Review Baobab Cafe - Wellington

Jeremy Simpson

Absolutely delicious food and great service. Really consistently great! I had breakfast there this morning with my step dad. We both absolutely loved it and the coffee is great! I live in Australia but I come here every time my mum is in hospital. Keep up the great work team!

Satish Talwar

Very nice and quaint cafe. Food was good but could have been fantastic if the poached eggs weren’t over cooked. Loved the pulled pork sandwich. Busy place because of holidays but the staff were very good and courteous.

David Levine

Visiting Wellington and second time here. Great coffee, great food, great friendly service and atmosphere. Funky little cafe. I like funky. Next time I’m back in Wellington I will definitely return.😃👍

Kate Fitzroy

I love this place. I would call myself a regular. It consistently has friendly people working here. The food is great, the coffee is excellent. There is an outdoor space. It has everything. Love it!

Marama

Great selection of cabinet food, although didn't have any. Very friendly and efficient service. Coffee and avo on toast was great! Noticed there was an outdoor dining area at the back which looked great. Will visit again and sample the outdoor vibe.

Haydi Foster

Had never been to this cafe before, but it looked appealing from the outside so gave it a go. It was fairly early in the morning, but several people there. I managed to use a spare power point to do some work there while having breakfast. I had the chorizo and bacon omelette. It was very tasty, but way too much salad served on top of it. I would've been happy with just a small salad on the side. Coffee was great. Friendly staff, quirky decor and cool funky music. I also had the apple, cinnamon and walnut muffin, but very rich and crumbly with too many bits in it. Free wifi too which was handy.

Tess

Went for breakfast and had their French toast. What a massive improvement from last time I came. Staff are always friendly but what a delightful meal. The flowers gave it a lovely touch and it looked delicious before I ate it and yes it was delicious. Top marks for presentation and my Mokochino was just right in strength. Thanks guys!

Paul Stevenson

Friendly enough, and food coffee was good. Service was extremely slow, waiting close to half an hour to get our food, and others who arrived after us seemed to be getting theirs. Inconsistent. Outdoors, you are bombarded with birds and poo.

Fonti Kar

Wonderful and colourful food! Great beers and ciders on tap. We got the chicken salad, prawn omelette, fish and chips and a strawberry yoghurt slice. Great sitting area outside

Relaxed And Calm

Son had Breakfast Burrito I had the Wrangler Burger Honestly everyone knows I like Burgers and I’ve had the pleasure off visiting a lot of restaurants,shops,cafes etc upmarket and down to earth eateries. Both meals were fantastic. I have never had a Burger like this, honestly the best I’ve ever had. And the Burritos was magnificent

Ian De Terte

We went for dinner last night (7-Aug-2020) and the food was absolutely amazing. We both had fish and it was cooked superbly. had poached eggs on toast with spinach and avocado. We did not have to wait long for our meals. My wife had a red wine and I had a hot chocolate. Both were nice and reasonably priced. We will go back.

The Food Snob

Great staff super friendly, good counter range. The place is a but hippy burn out cafe though like 90s put on some dub and light some incense vibes. Needs a lick of paint, new table tops, new chairs, and a bit of freshness and clean lines and surfaces. It has that musty buzz to it. Less grime more shine. Cake was slightly burnt (the nuts especially). Good chai.

John Chin

My regular lunch spot in Newtown, the prawn omelette was my fav until I discovered the fish burger. Will take a photo of the burger next time.

Anna Hobman

Today I had the BEST tumeric latte EVER at Baobab! And my spinach and avocado looked like a turtle! It was so cute :) made my day! Looooove Baobab :)

Sean P E Fleming

Saturday brunch. Surprisingly big space. Split into two rooms and an outdoor courtyard. They have a bar too. Good variety of vegetarian and vegan options. We opted for a the big breakfast minus eggs. We were offered more of everything to compensate. We also ordered a large soy flat white and a green tea. The breakfast was big enough for the both of us to share. Good amount of everything. Fresh and tasty, not greasy. Coffee and tea were good too. Friendly staff. We also took away a cherry and almond cheesecake which was delicious. Recommended.

Fat Dad

Food: very poor. Roasted veges were over done and very oily - hint different veg have different cooking times. And 13 cloves of roasted garlic for 2 people is just plain dumb. Advice - get a decent cook. Service was ok. Atmosphere - was it a bar, was it a cafe, was it a restaurant, was it a music venue? No! It was all 4 and none that great. Come on. Baobab used to be one of the coolest spots in Newtown. Certanly hope you get your act together by summer.

