Cafe cuisine: the best places to taste it in Wellington

"Lovely place with funky decor, great food and great service! The coffee and cuban sandwich were delicious and can't wait to try other dishes when I'm..."

Iunki

"Decided to get some lunch at Sweet Mother’s Kitchen (SMK) after seeing the good reviews on Google and Zomato.Hush Puppies 🤫🐶..."

Veeral Patel

"The service was good. The food was great (recommend the tacos). The price of food was amazing. You do not have to book for this place - just turn up...."

Ian De Terte

"Man catchin' beignetsAgain why Auckland no haveThank you Sweet..."

Cho

"Love this place! Make sure we visit whenever we’re in the capital. Fried chicken, corn bread, Po boys, breakfast burrito mmmmhmmmmm, food..."

Kelly Dalgety

"Had the most amazing breakfast. Fresh fish, full of flavour and for my savory tooth just the right of amount of cream and egg and heat. Awesome...."

Marigold

"Great service, we had too sit outside for a bit while we waited for a table inside but that was okay. The curly fries were so good and the artichoke..."

Judy Chalmers

"Came welli again after a year literally for this. Ordered beef and bean nacho, fish taco, chicken n fries and peanut butter shake. Everything came at..."

Chris Wang

"This place has positive vibes and staff was very friendly. I have ordered Eggs Benedict and regular mocha and it was good. One of my friend..."

Epicure

"Friends and I craved fried food for our last meal in Wellington! Sweet Mother’s Kitchen was recommended so we had to visit!I ordered the..."

Hansi Dissanayake

"Solid 4. Great Service. Warm inside. All meals look amazing, coffee a tad off dropped the score. They can get busy, an iconic wellington spot. Casual..."

Ryan

"Had the breakfast burrito and my girlfriend had the waffles. Both were absolutely fantastic. Great food, great coffee and amazing service. Very cool..."

Pete

"I went here a few weeks ago the food was delicious and came in a timely matter. Definitely one of those highlights of Wellington and a must visit,..."

Steven

"Gotta be honest and say it’s kinda ‘crusty’ but loads of food options. Super friendly staff. Dealing with a busy Monday lunch they were all..."

Pick&Mix

"Yum yum in my tum! Absolutely loved Sweet Mother’s! The service was 10/10, the food was 11/10 🙌🏼 I cannot wait to be back! Check..."

Sheryl

"Po boys are a must! And also the curly fries with their special sauce. I do agree with others that the place is sort of tacky and feels as if you are..."

Meikura Williams

"Was very tasty and good. Chicken was cooked good and tasty :) Food was well priced and in decent proportions..."

Review Man

"Been wanting to try this place for a long time finally not that busy when I came. Unique and cool cafe set-up very American deco. I ordered a waffle..."

Mark A.

"The best curly fries ever! That is my best description of this place! And their fried chicken are so good too and it taste even better with their..."

Adventure Foodie

"The only thing in-authentic about this place is the size - it's too big by Bourbon St standards. But the food is amazing!! I ordered waffles topped..."

Megha Dogra

"This will forever be my favourite restaurant in Wellington. Food is incredible and the drinks are delicious. Curly fries and milkshakes are also a..."

Elyse

"Holy moly, if only I could have their homemade pies EVERY SINGLE DAY! I had eggs on sourdough bread and a slice of peanut butter pie, I have to say..."

Hanna

"Was here on Sunday and just love coming to this place.. I don't come for the comfortable surroundings because its not.. but ratherr for the heart..."

Fat Bob

"Fantastic restaurant and must be one of the top places on Courtenay Place! Apparently it's been here forever according to my dining colleague. Simple..."

Frank

"Sweet Mother's Kitchen is always a nice & cosy experience with its American South & Mexican inspired cuisine.Today, because it was busy (as..."

Michael Gray

"Always always love eating at Sweet Mother's Kitchen, the food is always great and the service is always fantastic. My grandchildren love the curly..."

Royden Shierlaw

"I had yummy peppermint tea in a retro looking tea pot! Fabulous. Also, the seafood chowder & crispy bread were divine! Busy little place, but the..."

Pelenise Filipo-O'Brien

"The 15 min wait for a table was definitely worth it. Service was great, atmosphere was awesome. Had the fried chicken with coleslaw and curly fries..."

Kate O'Sullivan

"I absolutely loved the curly fries and the amazing sauce that came with it. I liked the chicken as well but the curly fries were just so good...."

M

"Pre dope food here and awesome atmosphere. Gave the New Orleans prawns a go with a jug of sangria all for under $60.00 and it tasted great, pretty..."

