Review Neo Cafe & Eatery - Wellington

Had breakfast on consecutive days. The quality of food and service are much appreciated. If you are looking for the heavy breakfast option, "neo feast" is much recommended. But I prefer breakfast bagel bit more, because of fresh greens, yummy bagel and bacon. Cappuccino was strong too. Much surprised to see customers waiting calmly for a seat, later having my turn, I understood that waiting was worth it. Superb busy cafe and the staffs managerial skills were commendable.

Hidden little Gem in the heart of Wellington, friendly staff, quick service and tasty food certainly make it worth the visit. They have heaps of Gluten-free options available. Reasonable prices for the quality certainly worth to check it out for yourself. Cheers

Stopped by for lunch on way to something else, mainly because I've seen the many good reviews that this cafe has received over the years, and it didn't disappoint. I had the special - beef burger with black garlic aioli - and it was delicious. It was peak lunch time so the cafe was quite full, but the service was still very quick and friendly.

Excellent brunch spot! First cafe I visited in Wellington and the bar has been set high. We ordered the beef burger and breakfast bagel which were 10/10, especially the burger sauce. Drinks were also satisfying and well balanced. All servings were decent for the price. The cafe itself is small but it doesn’t feel cramped inside and staff are friendly and quick on their feet. Definitely come to Neo if you get the chance, you won’t be disappointed (:

Lovely service; staff constantly waiting on the table making sure everything was sufficient. Very busy place, loud—but for good reason; delicious food. I got the crispy chicken burger and the red velvet latte. My only complaint is they used processed thin slices of cheddar cheese; burger would have been much more elevated/tastier with real cheese (e.g. aged cheddar). As well, they could work on their plating techniques. I noted there were many vegan and GF options, wonderful. The latte was quite good, lovely rose design as photographed. Overall great experience.

First time being here and the line was out the door, staff were incredibly friendly and asked if we were having our meal to go, as there was an hour’s wait for eating in. 20 minutes later we got our order and it was well worth the wait. Staff are friendly, atmosphere is inviting and it is well worth it. Highly recommend the Ginger Pancakes and the Cheeseburger. Amazing work team!

Had an amazing brunch. The male waiter was so lovely. Amazing service from him. Checking to see if the food was good, which it was. We ended up getting the WOAP burger and egg benedict. Absolutely delicious Thank you so much!!!

The food at Neo is consistently delicious despite how busy the cafe can be at times. For 12:30pm on a Sunday, we managed to get a table for two relatively fast, and the staff were very swift to clean tables upon customers departures. I love the ancient grain granola bowl (GF, can be made vegan) however the portion was quite small, had minimal fruit and granola unlike previous times I have had this dish. It was as if they tried to hide the small portion with the rhubarb compote and yoghurt. Regardless, the bowl was scrumptious, just left me needing more. The chilli scrambled eggs were nice, but felt as though the tomato relish was overpowering. It needed more chilli seeming it was labelled a chilli dish after all. The sourdough wasn't too difficult to cut which was nice, as sometimes it requires a chainsaw to get through. Overall, the food and service at Neo is absolutely supreme, but the atmosphere is very unfavourable. It is quite a cramped cafe and mortifyingly loud - I highly doubt the people "reading" were actually reading. I could barely hear myself speak with the banter upon customers in conjunction with the music. This is not Neo's fault, rather customers just need to be a bit more aware of their volume. Bonus is that there is free wifi.

Enjoy really nice mix of home salad - potato bacon salad was my favorite. The coffee was good if you’re looking for strong aftertaste coffee, they provided flavour shot too! The staffs were very helpful and friendly, really vibin’ I went there to do my work for couple of hours. It may get very crowded but I enjoyed sitting by the window. They also have wifi which makes it a perfect place to study/work when it’s not too busy.

If your from Melbourne this is food and coffee... you know from home! Amazing staff and smashing food!! So much too try and I didn't have enough time. What I loved for chilli scamble, was it was on the top spice/heat! So as little or as much as you could handle.

The perfect spot for a late Sunday lunch. The seafood chowder was AMAZING! The service from the staff was excellent, and there was a lovely ambience. I will be returning. Thanks

Absolutely one of the best places in the city! Lovely brunch and amazing food!

Modernt med trevlig personal och supergod mat, och kaffet holt otroligt gott.

Great little cafe & reasonably priced. Thoroughly enjoyed our experience.

Great spot to drop in for a coffee or stay for a meal. The team are super friendly and the food is delish! Their homemade peanut butter keeps me coming back!

