Amuse Snack Bar
- Wi-Fi
- Outdoor seating
- Brunch
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Cafés in Wellington a flat white out of the wind
Espresso until 01:00 on Cuba Street, roasteries on Tory and College streets in Te Aro, and weekday counters all along Lambton Quay and The Terrace.
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- “Open now” filter
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Photo: Adrien Olichon, Pexels License
203Cafés listed
2Open by 6am
3Open past 10pm
10Specialty & roasters
Wellington's Māori name, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, means the great harbor of Tara.1 The city has its own claim to the flat white: a "failed cappuccino" at Bar Bodega on Willis Street in 1989.2 Sydney has a rival story, with Alan Preston putting the drink on the menu at Moors Espresso Bar in 1985, and there are two rival claims from Auckland.2
The espresso revival started on Cuba Street. Midnight Espresso opened at number 178 in 1989 as an alcohol-free late-night venue, and Havana Coffee Works began roasting there the same year.3 Coffee Supreme has roasted since 1993, beginning with Reds Cafe.4 Flight Coffee was founded in 2009 and roasts at The Hangar on Dixon Street, and Supreme opened Customs, a brew bar on Ghuznee Street, in January 2010.567
Cafés here keep office hours. About seven in ten close by 16:00 on weekdays and four in ten stay shut on Sundays; around Lambton Quay, two in three close for the whole weekend. Midnight Espresso, serving until 01:00 every night, is the long exception.
Start on the Golden Mile
Wellington by area
Lambton Quay was the waterline in 1840, and plaques set into the footpath still mark that shore.1 Most cafés stand on the flat ground between it and the hills, along the Golden Mile of Lambton Quay, Willis Street, Manners Street and Courtenay Place.15 Kelburn and Thorndon climb the slopes above, and Newtown lies south, past Mount Cook.16
Cuba Street
Cuba Mall, upper Willis Street and Dixon Street: late espresso, brew bars and roasters.
38 cafés
Courtenay Place & Te Aro
Roasteries on Tory and College streets, Courtenay Place nights and Te Papa on the waterfront.
29 cafés
Lambton Quay & CBD
Weekday espresso on Lambton Quay, The Terrace and Featherston Street, from the cable car to the Beehive.
73 cafés
Thorndon
Parliament's neighborhood: Molesworth Street espresso, Tinakori Road shops and Thorndon Quay.
16 cafés
Kelburn & Aro Valley
The cable car top, the Botanic Garden, Victoria University's campus cafés and Aro Street.
13 cafés
Newtown & Mount Cook
Riddiford Street cafés by the hospital and zoo, with Adelaide Road and the Basin Reserve in Mount Cook.
15 cafés
Or start with what you need
Browse by mood and hour
Outdoor seating
Tables outside, the largest share of them around Cuba Mall, in a city where gale-force gusts blow on most days.
25 cafés
Vegetarian options
Cafés with vegan dishes, the biggest cluster of them around Cuba Street, plus a plant-based bakery on Lambton Quay.
20 cafés
Specialty coffee
Roasters' cafés and brew bars, most of them in the Cuba Street quarter and Te Aro.
10 cafés
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi from Lambton Quay to Kelburn, mostly in cafés that close by late afternoon.
10 cafés
Bakery cafés
Bakeries with coffee, from Abel Smith Street pastry to Lambton Quay's plant-based counter.
