Review The Verdict Cafe - Palmerston North

The Verdict in Palmerston North is well known for its quality, variety, price and friendliness of owner and staff. When The Verdict was still in the old building, we were very regular visitors (although living overseas) as were our parents. Our parents passed away over the past two years but we still come and enjoy good food in an enjoyable atmosphere. Try the Big Breakfast, delicious. The plate on the first photo is half a portion as my wife and I split the breakfast deal. Price $ Atmosphere **** Service ***** Quality of food ***** Generous portions ***** Recommended ***** Public Parking ***** $1.70/hr Easy access for wheelchairs ***** both levels Will see you next year.

Wow, just wow! Fantastic food at regular prices with friendly staff. The biggest portions I've seen and the taste was equally as big. I probably shouldnt write this because now everyone will go here and I wont be able to get my lovely lunch!

Delicious daily special, nicely served. Good coffee. Pleasant music. Friendly staff. Wonderful place with the view of the park.

The biggest asset this place has is the wonderful staff. The food is great too but the lady who welcomed me in was so polite and and smiley! I'll be back. Probably tomorrow....

Very nice cafe located on The Square in the centre of Palmerston North. Great outdoor views, with seating both inside and out. The food was excellent, good portion size and very tasty indeed. Prices were ok too. I would have no hesitation going back next time I am visiting Palmy.

Had breakfast here this morning. Was extremely busy, but service was very quick.

Excellent service 👏 Carol is awesome! 😘 they always seem happy to see you 🥰 and they make the best Mac n cheese!

A great variety of delicious food to choose from. I was happy with a light meal of scrambled eggs, with a cup of tea. It was moderately busy, however I was surprised that the tables remained uncleared while I was there. This limited choice of table unless you were prepared to shift plates to one side.

First time going, food was amazing, building is amazing, love the up stairs and the area for the kids

Good classic food, modern setting, traditional staff.

Enjoyed my iced chocolate very much. One of the best I've had

The Verdit food cabinet had a good selection to choose from but we opted for the Breakfast and Nacho

Food is solid, great upstairs area for kids. Always tidy and has plenty of space

Food and drink options here are endless. It’s a cafe, bakery, restaurant all in one. Coffee is definitely best in palmy. Food is exceptional and they have a great little sign that says how long the wait time is for menu food. I like the outdoor area. They also have a 2nd story that has great views of the square. Love it here. ♥️

Great service, comfortable atmosphere, nice food and fast service. Plenty of space and areas to choose from to eat (inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs). Love the space available for tamariki to play and explore, definitely a safe and child friendly cafe/restaurant!

The barista here Laura was above and beyond with her vibrant and happy attitude! Making you feel welcomed she even gave directions and advice for other places to see and went out of her way to make sure you enjoyed your visit there! 🙂

Been here a couple of times and found it quite nice. Just don't go in when it's too buzy sometimes as service can be quite lacking. The food on the other hand is great either way. Worth the price you pay and flavour is always on point.

Was up from Wellington , tried this place for brekkie , staff were friendly , food was superb , super clean , quick service , great taste and attention to detail , recommend to anyone who stops in palmy

Very unimpressed. Went here for the third time with a friend who has severe allergies, she often needs to order sides in cafes as the mains usually have ingredients she can't eat. Went in and my friend ordered 3 side meals off the menu as she has done previously (nothing saying on menu you needed to order a main to get the sides), the owner was unhappy over this and said to us "this is the last time you can order sides without a main" and went on to complain that we were getting the cheapest breakfast in Palmerston North by making something up from the sides as if we were being cheeky. Not sure how this was our problem! Don't put sides on your menu if you don't want people to order them! Or make it clear they must only be ordered when paired with a main (which is cheap and rude to be honest).