Best little place - and that sous chef is such a hottie ;)

Lovely relaxed cafe. Good coffee and really awesome friendly staff

Really amazing service but the food and coffee were pretty okay

Brilliant food. Great staff. No more words required.

Really fantastic! I came in for a coffee and breakfast, both beautiful! Staff are friendly and well presented and the kitchen looks clean and tidy! Neo started off my morning so well!

Love Cafe Neo so much! I eat here at least once a week. Not only is the food and coffee sublime but the interior design, atmosphere and friendly staff make me feel right at home. Being self-employed, Cafe Neo is my second office when I need to get out of the home office. 5 stars!

Beautiful Coffee, Beautiful Food ☕️🍔🥑🥓

The best. How can you call this just a cafe and serve such great food? Good work Neo team!

Awesome kit out! Great service and exciting menu :)

Love this place!! Great food.

Group of 4 went in for a birthday lunch, were served quickly and the food came out quite quickly too. All was well until we went to pay and were overcharged. Went back to get the receipt to check if everything was correct and instead were treated as though we were being unreasonable. After some discussion with one of the waitresses the man who took our order came over and said something about the till messing up. I continued to try and explain (receipt still wasn't printed) when the man interrupts me and aggressively says 'so what do you think we owe you??' where I respond with the amount, he opens the till and shoves the money in my hand. Honestly we were all pretty shocked and just left. All of us girls work in hospitality so we know that it can be stressful and always make an effort to be polite and respectful when we are the customers but there is no need to be so rude when the mistake was in fact made by you. Very unfortunate as the food and service was fine up till then, safe to say we won't be returning any time soon.

literally the best cafe in wellington! this is my go-to place to eat in all of the city. the food is out of this world, and the presentation is drop dead gorgeous! their granola bowl is literally heaven and it’s gluten free which makes it even more perfect! and their choc raspberry hazelnut raw slice is to die for! the cafe itself is a little bit crowded, but I will always enjoy my time there!

Been here on several occasions and have loved it every time- as someone who is passionate about breakfast and a very picky foodie, I can can say with certainty Neo does not disappoint. Yes, they can get very busy, but it is for good reason. Their popularity is evidence of their fantastic menu and friendly service, and if you are a coffee snob you will love their options. I highly recommend the buttermilk pancakes, which are gluten free!

Yummy yummy eggs benny and coffee.

The reviews and award winnings brought me here. Such a lovely place. Good menu to select from. The staff are friendly and attentive. Would highly recommend this place and would return again!

Loved this place - they understand the difference between gluten free and celiac safe and ensure there is no cross contamination which was amazing! I was only in Wellington for two days and came here twice! The kumara and ricotta fritters were amazing and really good coffee.

I have come here a number of times for meetings and love the coffee and service, always happy to help and kind, friendly staff. <br/>The menu need more vegan/ plant based options but Im confident they are to come in the future

A search of Zomato led us to Neo for eggs Benedict.<br/>It is a small, busy establishment that has a feel good, homely vibe.<br/>The menu offers usual fare and some twists.<br/>The Benedict was lovely but my sister's vegr plate won her over.<br/>Would defiantly return when back in Wellington.

This place is great! It’s a nice place to have brunch dates. <br/><br/>I loved their eggs on toast! I totally recommend it! <br/><br/>The service was great and the staff were really friendly. <br/>

Impressed with the menu. Lots of options for vegetarians/vegans and also allergy friendly options. Love that the menu was coded for these options too. My father got the bacon and egg butty, I got the granola. Coconut panna cotta texture was slightly odd in contrast to the rest of the granola, but still tasty. <br/>Waiter was friendly, food came quickly. Meal sizes were ok for the price. Would recommend 👍🏼

Delicious breakfast - tasty bacon, beautiful hollandaise sauce, the hash browns add a nice twist to the traditional Eggs Benne. Great service (friendly and efficient). A pity that my coffee was a bit burnt, otherwise this would have been a perfect experience. Would still recommend though!

amazing food, the depth of flavour was amazing in the crispy chicken burger. Going anywhere else for a burger isn’t the same anymore. Minimalism at its finest.

On our last morning in Wellington we headed out for breakfast, and after reading lots of reviews I directed us to Neo Cafe & Eatery. It’s a light, bright cafe, centrally located and known for its top-notch coffee and food. My expectations were high but I wasn’t disappointed!. The menu is short but covers all bases well, including options for vegetarians and vegans. There’s also pastries and muffins available, and the menu changes to match the seasons. We got there not long after 9am and there were a steady stream of local workers popping in for takeaway coffee or food, plus plenty of people eating in as well. In fact, if we’d been any later we might have struggled for a table, which is a good sign on a Tuesday morning!