9 cafésCuba Street 38 cafés
More about cafés in Cuba Street
Arlo Eatery
Atrium Cafe & Eatery
Cafe Neo
- Wi-Fi
- Indoor seating
- Card payment
- Vegetarian options
- Wheelchair access
Creamy and Crunchy
- Wi-Fi
- Outdoor seating
- Card payment
- Vegetarian options
- Wheelchair access
- Bakery café
- Open by 6am
Evil Twins Coffee
- Takeaway
- Card payment
- Vegetarian options
- Wheelchair access
All 38 cafés in Cuba Street
See the full listCourtenay Place & Te Aro 29 cafés
More about cafés in Courtenay Place & Te Aro
August Eatery
- Brunch
Bicycle Junction
Caffe L’affare
- Vegetarian options
- Partial wheelchair access
- Specialty
Havana Coffee
Le Samourai
- Vegetarian options
- Open late
Lovy's Eatery
- Open late
All 29 cafés in Courtenay Place & Te Aro
See the full listLambton Quay & CBD 73 cafés
More about cafés in Lambton Quay & CBD
Belén Plant Bakery
- Wi-Fi
- Outdoor seating
- Indoor seating
- Bakery café
Black Doris
Cafe Mamba
Cornercopia
Extra Extra (Vivace)
- Open by 6am
Frank's
All 73 cafés in Lambton Quay & CBD
See the full listThorndon 16 cafés
Gar-Fare Cafe
Goods
The Wadestown Kitchen
Cafe Classic
Cafe Vanilla
Coffee & Toast Eatery
All 16 cafés in Thorndon
See the full listKelburn & Aro Valley 13 cafés
More about cafés in Kelburn & Aro Valley
Aro Cafe
- Outdoor seating
- Indoor seating
- Vegetarian options
Milk and Honey
Rātā
- Wi-Fi
- Wheelchair access
Swimsuit Coffee
Huckleberry Cafe
Kelburn Kiosk
All 13 cafés in Kelburn & Aro Valley
See the full listMount Victoria & Oriental Bay 5 cafés
Lola Stays
- Outdoor seating
- Indoor seating
Aye! Empanadas Argentinas
Beach Babylon
Vista Cafe
Bernie's on the Bay
Newtown & Mount Cook 15 cafés
More about cafés in Newtown & Mount Cook
Black coffee
- Vegetarian options
- Wheelchair access
Mingle Cafe & Eatery
- Wi-Fi
- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair access
Newday Newtown
pránáh
- Partial wheelchair access
Baobab Cafe
- Wheelchair access
Caffe Italia
All 15 cafés in Newtown & Mount Cook
See the full listBrooklyn 2 cafés
Caribe
Penthouse Cafe
Hataitai, Kilbirnie & Lyall Bay 12 cafés
Buba Cafe
Skipping Stone
- Outdoor seating
- Takeaway
- Wheelchair access
- Toilets
The Crazy Rabbit Cafe
- Vegetarian options
- Wheelchair access
The Leafy Stop
Cafe Peony
Coolsville Cafe
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Coffee chains in Wellington
Branches by area
Chain
Mojo Coffee
Show 13 locations
Chain
Raglan Roast
Show 5 locations
- Courtenay Place & Te Aro
- 12 Holland Street
- 16A Herd Street
- Cuba Street
- 156 Willis StreetMon–Fri 07:00–17:00 · Sat 08:00–17:00 · Sun 08:00–16:00
- 40 Abel Smith StreetMon–Fri 06:00–17:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–17:00
- Lambton Quay & CBD
- 90 The TerraceMon–Fri 06:00–16:00 · Sat–Sun 07:00–14:00
Chain
The Lab
Show 5 locations
- Cuba Street
- 170 Victoria StreetMon–Fri 07:30–15:00 · Sat 09:00–15:00
- Kelburn & Aro Valley
- Kelburn ParadeMon–Fri 07:30–16:30
- Lambton Quay & CBD
- 20 Customhouse Quay
- 33 Bunny StreetMon–Fri 07:30–15:00
- 80 Willis Street
Chain
Fuel Espresso
Show 4 locations
- Courtenay Place & Te Aro
- 10 Holland St
- Lambton Quay & CBD
- 46 Waring Taylor St
- 55 The Terrace
- Thorndon
- 45 Pipitea St
Chain
Starbucks
- Courtenay Place & Te Aro
- Starbucks Courtenay, 100 Courtenay Pl
- Lambton Quay & CBD
- 147 Lambton Quay
- 233 Lambton Quay
Chain
Coffix
- Lambton Quay & CBD
- 97 Featherston Street
Chain
Joe's Garage
- Courtenay Place & Te Aro
- 5 Tory St
Chain
Muffin Break
- Lambton Quay & CBD
- Lambton Quay & CBD
Chain
Sierra Café
- Lambton Quay & CBD
- 250 Lambton QuayMon–Fri 07:00–15:00 · Sat 09:00–15:00 · Sun 10:00–14:00
Before you sit down
How coffee works in Wellington
A flat white is espresso with steamed milk under a thinner layer of microfoam than a cappuccino, and in New Zealand it usually comes in a smaller cup than a latte.2 A long black is a double espresso poured onto about 100–120 ml of hot water, the reverse of an Americano, which keeps more of the crema; a short black is a plain espresso.8
Prices depend on the café and the order. In August 2024, RNZ found a trim flat white with an extra shot at NZ$6.30 at Swimsuit in Wellington, while most cafés charged about NZ$5 for a plain one.9 Flight Coffee's Richard Corney told RNZ that NZ$7 would be a fair price, but that customers would not pay it.9