Well after standing in at the counter for a long amount of time having to listen to the over weight balding man in a high vis vest who must have been a owner with the older lady who must have been also a owner my guess was a mother son business that didn't like the general public as they were at the counter bad mouthing one of the poor staff members out the back I decided this is not a place I would eat at as they had nothing nice to say in front of customers about staff or from what I could tell people other than them selfs in general food looks below average and prices well over priced and I'm used to high prices coming from Auckland but a low grade cafe like this can surely not charge those prices

WORSE CAFE EVER!!!! <br/>Service was so bad. Staff so rude. Just no. <br/><br/>Noticed they were quite busy when we got there around 1pm. I noticed most of their customers were elderly people. <br/><br/>After ordering, I kindly asked the woman behind the counter making coffees, to see if someone could clean up the table for us. She literally cut me off before I even finished and said in a rude tone "yes someone will come over and clean it!" <br/><br/>When the lady (a different one) came over to clean the table, she literally yelled in a sarcastic tone, loud enough for everyone around us to hear "IS THIS THE TABLE THAT NEEDS CLEARING?" Like wow, really? Was that a rhetorical question or her giving us attitude?? <br/><br/>The lady who brought our food over was lovely though. The rest were a bunch of cows. <br/><br/>I got the big breakfast -WORST BIG BREAKFAST!! Oily as hell. Everything was literally dripping of oil. Plate was left with a puddle of oil. I had to soak the oil off with serviettes. The sausages tasted off. The best thing on that plate was probably the hash browns. <br/><br/>Either all, I'd give them a zero rating if I could. Pleased to say I will NEVER be coming back to this hopeless place! And will be telling everyone I know, to NEVER go to this appalling cafe. Such a bad experience.

I never write reviews but thought after being treated like i'd done the wrong thing  from Carol (Owner Operator) the so called 'elderly lady' (going off other reviews).  <br/>I am a coffee lover and love my coffee in the morning and i particulary like it being made by Mel, she is always smiling, chatty, great with people and an asset to the Verdict Cafe.  This morning i requested my coffee be made by Mel, no biggie just a simple request to which i've never had to ask before but after a few dud coffees from Carol herself and a couple of other gals is really a waste of my money and time so i like it made by Mel as she makes Coffee with 'love'.  Carol with her nose out of joint asked me why i wanted my coffee made by Mel and that there was nothing wrong with the way the young gal makes coffee, I said to her not to take it personally but she obviously did.  Carol then continued with her nose out of joint and said "you do realise Mel doesn't work Mondays?" I replied by saying "yes, thats why i don't come in on a Monday".  This is not the only time i have come into the Verdict with poor customer service from Carol.. Numerous times i've tried not making eye contact because she'll ask you how your days going only for her to talk your ear off about herself! Tbh, if i cared i'd actually ask but i don't! Also,  i've asked for coffees to be made by Carol only to have it made incorrectly by Carol herself!! Hey, but isn't it funny that you turn your nose up at people who work an 8 hour day because you work from sunrise to sundown!! which we've herd all before... Personally i think its time to retire and hang up the apron or get some fillers and smile a bit more. appreciate Mel and other staff a bit more and stop running them down in front of customers! Surely you must have an idea... or your head is so far up your own a$$ that you don't! Anyway, you've just lost yourself an awesome customer who spends at least $25 per week on 'just coffee made by Mel'  I will now seek coffee elsewhere and i'll also be referring friends elsewhere as well.  Goodluck with everything, looking forward to many more glowing reviews.

After having spent the last 25 years working in hospitality, and having spent a vast amount of time studying the culinary arts, I find myself constantly intrigued when friends of mine tell me of the great places they have found to eat and enjoy a good meal, The Verdict Cafe was just one of these places but when coaxed into actually trying it myself I have to be honest, to say I was mortified would be an understatement.<br/><br/>As a fellow reviewer commented earlier, the "elderly lady" at the front counter was very rude, not just to me but to the customers in front and behind me, at least until she walked off to go and socialize with her friends on the cafe floor leaving her staff (who looked quite grateful she was gone, and not surprising the way I heard her speak to them too) to carry her workload on top of what looked like a busy day for them also. <br/><br/>Having worked in the industry myself I've met my share of these types, rude and selfish and deserving of a good kick up the behind if you ask me!<br/><br/>The younger staff members were far more polite however, and brought over my food with manners and smile, manners and smile however did not make the food any more worthy to be sat in front of an animal, a shame really, they seemed like such nice girls.<br/><br/>I ordered the "amazing" eggs benedict... I'm not sure how the owner expects to pass off microwaved eggs as poached eggs but there is no way you can possibly make an egg taste any worse than cooking it in a microwave, shame on you! You didn't really expect anyone not to notice did you? Just horrid. Completely destroys the shape, taste and texture of one the center pieces of the dish,, not to mention the spinach hadn't even been washed before being placed on my plate, and the bacon had obviously been sitting for quite some time and tasted spoiled. <br/><br/>Rubber and dirt are not fine dining, nor are they ingredients for any dining experience meant for a human being. Simply atrocious.<br/><br/>After leaving in disgust and washing my mouth out I had time to rethink my visit, perhaps it was just a bad day, we all know these things happen in the food industry, particularly when training new staff, so I waited for a month and returned to see if anything was any different.<br/><br/>I was met with the same short elderly lady with the permanent scowl attached to her face, and watched her treat the customers in front of me as if their patronage was getting in the way of more important things for her to do, only to watch her walk out to the cafe floor once more to socialize and tell obnoxious stories about herself and her "accomplishments".<br/><br/>I couldn't bare the thought of another eggs benedict so this time I decided to go for a "breakfast croissant" because the menu description led me to believe this would be freshly baked.<br/><br/>The eldery lady told me the croissants were in the cabinet. To my surprise, these "freshly baked" croissants were already made up (containing that horrid bacon again and scrambled eggs) and I was told they would go back to the kitchen to be "re-heated". Twice cooked scrambled eggs? Reheated croissants? I was beginning to wonder if the kitchen even contained any cooking equipment beyond a microwave. French breads are a culinary beauty, to disfigure them in such a way is sacrilege and I will NEVER return to this god awful place, I only hope the lovely young staff working there will one day have the opportunity to see, cook, and taste what the culinary world truly has to offer so they too can know the despair and destruction being concocted in The Verdict Cafe kitchen.

