Reviews of River Cottage Cafe. (Coffee Shop) in Ōtaki (Wellington).

River Cottage Cafe

553 Reviews

259 Comments

Coffee shop

Cafe

Breakfast restaurant

3 State Highway 1, Ōtaki 5512, New Zealand

Description

Information of River Cottage Cafe, Coffee shop in Ōtaki (Wellington)

Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.

This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!

Map

Open hours of River Cottage Cafe

Reviews of River Cottage Cafe

W. C.

Great place for post park run coffee and food, we had a big day ahead and had breakfast - can definitely recommend the Eggs Benedict and Corn fritters. Good service, cheerful cozy woodburner will warm you while waiting for food and coffee indoors, and seating outdoors if you want to enjoy the sun and garden. Will stop there again the next time we are in the area.

S.

This was honestly the best experience I have had with a cafe. The staff were super lovely and warm. Food was so so next level good and so many options. Out door area was cute, under the sun in the garden. Will be coming here again 💕

J. B.

Don't be deceived by the frontage, that may need a cleanup, but the insides don't. What a great setting. Yes, you do hear the traffic, but it's not seen, and the yard is clean, spacious and has sheltered dining spaces. Coffee so good, a 2nd was ordered, breakfast/brunch menu has a good selection.. The Eggs Bene spot on, but for me the bun was too much.. Heavy like a burger bun and a smudge of a toast tan. BUT the Spinach&Bacon.. YUM my date loved his Big Breakfast

J. C.

Always a pleasure coming to this cafe. Great food, excellent coffee and a stable staff who understand the hospitality industry. Also keeping us safe by masking up.

A.

Very busy place even in wet weather. Enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was delicious. Loaded Danish sounded nice and tasted just as good. Thanks team

J. B.

Food was above average but quite surprised at the cost, higher than expected for a simple lunch. With breakfast menu stopped at lunch time, the offerings on what we could eat was reduced due to dietary limitations, but what I had was nice.

H. S.

Great menu and cabinet choices, including vegan and gf options. Plenty of outdoor seating. Loved the Buddha bowl!

j. j.

Nice place to stop and have a break from driving. Parking in behind cafe. Friendly staff. Lovely sunny outdoor area or wood burner stove inside on a cooler day. Little gift shop too!

L.

A wonderful place to relax, take in the tranquility of the cottage garden & wild bird life. We enjoyed watching young Tui birds feeding in the gardens edge while we sipped our delicious coffee & ate. A small vegan menu offering, but the food is beautifully crafted and presented. The vegan caramel slice was amazing, the best I have ever tasted if I'm honest. The corn fritters were super tasty. A fantastic cafe and gift shop full of unique & quirky present options. Off road parking available too. A wonderful place to help you relax and escape the busy world outside.

J. J.

2nd time in 1 days ! Just loved the lovely tree shaded gardens. Lea was a lovely hostess. Great to be able to bring the dog. Delicious kai. Thank you!

J. W.

Lovely food variety and good service by very pleasant staff. Thanks to the young waitress who was happy to take photos for our group reunion of school friends and made our day so enjoyable.

C. W.

Lovely brunch , fire was going, great atmosphere. Highly recommend

J. H.

Looooove this little cafe! A diamond in the rough! This place is tucked away from the highway, go to fast and you’ll miss it! Such a lovely stop! The scones were out of this world amazing and the rustic feel was so homely and inviting! Definitely stop the car with your kids or partner and relax!

L. c.

Great food and service. The owners were very welcoming and warm! 10/10

P. S.

The best eggs benedict I have had in years and great coffee, all in a quaint garden setting.

T. S.

Great food, nice vibe and wonderful curiosity shop in its boundary. Relaxing and quaint.

G. W.

Cool cafe on Highway One with great service, food and coffee. When a nice day the outdoor setting is excellent for sitting outside

N. K.

Great coffee, beautiful garden.

M. G.

Not that impressed, not much cabinet food and staff not friendly or helpful but coffee lovely and gorgeous sitting outside.