Great granola and the other meals were lovely too.<br/><br/>Our friend had eggs bene on hash brown made there, proclaimed to be so light.<br/><br/>Truly all superb.<br/><br/>Big advantage being so close to our hotel so we were lucky to have it there.<br/><br/>The staff are all nice .<br/><br/>Quick and efficient and super coffee.<br/><br/>Size is quite small so we had to wait but they efficiently got us a table.<br/><br/>Definitely worth the wait.<br/><br/>But being small also means it’s not so noisy as we experienced at Prefab the day before.

Came for counter food and tea. That aspect was relatively okay. The bad part was the music was SO LOUD and SUPER BAD. I like music but I'm not that keen on Cascada's "Evacuate the Dancefloor" splitting my eardrums at 11:30am.

Delicious food, heaps of gluten free and celiac options. It was very impressive to find gluten free pancakes of that caliber. My lady loved her baked eggs, full of flavor. Yummy. <br/>Service and music were great, the only thing that let down the last 0.5 for me was the almond milk for the coffee was overheated causing it to split. <br/>Given the food was so nice we didn't want to complain so they weren't given the opportunity to fix this but I expect the barrista didn't know as it looks the same split until the creama layer is broken on the coffee.

Lovely fit out and the cabinet foods look good. I enjoyed my avo on toast and my lunch date enjoyed the pancakes. The avo needed a little extra seasoning. Would have liked a little more salmon for the price to add it extra. Hannah Eaton

Came here for breakfast and had the eggs on toast. Service was very good and the polenta bread was a nice variation from the usual types served. Nothing outstanding but nothing bad either 😃

Pleasant, light-filled room with comfortable tables and chairs. Music and sound at a gentle murmur. Eggs were perfectly poached, bacon cooked nicely crispy but not hard, and generous portion. Lovely Saturday brunch. Solid Kiwi cafe.

My friend has been a regular here, and she suggested for us to have some coffee and later on, lunch since it was almost noon by the time we finished our conversation. She ordered her favorite vegetarian dish, and I opted for the Lamb Salad, which was really nice! The combination of beetroot, zucchini, almonds, feta, orange kumara, cider vinaigrette, spiced yoghurt all complemented each other for such a delightful dining experience. The lamb was cooked to perfection -- tender, juicy, and well-flavoured. The atmosphere was truly pleasant, though the tables were quite in close proximity to each other to maximize their relatively tiny space. The staff were fantastic!

I'm actually writing this review as I eat because my food is so delicious! I'm having the veggie breakfast with a side of eggs and I'm blown away by the quality. This is not your run-of-the-mill veggie breakfast where the bacon has been replaced with a bit of spinach. This is a well thought-out, beautifully presented, symphony of flavors. Avocado, beetroot, halloumi, home made hash brown, balsamic vinegar, etc etc. So good. Highly recommend. Wonderfully friendly staff too. I'll be back.

I've been a couple of times in the past and it's been a while...but I came back to find a fresher menu with more vege/vegan options... great! I had the veggie breakfast and it was good, however it lacked seasoning for such a vibrant dish. Friendly service, nice atmosphere. Overall, a pleasant experience... not usually a cafe I go to often but nice when you're feeling it on the odd occasion.

Neo has great food, friendly service and it is really good value for money. The coffee is fantastic and the menu is full of fresh seasonal choices. Cabinet food is full of delicious, ever changing treats.

Been here a couple of times, menu has the good basics and food and drinks are delish! A lovely girl took our order but only thing really letting them down is the male waiter at the till who was so sour!! <br/>I have also heard from friends how unfriendly he seems when they have been here also!<br/><br/>Was smiling when I went up to pay and complement how nice our meal was but he failed to raise a smile at all, and was very blunt and unfriendly!! Left a sour taste in our mouths.

Great friendly service, warm fluffy stack of Buttermilk Pancakes, satisfying Supreme coffee.  I've been wanting to get back to Neo for a while, I used to get coffee there when I worked at that end of town.  On a previous occasion, I was a tad early for their weekend opening hours, so made the point of getting there mid morning.  Great selection of options on the menu, I'm drawn to the Buttermilk pancakes with Bacon and (grilled) Banana.  The young South African 7's supporter was just polishing hers off by the time my arrived.  Plenty of syrup available from a squeeze bottle ensured the sweet and salt balanced and rounded a satisfying breakfast that had me content until well into the afternoon.