Hadyn Coker

"Amazing! It was packed even on a Wednesday night, but a table was freed up in no time! Didn't want anything too large so I had a Po Boy on its own so..."

Sophie Oliver

"Loved everything about this place. Went back a second time the next day. The Black Bean Breakfast Burrito was awesome. Definitely a highlight. Had an..."

Tracy Bass

"Came on a Tuesday during lunch hour, and it is very busy and packed! Waiters were attentive but really stretched. Decor was interesting and..."

Cathy Xiong

"Only had shakes and cakes here but the snicker shakes weren't as flavourful and a little too milky. the pumpkin pie and pecan pie were really good...."

Annie Bananie

"Came here because everyone recommends it but found the food to just be average really. Can't complain for the good price of some of the foods but it..."

EsmeEats

"Our friend invite us to this place when we are in Wellington. We order their famous curly fries, buttermilk soaked fried chicken and some breakfast..."

Andrean

"I went to SMK for a dinner with workmates and have to say of was z great experience. I had the chicken in a basket. I loved the curly fries and..."

Malcolm Hughson

"Great place - very busy which is always a good sign. This place came recommended and did not disappoint. I had the breakfast burrito with added..."

Emily Pavey

"Went here for brunch on a Sunday so fairly busy. Seated quickly but still had to wait a fair while for food! Ordered the 2 eggs on toast (poached)..."

Daisy Smith

"Been there twice in the last couple of weeks. The food has always been good so far. Have tried the chipotle chicken quesadillas and the nachos. Both..."

Kayleigh

"Love coming here - I always get the same thing - their curly fries! They are so good. The atmosphere is super chill and always have a great dining..."

Sarah Alberino

"This place was packed so we actually went off to have dinner somewhere else but ended up coming back to wait for a table. We waited about 10-15..."

Jess

"This is my fave in Welly and a must if your after food that is different, and soulful and makes you happy! Eggs Herbert: Creamed spinach,..."

Sungsam7

"Id heard so much good about Sweet Mothers Kitchen, I couldn't wait to try it for myself finally. The place was busy. Tables filled both inside..."

Jenjaroo

"For a chill night with friends you can't beat Sweet Mother's Kitchen. It has a flare all of it's own with influences in it's menu of Mexico and the..."

Laura Mackey

"Very trendy little spot that was shown to be popular irrespective of the time of day. Enjoyed a breakfast beignet and coffee - simply ordered this as..."

The Kats Meow

"Sweet Mothers Kitchen is tucked on the end of Courtnay place with indoor and pavement (outdoor) seating. The menu includes Mexican and southern..."

Rebecca MacDonald

"I hadn't been here in nearly 2 years and was relieved to find it was still as good as I remembered! I had the hush puppies, the beef quesadilla and a..."

Michele

"We came down to Wellington to visit the Te Papa museum and the Dreamworks Exhibit over Waitangi weekend, and decided to try Sweet Mother's Kitchen on..."

Alice P

"Sweet Mother's is home to authentic Mexican cuisine. The taco's have an excellent texture and are seasoned perfectly. With friendly service and great..."

TheTomato

"My favourite place to go with friends on a late night dinner date. They have the best milkshakes in town (snickers!!) and their dessert pies are to..."

Grace Ko

"Interestingly decorated place! Tonight we had the Mad dog beef ribs vegetarian nachos and a side of creamy mushrooms. Yum yum yum yummety..."

Crumpet King

"Had the peanut butter pie. Very sweet and the base is a bit soggy. I tend to prefer the savoury stuff here. Their shakes is pretty good too...."

Travels4Food

"Had been wanting to visit this spot for a while after hearing good things. Was surprised to read about bad service in some reviews, but thought I'd..."

Stephy_NakiGirl

"The inside is a little basic but the outdoor eating area is pleasant on a nice day.. They do takeaways too so they have all the bases..."

Rhodri Williams

"It's always busy which is frustrating but the staff normally sort you out and the longest I've ever waited for a table was 15 min. I highly suggest..."

Hungover Munch Kid

"Yummy yummy yummy. Love their milkshakes the snickers one is to die for and their curly fries. Some other items are hit or miss but still a great..."

Jayna Patel

"Recommended by a friend so we decided to have lunch there on our last day in Wellington.We shared a beef taco and curly fries between us...."

Mili Goswami

"Sweet mothers staff and service is unbeatable - always happy always nice always fast. Milkshakes I'd recommend and black bean nachos, along with..."

