunity. As luck would have it, our newly appointed “herb garden” needs pavers and after a quick visit to Bunnings in Petone we spy a cafe next door appropriately called the Workshop cafe. Andre can’t resist and drags a somewhat hesitant Rachael in past the sign that proclaims goat curd as one of the daily specials.

We walk over to the cabinet although after noticing considerable condensation inside the glass we decide to pass and see what the menu has to offer. Everything looks standard. Eggs, smashed avocado, bacon, mushrooms and combinations thereof to suit most tastes.

Andre orders up pancakes with bacon and uncooked banana, while Rachael looks forward to wedges with bacon, melted cheese and topped with sour cream. Our drinks, EBT and a regular flat white arrive in good time although the wait for our food seems somewhat long given the place isn’t exactly packed. Our preference and rule of thumb has always been that the food should arrive before we have finished our drinks. In this case the cups were well cold by the time our orders made it to our table.

The pancakes according to Andre were filling although quite thick and needed all of the available sauce to help them slide down. The bacon portion was somewhat on the miserly side although was cooked to his liking. Rachael’s wedges were a good portion size and there were no complaints around presentation or taste. Although less than memorable, both of us pretty much got what we expected.

Another party several tables over from us ordered sliders which looked like mini burgers with a skewer through the top (presumably to keep the layers together) and they did look visually appealing. Andre’s made a mental note of these should we end up there again when the next man card top up is due.

Today we are delighted to award the Workshop Cafe a solid 3 stars. It’s the kind of cafe you’d happily drop into when visiting Bunnings around lunchtime but it’s not really a “destination” that you then might use as a springboard to visit Bunnings while you’re there. The service was friendly and apart from the unsightly condensation in the cabinet the place was clean and looked well maintained.

For a workshop cafe the cups could do with larger finger holes!

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Atrium

Lower Hutt

There are some days where everything just seems to come together and culminates into one glorious ball of perfection. Today was one of those days and it was largely due to the discovery of Atrium in Lower Hutt.

Our original mission was to purchase a small freezer to house our CoronaVirus panic buying food supplies (just kidding – we already have a freezer for that). We were pleased to find one that met our requirements – good size, cheap delivery and great price (possibly something to do with having a brand name we can’t pronounce).

Feeling jubilant, we decided to thumb our noses at the sign on the carpark wall threatening us with wheel clamping if we left the premises, and wandered down the main street of Lower Hutt to find a cafe for lunch. We happened upon Atrium, tucked a little off the beaten path. Drawn in by the bright colours (Rachael) and the smell of coffee (Andre), we decided to pop in for lunch and a sparkling water in celebration of making a purchase that actually qualifies as an ‘adult decision’.

If you don’t mind a slight side note here, I’d just like to take a moment to clarify the Kneepkens’ are not really known for purchasing items most would consider ‘responsible’. Here are a few examples: Andre – full sized rubber StormTrooper mask (see pic below), several unflyable drones, a multi patterned mustard coloured 5XL shirt from Wish and 2000 MINIATURE plastic bags (thinks dolls house sized here). Rachael – naming a horse race after Andre for his birthday, a mini coke fridge, knee high pink boots and a rundown silver convertible. So as you can see – an ‘adult decision celebration’ was in order!

The brightly patterned skateboard seats outside the door piqued our interest, and we were instantly charmed by the bright pops of color and the quirky odds ‘n’ sods inside the cafe. Seriously – two words sum up this cafe: Lolly Bags! Say no more right?

We were greeted by some of the friendliest cafe staff we have ever met and they dealt with our post purchase delirium with professionalism and humour with comments such as ‘Yes Mam, our fridge is always difficult to open, we have found pulling the door the other side makes a big difference’ and ‘No problem sir, people often return their table number to the counter so we can’t find where to deliver their food’. Our only excuse for these levels of stupidity were that we were so hungry our bellies were overtaking our brains.

We had a quick scan of the counter selection and decided on french toast for Andre and a bacon buttie for Rachael. No cake today, but there was plenty to choose from.