This is my second time here in two years and both times I found staff to be completely different to the food being offered and the setting of the cafe. I can't put my finger on it but I digress. The food is fresh and wholesome but nothing amazing; although there are a few good non-meat options. And surprisingly there are a couple of kids's dishes - my ninjas had the chicken and chips. Coffee was not as good as I expected but would come back again.

Coffee very average - bitter and borderline burnt. Asked for a bottle of water for the table and was given a half empty one (water restrictions in NZ apparently). Forgot parts of the order. Food also pretty average, some meats tasted funny and the tomato - almost like the grill hasn't been cleaned for a while. Won't go back

Just had their new chicken, bacon and mushroom pasta - seriously good, hope they keep it! <br/><br/>Staff very accommodating too. I will definitely be back.

Coffee was really good, classic pancakes were also really good. Busy time early in the morning, but staff were quick and friendly. Parking is probably the biggest issue.

Been here a few times. The meals and counter food have never disappointed. Their coffee is also really really good and bottomless filter coffee is my favourite thing.<br/><br/>The service falls a little behind the excellent food and coffee though. Although always efficient and professional it can be a little automatic and uninspiring.

I have been to Neo a few times now with mixed results. <br/><br/>One thing I love is that their menu clearly states what it and isn't gluten free which means no food envy, and I don't fall in love with a meal I can not have! <br/><br/>The first time I went the experience was great, the staff were helpful and happy to abide even to my difficult order. Though when they meal came out the hash brown I had was slight burnt but lucky the flavours overall were lovely. The coffee was tasty but the highlight of the day was the chocolate cake with salted caramel icing. I didn’t manage to take a photo of it because it was gone in a matter of minutes! I would go back just for the icing alone!<br/><br/>The next time I went to Cafe Neo, the service was awful, we had to ask for menus, ask to order our drinks after waiting for ages, then to ask to order our mains. Even though the cafe wasn't full, it was just that the staff seemed unorganised. Then when our meals were served, the two people I dined with eggs' were overcooked and by the time they got replacements, there meal was already finished. All and all it was a bit disappointing. <br/><br/>So overall I want to give this place one last chance as I really want to like this place, I love their menu, vibe and atmosphere! <br/><br/>Sarah Reynolds #challenge

It was super amazing. first time there, pancakes were to dye for and the avocado tomato toast was pretty good! Will definitely visit again!!!!?

A personal favourite. Cosy, beautifully laid out and great coffee! Staff are friendly and the minimal décor is absolutely perfect. Will be going again!

I Had brunch at Neo this morning with family, and it was one of the best meals I've had in a while. <br/><br/> The staff were friendly, and approachable, and the service was fast, despite the café being full.<br/><br/>The food and coffee were great. There are plenty of gluten free free options (a few items are gluten free by default, like the eggs benedict, which are served on hash browns, and plenty more have a gf option).<br/><br/>I will definitely be going here again for brunch. <br/><br/>

My Family and I hired out Neo for a private dinner and we'd do it again in a heartbeat. <br/><br/>The food was absolutely incredible. <br/><br/>We designed a set menu together with the chef (to our budget) and were blown away when it turned up on our tables. I often visit the cafe in the day, however I didn't realise the kitchen team could cook to this standard. It was seriously impressive. The flavours were great and presentation was beautiful.<br/><br/>The atmosphere was warm and inviting and the Neo team accommodated every one of our requests. <br/><br/>There were around 20 of us in total from around the country and everyone went home that evening thoroughly happy and pleasantly surprised at the value for money.<br/><br/>I would absolutely recommend.

I've never been but my husband has the following to say:<br/><br/>Just back from lunch, the first since their renovations which don't seem to have added much to the experience but that's not why we went, so doesn't matter.<br/><br/>My father and I arrived and took a table. Before I could sit a very congenial bloke was over with menu's and a beverage list. I ordered a BLAT with chunky fries for $15.00, my father a pulled pork open sandwich who's price I can't remember, but was similar. Drinks were an iced coffee for me, and standard coffee for him.<br/><br/>He was happy with his coffee, but me not so with mine. The "iced" part of the equation was missing - the drink was around room temperature and for $6.00 my expectation was higher. Yes, it had a blob of ice cream in the bottom, however not sure the milk used had seen the inside of a fridge for a while. The 'Food' rating has suffered overall because of this, which is a shame because the food itself was superb. The BLAT was just as expected, with wonderfully grilled foccacia, and although the bacon was at the wrong end of well-done it was full of flavour. The chunky fries were to die for.<br/><br/>The old man was complimentary of his meal, and whilst the pork did taste superb it was just shredded pork and a type of coleslaw on a slice of bread. He eyed up my fries at length and some on his plate would have made it better value for money.<br/><br/>The service was professional and very friendly and the food arrived within 10mins of ordering. The cafe was about a third full; think we got the quiet time between lunch hours, so not sure how timeliness would rate when it's chokka.<br/><br/>A fine lunch experience, and the old man paid so all good and I/we won't hesitate in coming back next time he wants some father/son bonding.

