Review The Lido Cafe - Wellington

Nice little cafe / restaurant. Has a good location and really friendly staff. They do combination of German / french cuisine. Plates are a fairly good size despite the advice fr the waiter 😂 (we wished we ordered less) The only downside is the space. It can get bit too crowded and cozy. Prices are ok-ish for what it is

An old favourite and have been eating here since the 1980s. The Lido is likely one of Wellington's first real 'cafes' with more than fried eggs on toast and instant coffee in the eighties. The brunches are always sorted and coffee excellent. Not sure how many owners it's gone through but I have not had a bad meal here in 23 plus years which is amazing. Today's latte and eggs Benedict is no different.

Awesome restaurant! We had a dinner there and it was lovely! Great wine selection and beautiful food. The staff was really friendly and knew the menu well.

Fantastic re-boot for a stodgy and unwelcoming “institution”. Thank God for all the light that now pours in through the café’s excellent position, and a change in vibe from hostile dive to warm and welcoming restaurant. The upgraded menu is superb, with a broad range of tastes and flavor that best encapsulate Kiwi cuisine as better than the rest of the world at their own dishes. Excellent labneh and dukkah easily beat out Middle Eastern originals, pumpkin and cashew fritters bring comfort food to the table by way of Malay flavours. The drinks list is also impressive with sugar-free fizzies, an inviting array of sakes and even Bru Kvas for the indulgent and intrepid. The beer list offers up the best craft beers from Garage Project, Tuatara, and Kereru among others and the wine list portends to the sommelier’s real love for setting the list. Made true when discussing food and drink with the friendly staff. Go here for lunch and stay on til dinner, the offerings are worth it, putting quality food down at good prices. And enjoy an Aperol spritz while you observe the new clientele, an excellent departure from the grumpy, fat people who used to complain about small portions of chips and busy staff.

The Lido for brunch came highly recommended and while the food (Avocado on toast with haloumi) was OK, it was the service I enjoyed the most. Very friendly and welcoming staff who were attentive and conversational which I really appreciate.

I've been going to The Lido for over 20 yrs and i still love it. There's a reason it's been around for so long, which is that it does what it does very well, and is consistent. Service was good, food was prompt and my pancakes with berry coulis and mascarpone were yum-o 🙂

Such a good breakfast spot. Great service, good atmosphere and fantastic menu. I had the vegan gluten free breakfast tacos and they were great. I am not vegan or gluten free they just looked so good on the menu. Would definitely return :)

Lido is consistently one of my favourite cafes in Wellington. The coffee and food are delicious (and it certainly helps that they have a well rounded wine list and selection of brunch cocktails!) The service is always welcoming and lovely, whether you're there with a group or by yourself, in for a quick coffee or lingering for the afternoon; it's the perfect spot for all situations! I haven't been in for dinner yet, but can't wait to do so. I recently had the corn and haloumi fritters and they were delicious! Good flavours, very filling, with a light salad and tasty chutney on the side to cut through it. Perfect with a glass of red for a late lunch! Thanks to everyone at Lido!

Really cute atmosphere and staff are lovely. Portions sizes are generous! Some vegan options and lots of gluten free options. I'll definitely be back.

Wow! Beautiful meal here tonight. We've been coming here for years....it's got better and better. We love the Tapas menu. Its the new way of eating....abit of everything. Tonight we tried cocktails for the first time and they were perfectly made, sweet but not sickly...alcoholic but not bitter and drunken. It's dark and intimate...dark, smouldering glow. After 20 years, the Lido continues to be my favourite Wellington restaurant....actually Aotearoa and that's saying something. Come here and leave your ego and hangups at the door...it's a chill place for very chill people only...

This was the culinary highlight of my trip to Wellington! Food was fresh and so so delicious, staff was really friendly and the prices are fine as well. Definitely a must-go for every foodie!

My 'soup of the day' place. 11.50$ for a delicious veggie soup, you can ask for a whole grain bread to be served with it. Plenty of yummy salads as well.

Fantastic menu and pleasant staff, recommended, we'll visit again

Absolutely delightful. My favourite is the kedgeree. But just coffee and cake is wonderful too.

Food was nice, service was nice but could go to better place to drink coffee

Awesome food, the bratwurst and brussel sprouts were exceptional. Parsnip chips were nice but not quite as good, I would have preferred that dish hot. I'd give them overall a 9.5 out of ten as you can always improve. One of the best places I've eaten in wellington.