We took some time to appreciate the little nooks and crannies around the cafe. Intimate spaces for one or two, larger tables for groups and a play area for your little ones. There is a mezzanine floor which also provides seating.

The food arrived quickly and was delicious. Great service despite not having a table number! Overall we found Atrium to be a friendly, clean, spacious cafe with a reasonable selection of food. We both struggled to find fault with this cafe and agree it earns a well deserved five stars.

While we were out and about we decided to take our chances and pop in for a surprise visit to meet the owners of a house Andre once owned in Petone. Well the surprise was more for them than us, as we have actually been there several times over the last few weeks but never managed to catch them while they were home. Before you reach for your Facebook app and report us to the ‘Petone Community Noticeboard’ as possible Aurora Street stalkers we had better explain…

Back in the early 80’s Andre owned a fabulous little house in Petone, and after toiling away at layer after layer of wallpaper came across a swatch of original, hand painted paper which had been the first of many to adorn the walls.

He carefully salvaged a small piece, framed it in a wooden frame made from a piece of kauri found in his backyard and then lugged this little gem from house to house over the next 35 years. It sat in a box in the depths of a cupboard until about a month ago. During a thorough clean up where Rachael declared ‘if you don’t love it – lose it’, Andre decided to return his little slice of history back to its rightful spot. I’d like to say this artifact has come full circle, however, we are still struggling to close the gap, and instead seem to be stuck with a gaping arc. The current owners either have extremely active social lives or prefer not to open the door to strangers. So our mission to return the wallpaper is ongoing, as are our weekly reviews. Six Reviews to go and let’s hope the wallpaper is returned soon, otherwise all six may end up being in Petone!

OVERALL SCORE: 5 Stars

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Hanger

Dixon Street, Wellington

We live in uncertain times. What with Corona Virus, climate change, the imminent demise of the internal combustion engine, it’s just one bad news story after another. We were hoping this week our cafe review would be a beacon of light on an otherwise gloomy horizon but sadly, it was not to be. However, thanks to our friend Rebecca, we at least go armed with an entertainment book voucher so it’s a little on the cheap which is a bonus!

Despite this cafe being about as central Wellington as you can imagine, we weave our way through streets and road cones to find a parking building less than 100m from our destination. As it’s Sunday there are plenty of available parks and we soon find our way down the stairwell to street level. From the outside the cafe has a small frontage and when we pop in it’s immediately clear there are no spare tables…it’s packed! A waitress takes our name and informs us there’s a 10 minute wait for a table. We’re cool with that so stand around the entrance acting nonchalant. As we wait our eyes are drawn to the cabinet which has a selection of carrot and velvet cakes. They look good enough to eat so decide to add one to our order. For the coffee connoisseur a large board offers a tempting selection of bean blends with cool sounding names like Doi Saket, Chelba and La Aurora. (Andre, no expert, eventually settles on a regular flat white)

Despite being threatened with a 10 minute wait, we’re called over after 5 and end up sandwiched between two tables with just enough elbow room to use a knife and fork. Our drinks order is taken by an efficient waitress who clearly doesn’t have time to chat, and they touchdown on our table in an acceptable time frame given how busy the barista manning the coffee machine seems to be.

Rachael orders scrambled eggs and Andre poached eggs on toast with a side order of an extra egg and black pudding. The food eventually arrives but it’s a long wait. Our drinks are a distant memory and the cups are well cold, but we’ve been entertained by the conversations from the tables either side of us while not giving away too much of our own family secrets in the process naturally.

At this stage I’d like to point out it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Rachael had to get her wet wipes out(rubbish bin not flush is our family mantra) as the chair had coffee spilt on it by the waitress who came back to wipe the table but neglected the chair and the milk for the tea had a bug firmly stuck to the inside of the cute bottle it came in.

Yes folks…that’s on the INSIDE….shudder!