Richard Roberts

Great breakfast Small but friendly Everyone enjoyed the breakfast and coffee great too. Looks a bit dark and dingy from the outside but don't let that put you off. Go inside and give it a try. We'll done!

Caitlin

The scones here are great! They are HUGE especially for the price you get them for. We were told we could just ask for more butter too as they are so big. Would recommend. The coffee has been nice a few times I have been but other times it has also tasted quite watery and often makes me feel ill. There are also quite a few flies near the cabinet and also lots outside. Other than that, I would definitely recommend. Every person I've been to the cafe with has loved it!

Chayleet

Service was a let down but it was nothing compared to the lady with her feet out next to us. Feet and food do not go hand n' hand. Below average food. Below average coffee. Below average smoothie. Below average atmospheres. Would not recommend.

Ohkrumbs

Another awful eating experience at this place. Last I heard, they'd changed ownership, so thought I'd give it another go. Hoped the terrible rosti's might have improved. Nope. Still dry and this time cold, with hardly a hint of potato in them. I ordered the lentil burger which was cold and sandwiched in a stale bun. I seriously don't know why anyone goes there. Disappointing.

Jane Gilbert

A little gem of a place! The staff are super friendly and the cabinet food is delicious, especially the vegan muffins! I have enjoyed many a summers day in their beautiful backyard sampling their array of craft beers, listening to local musicians play. I would definitely recommend paying this place a visit. Coffee is great too!

Vanessa Rushton

Baobab Cafe is a killer cafe. Fantastic food, coffee is superb, staff are friendly and on-to-it. The back yard is a-mazing. Keep up the goods Baobab!!

Susan French

I'm extremely disappointed. Baobab used to be my favourite Newtown eatery. Today I ordered Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon (on the side - so the smoked salmon wouldn't cook in the heat of the eggs and spinach). I was served Eggs Benedict with COOKED smoked salmon on the side. The staff didn't understand when I told them I did not want Hot Salmon and were not helpful!! This follows two previous visits (this year) where I ordered Rostis in my meal. The first time, the rosti was made of cabbage and onions (ugh!); the second time it was a thin onion and something over-crisp pancake swimming in grease. Roosts are made of POTATO, for heavens sake! My friend had Kim Chee with his prawn omelette but it wasn't - it was ordinary NZ chutney, masses of it. All this change since the beginning of this year. Get a new chef, Baobab, for heavens sake. This one can't cook or else spoils good ingredients.

Emily

Omg just had the worst breakfast in the world! Never ever go to Newtown Baobab Cafe it is disgusting!!! The "roast potato" tasted like a rock on the outside and then it was raw inside!!! The potato rosti didn't even taste like potato, it tasted like it had just been dunked in a whole heap of oil! The bread was also hard as a rock and was just like a piece of cardboard. The tomato had no seasoning and no flavour and was tasted just like how it was, a tomato chopped in half. The black beans and onion were disgusting and didn't taste very appetising. Definitely will not be making a second trip to this place ever again. A waste of $50. Update: an hour later and I'm sat curled up in a ball because of how much my stomach hurts from that meal.

Jenjaroo

Hopefully we were just here on an off day but after reading the other reviews I felt let down. We got pulled pork with potato fries. The fries were barely touched as they weren't cooked but the pork was okay. The coconut pancakes didn't taste like coconut at all and as much as I like maple syrup, there was a lot of it. The food came our quickly but I wouldn't have minded waiting for a bit longer. At least the coffee tasted good. You can see why this is a popular spot with a large outdoor area and lots of seats.

Vernita Green

This cafe has been my go-to regular for coffee and a muffin in Newtown. The vegan muffins are fantastic and a daily purchase for me I have purchased the cashew lentil burger on one occasion and it was nice, fresh and full of flavour The iced coffees are really good and Baobab is one of the few places I have come across which offers the option to add ice cream in addition to the standard cream My only gripe: The vegan food is what appears to sell out the fastest, while the other items in the cabinet are still available till the afternoon The cafe really needs to make more vegan muffins as there is an obvious demand for them. They should also try out more vegan cabinet foods in future as those appear to be equally popular. The gluten free options, in particular the chocolate brownies are a favourite for a lot of people. I tend to introduce all of my friends to this place who end up being big fans of the cabinet food. The service is excellent and the staff are incredibly friendly (a number of them remember me by name!)

CaptFuntimes

So I've avoided this place for awhile since I mentioned to the FOH that there were several flies stuck in the food cabinet and the comment was blown off. Yum. So I went there again today to study, and was told that there was a cost to charge my phone. Then I asked for the wifi password- no wifi. No wifi but I pay for power? Awesome incentive guys. The coffee I ordered was legit the most disgusting I've ever tasted- it tasted like burnt wine or something. The brownie I shared was also burnt. It was freezing to a point that no one inside had taken their coats off. I will say that their outdoors area in summer is fantastic but I wont be back to try it again.