Excellent, delicious food and a great selection of Mediterranean style dishes. Relaxed, informal vibe and pleasant staff. Party of 5 foodie adults for dinner Friday 10 Dec 2021. I hope this concept and food can be carried on somewhere else beyond 24 Dec 2021 - Wellington will miss this icon.

Food is excellent and consistent. The coffee has declined a little from a year ago

Fantastic new menu. Lots of vegetarian options. My meal was delicious. Will return soon.

Great location, especially loving the new look. I loved the food especially the fava bean hummus & eggs benedict. My go to coffee/food stop in Welly

Hot chocolate was lovely and looked fabulous with that art on it! The choc cookie was a bit average, could be a bit more buttery. Good location right next to the city gallery. I was there for a quick break before I went to the gallery:)

Went with group from work for lunch recently. I had been a regular here a few years ago, but I apparently has changed management/owners. It used to be a funky place to catch up for lunch and/or a coffee and had even held some business meetings here. Now it is very bland and sterile, and only one item on the menu was not vegetarian. 😦 Such a waste of a great location.

We went here for a breakfast during our trip in Wellington. Lovely service and food. Love the egg bene with hash brown instead of normal casserole bread. The Mexican egg was also great and really special, but was a little bit heavy for me during morning. Would come here again for the next time I visit Wellington.

Lovely spot for breakfast. I had the Mexican egg, which I really enjoyed. Although the egg was well done. Husband had the big breakfast, he was disappointed it didn’t have toast. Coffee and hot chocolate was great. Good seating. Friendly service. Good prices.

This is amazing cafe. It does not have the frizz but the food and service are truly top notch. I would thoroughly recommend this cafe. We will be back.

Came in while in Wellington, and had breakfast. went for the standard bacon and eggs and nice to see eggs were scrambled and cooked just how i like them. and the bacon used was a good quality bacon. really nice tasting stuff and cooked well.  will go back when next in town and try somethign else.<br/>everything others had looked good too. good friendly service from the guy who served us

Ordered a hot chocolate which was presented nicely but had no sweetness to it, and the cocoa on top was extremely bitter. Wait staff were okay but seemed a bit unfriendly though not impolite. Furniture was very fashionable but the walls and floor could do with redecorating. Not really any cabinet food. Was okay but Wouldn’t go back

Best chips...crunchy on the outside and super soft insides...yummy! Chicken tenderloin was nice too...but those chips! My friend had the haloumi and betroot salad...that looked amazing...im ordering that next time!

Excellent service but the lunch time menu is sadly completely lacking in interest. The chicken on mine was well seasoned , but just placed on a bland pile of slaw with no dressing.

Just popped in for a coffee. This place has such a chilled atmosphere. The windows make it ideal for people watching. Americano wasn't half bad, and the service was lovely. Look forward to returning for some grub!

The this place has good food and coffee, but I felt that the atmosphere was lacking a bit. Their menu is good, but it's not a place I'd come back to time and time again.

Went here for breakfast around 11am. The cafe offers a wide range in their brunch menu from coconut porridge to Caesar salad. I ordered a coconut chia pudding with grilled feijoa. The bowl was huge and the feijoa was very tasty. Overall and enjoyable meal with timely service.

I really enjoyed the food at the Lido when I was there a couple of weeks ago. We were a large group of about 10 people and our meals all came out at the same time which was great. I ordered the Mexican eggs with a side of avocado, the dish was fantastic and full of flavour. Perfectly cooked eggs and a dose of chilli made a winning combination. The service was friendly and the coffee was very good. I highly recommend this place for weekend brunch!

In Wellington recently with friends, we went into The Lido Café after WoW. It was quite busy on a Sunday night, but we found a table for six without too much difficulty. My salmon and potato cakes were very tasty and my friends' meals of kedgeree or salad looked equally delicious. While the others enjoyed their desserts (and yes, I did sneak a spoonful or two) I had a very nice flat white. We wanted to go back the next night but unfortunately it wasn't open.

Great brunch at The Lido this morning. Really attentive service (note it was quiet when we got there), decent coffee and solid food. Yes, that sounds like a lot of places...I think the point of difference is the brunch menu; they do classic breakfast dishes from around the world which means lots of variety. I think the decor is meant to be shabby chic but I think it could be updated a wee bit to give a funky atmosphere but that wouldn't stop me going back. Sorry, ate my meal so quick as it was yummy that I forgot to take pics!