J. P.

Had to rate this 5 stars. A relaxing enjoyable place to sit and eat / drink..Good food , good service, good atmosphere , small antique shop there worth looking at ...a must go to at least once ... slight noise from traffic but nothing major

L. J.

Asked for vegetarian eggs bene, would not swap out ham for a.vege option unless we paid extra for the veg. Pretty stingy, so just had it without the meat at full price. Forgot to bring us water when asked for. Not amazing

C. D.

Cute as, plant based milks, a couple of vegan food options 👌🏼❤️

E. G.

Just passing through and had probably the best carrot cake I’ve ever had at River Cottage Cafe - not overly sweet and super moist! Coffee was fantastic as well. A hidden gem!

L. K.

Lovely little hideout for a nice lunch or afternoon coffee.

V. K.

Lovely cafe that you wouldn't know how delightful it is from first glance. It has beautiful indoor and outdoor seating, friendly staff, delicious food and great coffee. A real joy to visit.

D. H.

Food a good standard. We even greeted by: have you got a booking ? A good afternoon would have been nice!. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.

R. H.

Nice food but limited cabinet savoury choices. Would go back with friends and family 🏵️

R.

Great character, the food was lovely too.

L. T.

It's a lovely garden setting. Food was delicious. But I'm a tea drinker, and I never understand why a pot of tea often comes with the jug of milk plonked in the teacup. I mentioned it to the waitress and didn't get a very nice reply. Coffee is always presented beautifully, why don't they give tea drinkers the same pleasure by presenting a pit of tea on a little tray?

L. T.

Interesting spot to relax and have lunch. Dog and kid friendly. We were alerted to a delay in cooked food arriving at our table after we placed our order. The food features plenty of pork or bacon but if you are not into that there are vegetarian options. I would have liked to see a couple of other chicken options or fish as I don't eat red meat and the vege options were not all to my taste. However the creamy mushroom turned out to be warmly satisfying.

H. P.

Great seeing and nice temporary sanctuary away from the long drive from Wellington to Napier. Great food, good amount of healthy options, lovely garden setting and plenty of tables to accommodate. Dog and child friendly.

M. G.

Enjoyed a great lunch there last week with the kids fully able to engage in grounds and a great play area for them. Ended up leaving an article there by accident which was delivered back to Palmy by one of the staff on their way through. Great service at and away from the business!! Highly recommend!!

B. G.

Great to find somewhere open on a Monday. Nice enough place, will be a great meeting spot with friends with kids (awesome covered kids area in garden). Delicious coconut milk coffee. Lunch was a bit disappointing for its price, I can't put my finger on why though. We had the daily special, Vegan Pizza & salad, and creamy mushrooms (actually delicious sauce). The carrot cake we shared was awesome.

M. B.

Wonderful place if you like private garden, safe space for children, complete with garage full of toys table and chairs for mum and dad. Coffee and food was good , and the young lady who served us, Catherine excellent. Deffinately a user friendly cafe, and we will return.

D. T.

Love their menu. Lots of outdoor and indoor seating. Very helpful with food allergies. My mum has coeliac and the staff were very helpful and put her at ease.

L. H.

Great service and amazing presentation! Recommend and would go back there again for sure. Unique building and outdoor area made it feel secluded but it’s conveniently on a state highway.

C.

Nice relaxed atmosphere. Entrance is right next to display cabinet and counter so space a bit tight

D. F.

Lots of memories from being a kid and visiting friends many moons ago. Outside garden is really nice. Lovely relaxed setting with nice food. Had a great pulled pork sandwich ... which came with a few crisps?

j. l.

Wait time too too long. Coffee good. Chicken salad looked good, chicken on the dry side, coleslaw uninspiring . Lunch menu not really tempting, reasonaably good for vegetarians . Good for children. Dogs accepted but water bowls very dirty.