Tipping is optional. Marisa Bidois of the Restaurant Association calls a tip a gesture of gratitude rather than an economic necessity, and the minimum wage was about NZ$22 an hour in 2025.10 Payment terminals sometimes prompt for one anyway, and card surcharges of around 2% are routine.10
The central city is only about two kilometers across, roughly 30 minutes on foot, so most cafés are a walk apart.11 Metlink buses take a Snapper card or a contactless bank card, the latter with a fee; the cable car stopped accepting Snapper on 1 October 2023.1112
What coffee costs in Wellington
| Drink | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Takeaway coffee National average, all styles | NZ$5.23 Stats NZ weighted average, June 2026 |
| Flat white Typical café price | about NZ$5 Most New Zealand cafés, August 2024 |
| Trim flat white With an extra shot | NZ$6.30 Swimsuit, Wellington, August 2024 |
| Americano Espresso topped with hot water | NZ$4.80 Moore Wilson, Wellington, August 2024 |
The national figure is Stats NZ's weighted average price for a takeaway coffee, from its monthly food price survey; it rose 6.6% in the year to January 2026.1314 The café prices come from RNZ's check of August 2024, when the same survey put the average at NZ$4.79.9
Sources
- Wellington, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Flat white, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Cuba Street, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- About, Coffee Supreme, accessed October 2026
- The Hangar, Broadsheet, accessed October 2026
- Wellington coffee, WellingtonNZ, accessed October 2026
- Getting slayed at the Customs Brew Bar, The Wellingtonista (January 21, 2010), accessed October 2026
- Long black, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Should coffee cost $7?, RNZ (August 9, 2024), accessed October 2026
- Taking Issue: should we tip?, University of Auckland (May 29, 2025), accessed October 2026
- Getting around Wellington, WellingtonNZ, accessed October 2026
- Timetable and fares, Wellington Cable Car, accessed October 2026
- Retail price of coffee in New Zealand (takeaway, weighted average), Figure.NZ, from Stats NZ Food Price Index data, accessed October 2026
- Steak, takeaway coffee, chocolate help drive annual food price increase, 1News (February 17, 2026), accessed October 2026
- Lambton Quay, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
- Newtown, Wellington, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
FAQ
Cafés in Wellington: common questions
How much does a coffee cost in Wellington?
Stats NZ put the average price of a takeaway coffee in New Zealand at NZ$5.23 in June 2026, after a 6.6% rise in the year to January. In Wellington in August 2024, RNZ found a trim flat white with an extra shot at NZ$6.30 at Swimsuit and an Americano at NZ$4.80 at Moore Wilson, with most cafés charging about NZ$5 for a flat white.
Which neighborhood of Wellington has the most cafés?
Lambton Quay & CBD and Cuba Street have the most cafés, followed by Courtenay Place & Te Aro. All three sit on the flat central city, which is about two kilometers across, and the Golden Mile from Lambton Quay to Courtenay Place joins them on foot.
Was the flat white invented in Wellington?
Possibly. One claim traces the flat white to a failed cappuccino at Bar Bodega on Willis Street, Wellington, in 1989. Alan Preston says he put it on the menu at Moors Espresso Bar in Sydney in 1985, and there are two rival claims from Auckland, so the origin is still disputed. It has less foam than a cappuccino and comes in a smaller cup than a latte.
Do you tip at cafés in Wellington?
Tipping is optional in Wellington, as across New Zealand. The Restaurant Association describes a tip as a gesture of gratitude rather than an economic necessity, and the minimum wage was about NZ$22 an hour in 2025. Card terminals sometimes prompt for a tip, which you can decline, and card surcharges of around 2% are common.
Which Wellington café is open late at night?
Midnight Espresso at 178 Cuba Street, open since 1989, serves until 01:00 every night, from 07:30 on weekdays and 08:00 at weekends. It is the exception in Wellington: about seven in ten cafés close by 16:00 on weekdays, and four in ten stay shut on Sundays.
For café owners
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