Review Enigma - Wellington

Such a cool little place which continues the vibe and feel of it’s predecessor Espressoholics. Popped in for a spot of lunch after some morning drinking and grab their burger and added my favourite ingredient, a fried egg. For a café burger, it was pretty solid. Tasty patty with salad and a yum sauce. The runny yoke was the icing for me. Service was great and on point. The meal came out pretty quickly with only a few people there when we arrived. Thanks team

I love this place! I used to live in Wellington a year ago and would come here all the time. I’ve been moved away from Wellington for about 10 months and I still make an effort to stop in here when I’m in town. Yummm desserts, nice coffee, friendly staff, relaxed and chill environment

Excellent find hidden away. Very attentive service and incredibly well presented and tasty waffles. Great tasting coffee, could have been a bit hotter.

Was super 👌 impressed with the food and service at Enigma Cafe, the atmosphere is nice and relaxing day and night. My dad and i ordered the loaded fries, which we received in good time, and was at a good temperature. The loaded fries were nice and fresh, and the beef was cooked to perfection and just melted in your mouth. The Oreo shake was simply devine as well

Would've passed it if we weren't google mapping. Came here after reading a review about it having the best pancakes in Wellington. Ended up getting waffles and chicken, and salmon benny. Food and drinks were great. Service was fast. Loved the vibe

Very cool little spot in the city. They serve an awesome breakfast with great coffee options, and they had loads of desserts, pastries, and even gelato. Their french toast was nice and fluffy. The Eggs Benedict were very good, but they did have just a slightly overwhelming hint of vinegar. It's understandable since they're eggs came out so perfect, and it wasn't a bad flavor, just slightly noticeable. Both the salmon and the bacon options were tasty. Definitely recommend!

Great location, old style interior from 60's, overall vibe is awesome, friendly staff, prompt service. Fine coffee from humming bird and delicious cheesecakes Very much recommended if you are into the dark side and the ghetto atmosphere with lots of graffiti and chipped away paint.

Longtime classic Wellington cafe, survived the pandemic and is “same as it ever was!” Amazing looking dinner plates coming out of the kitchen, and a full array of delightful desserts.

Went in for a coffee and got served by the small red haired girl. Super lovely girl made our experience enjoyable and made an awesome coffee! Looking forward to returning and getting the same level of customer service again.

Beautiful place to have a a great coffee and lunch. The staff members are friendly and helpful and are willing to help you make decisions about their products. Good place to visit in the city centre of Wellington. It's also easy to find and relax for a while. The interior is street art and classic. So if you are in the area I really recommend this place to visit and enjoy.

Nice big bowls of coffee, food and vibes, in a good location, nothing to complain, worth of a visit.

Have been here for breakfast’s! Like the ambience of this place and love the location!

Loved the casual vibe, the artwork 🖼 and graffiti interior was really impressive. Liked the mocha coffee ☕️ with skin milk, had a strong taste that was not too sweet. The chicken 🐓 and avocado 🥑 salad 🥗 really impressed me a lot. For $16, I got a flavoursome salad with great portions of chicken complimented with a mix of roasted veggies.<br/><br/>Highly recommend for anyone wanting a wide range of favourite dishes in the heart of Courtenay place.

Walking in I didn’t have a great impression at all. I thought we would be seated, yet had to go to the counter to ask for menus and a table. Though the service was off, the quality of the food was impressive! The price for my Nachos was $18, and it was worth it. Was halfway done with my drink before the food came though. Overall was a good experience considering the price and quality of the food. Will come again 😁

enigma is one of the best places to eat in Wellington! the menu is super diverse as is the cabinet food, there are options for people of all dietary requirements and tastes. have tried approx half the menu, and all of the food is wonderful! drinks are great, meals are great, so are desserts and snacks. everything is so affordable as well! the atmosphere is really chill and very Wellington-esque, and the cafe is located centrally which is a bonus. love this place with every bit of my heart, my go-to 💜

Absolutely delicious and so reasonably priced. Cabinet food is also fantastic. Good atmosphere and all the staff is really lovely. Went here twice in the same day

Simply the place to go to! You can not fault this place when you need to go for a quick meal or even a small meal. I have been here multiple times and have ordered different meals on every occasion. 🙌🏽 A little cafe with a perfect location in the heart of a busy city. My partner absolutely loves their fettuccine + Cheesecake - Whenever we are in the city or driving by, we always stop here for a small cheeky dessert or Dinner to takeaway 😉👌🏽

This cafe is located in the heart of wellington central. I ordered fish n chips, fettuccine and bounty hot chocolate! It all tasted so good. They serve big one portion of king size main. In love with this cafe! Looking forward to try their other dishes.

The burgers are my favourite especially the enigma burger! I also love the milkshakes! The place has great variety in food- ice cream, gelato, desserts, drinks, and food!