J. v.

A lovely old place with lots of atmosphere. Obliging staff happy to cook my breakfast to order. A good selection of cabinet food AND good coffee. Would visit again.

L. P.

Totally decent for Otaki, some GF options available. Staff super friendly and great at their job. Coffee is weaker than most cafe's so suggest ordering stronger!

J.

Had a great afternoon lunch 😋

A. H.

Excellent lunchtime food Have often driven past and never stopped. Will definitely be a regular venue for us from now on

R. L.

Consistently good over the years Somewhere you can rely on on those regular roadtrips Never been let down 5 stars for this alone

S. P.

Very nice and restful out in the backyard. Dog friendly. Nice coffee and delicious food. Off street parking around in River Road.

L. C.

Beautiful premises, great food and coffee and really friendly and helpful staff! Thank you 😊

V. M.

Beautiful little spot the great food and cafe. However, it is easy to miss if you're not careful!

R.

The staff were as good as the coffee and food I'd love to be stopping there on my way back north but unfortunately will be on the East Coast must stop visit.

S. B.

Always stop here whether going to Wellington or further South.The food is delicious, fresh and appetizing. This time we had coffee but we have had tea on other occasions always hot and the Staff obliging , helpful and friendly.

J. M.

Only 4 stars and that's because it was only a quick enough stop for a cool drink, a cheese scone and a ham Danish. All of which were yummy. Plan on going back bringing our brunch friends with us.

S. D.

Another stunning coffee from river cottage cafe

D. W.

This is a lovely place to stop for a break from traffic. It has a wonderful garden to enjoy their great coffee, food and friendly efficient service

L. H.

Very charming place, with a big garden area. Good coffee, consideration with those with kiddos. The only downside is parking can be quite limited and tough on the main highway. We always stop here on our way north.

T. A.

Nice atmosphere, good service and friendly staff. Menu and cabinet. Good portion sizes and value. Best coffee in the area by far from my experience

T. R.

Pastries were nice. Id come back for them. My partner had the creamy mushrooms. I though the portion was quite small and they had very little flavour.

W. R.

Riverside cottage A comfortable place to stop. Parking is no issue. Food was OK and pricing norm for that style. Small section of food Best shown off in warmer weather and this is a major plus for this cafe with large amounts of dining in sheltered gardens surrounding the dining room

F. P.

Great food and service - good GF options

N. J.

Great place anytime but especially on a summers day. Friendly staff and wonderful food. Well worth a stop.

J. B.

Nice garden to enjoy your lunch or coffee.

A. M.

Always a good place to stop. Food good, but on this occasion, a children's meal didn't arrive (except for the fluffy). We did get a refund.

E.

The most delicious steak sandwich ever

G. B.

We often stop on our way through Otaki, but it has some rough edges. It would be great if we didn't have to leave the dog in the car. The courtyard should be fine for him, but not allowed. We've also had orders mixed up. Never drastically, but frequent little issues.

M. T.

Friendly and relaxed café with inside, garden and in-between spaces. High quality, home-cooked food.

V. J.

Cashier was lovely, barista made a great latte, food is always delicious and they have the BEST keto tart

M. N. J. M. D. A. C.

Favorite stop in Otaki by the bridge. We'll be deterring there even when the new road doesn't pass it. Everything is always good albeit I always have chicken cashew croissants & earl grey tea

J. B.

Good food, friendly staff, very welcoming to our dog, plenty of space outside to sit.

A. B.

Amazing Food Lovely and Massive Outside Seating Space Friendly Staff *Highly Recommend*

R.

Amazing Food Lovely and Massive Outside Seating Space Friendly Staff

B. P.

Such a mint and relaxed place on a sunny avo! The staff did well to make us feel welcome even during what must have been the 'rush hour'. 10/10

P. P.

Cool little Cafe. Friendly staff and happiest resident sparrows I've seen for a while. Thanks for sharing your space 😊

B. B.

Amazing, quirky place to go ,good food and service a must to stop there on the way to levin.

T.