Outstanding service and quality.<br/><br/>Went their recently with my wife for lunch. Ordered the beetroot salad and a toasted sandwich with a mango shake.<br/><br/>Beetroot salad was a good size and very fresh and tasty. Toasted sandwich was great, the mango shake delicious.<br/><br/>Service was very good despite being busy. Decor is modern and cool. The food took about 15/20 minutes to arrive, but the place was completely packed, so that might not be typical.<br/><br/>Overall a faultless experience. Will return.

Very good food and service. Went on Easter Monday for brunch, with my wife and cousin had the $20 big breakfast and the sausage and bacon was excellent Here, they make there own hash browns. Coffee was very good.

My boyfriend and I had a very good experience here last year (May 2013), and we wanted to come back and use the Entertainment Book voucher.<br/><br/>We went this week-end and were both very disappointed by the food. <br/>The new decor was nice, staff was nice, but we ordered a Thai beef salad and something like a pork sandwich (they were around $18 each), and won't come back again.<br/><br/>Small portions, nothing very tasty, just edible: green salad and big slices of boiled beef, the "yoghurt dressing" was just a small drizzle of bland yoghurt on the beef. <br/>The day before I also ordered a Thai beef salad in a cafe in Petone, and for the same price it has nothing comparable (delicious, tasty, full of flavours)!!<br/><br/>Maybe we came the wrong day, or chose the wrong dishes...<br/><br/>Update: I've just seen (after writing the review) that the cafe is under a new ownership, that would now make sense that our experience last week-end was so different than the one we had 1 year ago...

I had an enjoyable lunch there recently. I didn't know the restaurant before my visit but heard good things about it. Enjoyed the butter chicken and the prices were very reasonable. It was very busy so obviously popular. Staff were very polite and it was overall an enjoyable experience.

Love the newly refurbished Neo Cafe. Great coffee and food! I can especially vouch for the gluten free food, it's amazing. None of these packaged biscuits or cakes. Fresh home made delicious food, and the taste is divine.<br/>Service was prompt, staff very friendly, cafe exceptionally clean, great ambience.<br/>I'd happily recommend this cafe to all.<br/>Heard there are also some evening opening hours, I hear a dinner date coming!

Overall; far too pricey for what you get<br/><br/>My partner and I stopped by for a Tuesday lunch, so we were bound to a 1 hour time frame, we were served our food at 12:40, 20 minutes after we ordered.<br/><br/>The iced coffee I received for $6.50 was very lacking; lacking in flavour, ice-cream, cream and coffee. What it did have was milk and huge ice-cubes (I personally do not like ice-cubes in an iced coffee or chocolate)<br/><br/>My partners 'de-constructed Cajun chicken burger' would barely feed a 5 year old. Three tiny strips of chicken, a gherkin, and some greens on bread was not at all what we were expecting for $10<br/><br/>My beef and bacon burger was alright. Two beef patties, cheese and bacon, a fried egg and fries. $18.50<br/><br/>Overall; far too pricey for what you get

This is a great cafe - one of my favourites. The food, service and staff are awesome. Friendly, helpful staff who were quite relaxed when we were still there a bit past the closing time as we didn't know they closed a bit earlier on Sundays and they even offered a couple of yummy leftover muffins for us to take home. It's great they are open on Tues nights now - we will check it out soon.

I love this cafe. The coffee is excellent, the staff are friendly and the food is delicious. Went in there this morning to have their heavenly French toast with bacon and banana to find that it was no longer on the menu, apparently people prefer pancakes. But it was no problem at all to whip this up for me. You've got to love that service. Prices are so reasonable and the counter food looks fabulous too!<br/><br/>Some great artwork on the wall at the moment by Sonia Savage.

Excellent service, food and coffee. They cater for all tastes: gluten free, vege's etc. But still make a gorgeous bacon buttie! Yummy cakes and tasty meals, and their savouries and sandwiches are inventive and yum too! You can tell I can't rate this place highly enough!

Went for breakfast and they had a great selection.<br/>Meal came out fairly quickly and the service was great.<br/>Overall, a great experience and would recommend :)

Amazing decor, lovely and helpful waitstaff. Best hot chocolate in Wellington and also the best value. Well worth a visit!