Cool cafes

Wondering where all the cool kids go for lunch? Avenues checks the funk factor of some local haunts.

Honeypot Café, 458 Colombo St: 4/5

Good food, great service and a swish interior means the Honeypot takes the cake. The calibre of food (and higher price range) had us reminiscing about lost restaurants on The Strip, and the beef burger was a cut above the rest. The Honeypot is also one of those hybrid cafés that opens late for dinner, a drink and dessert.

Ambience 4/5

Service 4.5/5

Food 4/5

Milk Bar, 149 Victoria St: 3/5                

Think retro milkshake-makers, $1 lolly mixtures, and flavoursome food and you're halfway to Milk Bar. It has plenty of gluten-free options and the chicken bruschetta is tasty, but the service would have benefited from a smile.  

Ambience 3/5

Service 2.5/5

Food 3.5/5

Beat Street Café, corner Armagh and Barbadoes streets: 3/5

One of the funkiest joints around, with its eclectic décor and groovy LP table markers, staff here seem happier than most. Food options cover the basics and are boosted by good bread, but some fundamental service errors were disappointing.

Ambience 4/5

Service 2/5

Food 3/5

Black Betty, 165 Madras St: 3.5/5

As close to "old Christchurch" as you can get, and across the road from CPIT, this café hits the spot with its specialty coffee, roasted on site. While the soup and breads were good, the siphon coffee - which looked like a school science project - was the best part of lunch. The service at the counter was tepid.

Ambience 4/5

Service 2.5/5

Food 3.5/5

Photos thanks to Neatplaces and Kelly Shakespeare

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ron   #1   12:30 am Feb 17 2012

These comments about poor service would be almost unheard of in Japan. Christchurch cafes should introduce self service checkouts, the same as some supermarkets have done. The machines are far more friendly than many staff. And have you ever noticed; often when you go to a cafe counter it is you that greets the staff member and not the other way around?

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