Pretty noisy and a little cramp but coffee was hot and cabinet food of god quality. Like the atmosphere in there anyway. Staff friendly and good for people watching

A lido, according to Wiki is an outdoor bathing area, but its also a small Island in Venice. Quite how the café got its name I’m not entirely certain, but its seems to have been here for as long as I remember. For some reason, in my family, it was always a place where you could get good fries and decent coffee.<br/><br/>On this occasion it was the 16th stop in my quest for a decent cup of tea in Wellington (explanation at my first stop – Astoria). <br/><br/>The café is retro 1950s, modernist. It was cool at the millennium but is now starting to look rather jaded. Dark, duck egg ceilings, glass on two sides, formica-like and chrome tables, and dark brown, well used, café chairs. It’s probably in need of some work. The music was not intrusive. Demographics mid morning – a couple of business meetings, some tourists. <br/><br/>I ordered, from the very friendly lady at the counter, an English Breakfast Tea and an afghan.<br/><br/>The (t-Leaf) tea came in a largish 3? Cup stainless pot with cool milk and a warm, thick walled, ceramic cappuccino cup. The tea was in a long paper sachet that presumably had been filled at the café.<br/><br/>The tea when poured was of good colour, mild astringency, good flavour with the slightest hint of bergamot and lemon. I often get bergamot in EBT and wonder whether its because the teas (Earl Grey and EBT) have been kept close to each other or the Earl Grey leaves a scent on the pot. Perhaps also it’s a characteristic of these black teas that suggested the addition of bergamot to create Earl Grey. The tea was sufficiently good to maintain my interest through a whole cup. As with most thick cappuccino cup teas (which also have a large surface area – to show the surface texturing but also lose heat) the temperature was starting to fall off by the end.<br/><br/>The afghan was pleasant, not too dry.<br/><br/>1. Specialist tea offerings (the variety of unflavoured teas): 1/5<br/>2. Brew temperature (the likelihood that the tea was brewed with boiling water): 5/5<br/>3. Cup temperature (how much of a heat sink was the cup – a thick, cold pottery cup scores 0, a warm thin china cup scores 5): 2/5<br/>4. Milk requirements (was I asked about milk and what type of milk): 0/5<br/>5. Strength (too weak or strong =0, just right = 5): 4/5<br/>6. Taste (bad=0, excellent=5): 4/5<br/><br/>Lido’s Total 16/30<br/><br/>Scoreboard:<br/>Soho Brown : 8/30 (Harney’s – sachet)<br/>Sweet Bakery and Cakery : 9/30 (Harney’s – sachet)<br/>Bon Gusto : 10/30 (Twinings – tea bag)<br/>Bellagio : 11/30 (Twinings – tea bag)<br/>K and S Cafe : 11/30 (Harney’s – Satchet)<br/>Astoria : 11/30 (Enzo – loose leaf)<br/>Rosina’s : 11/30 (Bell - tea bag)<br/>Hangar : 11/30 (t-Leaf – loose leaf)<br/>Lamason : 12/30 (Twinings – tea bag)<br/>Ombra : 13/30 (Chai Ui – loose leaf)<br/>Hey George 16/30 (Stash – tea bag)<br/>Lido : 16/30 (t-Leaf - Loose leaf in sachet)<br/>Chocolate Frog : 17/30 (t-Leaf – loose leaf)<br/>The Little Tea Shop : 18/30 (Tea-Total - loose leaf)<br/>Louis Sargeant : 19/30 (?Harney’s – loose leaf in large sachet)<br/>Clark’s : 19/30 (Tea-total – loose leaf)<br/><br/>Next stop – Sweet Vanilla in the Hutt.

This cafe is almost iconic having been here for at least 20 years. I rejoice that gf/df options are easy to find on the menu. I had the kedgeree on my last visit, quite average, poached egg almost hard. I didn't rate an earlier breakfast either so trading on being a landmark rather than quality food sometimes.

I love this place.  A very friendly and comfortable cafe.  I come here every visit I make to Wellington, at least once.  A delicious menu with something for most tastes.  Coffees are great.

