James Mielke
New Yorker here. I’ve been to plenty of bagel places outside of NYC (the epicenter of bagels) that have simply failed to meet the minimum requirements of what a bagel should taste like. Fortunately that is not the case with Ugly Bagels. These are legit.
I started with a simple, buttered and toasted sesame bagel. Delicious. Light but chewy, it has all the taste and texture and density I expect in a bagel. I’m used to walking into NYC delis and seeing baskets full of assorted bagel types, but Ugly Bagels has prepackaged packs of four arranged by type (plain, sesame, etc.). While I would have liked to have seen baskets organized by flavor (salt, cinnamon/raisin, blueberry, poppy seed, etc.) I won’t hold it against the shop.
Also, these bagels are a little thinner than the usual super-thick NY bagels, which is good because I don’t feel like I’m going to collapse in a food coma after I eat one. That’s a win.
I’ve been meaning to check this place out for a while now and I am not disappointed. I know my bagel-loving kids will be relieved they can get a taste of home here.
Stephen Heka
My 1st experience was great, excellent service, beautiful food and the atmosphere was on point. It can be hard to find on a vehicle because of the one way streets. But once you find it ,you'll keep coming back💯🤤🤤👌🏾
Jade Anastasia Cocurullo
Small nook of a place right in the middle of the city. The staff are enthusiastic and positive, always a great vibe in here! Simple and delicious bagels and coffee. Honestly can't go wrong!
Isabella Clague
Expensive but nice!
Love best ugly for a quick, yet satisfying feed. Great staff who’ll have your coffee cupped and your bagel boxed in a blink of an eye! Highly appreciate the generous samples that tie me me over while I’m waiting to order.
The Jelly Tip bagel is legendary. Nothing better than a dense, soft chocolate bagel covered in cream cheese and dripping with chocolate sauce and raspberry jam. You’ll probably need a roll of paper towels to clean your hands with afterwards, but 100% worth the stickiness.
Giulio Toscani
Very unique place. Nice bagels and chance to see the preparation of the product. Still the bagels are a bit too dense and the salty ones a bit pricey.
There is a small area to eat, nothing fancy
Sarah Murray
Got the salmon bagel; toppings were awesome, the bagel was … not a bagel imo lol but was fine (it was too much like bread and not as firm as a NYC style bagel) Probably the best bagel sandwich you can find in Wellington though and the coffee was delicious so still makes for a great breakfast
Tyler Douglas Mudgway
Great atmosphere, friendly and welcoming staff. Well priced and not to mention the food is amazing. Lots of options including vegetarian and vegan options and staff are more than happy to answer questions around other dietary requirements. Overall, one of my favourite places to grab a bite in Wellington.
Chris Price (Pricey)
Was stoked to check this place out, had a great vibe and is clearly popular. Heaps of options on the menu and stockists of the best mustard (old yella) and tomato ketchup I have ever had👌🏻I opted for the bacon, tomato and avo bagel and was stoked when it came out with heaps of bacon and open faced. Stacey got the white rabbit veggie option. Good bagels overall, just wish there was a bit more.
MannavS
Superb Bagels and amazing coffee! Fresh & fast! Wonderful brekkie option early in Te Aro!
Hollie Lowry
Amazing food, amazing quality, incredible coffee. Most efficient kitchen i’ve seen in a very long time, everyone working deserves an award. Would give this place 7 stars if I could
Nicole Down
Great for a quick bite! The bagels are made in-house, right in front of you. There is only one variety of bagel (everything?) And it's good! There are lots of filling options! I got the White Rabbit which was delicious - cream cheese, tomato, basil, and a very nice lemon olive oil. It was fast and filling!
Heather McPherson
Incredible, fresh bagels with a wide variety of topping options. Very cool atmosphere with approachable staff and good music. Well priced, especially when combined with their Tuesday special (a free coffee with the purchase of a bagel). The King Salmon is not to be missed!
Cody Mathison
So awesome! I’ve never been to a bagel shop like this one. Fully open kitchen so you get to see how they make the bagels. And a fully operational wood oven! I went there twice. I’m pretty sure I got the Boss hog (classic and delicious) and the T.A.B. (Pretty simple but tasty). Go here and eat some good breakfast and just watch how they make ‘em! So fun.