Know that song that's heavily featured on tik tok about peoples crushes?<br/><br/>You could make a vid using all the goodness in the gelato freezer. Recommend their activated charcoal and coconut gelato.<br/><br/>Their scones are insanely large - perfect for sharing!<br/><br/>Ooh, ooh<br/>What? Oh yeah<br/>Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm<br/>Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm...<br/>

Affordable and yum. The portions are generous and the food always looks great and tastes flavourful. Cool decor and the cabinet food looks awesome too. Service is always great as well! Love this place

Nice staff and atmosphere, not amazing but definitely not bad. Solid amount of room and not too packed. Good lighting if you like to take insta photos. :) open late, which is a great plus.<br/><br/>As far as the food goes, we were pleasantly surprised that our wraps/choices from the cabinet came with a salad and sauce on the side. It tasted good, not great, but I was satisfied.<br/><br/>I would recommend as a good priced place for students.

Recently visited Enigma and I was so impressed I had to give them top points for <br/>1) service....on point, friendly, welcoming ✔️✔️<br/>2) THE FOOD!!!! Hands down THE BEST scrambled eggs I've had in Welly...yummy bread, nice chips and OMG if you haven't tried their Gelato....you're missing out.✔️✔️<br/>Very impressed...will definitely be going back very soon! <br/>Ohhh...I forgot to mention the coffee...I'm a fussy coffee snob but this place had GREAT coffee....not burnt, smooth and on point. ✔️✔️<br/>No funds have been recieved for this review! I mean every word! (😂)

Value for money, mainly for the student population, their interior decor is an eclectic mix of street/hipster/bohemian. Affogato is really good, especially with "after eight" (peppermint) dessert gelato!

Enigma cafe has the best chai lattes!!! <br/>The service is great and the staff are sooo awesome! <br/><br/>There’s an inside seating area and outside area, which is super convenient. <br/><br/>Enigma have a range of vegan baked goods and this is why I love them so much!

Love coming here! Easily one of the best pancake options in Wellington central. Been several times and although it can get a bit hectic and busy, staff always friendly and accommodating 🥞❤️ much love for this restaurant!

We had our lunch to celebrate my birthday. We ordered Beef Stroganoff and Pan Fried Sirloin Steak. They served big meals that one meal can accommodate 2 persons and its tasty.

Came in for dinner. Had a reservation at 7, came in late and staff were kind and flexible. Came in with 13 people (aged from 4years old to 67). Was seated outside, adults enjoyed the creation and design of the outdoor part. Celebrated a birthday there. Service was great. Waited a while. but it was worth the wait. We all enjoyed the food. All was very bloated after we had left. It was awesome we could bring in non-alcoholic drinks from outside of the cafe. As there was way to much of us to make seperate drink orders and we would’ve gone on 3+ rounds on drinks. <br/>Presentation of food was awesome and even tasted better and worth the value for sure. <br/>Kind staff when clearing up our tables. <br/>Awesome. Only thing.. salad smelt weird and tasted off on all of our meals that included salad. Only downer we had other than awesome

Went here last night with a group of 7 people and had the best time! I had the Halloumi Burger and it was delicious 😍 excellent friendly service and wicked atmosphere! Plus decent prices for mains as well would, definitely be returning!

Team breakfast here. 10 of us. 8:30am. We had a table inside. We were squeezed onto two tables but we added another one to give us room.<br/><br/>Ordered drinks. I ordered a regular soy flat white. I’ve had coffee from here before and for me it’s average and today was no exception. It’s ok.<br/><br/>I ordered the veggie breakfast but made it vegan by swapping the egg for avo.<br/><br/>Breakfast came out pretty quick, for half the table. The other half of our tables breakfasts didn’t come out till we had all finished. I did ask what the delay was, the waitress referenced her colleague who took the order stating she put the other meals through on a seperate order.<br/><br/>The thing is the place was virtually empty bar a couple of tables with no more than two people on so not sure what the delay was.<br/><br/>That said we all enjoyed our meals.<br/><br/>My meal was good. For a fry up it wasn’t greasy. The spinach was cooked well and I had a good helping of ketchup. It just needed some seasoning as it was a tad bland. But hat was fine<br/><br/>I would go back. It was enjoyable.

Unexpected location for a café, but nevertheless, lovely café with great breakfast options that are different from most breakfast places. Great for people with dietary requirements.

Have been going to Enigma for years. Can’t stay away from the halloumi burger and their fries/wedges! Decor is funky and staff to match. Great place for late night snacks too.