Went to the verdict today for breakfast with my friend, we both ordered an eggs Benedict. She told me that the eggs bennys are great. Much to my disappointment it arrived at my table with rubbery eggs and hard boiled yolk. I sent it back and received the same quality of food, alongside the excuse "the egg is still cooking on the plate" once again I sent it back requesting a runny yolk. The last time I got my plate it had been 45 minutes and my friend had finished her meal and coffee. I was sitting hungry and disappointed. The egg whites were transparent and the yolk solid. The owner offered me a refund and took the whole plate away before I could even eat the uncontaminated hash browns. After 45 minutes I would at least like a bite of the food that was safe to eat especially after the 45 minute mess around

Although the food is good, the older lady prefers to carry on long conversations with customers who have already ordered, ignoring those who are waiting. We walked out when she was in a conversation with a young boy and we felt invisible.

This is the café to visit when your next in Palmerston North, it has something for everyone, yummy sandwiches, a huge range, and lots of good tasty food! I really recommend their smoothies and the staff are outstanding! I wouldn't go anywhere else, it really is great value for your money!!

I love this cafe. The staff are very friendly, the food is amazing and the decor is very relaxing. It is my newest favourite place in Palmerston North. The Eggs Benedict is to die for and I have had it twice in my (so far) 3 visits. The service is fast despite it being a very busy cafe. Five stars for sure!

Fantastic Service and an awesome range of Gluten Free foods, that even suit children. My daughter was stoked with her large bowl of GF wedges, and Gf Raspberry Friand. The stuff were very helpful and patient as my daughter who is 8 (and very excited about all the food she could eat as she is GF), made up her mind!

I have always liked the Verdict's basic but hearty food. Their blueberry muffins in particular are a standout. It's nice for families and is quite popular with older people. It's clean and is well designed and set out. There are also lots of tables, which means you'll always get a seat.<br/><br/>But two factors stop me from going there often. The older ladies that run the till can be quite rude and abrupt. I've often felt like I'm putting them out when I go to pay for my food. With so many places to choose from in Palmerston North, you'd think it wouldn't kill them to smile from time to time.<br/><br/>The other issue I have is with the prices, which are horrendously dear for what you get. No doubt being in the middle of the city means they have high overheads but the prices are not reflective of the food you get. This is simple yet tasty food, not the gourmet cuisine the prices indicate.

A very large range of cabinet food to choose from. Prices are reasonable. Coffee isn't quite strong enough for my liking. The strawberry smoothies are great. Nice furnishings and decor. The cafe is kept clean, but sometimes the staff let dirty dishes sit on tables for rather a long time which isn't very appealing. Toilets are very clean.

I love going to the verdict. Awesome staff, good facilities and amazing food!!!!!! :)

A busy place perhaps reflecting its popularity but spacious and easy to find a table.Really good conventional cafe type food with a good selection.<br/>Not too expensive either.

I have eaten here only once, but found the Service, Staff and Food to all be very good, i will be returning. keep up the good work.