Nicole Hecht
Delicious! I've been missing authentic bagels. Friendly, lovely stop :) highly recommend. Really good coffee as well, cheap combo deal. No extra for alternative milk.
Tanya Zouev
Best gluten free bagels I've ever had and I've given them four stars based on this alone. However, it is quite expensive as a single bagel with some cream cheese and a bit of smoked salmon barely covering the cheese, and a soft drink cost $27. Next time I'm in Wellington I'm definitely going to buy a couple of packs of bagels to take home but won't eat in.
jeff jimmy
Amazing coffee, amazing music! I loved the energy of the staff and the food was delicious as well. (not to mentiom the speed) Will be back!
Michael Davidson
It's pretty hard to find good bagels in New Zealand so I was pretty happy to have stumbled across this place last night. It was closed but as soon as I got up this morning I went it. Loved the atmosphere and positive vibes from the staff. The bagel I had was simple but delicious (definitely amongst the best this country has to offer). My only criticism would be to have more varieties on offer, but I can't justify a lower score for that.
Vicky Yiu
The taste and texture is so unique that makes me WOW. The staff are passionate and the environment is vintage, I hope they can expand the customer zone instead of expanding someday but only for their kitchen lol. Bacon is a bit tough and the avocado tastes not so good as the ones without baking, but overall the bagels are awesome and healthy.
Kate.mcpherson123
A very fun place to eat! Recommend getting the King Salmon. The only problem is that there isn't a lot of seating but its a very good quick meal
Rachel Lee
The most buttery delicious bagels, such a favourite brunch snack option 🥯
Jasmine Cheah
Absolutely delicious bagels for brunch! Highly recommend trying their king salmon. Loved the condiments provided too. A must try if you're in Wellington
Nadia
Awesome atmosphere and great team working there. The bagels are just little gems, perfectly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Highly recommend trying king salmon
Crumpet King
FALSE ADVERTISING... I'll let the Standard marmite and cheese and a 'King Kong' speak for themselves. All you need to know is they're not that ugly after all! ;)<br/><br/>What is true, is well... Its the best bagel I've eaten in a long TIME. Simply put - Yum.
Ronia Ibrahim
This place is so cosy and the fact that you can see what’s happening in the kitchen makes you feel like the food is prepared with great care and love. Loved my pb and j bagel! Bit pricey but worth every cent. The staff are friendly too and I think it’s cute they all shout out orders together haha
Lucy
Super yum just as good as the one in Auckland. We got the white rabbit and the jam, so tasty! The lemon and fennel olive oil made the bagel so full of flavour
Alex Von Lanthen
Iced maple is a must! The meals seem small but is really filling. The king salmon is my personal favourite. Always very fresh with the perfect balance of salty-ness.
Kiwi FIFO Chef
*This is a shout out to the Wellington airport branch<br/><br/>So glad we discovered this gem at the airport!! Was well impressed with the friendliness, efficiency and positive energy of the staff, who function more like a well oiled team! Fun to watch them work, and they seem to enjoy their craft. <br/>A Mean Joe Green bagel of avo, tomato, topped with delicious bacon was my choice, and a Schmear (cream cheese on bagel) kept Mrs Chef happy. Thanks to Havana beans, and well trained baristas, the coffees are on point. The feel of the place is laid-back, slightly retro, yet quick and efficient. A great mix that will see us make a bee line each time we’re travelling out of Wellington Airport. Check it out yourself - you won’t be disappointed.
James Ong
Was really good! Ingredients were all organic and fresh. Had the simple bacon and egg bagel. Bagels put in woodfire till crispy. Really loved it! Will definitely be back!
Steve Hall
Quick easy food when waiting for a flight . Salmon and cream cheese with capers is the best so far. One of the better offerings at airport. Not a coffee drinker myself but seems very popular for that
Hansi Dissanayake
Visiting Wellington for the weekend and got recommended to visit Best Ugly. I already love the Auckland spot so I figured Wellington would not disappoint. Ambience was really unique and grunge, staff are lovely. I ordered the white Rabbit with bacon and the combination was delicious!! The creaminess of the cream cheese spread and the saltiness of the bacon go so well together, highly recommended!!