Enegma has been our go to place for brunch for a long time. If you want delicious cafe food in the CBD, this place should be on your list. The place has a laid-back environment and decor with posters and graffiti on the wall. We ordered the nachos to share (a photo attached). Just amazing. Highly recommend this place. They also do gelatos and ice cream sandwiches :)

My childhood friend took me here, first impression; groovy, hip, cool, I like it. Had the Lasagna (meat of cause) with hot chocolate. First of the hot chocolate was amazing, not to hot, with a good amount of cream (people call it foam ect.) not too sweet just how I like it. <br/>Now the Lasagna was delicious, great portions with salad and sauce but there was just something about it, something was missing it might be just me but I felt that something was missing. Overall the food was great!! :D<br/> <br/>Oh, and the people had great service!!

Somehow I always find myself at this cafe, cheap prices for big meals. Can’t beat it! The groovy set up makes for a great place for everyone. My favourite is the $14 beef burger, one of the cheapest in town with the best value!

Food is good with decent sized portions. I had the French Toast which tasted really good. The decor is really cool and hip, kind of retro and quirky. Staff are good and friendly. Definitely a cool place to go with a friend

My favorite place. <br/>Top notch picks <br/>Gnocchi bacon and mushroom <br/>Roast veg risotto <br/>Makes me sad writing this review as I'm in Akld now. <br/>Desserts are worth a mention too they are delicious!

Wanted something tasty and reasonably priced so thought to give this place a go as it's always busy when I walk by. I wasn't disappointed. The price was very reasonable and the size of dishes was big enough for most hungry stomach. We had steak and grilled chicken breast and both were very tasty. However the cream sauce fir the chicken was a bit watery and could be improved. Overall, a nice place to grab a hearty meal.

Great food and experience every time. Very handy that it is open late into the evening when craving a hot drink! The fries are awesome and great portion size! Thanks guys

Massive coffees available. Good selection of food on the counter and hearty menu all at good prices. Milkshakes could be a bit better, I had one which just tasted like warm cream. Fish and chips are good and come with a generous portion of fries. Service here is efficient and friendly, if you want to pop in for a quick lunch you can do so!

I love this place! For $14 you get a huge burger (bigger than at any restaurant) with egg, bacon, beef the lot! The cheesecakes and gelato are great too. We find ourselves coming back to enigma all the time for a cheap, quality meal.

We were in Wellington a few months ago, one of our friends had recommended this place to us. Walked in & the place was busy, but luckily there was a table available for 7 people. The place looked nice. Greeted by friendly staff, & we were given the menus. Menu looked great & cabinet food was available! Yummy! We made our orders, & didn't have to wait long. I had the eggs bene with bacon, spinach & hollandaise sauce. It was perfect! My group enjoyed their meals too. Service was very good. The place was warm & inviting. Staff were great. Thank you!

Pretty bloody good. <br/><br/>Beautiful cabinet of cakes- passion fruit cheesecake and chocolate berry tart are the goodies. <br/><br/>Great looking burgers, decent portion wedges and cool 'wellingtonian' vibes. <br/><br/>Apart from the pigeons out back, it's done well. <br/><br/>One of the great quirky must sees for Wellington visitors

A staple in central Wellington. Casual and relaxed atmosphere. Always busy and attracts a mixed crowd: students, businessman, artists, rugby players, and tourists. Opens until quite late and there is an outside sitting area on the back. Large variety of food from both menu and counter. Food tastes great, and the portions are huge! The only problem here is the toilet, which is quite worn, dirty and smelly. Avoid the toilet at all cost!

Had the big Breakfast very good this place doesn't look that great but food very good. coffee was also great the best I've had in town over the last two days!🤙

Their ice chocolates are legit the best~Always come here with friends to hang out and chill!I heard that out back used to be a smoking area but that got changed which is fine but I like having the occasional cigarette while talking and eating with friends :)

Huge portions decent priced! Great to pop in any time for a decent sized meals and good service hip cafe very positive vibes! Coffees aren't too bad either

A late night Wellington staple. It's a little grimey which I like. Excellent coffee, great selection of cakes at an excellent price, affordable wine by the bottle. I like coming here very late for a quiet tipple and a cheeky piece of cake away from the crowded bars and bustling madness of Courtney Place.  It can get absolutely rammed during the day, so I prefer popping in here at night for sure. If you haven't been you should.

Great food and service with a nice environment. The quality and amount of food served was definitely worth it. This was my favourite place to eat while in Wellington!

Sadly the great staff seem to have gone, they no longer serve you at the food counter (no signage either they just ignore you).<br/>The famous garlic mushrooms have shrunk to two bits of toast and two cut up mushrooms.<br/>The end of a Wellington institution....

Great spot to grab some good counter food with a varied menu as well. I especially like that you can get almond milk! Always had quick service and they do great sweet treats - open till late as well. Feels like the big brother to midnight espresso

The food is amazing!!The portion sizes seem to fit for the king!!!However,it's a bit narrow place which quite took some pleasure off from me.And there is something to actually pay attention to is the service.The guy at the counter,well,like my card initially was declined, he seemed annoyed and unfriendly immediately which amazed me a lot.Also,we ended up taking some food away and it took ages to get it done though it seemed like the place was full.Lots of flexibility to improve in service.