Once the food is eaten, including the very tasty carrot cake, we call a staff meeting then and there to discuss today’s experience and award the appropriate number of stars. The votes are in and the results are not good. Two and a half stars. While the cafe environment is uber trendy, the food was lacklustre, the staff were stretched and the wait times for food disappointing. (take the dandelion off Andre’s plate and it’s nothing you couldn’t whip up in any kitchen) Another cafe that’s possibly a victim of its own success…we’ve seen them before.

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Betsy

Island Bay, Wellington

We all know in this day and age there is a fine line between cool (jandals) and uncool (jandals and socks), glamorous (diamonds) and tacky (rhinestones), shy (Kate Middleton) and over confident (Megan Markle). So it is a rare occasion we would describe a cafe as cool and glamorous, yet over confident.

Betsy, in Island Bay, was listed as one of the top 15 cafes in Wellington (cool), so we decided we should try it before our 12 month cafe review time frame was up. We were surprised after reading the many complementary reviews on Facebook, to pull up outside a tiny unassuming little shop in the middle of the main street (glamorous maybe). What struck us the most, was that once inside there was only one small table for those who wish to dine inside (how’s that for confidence?).

We were greeted by around 6 staff (all wearing matching black and white striped t.shirts – there’s the cool factor again). It was a genuine and friendly welcome, which impressed us, as we have quickly become accustomed to being part of the cafe production line of greet, serve, feed, repeat which while efficient from a business point view, doesn’t really make you feel more than a table number and an open wallet.

The cabinet food looked fresh and tasty and there was a good selection. Ever the optimists we hoped there was also a menu to choose from and low and behold – there was! Well, what we mean is there were two menus, like literally two… two pieces of paper… attached to two mini clipboards. We guess this was probably sufficient given there was only one table available for the ‘dine in experience’.

Andre opted for two house-made toasted crumpets topped with passionfruit curd, raspberry and rose syrup, vanilla bean cream cheese, toasted almonds. While we could almost feel the good health dripping off the menu just reading the description, the presentation of the meal was seriously next level. Check out the photo below.

By comparison Rachael’s humble cream cheese bagel with bacon and avocado did not quite look as Instagram ready, however, it was tasty and did not require a chainsaw to cut through the bagel. Always a good sign!

What this cafe lacked in menu choice it definitely made up in flavour.

Luckily we had arrived very early, as near the end of our breakfast the little shop began to fill with locals after a fresh baked specialty bread, quick cuppa to go or a tasty morsel from the cabinet.

There is lots to love in this quirky little cafe. The longer you sit and take in your surroundings, the more you see the little special touches – from magazines on wall mounted clipboards, to mini shelves of Besty relish, bags and t shirts.

While not strictly part of the Betsy cafe, we do think it’s fair to mention the seriously impressive Pohutukawa tree across the road. It’s absolutely stunning, and does add to the old school beachy vibe of Island Bay.

Putting all factors together we would describe little Besty as the jandal wearing, diamond dripping, Megan Markle of the Wellington cafe world.

OVERALL SCORE: 4 stars

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Prefab Cafe

Jessie Street Wellington

Well, this is post number 41 if my numeracy skills are correct which means we are closer to the end than the beginning of our blogging journey. We have mixed feelings as we discuss the impending anniversary and we wonder if we should go large on our final post. Perhaps we can be like Game of Thrones and make the final episode one our readers won’t forget! Or then again…maybe we could just remind ourselves these are amateurish cafe reviews with a handful of followers, most of whom will not even realise when they just stop after number 52. *sigh*

Anyway…on to this weeks review. Thanks to Lucy, we’re off to Prefab cafe in Jessie Street central Wellington. Oddly, when we drive by there’s no large sign outside indicating we have arrived and if it wasn’t for Siri announcing “Your destination is on the right.” we may have driven right past. The street is narrow and we’re fortunate to find a park about 100m away. We can’t imagine everyone would be so lucky so be prepared to drive round the block a few times or locate a parking building during peak times.

Once inside we quickly realise this is THE place to come if you enjoy inner city living with all the trappings. The place is PACKED! However, a lovely waitress who reminds me somewhat of Polly Gillespie soon has us seated at one end of a table for four while Sue Heck’s twin and a friend are at the other end. (Google images Sue Heck) We arrange our table accoutrements to delineate our half and we sneak up to the cabinet to see what’s on offer. It looks promising.