Sungsam7
One of my fave places in Auckland so I had to check out the one in Welly. Same cool vibe, staff and bagels ✊🏾 <br/>My fave, Yodi and his fave King Salmon
Lisa Yang
The bagels here are definitely not ugly! Best Ugly Bagels was just down the street from my hotel so two days in a row, I walked down in the morning to get a coffee and a bagel. You can see the bagels being cooked right in front of you in the open wood oven. My favourites were the classic cream cheese and also the honey bagel. The bagels were so delicious that I didn’t get a chance to take a photo before they were eaten! But I did get a chance to snap a few photos of the funky interior and bagel baking process. Definitely on the pricey side for a bagel but totally worth it.
Maggie Cheung
Not so ugly after all!! First time trying Best Ugly Bagels and got the Boss Hog. Was absolutely delicious, the bagel coated with sesame seeds and the filling was cooked to perfection. Service was great as well so will definitely return!
Sheryl
The vibes here are amazing! I actually love coming to Best Ugly for their service. <br/><br/>I love the KoKo bagel and the PBJ bagel! It is soooo delicious! <br/><br/>Check out my instagram for more details.
R-Dee Roche
Winner coffee and bagels. What else is there to say. Everything is so fresh and tasty! The salmon is beautiful and I highly recommend it although the bacon is also a force to be reckoned with. The real treasure though is the bagel itself. You gotta try it to know the difference.
Estelle Tai
Friendly staff in a nice setting. I ordered the plain sesame bagel with zany zeus organic cream cheese. pretty good value for $5, and the spread of cream cheese was generous as well. Be warned that the bagels aren't the dense chewy sort (which I normally prefer), but airy and crisp.
The Hunger Trail
Food: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5<br/>The Best Ugly serve freshly made and toasted bagels with a variety of options to cater to different eating requirements. We chose the Mean Joe Green and the classic honey bagel which were both 👌. The honey bagel in particular was on point. We ordered a strong soy latte which was the best we've had in Wellington to date.<br/><br/>Service: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5<br/>Bagels and coffee were served quickly and staff were very friendly.<br/><br/>Price: 🌟🌟🌟🌟<br/>A little dearer but definitely worth it.
The Food Snob
Absolutely delicious bagels. Great selection. Excellent interior/fit out and very clean. Service is prompt and friendly. Ideal place for lunch. Well worth a visit
Megha Dogra
Fantastic bagels and pretty good range of options on the menu! And they are generous on the avo which is a bonus! So yum that I had to go back again on my way home! (Wellington airport shop)
Mel
We were regular visitors to the City Works depot store in Auckland, so super pleased when they opened in Wellington. The look and feel is in keeping with the industrial vibe and the large oven is cool - although it does impact the floor plan = less seating, but it's not a diner right?<br/>With friends we chose different toppings and tried a bit of each this allowed us to find our bagel. King Salmon is my go to bagel the toppings (dill, red onions, capers and lemon) just pulls the whole thing together...yum! Plus the Havana coffee is the best.
Bea Nguyen
You can really tell that they make their own bagels. Fast and friendly service. The breakfast one was hands down my favorite. Idk how they made the creamy egg mixture but it tasted really good. They even have an best ugly bagels up at the airport too!
Free Trade Winds
Recommendations of just how good these bagels are should not be ignored. I am a huge fan. They are now at the airport too and make the flight into Wellington worthwhile. The coffee is excellent too.
Yue Yan
New to try bagel with salmon other than sweet jam or butter! So surprised by abundant flavor of this yummy bagel! Salmon is really fresh, bagel is crispy, an amazing combination with cream cheese. Definitely gonna try bacon one next time!
Celene Aitchison
Absolutely in looooove with this place! Not only amazing bagels, good prices, AND good coffee. Not to mention friendly staff. What more could you want? My favourites are the White Rabbit, Iced Maple coffee, and the PBJ!
TheFatCouple
The Best Bagels we've had EVER!!!<br/><br/>Huge call, but they even beat the ones we've had in NYC!<br/><br/>Absolutely loved the theatre of watching them make the bagels from preparing the dough, to sliding them into the woodfire pit!<br/><br/>We had the smoked salmon & bechamel - both were outstanding!<br/><br/>This would probably be one of the main reasons we'd come back to visit Welly!