Amazingly similar to midnight espresso in the sense of Cuban interior and ruffled late night scone and lattes. This is a great place to bring friends on late nights out on Courtney but also a relaxed place to grab a milkshake during the daytime. Staff could be a bit more polite and friendly.

Heard alot about this place so finally got a chance to visit this place(as it was fortunately sunnyday). Well I went to this place with my hubby around lunch time and it was jam packed, we had to wait for around 10-15 mins to get the table. My husband placed the order which was greek salad for me and pan fried chicken with mushrooms for him with 2 coffees (latte and mocha).<br/>I was not expecting my meal on my table in just 5 mins which was quite impressive due to its busy hours.<br/>I cant eat feta cheese which was there in greek salad so i asked the staff if they can replace the meal they did it happily which was again a positive point i found. <br/>My hubby's meal was large and was mouth watering. I loved the creamy mushrooms, their chips were nice n crispy n chicken was properly done.<br/>I would definitely want to visit this place again and would definitely recommend it.<br/>

Loved this cafe. Very busy with great atmosphere. Good selection of food all reasonable prices. We went on a busy Friday night for dinner. I got a pan fried tofu burger while my friend got a chicken burger. $14 for the burgers which came with fries and we got a garlic bread to share which was $6. Very very yummy and portion sizes were pretty large we ended up taking some away. Will definitely be back next time.

I've been visiting Enigma for a few years now and it is one of my top cafes in Wellington! The atmosphere is unique and friendly, the value for money on the food is incredible and the coffee is great. Recently they have also been offering almond milk as a dairy alternative alongside soy milk which really shows they respond well to what customers want.

Yasss ! Enigma Cafe ! Always go here and the best thing is the gelato hmmm yum ! The burger the salad and i ordered something more were really good big portion good price ! Loving the place and such a good place to chill !

Definitely a place to go if you're ever in Wellington. I stopped here with my partner for breakfast. Decent sized servings, reasonable pricing and delicious food- even the cabinet food looks Amazing and I look forward to trying some of it. My partner had the hash brown bacon buttie which was a generous 2-3 hash browns, plenty of bacon and hollandaise sauce in bread and I had the pancakes with bacon and banana. After stealing some of his meal I decided both were just as good as each other. Would definitely visit again.

Great cafe to stop and have lunch. A wide range of options available on the menu. We had gnocchi with bacon and spinach, steak sandwich and shared a gelato for afters. Would recommend to anyone searching out an easy going place for a bite to eat

Handy location and open for long hours. Had a wonderful French toast with banana and bacon plus a cup of latte for breakfast the other week. Sesame and green tea Gelato are always my favorites.

Came here cause it was rather busy inside. So must be a good thing. I was right. The staff were friendly laid back. The food was obviously made by the chef them self in the kitchen. Everything felt home made. Really great port in sizes. Was only down for the weekend and I went every day. Can't wait to come back.

Visiting Wellington over the Waitangi weekend for an exhibit and catch up with friends.<br/><br/>On Saturday, we decided to go have lunch at Enigma with a friend of ours who lived in Wellington and suggested this place.<br/><br/>Upon entering, it was a spacious café with pop/hip graffiti art style decor on the wall. The atmosphere was nice and the café seemed well kept and orderly.<br/><br/>The food in the cabinet seemed fresh and appetising. They were a pretty generous portion for the price, compared to a lot of cafés I've seen (in Auckland).<br/><br/>I fancied myself a salmon bagel ($8) from the cabinet and the lady who took my order offered to toast it for me when I asked if I could heat it up a little to take the chill off from the fridge.<br/>My friend got the daily special which involved a jerk chicken burger and fries for the side. My other friend got something from the menu as well.<br/>For drinks one of us ordered an iced mocha and a the others spicy berry tea for two.<br/>The iced mocha was a very generous serving. I'm sure there were at least 2 cups in that serving! The flavour was very nice and smooth, and the coffee was not overpowering.<br/>The berry tea was acidic but with a slightly sweet aftertaste. I liked it a lot and drank about 4 cups.<br/><br/>My salmon bagel came served on a plate with a side of salad, and a mysterious chutney-type relish that tasted like it was onion based. It was nice, but not quite my thing.<br/>The bagel was deeeeelicious! The salmon was toasted so it was seared on the edges but the inner part was still raw - perfect! The avocado was fresh and the accompanying condiments were flavourful and fresh as well. The sour cream/mayo sauce was creamy but not overly rich, which went very well. There were also capers in my bagel which I quite liked!<br/>The bagel itself was crispy from the toasting but still remained soft enough to chew without drying/hurting my mouth cavity! A+.<br/>My friend's jerk chicken combo was a very hearty portion for $14. There were a lot of chips! Which upon seeing how many chips there were, she was more than glad to offer us some (I'm not complaining!). <br/>Everyone was really happy with their food, very delicious, the staff was attentive and took away our plates when we were done, the atmosphere was nice, and we had a good catch up.