The All day breakfast is a winner for me aswell as the chicken cashew crossiont. Very lovely and polite customer service

D.

Very nice cafe with a good range of food with a good number of vegetarian options

S. W.

Easy parking right outside, has a carpark too. Plenty of tables, outside as well as inside. The day we visited was quite cold so we were inside by the woodburner, very cosy. Menu was good, food really good and the service was great. Would recommend a stop here.

J. C.

Nice place , good breakfast , lovely outdoors area

K. W.

Beautiful corn fritters.... Made from scratch and not out of a packet. Lovely secluded setting off the highway. Highly recommended!

S.

Really enjoyed our stop off here the coffee was great.The food was great. Our kids were able to have a stretch.The coffee shack is super!Great child friendly area.we will be back

J. B.

A lovely little place to stop for a delicious coffee if you're on your way to Wellington. They have a log burner and cosy cottage decor. Pretty charming!

G. I.

Lovely place, feels like home only nicer, great indoor and huge grassy outdoor area, toys for kids, fantastic food and wine. Always good!

K. C.

Delightful find! My first visit but definitely won't be my last. Delicious counter food, good coffee and welcoming, bright staff!

m. c.

Cosy little place but food average got vegetarian cream mushroom with spinach while it was tasty however the creamy mushroom was more like soup and very runny. Had to mop it up with the bread

M.

Very nice spring vegetable soup and English breakfast tea.

S. M.

Cute little Cafe. Enjoyed our lunch and was a beautiful day so we were able to sit outside and enjoy our meal

H. D.

Best breakfast I have had in years. Rosti was awesome, bacon and eggs perfect and mushrooms really yummy. Thanks.

V.

Lovely setting, great food and service

C. Q.

The food was nice, and our friends cabinet food was great. We ordered off the menu, but found the portion size to be very small for the cost.

T. I.

Great coffee and great food. An essential stop on the way north.

N. C.

Been here a couple times while travelling, and it's a lovely spot to sit in the sun with a cuppa. 5* for atmosphere esp in summer!

Y. T.

Really lovely food and decor. Great garden in good weather. Plenty seating space.

K. A.

Great food, great coffee and awesome service in a relaxing setting.

n.

absolutely outstanding mocha...lovely atmosphere...friendly staff. Returned a year later..fantastic coffees and ari and tawhiti were so good with my grandkids. Aroha Noël

V. B.

Lovely friendly staff, outside area beautiful, drinks slow to arrive although did accommodate me and made soy milkshake.

T.

Been here a couple of times now. Good food. Sat outside and enjoyed the sun while there

L.

Amazing food and service to match! The constant quality maintained is a huge credit to the team that work there 💖👍😊

S.

Not bad, food was ok

S. C.

The food and (Supreme) coffee is invariably great - best on a sunny day but good any day

P. V.

Located on Highway 1 at Otaki. Lovely place for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Friendly staff and really nice to sit outside the backyard in summer.

O.

Best cafe in Otaki. Food and vibes are on point! Enjoyable place during summer!

n. W.

Lovely food, good coffee, friendly staff, great ambience - couldn't ask for more!

D. M.

Delighted to be served from my left. Great food and staff. Always a nice locale.

N. E.

Very pleasant surroundings. Very good food, coffee. Great service.

L. C.

Very friendly staff. Nice atmosphere and a convenient place to visit when traveling. Nice gardens to sit outside.

K.

Lovely garden setting, great food and friendly service. Dogs are very welcome too.

N. L.

Great cafe': You sit wonderfully outside or inside, the food is nice (but I would love more variations beside the "normal" Kiwi food) ... and the service is very friendly and helpful!

K. S.

Lovely cafe, great food, great coffee and great service. Will definitely stop here again.

g. b.

Beautiful location and garden area they even have a play area for children . the food is devine . fast service polite people very warming and welcoming

E. B.

Very tasty breakfasts

S. H.

Great food. Friendly staff

A.

Love this place when driving north from Wellington. Great quality and ideal location for a break.