Duncan Galletly

Have been going regularly since early 2014. Usually for coffee and a scone, but sometimes lunch. This is a cool little cafe/bar with a student feel - dark interior with amber lighting - cosy in winter. Without knowing, if you looked through the window you'd think it was just that. But at the back is an outside garden area with plenty of seating - in summer it's a Newtown oasis. The service is friendly and relaxed usually accurate. Counter food is wholesome and caters for both vegans and carnivores. My usual go to is a date scone, warm with butter, they are delicious and generous. The coffee is usually good but today for some reason it was a bit thin. I think of newtown's cafes, Baobab has the best atmosphere and the most complete range of offerings. Haven't been for dinner but I should. Recommended.

Tom Tank Engine

best coffee in wellington! and best service hands down. i go there everyday and the coffee is always bang on. Awesome courtyard out the back as well.

Lisa Tong

Food is not spectacular with nothing special on the menu or in the cabinet but they do have some nice gluten free options and the outdoor area at the back is beautiful for a lazy brunch. Hard to find a carpark on the street. Service is nice and again nothing extra special but nice. A nice place to go.

Susan Ell

I visited last week (early December 2014) for breakfast. The cafe was relatively empty but none of the staff came off to offer menus or water, I went up to the register and asked if we ordered from the table - or what. When staff member finally came over, we ordered two breakfasts and two coffees. The coffee came almost immediately - without the side of honey requested - but it was good coffee. Sadly the breakfasts did not arrive for another 25 minutes. Coffee first??? a bit strange. The food was not anything special and presentation was average. The rosti were oily and had little seasoning. The halumi was good, but the mushrooms were overcooked and sourdough was tasteless and stale. I commented to the staff person who said - oh we just got fresh delivered this morning, the cook must have used yesterday's bread. There was no offer to reduce the bill. When I said I was going to write a review, the staff member offered me a free coffee the next time I came in. With lots of cafes to choose from in Newtown, that won't be happening anytime soon.

Carolyn Harrison

Baobab, named for those towering Madagascan trees, houses a collection of excellent local art, jewellery, postcards, random Kiwiana, and homemade preserves, not to mention their open mic nights. Plus the best burrito ever! I had the one with chili black beans, scrambled eggs, tomato, and red onions topped with tomato salsa and melted cheese with fresh avocado and sour cream on the side. The overall flavour was what I can only describe as a gently spicy tomato-y Mexican-ness. You can add chorizo as well, but I didn't even notice it was vegetarian until the waitress pointed it out. I then decided I wanted something sweet, so I got another coffee and a kiwifruit, pistachio, and fig tart with yoghurt on the side. That turned out to be a hot mess - flaky, nutty, fruity. Delicious balance of the sweet fruit with the sour yoghurt and slightly bitter pistachio. My only points to question are that a) it wasn't a tart, more a golf ball sized flaky pastry thing (profiterole?); and b) my second coffee was a size smaller than the first one, even though I'd asked for the same again. Oh well, I'll be back, at night cos they have tapas and a decent sized outdoor garden / courtyard.

Sara Crow

Really lovely cafe with super friendly service and good food. Nice energy about the place. Have been a few times, and enjoyed the coffee...the coffee I had today, however the worst I have ever drank in Wellington. Such a pity:( doesn't affect my rating though..I guess any place can send out one bad coffee... but please, baobab..talk to your barristas about consistency and quality control.

Jo

I visited Baobab with Hubby for the first time a few days ago - he had been going regularly and recommended it. The good news: excellent coffee, good service (I was surprised when our waitress said "You're welcome" every time we thanked her - not often you come across such good manners!), fabulous muffins and a lovely courtyard out the back. Also, if you sit next to the window, it makes for a very relaxing visit. The bad news: would it kill them to to let more light in? What's with the darkness in so many cafes? Are their customers mostly vampires? Apart from that, the staff could perhaps make a bit more eye contact with customers, but overall, I'm glad we've discovered this place and we'll be back.

Eamon Gilbert

Returning to Welly after a long time away, I found this gem. The first thing that came to my mind as I was so warmly welcomed in: I have a local; that took 20 seconds to make up my mind. Coffee is top-notch. Food amazing - try an omelette wow. The vege crepe stack is a favourite of mine. The tunes are always choice, the staff welcoming and eager/only able to please. This too, should be your local in Wellington, otherwise worth a visit.