Ordered a Mango Milkshake, and a Beef Burger. For $14 was good value, I liked how how the burger came with a side of fries and a decent amount of sauce. Also a perfectly fried egg in the burger was a satisfying compliment to wipe the leftover bun with. <br/>Milkshake tasted a bit artifical, yet still totally drinkable. <br/>The atmostphere sitting in the "conservatory" outside was kinda dim and dirty. The mosquitos were kind of a bad look. <br/>The water cups didn't look invitingly clean.<br/>Overall service was friendly, food was quick and reasonably priced. Good music. <br/>Not the best vibe, a clean up would do this place justice.

Life is too short for bad food you will not have that problem here.<br/>Great food good portion size,<br/>Fresh tasty gnocchi was light & delightful the spicy tandoori chicken Greek Salad refreshing tasty full of flavour <br/>Don't be put off by the slightly student ghetto look a brilliant find and very good value.<br/>Go there!!!

A busy cafe, great to come for some<br/>Breakfast.. The pancakes and a milkshake seem to hit the spot and set you up for the day. They have a good selection of ice cream and hot drinks as well as a liquor license, which is always a winner. <br/><br/>It has a neat outdoor area where you can smoke and just gives the place that extra dimension to choose from when getting some food or just having a quick coffee / chai

Good is pretty good, I had the wedges with cheese and bacon and it was well cooked and seasoned, they also have a unique selection of gelato one of which is green tea, while it sounds gross it is actually rather tasty. All in all service and food are good, only downside is the decor is a bit aged

Usually I am the biggest advocate for enigma but one Monday instead of the usual amazing gluten free bread that's puffy and soft and fresh fruit (see photos) I was given thin, supermarket, white GF bread I would never pay $7 for, and fruit with yoghurt that looked like it came straight out of a can and full of juice in the bowl aka soggy. <br/>Usually great but not today.. Ask before you order.<br/>Everything else has always been quick cheap and delicious! Photos show it :)

Lovely staff and industrial atmosphere here<br/><br/>I had pancakes with fruit and a flat white. The pancakes were drool worthy! So fluffy on the inside and subtle crisp side <br/><br/>I will be returning on my next trip to Wellington

Enigma has a lot going for it; location, size, decor, I just wish they would hit it out of the park with a point of difference that would take the whole place up a notch. This is the sort of place I go to for a coffee catch up with a friend, which is what I did today. The menu is fairly standard cafe fare (I had an omelette), the coffee is average and the service is above average. They do have a gelato selection which is popular - I think they could play on this (dessert bar in the evening) to make this an "it" kind of place.

Always came to Enigma at night when I was craving of something sweet and wanted to have a cup of coffee.<br/><br/>The place has a huge selection of cakes and it's reasonably cheap. The flavour isn't really wowing but good enough for a snack while catching up with friends. Favourite so far is their chocolate cake. Classic.<br/><br/>Coffee was okay and the place looks a bit dodgy.

Been there only two times but so far not disappointed. And to be honest I don't think I'll ever will be. I haven't tried the savory food, really just sticking to the sweet side. Their cakes are great and they fill you up, got to tried 3 of them so far and do love them. Portions are generous, and the cakes are tasty which is not so frequent in Wellington !

Ive been to many cafes and enigma always offer cheap and good brunch.. I had eggs benedict today and it was yummy. Their coffees are good too.. What i dont like is the tables and chairs but I think thats not really important..

Nice place, good service. Fresh food and delicious dessert :) :) :) every time I come to this place everything is very good. All the dishes had a lot of flavors.

Was looking for a place for dinner and passed by Enigma. Loved the Retro interior and the layback atmosphere. I had Beef Nachos my friend the chicken Filo. Both dishes were really yummy. It was licensed so we enjoyed a Cider and wine with the food. The cabinet food eg. cakes looked great and i went for the Banana cake with chocolate icing. They also sold Gelatto which seemed to be very popular. We finished off with coffee which was spot on. Would recommend a visit.