K. M.

Good coffee; although the muffin was tasty and fresh, it was made with cake mix rather than a true muffin, which was a bit disappointing.

E. R.

Lovely little place to stop. I just had time for some coffee and toast and even the toast was amazing!

T. W.

Nice fresh food. Options for vegetarians and dairy free. Good coffee and cold drinks.

K. T.

Pleasant cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. Can be busy. Good food selection.

G. S. (.

Awesome staff and the biggest fluffy made for one happy toddler!

N.

Gorgeous setting. Delicious food.

A. K.

Great place. Big variety of cabinet food and sweets. Lots of toys for kids to play. Great outside garden.

S.

Lovely courtyard garden surroundings and really nice food. Enjoyed my coffee as well

J. D.

Convenient location, pleasant outdoor seating, greens pace with good social distancing.

M. S.

Lovely food and service. We will return.

M. W.

Beautiful coffee and food- excellent service with a smile. We always like to stop here when driving from Feilding to Wellington

c. d.

Choice of in garden or under shelter, peaceful surroundings

A. R.

Great food and coffee with a gorgeous outdoor area. Perfect take a break spot when travelling with the family

C.

Cosy and family friendly. They have a shack with toys for the little ones, it's great to keep them entertain!

R.

Great space lovely food and coffee And dig friendly..our new local for sure.

H.

Great staff, delicious food will visit again

G. “. L. S.

Nice food, great staff and appreciate dogs being allowed in the outside dining area

s. k.

Lovely old building. May have been a horse stable in the past. Good food and coffee

R.

Lovely outdoor setting with nice coffee and good service

P. J. (.

Lovely warm homely atmosphere. Welcoming fire delicious coffee and friendly staff.

R.

Great little place. We always stop here when driving north.

M. C.

Lovely place with home charm character. Surprising large outdoor dining area.

B. C.

An excellent cafe to stop off and break up a road trip. Food, coffee and staff friendliness are all spot on

L. H.

Nice place. Nice coffee and food. Good courtyard and place for the dog.

k.

Great place to break your journey, on the right just after the bridge, as you enter Otaki heading north

G.

One of my new secret little gems great cottage feel with excellent coffee and food

K. V.

We ordered soup of the day, nachos, cheesecake and blueberry cake. All of it was yummy.

C. T.

Great breakfast in a nice garden. Good coffee too.

G. P.

Cosistently good food, coffee and service. Nice garden setting.

G.

It's been operating for many years with one or two name changes. Food is always good and well priced.

S.

Really friendly team, great eggs benie and coffee. Oasis off the main.

C. R.

Great garden and good food. Perfect for a break when you need to stretch after a long car trip.

F.

Great place for a coffee during your trip. Awesome garden!

T.

Nice outdoor setting Good food and efficient pleasant service

R. G.

Nice cafe with a wonderful garden

G.

Nice outdoor space. Good coffee and reasonable food selection

V.

Yummy food, perfect garden area so come on a stunning day

C.

Great food, lovely atmosphere especially the garden.

D.

Lovely friendly atmosphere. Loved having lunch in the garden.

P.

Great food great service and a lovely atmosphere.

N. J.

Really nice little place to stop at. Definitely have a travel break here

s. w.

Always good. Always busy. Great food. Indoors or outdoors.

T.

Good takeaway coffee and yummy toasted sandwiches

R.

Lovely spot to break up the drive. Totally welcoming to kids.

L. O.

Beautiful atmosphere and gardens, tasty food :)

E. L.

Perfect. The garden is like a fairy tale. Service awesome.😍🎁🎁😇

D. M.

Nice outdoor area, had a really good bowl of nachos!

S.

Excellent baked goods genuinely old n charming to the point of rundown

R.

Would have liked a little more inspiration in the chicken salad

R. A.

Great food and nice service good atmosphere

M. F.

Great cafe, good food and service

c.

Aways a pleasure to stop here. Good food, good coffee, relaxing surroundings.