We’re not left on our own for very long before orders are taken and whisked off to the kitchen where Andre espies a chef who bears a striking resemblance to David Beckham. We muse over whether it might actually be DB but quickly put that aside as our food and drinks all arrive in a timely fashion.

Rachael takes one for the team and tucks into a scrambled eggs on toast (eye roll from Andre), while his lordship orders up the mushroom with poached egg.

At the same time, our cabinet selections make their way to our table. Rachael a highly recommended custard donut and Andre an almond croissant. Both of these turned out to be the highlight of the meal.

As we eat, we glance at the door and notice the queue is right back to the footpath. Some of these people are in for quite a wait…it’s probably worth it.

All up, we enjoyed our visit to Prefab. We recommend it’s highly efficient and friendly staff, good food and clean plus modern interior. There’s free wifi and orders were quickly delivered. There’s a lot of positive things to say about this cafe and yet…we can’t help but feel it’s too efficient, too dynamic almost to be enjoyable. The food was great quality and yet not memorable. Given how busy it was, it felt almost impolite to linger when others were waiting to come in. This cafe in some ways is almost a victim of its own success. If you’re looking for relaxed and quirky…this isn’t the cafe for you. A well deserved 4 stars.

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Aston Norwood

Kaitoke, Upper Hutt

Being the highly knowledgeable readers that you all are, you will all be familiar with all the greatest ‘Astons’ of our time… Aston Martin, Aston University, Aston Hotel, Aston Kutcher (ok – he’s an Ashton – that’s a minor detail). But have you heard of Aston Norwood Cafe and Garden Centre? If not – you need to! This little gem hidden in the middle of nowhere (Upper Hutt) is a delightful mixture of French cafe chic, good ole New Zealand hospitality and the international equivalent of liquid energy – good coffee!

We did a little internet research about this place before embarking on the 15 minute drive from home and it seems there are many reasons to visit. Why not book in for a round of clay shooting, high tea, a Middle Earth platter, feed the eels or just take some time to wander around the stunning gardens. You could even join the Upper Hutt Naturalist Society, and accompany them for a round of naked archery. It may sound like we made up this cheeky little claim, however, it is listed as a genuine activity on the Aston Norwood website!

We had a slight ulterior motive for our visit this week. We are on the hunt for a venue to host a surprise combined 21st party for Summer and 18th shin dig for Harry later in the year. You might think it a little odd that we are announcing our intentions of a ‘surprise’ party in a public blog, but the chances of either of them reading about it here are slimmer than getting them to empty the dishwasher without being asked. According to Summer this blog has ‘too many words’, and according to Harry ‘it’s just lame’.

However…

We were genuinely enchanted with Aston Norwood as soon as we stepped out of our car and into the car park. It was well sign posted and cute little decorations around the door made for a warm welcome.

Inside the cafe we were impressed with the shabby chic, french interior design. The counter food looked tempting (Rachael is easily tempted though, so a slice of cake is a given). We settled on eggs montreal for Andre and scrambled eggs for Rachael. A flat white and an English breakfast tea, with a chocolate cake to share completed our order. The young lass at the counter asked if we would like our cake before or after our breakfast, while Rachael laughed hysterically. Seriously – who eats cake AFTER breakfast?

Our food all arrives as expected and we are halfway through our meal. All is going well and we are both impressed. A five star score is on the tip of our tongue, when Rachael happens to glance over at Andre’s meal and notice it looks a bit bland and could use something a little saucy to jazz it up. Actually now we look a little closer it seems the meal has been sent out without the hollandaise sauce! Hmmmm….. While not too big a deal the ingrained educators in us liken it to a school newsletter being sent home without being proofread. Not an actual disaster but a little sloppy in practice! It’s not a big deal, however, and the delicious parmesan hash brown on the side more than makes up for the oversight.