Me and my friend arrived at Enigma to have some good time for a Sunday afternoon. It turned out to be a very huge disappointment. This is the third time I found the staff extremely rude and inappropriately sarcastic to me and my offer. Specifically, it was the front staff - male, with glasses on, around 5ft7. I ordered flat white (large) and my friend hot chocolate (large), in which we didn't care how big that was. However, this guy kept explaining to us the measurement of the cup 'Big like this or like this blah blah' with that kind of sarcastic look and rude attitude. OK, so I ignored that thing. And then, the biggest drama I got over and over again is that whenever I asked for a "flat white (WITHOUT sugar please)", that guy kept questioning my order and sarcastically talked back 'Why?.' I mean are you seriously kidding me?. You want to know why?. Because it's my business. <br/><br/>P/S: You guys are not the only one decent cafe here, so fix your problem and shitty attitude. We customers don't come over there to have that kind of service and attitude. Bye felicia! <br/>

Enigma is a funny old beast, I actually frequent here quite often but I'm getting to the point where one dish doesn't make the place. (Pan fried chicken breast mmmmmm). Dude, this place literarily fluctuates between a 3-4 star quality place on the regular, and can sometimes offer below 3 quality outings. <br/><br/>Sometimes their food is fresh as hell and tastes amazing, and then their service let's it down. Then on other days, the food is bad and service great - very rarely have both been on point.<br/><br/>This place should strive for some consistency and it could be a really great place i'd regular at more often. They've lost the ability to be the smokers haven as their outdoor area is now smoke free, at the moment convenience is keeping them in the race. Don't get me wrong, this place still is a hive of activity for many of the points I listed, can do great food in a great location - sometimes. <br/><br/>Enigma if you crack the consistency game - you'll see a lot more paying customers drinking, eating and being merry. This is just one humble eaters opinion. <br/><br/>Snuck by with a 3.5 for past encounters but today was def a 3, ingredients in this burger wore not fresh - but it was a good portion so cheers for that.

Yummy beef lasagne for cheap... Always a win. Service was friendly enough. I've walked past this place many times and never looked twice, but it's a little hole in the wall with potential. <br/>Definitely going to try it again sometime.

Enigma is a great place with one of the best locations in wellington I feel. The staff are always nice to me and my friends and we have had many after work coffees and a place where we tend to make our plans for the day. I love the gelato ice cream sandwichs OMG salted caramel cookies is bomb like good for ur soul type of ish and the ice coffees are nice and strong unlike the Starbucks sugary B.S. LOVE THIS PLACE YUM

Everytime I say E-nig-ma I have to say it like Dr Evil. (Mmmmag-ma) I was here for a coffee when I was visiting a while back... (man I drink a lot of coffee) and you guys do alright! Well I mean Wellington does have more cafes n Bars than New York ? <br/>per capita so naturally competition is high. Interesting vibe! But I like it!<br/><br/>Lovely array of gelato, thanks for the taste tester!

Been there a few time, atmosphere is quite vintage/retro themed. Staff are very polite and food is average for its price. If you're looking for a cheap eat with a hipster vibe this is the place

Perfect environment to catch up after a long day! They also make brilliant cakes (Lime and White Chocolate Cheesecake - GENIUS!) and the ambience was pretty good. My only grudge is I didn't discover this place earlier...

Enigma is a quirky cafe & bar located on Courtenay Place, Wellington. It's loved by many and its atmosphere described as relaxed and cozy with a strong hipster vibe. With its graffiti-style decor, old-fashioned tables & seats and colourful lights & lettering, Enigma is certainly a unique cafe and bar for those who enjoy quality dining in a down-to-earth environment.<br/><br/>Enigma is decorated with its name written in graffiti-style writing on one wall, while the other is covered in posters promoting various performing arts and cultural events in Wellington. There's a ton of food and (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) beverage options available from the main menu, the cabinet for lighter savoury options, the dessert cabinet, and the breakfast menu, available until 5pm. My partner was delighted at this and chose to try out their Big Breakfast from the menu. I chose an old favourite, the Smoked Salmon & Prawn Risotto infused with vodka, and we added Berry Cheesecake as dessert.<br/>My partner and I have had several 'big breakfasts' around Wellington, including at Espressoholic and Dixon St Delicatessen. However, we absolutely loved Enigma's Big Breakfast. When it arrived, we were surprised at the large portion size: the Big Breakfast included bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, sausages, eggs, hash browns and toast, which were all served very generously! Though some of the breakfast was a little oily, Tim thoroughly enjoyed his meal, especially the sausages (I myself loved the juicy mushrooms.) My Smoked Salmon & Prawn Risotto was also of a large portion as I only managed to finish half. While there is no taste of the vodka it is infused with, the risotto was full of delicious but subtle flavour, with juicy prawns hidden inside. <br/><br/>I found the risotto to be wonderful in texture, not too soft and soggy or too hard like rice, but just the right creamy consistency. My partner and I both found our meals very filling and satisfying that we could barely fit the Berry Cheesecake in!<br/><br/>Nonetheless, we also enjoyed our little dessert, which I found to be the perfect balance between sweet and tangy. The biscuit base gave it a balance of textures and it was served with cream, while yogurt was also a choice.<br/><br/>Overall, my partner and I enjoyed our brunch at Enigma. The service was friendly and prompt, with our meals served within 10 minutes, and the meals themselves were delicious and generously portioned. Moreover, we always enjoy the relaxed atmosphere Enigma provides; with the easygoing, chilled out vibe, it's fine dining quality without the fancy dress code!