Stacy Heyman

"Sweet Mother's Kitchen, I love you so. Thank you for being realistic about your wait times (I get, you're insanely popular, and with good reason)...."

Luke Alexander

"Have been there a few times got the French Toast with bacon and did enjoy it although I think it's a bit expensive for the quantity. But good. No..."

Ines

"Always a pleasant experience at sweet mothers kitchen! Hands down the best cut fries in Wellington!!! Would definitely come back again,..."

Jessica Teasdale

"I've always been a fan of these guys, always busy always enjoyable. The food type they put out is a particular favourite of mine, and they do it the..."

James Ford

"This is the place to go for the best milkshakes in Wellington city! Delicious milkshakes served in a fashionable and unique style. The hot chips are..."

Sam Hodgson

"I tried to come here the other morning for lunch but it was full - which is always a good sign. unfortunately I was starving so we wandered on..."

Amanda Hailwood

"I always enjoy sweet mothers kitchen when I'm in Wellington. Sometimes a bit of a wait for a table but well worth it. The Snickers Milkshake is the..."

David Palfreyman

"Great little cafe for breakfast if you can wait for a table!! This place seems very unorganized but the staff deals great and never forgets you....."

Erin Moffatt

"I used to love Sweet Mother's Kitchen but since being back in Wellington, I can't help but compare it to similar restaurants I have been to in..."

LucyGoosey

"Service was awesome! We preordered our meal and as soon as we were seated our meals came out. The curly fries was awesome together with the creole..."

MelJohn Detabali DelBarrio

"Always love this place. Since going veg there isn't much choice for me, but curly fries and the Mac m cheese are still on offer to me. My only beef..."

Alex Shatford

"went the other day with my little click/ friends and we ordered key lime pie, peanut butter pie, banana cream pie and pecan and bourbon pie I think..."

James Fale

"Frequently come here for Brunch with friends. As a student the prices can sometimes be a little much but the servings are generally generous enough..."

Caitlin Watters

"This is what good cafe culture is. We are always greeted with a smile and looked after well. The cafe has achieved successfully achieved its own..."

Claz

"awesome atmosphere. the food is average. i really enjoyed my milkshake. if this place is full just go up to the counter and tell the wait staff that..."

Kate S

"The place is rather packed and can get like that rather fast so get in while you can because the food is amazing every time you are there. We were..."

Nicola

"It was very busy and we had to sit outside. Yet, aside from the cold; the food was delicious, the music was groovy, and the service was very helpful...."

Michael Henrys

"We were here for a pre-dinner snack but the menu looked so good we are more than we intended to. Mac and cheese and pecan pie were both delicious,..."

Kwan-Lyn

"Food was lovely. Fries a little to salty but apart from that everything tasted good..."

Terri O' Kane

"Love the food and service here!! Faultless !! Will keep coming back for the yummy shakes and sammys!! Tables turn over quick so if I have to wait for..."

Weenutter

"Wow. Sunday evening and this place is full. That is a testament to how good the food is. What I love about this place is the ambiance. The walls are..."

RaeRae

"Cosy environment, incredibly popular so I suggest going on a quiet day or book in advance! Food. Is. To. Die. For. I recommend the curly fries and..."

Tara Jones Rudge

"It's the real deal. I lived in Texas and have travelled around Louisiana and the food here stands up. Sure it ain't smoked overnight out the back but..."

Luke Sherwood

"Real sweet atmosphere, menu, portions, and prices. Two pieces of advice for the beef ribs: (1) Cook it slower and longer. The flavours didn't get a..."

Dan Da Man

"If there was one restaurant that won me over in Wellington, it would have to be Sweet Mother's Kitchen. The menu, a mix of Cajun and Creole dishes..."

Helen | Grab Your Fork

"As an all 'round flavour sampler we chose a trio of pies to tuck into for our midnight snack. The peanut butter pie is creamy and distinctly peanutty..."

Heneedsfood

"Sweet Mother's Kitchen is, and yes I will now drop a popular saying in New Zealand, Sweet As. I got to admit it, I have heard great things about this..."

Puku Princess

"Had such a nice pot of tea that had the cutest tea cosy, blue and knitted.And chicken! Om nom! Very good dessert as well.Lovely..."

Sananda Chatterjee

"Visited Welly on the weekend had such an amazing breakfast here on Saturday that we had to return on Sunday too!!! Had Flossys Favorites, and the..."

Holly Roberts

"Extremelly popular place, always full so we thought the food must be good here (it was just aroud the corner from our hotel) it was! It's a very..."