One thing we liked about Aston Norwood are the many different rooms and activities on offer. Just off the room we were sitting in was a stunning ballroom with a sweeping staircase, large chandeliers and bar. Apologies for the poor quality photo below. This required a belly slide past the front counter and a cheeky sneak through a closed door – sheesh the paparazzi have it hard!

The real gem of this cafe is definitely the gardens. They are absolutely stunning, and would be the perfect setting for a wedding (or combined 21st / 18th birthday).

Nothing we write will be able to describe the gardens better than the pics below, so we will let the photos themselves do the hard work for us:

We are excitedly awaiting a visit from Andre’s family from Holland later in the year and everytime we visit a cafe we asking ‘would we bring overseas visitors here?’. This cafe currently sits near the top of our ‘yes’ list and we both agree it is a must visit venue if you’re a local.

OVERALL SCORE: 4 stars.

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The Pavilion

Days Bay, Eastbourne

Days Bay – a regular party town of old (not old as in when we were young, but old as in REALLY old) started it’s early life as a destination spot and aquatic playground for the rich in about 1841. Wellington shipowner, J H Williams (is that where William’s Park got it’s name? Asking for a friend) brought the land and built the original ornate wooden late-Victorian Pavilion, providing teas on its deep verandas, a restaurant, evening dances and outdoor concerts.

Fast forward to 2020 and you’ll find this idyllic little hot spot 28.1km as the crow flies (not actually, but always wanted to drop that line in somewhere) – about 30 minutes from home in the car. Sadly the original building is no longer standing but we now have a smaller Pavilion, sitting to one side of William’s Park. This building also houses a cute little ice cream shop.

As it’s more lunch than brunch today we decide to give the cabinet more than a cursory glance, and turn our heads to the second page of the menu. Andre settles for a mushroom, spinach and feta filo with a flat white, and Rachael orders a 10 inch margarita pizza with Antipodes fizzy water. A bowl of curly fries and aioli for the table completes our order.

We were pleasantly surprised by how quickly our food arrived. The coffee, filo and fries all arrive within about five minutes and the pizza not long after. I’m not going to lie – we did check out the Pavilion reviews online before coming here, and frankly, they were not good.

There were reports of poor service, long waits for food and a menu lacking in both flavour and variety. A couple of the reviewers made claims such as: “Beyond disappointing – desperately need a chef – dismal food” and “Let down…yet again”. We were a little surprised by these seemingly disgruntled tales of woe, as we found the staff to be exceptionally friendly and the menu reasonably extensive and our orders were tasty.

There were several little touches that we loved about the Pavilion too. Such as the help yourself drinks station outside the cafe, the book sharing cupboard and the bean bag corner (this looked so comfortable but with a range of dodgy hips, knees and shoulders between the pair of us, getting out of them would be less than graceful). We also loved the true kiwi vibe of this place. Think family games of cricket on the lawn, pop up tents, free electric bbq’s, and boxes of books for the kids to read, while responsible caregivers sip on a glass of house red.

There are several bush tracks in the surrounding hills for those keen walkers among us (not us of course – unless there is a retail outlet store somewhere along the way). The beach is just across the road, where dive bombs off the wharf are compulsory for anyone under 20 and the East by West Ferry can whisk you off to Wellington City at a moments notice. Side note – the ferry actually goes every two hours on a Sunday, but the timing doesn’t really add to the whimsical feel we are going for.

The Pavilion really does have everything you need for a relaxing, entertaining, family day out.
Tennis court – tick.
Free parking – tick
Pétanque piste – tick
White sand beach – tick
Water slide – no – and let’s face it – all of us are pretty happy about that!

Listed #41 out of Trip Advisers 219 things to do in Wellington, the Pavilion seemed like the logical next place on our bloggers list of possibilities. With Te Papa Museum, Zealandia and the Cable Car taking out first, second and third spots respectively, this cafe had some stiff competition, but 41 is not too bad, and we think this is a fair placing.

As the sign of the wall says “Eat, drink, relax, be happy’. We can’t argue with good advice like that!

OVERALL SCORE: 4 stars.