Say what you want about Enigma but I always get a great coffee when I go there. Cheap food, beautiful slices, cakes and now ice cream! Food always comes out faster than expected of most places. <br/><br/>Always happy to cater to your needs- add thing/ take things out of a meal.<br/><br/>Some staff seem to love working there, others not so much so room to improve staff's happiness in the work place perhaps?<br/><br/>Things to try<br/>Coffeeeeee!<br/>Nachoes<br/>Feta and spinach wraps- ask for the side salad to be amped up a bit with avo and tomato and its the perfect meal.

We ate a banoffee cheesecake after a long search for a cheesecake on a Sunday night,the place is really nice,price is reasonable expensive and except for the counter girl that was a little bit grumpy,everything else is nice ;)

Went to Enigma while in Wellington recently for coffee and cake. The coffee here is good and the food is about average. I had caramel slice. The caramel was silky and rich but the base and the chocolate on the top were a bit disappointing. The fridge they keep the sweet treats in is too cold so the base had gone really hard and wasn't crumbly. The chocolate on the top was rock hard. Really good caramel slice is hard to come by these days and i'm afraid Enigma's efforts fall short. I glanced at the lunch/dinner menu which looks quite good and reasonably priced, i'd be keen to go back and try the lasagna some time. The atmosphere is pleasant and the service was good.

Used to love it here at first then I started seeing true colors of this place. The cleaner likes to hover around you outside to clear tables and sneak in a quick smoke. The atmosphere is dull outside the lighting could be better. Lately I have been noticing a large number of people taking over the outside area and playing card games with yelling and swearing as well. Which is not inviting and I thought the staff would have said something since this is not the first time.

Sat in back area with my coffee on Saturday,<br/><br/>A really scrawny pigeon landed on my table and I scared it away, as it flew away a small feather and a lot of black (who knows what) stuff from its wings landed in my coffee, I complained to one of the waitresses and she shrugged it off and didn't offer a replacement or anything.<br/><br/>Unhappy as Enigma was one of my fave regulars.

These reviews must be from a different era, because this is by far the friendliest cafe, with the best value, best variety, and best attitude in all of Wellington. A wonderful mix of people go in there -- you see hipsters just as much as an old couple or a teenage date.<br/><br/>Gelato, homemade cakes, beer, mixed drinks, milk shakes, fantastic menu with generous portions, limited free wi-fi. It's never too loud to talk.<br/><br/>It could use a few more power outlets and soft-cushion booths or couches, in my opinion, but that applies to all of Wellington.<br/><br/>See you there; I'm there at least thrice a week.

When I read those rude reviews I just feel sad. I think Enigma is a great little relaxed cafe especially for the young, smokers, mothers with kids etc. The food is generous and well cooked. It is a great place to meet teens and relaxed young friends who don't have loads of cash. I have been going to Enigma for years and it hasn't let me down. I don't mind the birds and a bit of grunge with good coffee, lovely staff, well they are to me. Maybe its not the best place for ocd clean freaks as the loos are a bit funky but I think it provides great value for money. Scram and mushrooms good. Simple things done well and generously.

After recovering from your initial confusion about whether Enigma is actually a bar or cafe, you are greeted by a run-down cafe interior with flies and birds flying all around you. <br/>Espresso beverages and coffee is poor, with little attention paid to detail, flavour, presentation and texture. <br/>The food is abysmal, with no real consistency. Food tastes different every time I visit and order the same thing. <br/>Service leaves something to be desired, with staff having no real understanding of what customer service is all about.

Love this place. The burgers are great, all the menu food I've tried has been great and their cabinet food is good, though can be dry if you get there towards the end of the day. Their three coloured cake with dark chocolate, white chocolate and strawberry is delicious. The wedges are my favourite thing at the end of a night out! Lush hot chocolates too. Have always had friendly and chatty staff.

I had a burger here and was very impressed with it. Although I was in a rush I found that I couldn't leave this meal to be left sitting. Usually drop by only for coffee but was very impressed with the meal so will be coming back for more.<br/><br/>Well priced too - bonus!

Best wedges I've had in a long time and really good coffee. Unfortunately staff were dismissive and quite rude. Very much a "can't be bothered" attitude.

I do not know how you could find so many atrocious mannered workers. Staff are sarcastic, impatient and down right rude. Staff smoke in the customer area and then handle food. Often meals are removed from table before customer finishes -awkward. Terrible music and rowdy asians. Food tastes like it's a few months old. Cashier staff will have you walking back out the door you came through before you even have time to say 'hello'.

