Review The Common - Akaroa

Excellent breakfast choice with free street parking nearby. The berry pancakes with mascarpone and the salmon omelette were splendid. The salmon wasn't too salty and the berries were really good, not super sweet as is often the case . Lots of coffee options and other hot / cold drinks available. Pet friendly cafe.

Popped into the common for a family brunch this morning, food and service was delightful. The coffee and cabinet food is exceptional, we ordered menu food as well which was fantastic! We ended up back there for dinner, highly recommend the Pad Thai 🤩

We recently dined at The Common for dinner and had a mixed experience. Despite the restaurant being crowded, the staff seemed understaffed, leading to some confusion with the orders. The waiter mistakenly served us food intended for other customers. Additionally, the coffee I ordered was not served until the end of our meal, so I had to take it home. On the positive side, the food itself was delicious. We particularly enjoyed the pan-seared scallops and pan-seared salmon; they were cooked to perfection. Another highlight was the availability of toys for children, which kept our toddler entertained throughout the meal. Overall, we had a pleasant dining experience in terms of food quality and the availability of toys for our child. We hope that in the future, The Common addresses the staffing concern to ensure a smoother and more enjoyable dining experience. We would definitely still consider visiting again when we find ourselves in Akaroa.

Great pancake offering. 3 pancakes 🥞, 4 strips of streaky bacon 🥓, a whole banana 🍌, a dollop of whipped butter, and maple syrup (rather than the dark Karo most often served outside the US.) $17NZ ($10US). Slight mix up and misunderstanding with coffee orders were resolved quickly.

We were served by Amnda, and she is amazing. She went out of the way to help us. Besides that the breakfast was out of the world. Would definitely come back again . This is the place if you want to taste the local food

Went here for lunch with my partner. We were recommended by a local in the street and it did not disappoint! I chose the chicken burger and my partner had the pad Thai. Food was amazing, the chicken burger was quite possibly the best I’ve ever had. I would definitely come back!

Amazing wee place, came a little too late for breakfast but the croissant was divine. Beautiful coffee, decor and ambience. Loved the dog wall and check out the secret bathrooms!

THE BEST COFFE IN TOWN! Turned in here late Sunday night and this place was open to our surprise! As me and my partner are absolute fans of hot chocolate we had to give a try to this place. And guess what - it exceeded our expectations! Silky foam, right temperature and it actually tastes like hot chocolate! Returned here Monday morning and it was full, people definitely love this place. They had full vitrines of freshly baked pastries and also menu. We are both experienced at F&B field and this place didn’t disappoint us, it was clean, friendly staff, and incredible clients! They are dog friendly, drinking water available for everyone, parking available just outside. Keep up the good work! Ps. I have only one tip for your team- to improve the display of menu. Thank you!

Terrific cafe, excellent service and food in a great central Akaroa location Loved having black pudding as a breakfast choice with my poached eggs, all delivered without fuss on labour weekend Saturday.

It's wonderful being back for lunch here. I think it is a new place as it had a make over from the last time we visited. The food is fantastic and does not disappoint. The coffee is good too. It's worth to note that the avocado smash comes with really grainy bread (really nice but not everyone's cup of tea)... Not really a kids first option. So if you want them to eat, remember to tell the staff you want just normal bread. Alternatively, staff can make it an option for customers to select. Unfortunately, for our group of 5.. it's hard to hear each other. We sat inside this time. I reckon it's just my husband having early hearing loss 😅😆. It did make our lunch short as we couldn't really have any conversation. Overall, lovely place for coffee and food. Recommend 👍🏻 We'll be back.

Such a lovely brunch spot, really cozy cafe with lots of dogs around. We had the Eggs Benedict and the Big Breakfast, both of which were very good. We were pleasantly surprised at how yummy both dishes were, and we both thought that they were standout examples of these standard cafe options. My coffee came very late and I noticed others saying they were waiting a long time for their drinks as well. They were extremely busy due to the long weekend so it may be different on a normal a Saturday morning, and to be fair it’s impressive to keep the coffee standards up when there’s a backlog on drink orders - I personally find that coffee quality at other cafes take a dip when they get busy but my oat flat white was perfect.

Would love to see more sweets that are vegan or dairy free. We had a Berry Friand which was DF and GF and then a Ginger Slice, which we were told was vegan. The kitchen said they could make items on the menu dairy free, but we were just looking for some sweets for afternoon tea. There was also a vegan sandwich in the cabinet. Atmosphere is really cozy, quiet and friendly. Would come back if in Akaroa again.

Lovely vibe to the place, staff friendly and gave us tips on the area and for our next stop. Had the Eggs Benedict and it was very good. We sat out the front and it is a lovely courtyard

Greeted by the little dog Elsie, delicious coffee, friendly service, very tasty food- we had the granola and yogurt, salmon omlette, almond croissant, and coffee cream filled donut- all amazing. Highly recommend and definitely will be back!

What a great place, we came for a coffee and stayed almost the entire afternoon! From the breakfast to brunch menu and the sweets and other treats in between, everything tasted so good! And lets not forget the great coffees ☕️ the girl behind the machine made it look so easy and got the drinks spot on (I think she could do it with here eyes closed) If you are ever in Akaroa (why wouldn’t you, such a lovely town) make sure you head over here. Or as we did when staying longer, 3 to 4 times ;) Oh and we found out (to late unfortunately) that there also is a great tea room next door, run by the same owners I believe, check them out to… best cakes ever!

Pretty nice cafe with good food and coffee! We ordered the butchers breakfast, avocado smashed and flat white. Overall the food quality was really good and sitting outdoor was very relaxing.

The Common was the perfect place for my travel group to go after a morning kayak. The avocado toast was so yummy with the feta and drizzle of balsamic. And the blueberry muffin was shockingly fluffy! Very delicious. Latte was also very good, especially with a marshmallow to slightly sweeten it. Definitely recommend this coffee shop if you’re in Akaroa during open hours.

Super cosy cafeteria, love the atmosphere and amazing price for the quality. The staff were super friendly and if you like dogs this is the place to visit!

Place was buzzing despite a fairly quiet Thu in Akaroa. Great cabinet food, great service and banter, and well priced yummy menu. We all loved our meals and would go back at drop of a hat.