Julia TVM
Had the T.A.B and White rabbit and they were both really delicious. The service is fast and friendly, and the atmosphere is great. you can watch them make the bagels which I like. You can also choose to sit indoors or outdoors, and if it's packed you can walk a few minutes and sit on the grass by the uni. They also have a good selection of juices.
Simon Kearsley
Came in for a quick lunch bite. I chose the Bacon/Avo/Tomato one and my partner went with a Chicken with curry mayo(one of the specials). Friendly and quick service, we soon had our bagels and got stuck in. They are served cut in half then topped as opposed to the usual, burger style stacking. Both of our choices looked the part and certainly tasted good. Mine was great, seasoned well(yay!)and the bite I had of the chicken one has encouraged us to come back again for more.
Peter White
This is no bagel maven in Soho, but it's a busy, noisy, active space with good array of bagels.<br/><br/>Peanut butter and jelly delicious. The jam & cream cheese seemed to lack salt. The bacon and avocado was yum, whilst the marmite would've been better if instead Vegemite.<br/><br/>I liked the way the cashier called out each bagel and each coffee order. It wore thin though after 20mins. Our cue to go.<br/><br/>Packed with students which always adds a wonderful energy.<br/><br/>The guy manning the oven is a genius - fascinating to watch the delicate craftsmanship of rolling, boiling, baking, flipping. Only missing the circular saw cutters/chute of Manhattan that propel the bagels at warp speed for final toppings to be added.
M
Friendly staff, great service, and awesome place. Had the salmon bagel and man, it was heaven. I really enjoyed the way they call out orders.
Foooodie Explorer
Been here twice since it opened and they make the best bagels! So far, I've tried the white rabbit, yodi, and tuna melt and they were all very delicious! All of their staff are super friendly and service is really fast for a very busy place. The only thing I don't like is that they don't have many seats.
Benji Glaser
Delightful authentic New York style bagels, tucked away in the heart of Wellington.<br/><br/>Equipped with a rustic wood fired oven, and real New York hustle and bustle, Best Ugly brings the best of the big apple, to the best little city. <br/><br/>The freshly made bagels are light, tasty and visually appealing and reasonably priced, making a tasty Sunday afternoon snack.<br/> <br/><br/>5 stars.
LWS
Awesome bagels and fabulous coffee are the hallmarks of this cafe. <br/>Interestingly the bagels are wood oven fired, resulting in a beautifully chewy bake.<br/>We tried the salmon and the bacon, avo and tomato bagels, both highly recommended. Make Best Ugly Bagels a must stop destination in your exploration of The Cuba Street district.
Josh
Fantastic bagels. Inventive, fun ideas. The iced maple is also an absolute winner. Definitely a go-to if you want to grab some food to go. Friendly staff make it all the more appealing.
Harry Chapman
I really like this place for a quick snack. Really tasty bagels with toppings.<br/><br/>There's not much room for seating, and the music can be quite loud...but it's all part of the hipster vibe!
Medium_Rare
Another Auckland bred joint, Best Ugly Wellington lives up to the hype of an overpriced, hipster paradise with substandard bagels.<br/><br/>For the excellent price of $14 you get two thin slices of bagel topped with a dash of salmon, sprinkle of onions and a generous spread of Philadelphia cream cheese. <br/><br/>A good combination, but really, for the price it's not worth it. <br/><br/>Showstopper: Their oven game is strong.<br/><br/>Overall Grade : B
Avery
It's exciting to finally have Best Ugly bagels in Wellington. I've had their bagels before when visiting Auckland and the Wellington location is perfect. It is lacking in seating which is the only problem I have with the location - hopefully they'll fix this in the coming months. <br/>I got the T.A.B and it tasted better than when I've had it from one of the Auckland locations. Looking forward to many more visits here!
Niamh Thomson
Delicious bagels with a positive and environment atmosphere. Although I prefer a simple cream cheese and jam bagel there are a variety of different toppings available to fit any bagel budget. I also really appreciate the fact the gluten free bagels are no more expensive than any others and that there is a wide range of drink choices. Also joined Goody from here and I'm keen to earn my points and score some free stuff. Will definitely be back very soon. Only downside is that they close at 3 personally I think this cuts out a whole chunk of potential customers due to the amount of students walking through this area after school time. Also means I can only get my bagels on the weekend. Apart from that this place is perfection :)
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