Flies in the cabinets. All the times. Seriously quite put off when checking out the cabinet food only to be distracted by the flies buzzing inside. Iced chocolate wasn't bad and they have an ok selection of gelato. Service was quick, but the foh staff don't seem to be interested in smiling, except for the lovely girl serving the ice cream.

I do love coming here for coffee. <br/><br/>The meals are great value for money. Nothing 5 star though. <br/>I came here and tried cheesecake and carrot cake. Both were substandard. Not sure whether they were kept too long in the cabinet or just overcooked (both very dry)<br/><br/>This cafe has so much potential. Just lacks a bit of the advanced cooking/baking skills needed to make this place great.

went here today on my lunch break my meal took half an hour when i finally recieved it i had about 8m to eat it not very enjoyable, i usually love the ice chocolates but who ever made this one done a horrible job i.spent $25 on lunch which isnt cheap and was completly unsatisfied with the service/food and timeframe. i would be happy if they had let me know of the waiting time before as i would have a chance to go somewhere else but i was not given that option therefore very unhappy with enigma cafe

This is the best cafe in Wellington.<br/>Everything I've had off the menu or from the cabinets has been amazing. The only negative is that the spinach and feta scones are either SUPER INCREDIBLE SPECTACULAR or really lacking in both spinach and feta. This is only about 15% of the time though. For $3.50 I don't really mind too much though.

The nachos were great value for your $. The caesar salad had a great dressing and generous portions of ingredients. The fettuccine was I wonderful end to a terrible day as it is very much comfort food. <br/><br/>Deserts and cakes are fantastic and paired with a delicious coffee with a liquor can cure any Aile. <br/><br/>The staff could smile a bit more. the bathrooms could use a bit of work but other than that it's ok.<br/><br/>The outside area is a bonus for a smoker

Good cafe offerings in town late on a Friday night are few and far between. Enigma has a late license and is open until the wee small hours for coffee and cafe style food. They offer a good range of counter food and a basic blackboard menu. Last night, the chicken, mushroom and bacon filo from behind the counter looked appealing. Unfortunately, once it was nuked, it morphed into something resembling a greasy, soggy mush. Being really hungry by this time, I pursued and finished things off with a piece of apple berry crumble. The shortbread crumble was a bit dry but went ok with cream. A big plus was the great service from staff who were friendly, cheerful and entertaining on a busy Friday night.

Has always been my favorite place to go since last October. The coffee is great, nice environment, except one of the Asian girl (Japanese!?) who works there is extremely rude. We go there really often but every time we meet that girl, we always get really disappointed. For example, we were waiting to order by the counter, and the girl was there but she just ignored us and chat with her friend. We asked for help a few times but she just pretended as she couldn't hear us. So then we had to wait for ages until the other guy came to serve us. <br/>And there was a few other times she just dumped the coffee on our table instead of giving to us nicely ! We weren't treated like customers at all. I've never experienced anything like this before. <br/>On top of that, her facial expression is always grumpy and unfriendly which is unacceptable !!!!<br/>Except her, everyone else is really nice and friendly! She really lets the team down ! <br/> Enigma is a nice place but we're not sure if it's still our first choice to go next time anymore !

Up until yesterday I would have rated Enigma as four stars, or even five. I have been going there for years. The coffee is consistently good, the food is nice, and the atmosphere is rather relaxed. <br/><br/>However my opinion of the place changed yesterday; went there for a coffee and the staff had allowed a group of teenage girls with two Pomeranian dogs in, and the dogs were being allowed to run all over the tables and urinate in the outdoor seating area. The hair from the dogs was going everywhere, so I ended up with dog hair on my table and in my coffee. Absolutely disgusting, and breaks food safety legislation too. <br/><br/>Enigma truly let themselves down by doing so; no matter how nice their coffee is, I will be going elsewhere from now on where I don't get dog hair in my coffee nor potentially become ill from canines being put on tables. <br/><br/>Most disappointed.

Landed here pretty late and were refused food since the kitchen had shut :( However the desserts on display looked so delicious, we came back here after dinner. And what a good decision! There were 6 of us so we ordered 3 different desserts; double scoop - Mint and Chocolate Gelato, the White Chocolate Cheesecake and the Banoffee pie. The Cheesecake was simply out of this world! Rich and creamy, with the right texture - just delicious! My next favorite was the Gelato - so smooth and so yummy. Being a big chocolate lover, mint looked half as good next to chocolate. But the combination of the two was fantastic.<br/>Didn't get to try the Banoffee Pie but it looked damn good. All of these were gone within seconds, enough to say we had a great time there - we were out of there within 15 minutes. The place has a cozy, warm ambiance, nice to catch up with an old friend over coffee. However, if you're looking for proper food make sure you get there on time! Otherwise their desserts section is always open till late in the night.