Daiana Cordoba

"Love hate relationship at SMK - I love it my wife hates it!That being the case my visits are usually with one of the kids for a sneaky Po..."

Philip Reeve

"Despite being packed this place actually managed to have a really good atmosphere. The food was hearty and filling and had genuine authentic flare!..."

Mikaere Kopeke-Te Aho

"Comfort food!! Sweet Mother's Kitchen is one of those restaurants that always comes up when asked for recommendations. Known for their..."

Crissy

"Sweet Mothers is such an integral part of the local foodie scene here in Wellywood and one if my personal favs. From curly fries to beignets to PO..."

BKL

"Sweet Mother's Kitchen has an amazing ambience! No matter what time I visit or walk by, it's always busy and packed full of people. Relaxed, cozy and..."

Sophia

"Great food and okay coffee (very bitter), however the food makes up for it. Quirky decor, and although it was really busy the staff managed to find..."

Alex Galletty

"Love this place. Had jerk chicken po boy and pulled beef and caramelised onion quesadilla both absolutely delish! Service was really good! Will come..."

Kez

"The buttermilk chicken and curly fries with slaw is so damn good will be getting this every time I'm in wellington from now on! The coffee is strong..."

SarahandElla

"I used to be a massive fan of SMK, back when I was in high school. Unfortunately, I think that in the last few years the quality has gone down, both..."

Eleanor Hay

"If you come to Wellington you will inevitably hear about Sweet Mother's Kitchen. It's a local, historic, iconic establishment.Despite the..."

Wilson Chau

"Visited again after couple of years. The ambience is still intact. The simple and rustic nature of the restaurant is very unassuming but the quality..."

Mathew George

"THE BEST!!! Especially their crumbed chicken. Great food... yum yum... But the waffles are a bit too floury for me... Nonetheless, definitely a must..."

Auie Robrigado

"Absolutely loved Sweet Mothers Kitchen on a recent trip to Wellington. The look and feel of the cafe is relaxed, and funky. They have a great..."

Lozalock

"I have been here on several occasions, and every time I have had amazing, tasty meals and not too long a wait, even when they are..."

Emma Ferguson

"The food was like all of my favorite things from home on one menu!! Finally someone in NZ who knows how to do hot wings right. Spinach &..."

Mike Goldstein

"Would probably have carried on walking past (due to signs of dilapidation such as stuffing out of chairs & mismatched cups & saucers) but as..."

Jane

"Although it can be slightly pricey, I have always had really delicious food from Sweet Mother's, and had great service from the staff there...."

Cath L

"Great service here last night and the place was humming :) . I was early but one of the waitresses was super accommodating n got me a table anyways...."

Siobhan

"After reading a few reviews I was a bit hesitant to go but we went for lunch on Tuesday and it was lovely. We had a lovely friendly waitress, in fact..."

Melanie White

"Have eaten here on several occasions. We like the casual atmosphere and funky decor. Service has been a bit slow but they are usually very busy...."

Mary T-soon

"I really enjoy coming to this place. The beef nachos are my fav. The staff are really friendly. Not a big review, just worth saying that this is a..."

Cedric Mason

"We came here for a pre-Hobbit lunch between Christmas and New Year. It was humming, food was delicious - highly recommend the fish po boy - and the..."

Philippa Lagan

"French toast was awesome, as was my soy cappa.Enjoyable time! Waitress seemed preoccupied. But other than that, brilliant experience..."

Joe Turner

"Love Sweet Mothers Kitchen! I usually go for lunch and always order the prawn poboy. It's always delicious. I recently tried the swamp dip and was..."

Laura

"Stopped in for lunch during our stay this past weekend. We had a shrimp po' boy, and a fish po' boy. I much preferred the fish po' boy as it had more..."

Kepa Tairua

"I go there all the time - delicious food, and affordable! My favourite is the chicken burrito, but the macaroni and cheese "The Moose" is really..."

Sitakali

"Ever since I first visited Sweet Mother's, I've been meaning to go back. The place definitely lives up to the hype, with cheap, amazing, food. I'm..."

Cruz Johnson

"Locals will tell you that Sweet Mother's Kitchen is the ultimate spot for homely comfort, hipster vibes and famous curly fries. We're fans too,..."

Nicole

"Great food at reasonable prices. The gumbo was yummy and only $14!!! Obviously a popular place and generally don't take bookings so I suppose not a..."

Colette

"Brilliant - great food, good atmosphere, good prices - highly recommend Sweet Mother's Kitchen. Especially some of the mexican specialties. Very..."

