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!

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OVERALL SCORE: 5 Stars