I’ve compiled a list of some of the cafes I’ve visited recently, with a bit of a review of each.
Black Betty
Visited: 18/05/12, 7:00pm
We love this place for breakfast – it’s replace The Globe as our regular breakfast/brunch cafe. The coffee is always excellent, and the food is delicious. It’s a minimal-style cafe, with concrete floors and brick and timber walls, so not exactly cosy. It has free wi-fi with purchase.
We visited for dinner for the first time this night, and were really impressed. It’s a stone grill style dining experience. The food was reasonably priced ($23-$28-ish) and the cuts of meat we had were top quality. The sides were yummy (fresh potatoes and salad).
The only downside to this place is that it is always busy. It’s right on the edge of the city red zone, and one of the only cafes still operating. Yesterday we walked in looking for some brunch and walked straight back out again – standing room only.
Overall: A great place for breakfast, brunch, cabinet-food lunch, dinner, or just to pop in for coffee as you’re passing by.
Addington Coffee Co-op
Visited: 29/04/12, 4:00pm
This is one of my most favourite coffee spots in Christchurch. It has a really laid-back atmosphere, free wi-fi with purchase, comfy couches (if you can nab one!) and heaps of space.
I think it’s probably the best coffee in Christchurch, and my very favourite porridge – served with rhubarb if that’s your thing, yum yum!
It’s a great place to bring kids – there are toys and books and it’s always bustling and noisy so there isn’t any worry about kids annoying people. You wouldn’t want to go there for a quiet meeting or if you’re looking for somewhere posh, but great for hanging out and big groups – it has a large table with bench seats.
Overall: Excellent food and coffee, great atmosphere, the staff are lovely, highly recommend if you like somewhere a bit interesting.
Cafe Edesia (Show Pl., Addington)
Visited: 12/04/12, 7:00pm
This is a great little place to meet if you need somewhere central, and everywhere else is jammed. It’s a little out of the way, and a bit of a well-kept secret I think. It does lovely food (although I didn’t have any), great coffee, and has a cocktail bar atmosphere in the evening. People who live in places other than Christchurch probably don’t think much about this combo – there are dozens and dozens of places like this in most cities. But in Christchurch, a nice cafe/bar that’s not packed to the rafters is a rarity lately.
Overall: It’s a great find – not too busy and a chill atmosphere.
Strawberry Fare (Carlton Mill Cnr)
Visited: 28/03/12, 8:00am
I’m so happy that this place has reopened! It was definitely one of our favourite fancy places to go for a treat. The breakfasts are really nice – top quality ingredients and attention to detail. This place is known for it’s desserts, and they are something to behold. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to sample them because of my weird diet, but I have it on good authority from Stephen and Bronwen that they are a-m-a-z-i-n-g.
Overall: Great for a treat, but might break the bank of you went there too often.
Cafe Kudos (Annex Rd)
Visited: Monday 30/01/12, 8:30am
This is a great find, tucked away in a semi-industrial zone. I was there for coffee before meeting with a client a couple of mornings. Both times it was really quiet. The service was good (quick and polite) and the coffee was really good. I had muesli one morning too, and it was good but nothing special. Not like The Globe muesli for example, gosh how I miss it.
Overall: If you happen to be in the area, it’s a great place to run in and grab a coffee and something from the cabinet, but I would’t go out of my way to visit.
Starbucks (Westfield Riccarton)
Visited: Saturday 28/01/12, 3:30pm
Starbucks is my guilty pleasure. The coffee is very average and the ambience leaves a lot to be desired, but still I keep ring back. I think of the sweet milky coffee as a kind of dessert – a yummy sweet treat.
On this day, after a hot dusty walk up around the Halswell Quarry, we popped in for a refreshing frappaccino. Normally I like their frappes, but today I found my tall mocha non-fat no whip overly sweet – very syrupy. We didn’t sit in either – the hordes outside smoking was off-putting.
Overall: A nice sweet treat, but you wouldn’t go there looking for a perfect crema-rich espresso.
Coffee Culture (The Palms)
Visited: Sunday 08/01/12, 3:30pm
I think Coffee Culture must have changed it’s coffee blend recently, because I’ve been enjoying their coffee much more than I use to. We always get great service at The Palms. The staff are super friendly and we always get our coffee promptly, even when they are busy.
I like that the place has booths and bench seats, it’s comfy. And it really helps that you can connect to Telecom free wi-fi – since the 3G signal is terrible in the Palms!
The coffee itself can be a bit variable. It’s never bad, just varying degrees of good. Sometimes it’s GREAT, and sometimes I think they make me a flat white instead of a latte.
Overall: Nice place to stop when you need a sit-down and a resortative brew, but don’t expect too much.
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