SUPERB!<br/><br/>This place got everything covered.. Central location, the restaurant has big circular widows looking at the central libraries plus some seating outside on sunny days.. Interior is manageable and cozy, suitable for two or group dining.<br/><br/>I ordered Mexican egg and my partner had eggs Benedict with extra spinach. The BEST Mexican egg I've ever tried.. It was delicious and full on! It came with curly tortilla chips that were just exciting :)<br/>Eggs Benedict was also good.. It came with potato cakes which was a good subtitute from soggy bread.. Misses, probably the salmon was very little for the portion..<br/><br/>Staff members were friendly and very quick with service.. Loving this place!<br/><br/>Will definitely come back for the Mexican eggs and coffees :)

Tried breakfast at The Lido on our first day in Wellington based on the large number of people eating here. It proved to be an excellent choice - food, coffee, service - all wonderful. So we ate here a couple more times before we left town

Very disappointed that they closed early on the evenings that the Wellington Jazz Fest was on. In the past the Lido was a great place to go to after a show, movies etc for late night music, wine, supper etc.

Thought it would be great as always looks packed. Waitress was terrible, got my drink order wrong and food order wrong. My companion's chicken burger was awful. Expensive mistake. Won't be going back .<br/>

Went here for the first time and was disappointed. Food in the pub is way better than this place. The aoili doesn't even taste like the real thing. It seems that it was watered down. Not coming back definitely.

I love the lido! I am NEVER disappointed. Brunch, lunch and dinner. All good! The menu changes with the season which is always a good sign. Have the haloumi. To die for!

Came here with four others for a mid-morning brunch on a weekday. Place was busy, but getting a table was no problem. Waitress was charming and to the point. No surprises on the menu - just your usual eggs benedict, french toast, bacon and eggs et cetera. I had the Sweetcorn &amp; Polenta Fritters, which were very 'plain jane' and underseasoned. Tasted doughy. However if I have anything to say about Lido, it is to beg the owners to get their loos refurbished - absolutely appalling state. Overall, the feel of the place was relaxed but un-special.

Had my first brekky of the New Year at the Lido and it was as good as ever. Yummy omelette with very tasty fillings, great coffee and excellent service. Hope you retrieved your outside chairs that the mighty Welly wind played with!

I really love this place - the food is excellent value and always well prepared and full of flavour. And the guys serving are so nice and friendly.<br/><br/>I had the fish of the day with a lemon and parsley salsa verde and my husband had the fish kedgery, which he LOVES, and I tried it - and yes, it is delicious!

I went to The Lido Cafe for dinner on Saturday night and had the tender loins it was to die for! My waiter's name was Jordan and he was very friendly and professional, I don't think I have enjoyed myself as much anywhere else for a long time. Give that boy a payrise good work team

Been brunching at the weekends at Lido for about 5 years now.<br/>Great food and great service.<br/>But not the coffee. Used to be ok but now it's too strong/bitter.<br/>Something has happened - don't know if they changed their beans or size of the cups or what. Have tried different coffee options but don't like what they serve now. I just drink the water there and after brunch I grab a Mojo.

Love going to Lido especially on weekends, as they have free live music..great idea guys! Love the coffee and location...and of course the music. Service is good too, but can get crowded and frustrating if you're waiting for someone on a busy day, but that's to be expected at a location like this.<br/><br/>Would suggest Lido to provide vegan food options and vegan cakes...I'm sure more people would become fans.<br/><br/>Great job, guys!

Currently writing this review outside lido after having something called a Chocolate Iced Milk, which was disgusting. Also sat next to me was one of the staff members eating a salad! The Man behind the bar was a nice enough chap but he politeness was overruled buy the cluster and mess the place was in. Sugar, salt, pepper, bottles and bowls of things are scattered everywhere and a wall covered in posters is quite distracting, as is the kiosk of tourist flyers buy the entrance. Loos went too bad just a bit run down paint flaking off the walls and again very cluster and cramped. <br/><br/>Great shame because it is in a good location and has potential to be a really good cafe.

18 May 2011<br/>A friend and I have just had lunch at the Lido and found it extremely disappointing.<br/><br/>The omlette was overcooked and rubbery and after several attempts to eat it my friend gave up and ate the salad instead. <br/>My vegetable soup was bland and I needed to add more salt and pepper to it.<br/><br/>When the waiting staff came to clear the plates (after some time had passed) we gave her feedback, which she said she would pass onto the chef. She did not come back to our table to give us an update on what the chef had said. <br/>When we went to pay the bill my friend reiterated the problem with the omlette and the person at the counter said "Oh, people come in specially to have the omlette". At no stage was there an apology or an offer of a discount off the bill.<br/><br/>Overall we were disappointed in the food and in particular their lack of apology or acknowledgment of the problem with the omlette.<br/><br/>We will not be returning or recommending it to others.