JJ JJ

"Love going to get my eat on.Don't go if your in a rush and want your own table. Go there relaxed with lots of time to chill with the other..."

Casey

"My daughter and I were down from Auckland for a short break and tried Sweet Mothers Kitchen. The service was excellent I found the waiter was very..."

Maree Crabb

"delicious food, great service and price!!would definitely..."

Helen Autagavaia

"I love going to this place everytime I am back in welly. Get the Ribs with curly fries and colslaw, so yum!! My girlfriend always has yummy things..."

Ian Barr

"A popular place amongst locals, this can be it's downfall. There is often a long wait to get a table, but the food is good and reasonably priced. The..."

Aa Ch

"I love this place - their chilli wings and chowder, crab and cheese dip .... coffee mm mm very very good informal, shared trestle table dining makes..."

Kym Hamilton

"One word. Po'boy. Is that one word? Who cares go get..."

Lucy

"Some friends of ours had popped in earlier to try and get a table booked but it was busy so we went off to another bar and they gave us a call when..."

Elaine Young

"This place is always busy! They food is Southern American food and it is really good. One American lady next to me was concerned if it was..."

Reviewer007

"Sweet Mother's Kitchen is popular, so arrive early on busy nights as they don't take bookings. However, they offered to call us in half an hour once..."

Caffeinated Weka

"Firstly, assigning a website 'tag' of Mexican is not supposed to make this a Mexican place (a response to others comments). The restaurant does not..."

Chris

"One of my favourite places to dine whenever I'm in Wellington. Cheap, cheerful and fun. Love the food (yes rich but it doesn't pretend to be anything..."

Missy Davidson

"I had lunch at Sweet Mother's Kitchen, the service was efficient and on time, especially when you only have an hours' lunch. the food was good and..."

Tasha

"I was a customer in this restaurant and find the staff are friendly and professional in their service. I love the food, the portion is good and..."

Leigh

"I adored Sweet Mother's Kitchen. Atmosphere very upbeat, service was very friendly and energetic. Food was particularly good, very tasty and not..."

Alice C

"Great mexican-styled well-priced food in a relaxed and funky atmosphere, excellent range of mexican beers to boot. Best mexican food I've had in..."

Duncan Neilson

"Sweet Mother's Kitchen is Wellington eating staple. Every time I venture down to this part of the country I tick another dish off the menu and have..."

Madicattt

"Sweet Mother’s Kitchen stole our hearts, arteries included. This is unapologetic, calorific dining at it's best. Expect Cajun and Creole dishes..."

Genie @ BunnyEatsDesign

"My recent trip to Wellington with my sister meant that I could once again, indulge in some of the spectacular food that Wellington has to offer. My..."

Amy @ My Dining Journey

"Great food and food choices, great service, near the heart of the city. Cost is average for the area, but given the excellent food I rank this..."

Charlie Callcut

"Cajun food - what's not to like? Well maybe the fact that it is SO hard to get a table, let alone one of the two oh so desirable booths .... but if..."

Kai Luv

"Have eaten here for 12 years off and on. The food comes served in little plastic baskets, so it really does feel like the quintessential diner..."

Graeme Wooller

"Very good service, good menu … not overly extensive. Food was very good quality all around. They know how to prepare fried chicken and their..."

karandeep singh

"The burritos were awesome! Reasonable price and simple and big. 😍 Ribs was dried and the sauce was too much, but it was good to..."

AnnA

"Finally…a restaurant that knows how to do a steak medium-well, without the chef throwing his toys out of the cot, or knives at the serving staff. I..."

Nick Dobier

"A great find in Wellington for those on the lookout for great Cajun food. The blackened fish is to die for, the Jambalaya delicious and even Beignet..."

Tony Redhead

"After seeing that there was Jumbalaya on the menu, I couldn't go past. It made my nose run a bit but unlike the song my pants weren't on fire. Next..."

anthony851

"My new favourite restaurant in Wellington! The food is fantastic. Nice American flavours and good portion sizes. Service was great and although we..."

Nikhil George

"Love this place and the bustling vibe. Food was delish. Happy to provide some pulled pork for my salad instead of chicken ....and it wasn't on the..."

Lynette Edmonds

"Went there for there for breakfast and dinner. For breakfast had the eggs bomba, breakfast burrito with SMK spicy sausage and a side of hash. It was..."

Stacey Wang

"My wife and stopped by here for some lunch. Had an amazing lunch here. The service was great! Comfortable seating and eating area. I would have..."

Krishin Stephen Pillay

"Lovely food and good choice, reasonable prices. Staff were very friendly. Really nice...."

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