G. M.

Lots of glutenfree choices in the most beautiful garden settings

E. B.

Delicious food. Lovely ambience.

B.

Good food great service very friendly staff

M.

Great coffee and good value breakfast menu

M.

Delicious food,amazing staff ☕

F.

Great spot for a coffee... half way in between Palmy and Wellington.

J.

Do a good eggies on toast. Good coffee also.

R. T. W.

Lovely food, happy staff, happy customers.

L.

We love this cafe been here heaps

C.

Nice food, nice setting.

P. A.

Lovely place with fantastic food to boot. We'll return.

G.

Fantastic food and personnels are very friendly

A.

Great place on a nice day sitting outside in the sun.

N.

Great outdoor kid friendly place for a great coffee or lunch

R.

Service was a bit slow but the food was delicious

J.

Fantastic food fantastic staff love this place

T.

Great service, great food amazing people.

C.

Excellent food excellent service beautiful surroundings

M.

Excellent coffee and great choice of food

M.

Great place to stop, excellent food and coffee.

B.

Fantastic food, atmosphere and service

M. T. D. L.

Beautiful and delicious food.

V.

Nice stop for coffee of all day breakfast. Tranquil outdoor courtyard

P.

Awesome food and staff lovely

S.

Top quality

G.

Cool little place to stop for a quick lunch.

A.

Lovely hospitality and beautiful food..

M. F.

Great kids area, good food and coffee

T.

Great food and service. Love it.

T.

Nice and quiet lunch stop

S.

Pleasurable. Great service, great atmospher, great coffee and love the shop

S. B.

Just loved the broccoli and blue cheese soup.

J.

Great food and fast service

H.

Very nice.

V.

Good food and charming outside setting

S.

Live the place. Summer and winter Coffee is always hot.

s. a.

Very child friendly and lovely outside area

A.

Really nice coffee. A pleasant Cafe.

K. L.

Nice outdoor area, especially on a good day.

P. W.

A Superb find for a spot of lunch whilst travelling.

D. T.

Pleasant environment with nice indoor and outdoor settings

L.

Delightful setting. Very comfortable motels.

M.

Good food rustic surroundings.

N.

Great breakfast in nice surroundings.

Z.

Beautiful , nice cuppa of coffee.

S.

Great food and wo fearful setting

c. p.

Lovely setting and delicious food

J. M.

Great atomophere,good food

P.

Great food and great service

G. M.

Brilliant. Meal served with out delay.

M.

A beautiful little cafe with wonderful food.

S.

Friendly staff worth a stop if travelling

I.

Beautiful cafe and garden area.

H.

Lovely meal

S.

Great place to be with friends

P.

Delicious tomato soup and nice ambience

R.

Nice place good food

E. G.

I think it was better when it was Brown Sugar

C.

Cosy by the fire friendly staff

M.

Good coffee and nice courtyard

R.

Good food and coffee

B. H.

Nice brunch and setting

W.

Great avo mssh

G.

Cabinet food is amazing

r.

Nice vibe

N.

Excellent service and food

G.

Nice sausage rolls

M. Z.

From a must stop to average.

G.

Good food.

J.

Amazing.

l.

Great food and coffee

N.

Great coffee

P.

Great service. Top service.

R.

Nice food and selection

D.

Good coffee.

L.

Lovely cute environment

R.

Very nice environement

L.

Loved it

R.

Nice stop a bit dated

G.

Very average

L.

Lovely garden

A.

Nice

J.

Casual and coffee

C.

Excellent

P.

Great food

S.

Love the place!!

J.

Essential stop off

T.

Friendly staff.

H.

okay

T.

Nice coffee

L.

Good coffee

S.

Perfect coffee

A.

So first at all! That carrot cake was perfect! The place is lovely… people working there are lovely! Perfect service! The place is cozy and the fire place make it toasty and ideal for a coffee. Such a lovely late breakfast with friends thanks this lovey place 💚

S.

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