We have dined at Lido for many, many years now - mostly for breakfast and brunch, and have found it consistently excellent in its food, service, location and pricing. Its coffees are the best in the City as far as we are concerned - we often will go there right across town or even into town from our suburban home in the mornings just to get a great coffee 'fix' to set up the day. Its food is consistently good and cost-effective relative to other cafes in Wellington. Its location is perfect for people watching and for watching the city go about its business, and while being a little tight inside made it more difficult to access with a pushchair once we had our sons (3 years ago), they always try to accommodate and find a spot for us. They are flexible in adjusting meals which many places are not these days - they'll substitute one ingredient for another for instance. And they've always been perfectly friendly to us. The same principles apply as anywhere - treat them like people (rather than servitude lower beings as I've seen a few customers do) and they respond with personable and professional service. We just love it there - it's our home away from home!!

Having read the last unbalanced, unhinged review I feel I have to give, my hopefully more educated and reasonable opinion of the Lido.<br/>The Lido is what it is - a Wellington icon. Busy, cramped and always on the go. This is why we go and part of the reason it has been around for 20 years. It has a buzz that only an inner city cafe can have. If you do not want you chair nudged by a busy waiter a couple of times then this is not the place for you. Go down the road and pay $50 a main and then you can have all the space around your table you want.<br/>The Lido offers good food (best sausages and chips in town) but the chef comes up with some cracking dishes for the amount of people this place serves. The coffee is consistent as is the service. <br/>Open all hours and always welcoming, great value for money. What more do you want from your inner city local. Keep up the good work and keep smiling.

I walked into Lido Cafe in the city on 23 Nov, at 5 p.m. to reserve the table for two more friends of mine. Finding the high chairs at the table I occupied a bit uncomfortable, I moved to one of the tables along the glass wall facing ‘trade-aid’. This cafe is notorious for its crammed space with tables and chairs (save three or four) filling the space with no concern for the customers. A lady (there were two of them and a man serving at that time) who came to serve the next table said ‘Excuse me! Can you move your chair?’ And where am I supposed to move? Under the table? Her tone struck me as being utterly rude and sniggering. It took a while for me, however, to comprehend the hostility in her voice. And why? Was she serving me under charity? <br/><br/>Not just that, she went to the counter and shared a joke with the other lady with her eyes very clearly pointing at me. I was mad! By then my friends walked in and I regret that I did not walk out at that very moment asking her to ‘F..k off’ I kept observing her throughout. She was all smiles (plastic! of course!) with other customers, trying to crack jokes with them though anyone hardly even smiled. <br/><br/>Her behaviour was impolite, uncourteous, unpleasant at ‘best’ and at worst, certainly racist!<br/><br/>Seems Lido Cafe Management has not taken any pains to orient its staff, for she did not seem to have even the basic professional ethics. <br/><br/>This lady with a smirk on her lips had pink tattoos on her neck!<br/><br/>And ‘Lido Cafe’ is certainly out of my list even if it were to be the last cafe in town.

The Lido has yo-yoed over the years, alternating between offering exceptional dining experiences and very average meals. Four of us managed to grab a table for a weekend lunch today (it pays to keep an eye out and be quick!). Two of us had corn fritters with bacon, which was delicious, as was the scrambled eggs with salmon. The German hotpot offered a couple of surprises but was tasty. Our service was pleasant and efficient, topped off with great coffee. I'd happily come back again for lunch or coffee - it's a great location for people-watching, too.

Stumbled across Cafe Lido on a windy Friday night in Wellington. We were down there for WOW & the place was pretty busy. We were lucky to get a table for 4. Service was excellent, friendly & helpful. Happy to find out details from the kitchen about ingredient substitutions & make suggestions as well.<br/><br/>We all went straight did the mains. Good old fashioned great tasting food. Was refreshing after a lot if overpriced disappointments in Auckland recently. I had the chicken breast. I generally try to avoid this as it seems a bit boring, but it looked great on the menu. It was great, moist & very flavorful. <br/><br/>Wine list was reasonably priced. <br/><br/>Highly recommended.

Cafê Lido is one of those go to places where you can get something good any time of day. The staff are nice, the menu is diverse (staples plus a few more individual types of dishes including excellent kedgeree), and there is always a good hum. BUT the building is not good from a shaky quaky point of view. So if I come here I always try to sit near the door just in case the unthinkable should happen and the sky fall in...<br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Ambience: 3/5 (sorry lose points for quake-ability)<br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Value for Money: 3/5