Reviews of Cafe Express. (Coffee Shop) in Palmerston North (Manawatu Whanganui).

Cafe Express

419 Reviews

248 Comments

Coffee shop

Cafe

The Grand Building, 41 The Square, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand

Description

Information of Cafe Express, Coffee shop in Palmerston North (Manawatu Whanganui)

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 Cafe Express

Popular times

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Reviews of Cafe Express

M.

A fantastic cafe we discovered in Palmy. Good coffee and the best eggs Benedict I have had in a while. Very cool decor with some interesting art. The staff were friendly and efficient. Right by the square in the city centre which is full of interesting sculpture. Recommended.

P.

Their waffle was great! The fried chicken was crispy and yum.. Hmm the curly fries was pretty good too. But the waffle was the outstanding one here. I order Cookies and Cream thickshake and I got Vanilla instead. I wasn't paying attention that it had no crumbs and I already had a sip, so might as well just drank them to the half of the glass (I didn't finish it because I just didn't like the plain Vanilla flavour in general I guess). However, it was great overall. Could have been better if they made sure they got the order right. ^_^ I tried my bf's iced chocolate and that was definitely better than my drink. :( definitely get the iced chocolate next time!

J.

‘‘Twas a cheeky valentines Uber lunch with the other half. Wedges were good with quite a large portion size. It had melted cheese layers through rather then just on top which was nice. Came with a nice Sasla and lots of sour cream. Arrived nice and hot. Drinks were packed with a tape on top to avoid spillage which was good. Werid substance was found in the thickshake that was disconcerting to say the least.

s.

OVERALL: 7 / 10. VALUE: fair portions, average price range. SERVICE: slow, waiter first took the order of 2 tables that arrived after me. FOOD: good, fresh ingredients, bread nothing special. AMBIENCE: ok for conversation, good views.

M.

Great experience. Staff were happy and friendly, the head chef was singing her heart out. The scones were light and fluffy, as very scone should be. And the iced coffee? Stop it! So good. Thanks to you all. Just what we needed👌👌

S.

Went a few months back for the first time, just grabbed some cabinet food but oh my was it delicious - a chorizo, spinach, sundried tomato panini with aioli and cheese, it was such a great combination of flavours and good ingredients! Will return!

C.

So yum loved the eggs bene and the chicken waffles were off the chain according to my partner 😂 he wants you guys to just do a bucket of the chicken lol the sliders weren't to bad either

T.

Great food and atmosphere, with lovely, cheerful service. The coffee was so good I had to get a second one!

D.

Regular stop for me. Looks to have new owners and a new menu. Even though I see the Grand is still available as a breakfast item. Avo bacon and a poached egg on chibatta wasnt too shabby. Coffee was on point. Along with the fast friendly service.

B.

I ordered harissa chicken. It was a slab of chook with sauce, cheese, bread. There wasn't salad. The flavour was ok. It was lunch and it cost $24. Frankly I'd rather have less chicken, but previously marinaded with a tasty harissa sauce and a nice salad. The staff are very accommodating

A.

Friendly staff, both the Caesar salad and Calamari weren't what we were expecting but were fine. Table was very very wobbly outside, food took quite a while to come out too. Good coffee.

J.

Service and coffee was excellent! But the food was way too slow and the taste was quite average. We waited 40mins for a tasteless French toast , waste of time and quite disappointed about the food there.

M.

Stopped for lunch. Tried the 3pc slider menu an do recommend. Great coffee. Great place to people watch!

D.

Great coffee and friendly staff. Only 4 stars as opposed to 5 because of playing rap music for patrons whose average age was 50ish.

k.

AMAZING FOOD!!!! GORGEOUS STAFF!!! The wedges are to die for and the brownie..... soooooo good! Perfect portion sizes and such a good price for high quality.

A.

Food and service were OK. Was nice sitting outside in the sun.

M.

The best breakfast ever. Big portions, nice atmosphere. 100% Recommended

N.

Waffles and chicken were really good. Iced coffee is good and not too expensive. Saw the eggs Benedict that a friend ordered and the yolk was hard so...

C.

I really enjoyed my coffee and there was 1 guy who seemed very efficient but the other staff seemed completely uninterested in being there. The tables were really grubby too.

S.

Love their coffee - one of our favourite coffee spots! Recently stopped having caffeine and their decaf is pretty incredible! Great service and lovely staff too! The food is really tasty and consistent when we do have meals there! Only complaint if you can call it a complaint - is that they don’t open for dinner!

C.

The food was nice and at a good price. They have a great view of the square, and their staff are very friendly. Parking was reasonable and the interior decor looked good but a little too dark.

A.

Central location and good hot chocolates. Service was surprisingly fast given the whole cafe was packed. Good quality food at a reasonable price.

P.

Nice little Cafe with settings outside. Toast bagel with hashbrown, bacon snd egg was delicious.

J.

March2021: back again almost a Yr later. L1. Still signins and distancing being requested 👏🏽 today it's warm so I'm at an outside table. Really quiet on the street.. Treated to a early b"day lunch so having the SCONE. it's DELISH ISH Cheese&Chives heated with a splash of butter. 2020: Socialspacing is always hard, but C/Express have done well with table settings, signage, cleanliness, and happy Staff. Great menu too.

J.

Loved & enjoyed the tasty food and was amazed with the excellent service of the new manager and staff. We felt very at home and welcomed. Definitely highly recommended! 👍👍👍❤❤❤

S.

Poor customer service; we had to repeat our order twice to the server working on the till; had to ask twice for our savoury scones and cutlery. Tables were dirty and not getting cleared away after customers left. Was told we could not order pancakes as they would take at least 45 minutes to make, the reason given was they were too busy and they had too many pancake orders ahead of us (yet we never saw any pancakes come out of the kitchen in the time we were there). The savoury scones were really tasty, wedges were good. We dined there on Monday 26 April.

K.

As usual breakfast and service was lovely - thanks to Joseph, Suzi and crew

E.

Food was good, I got the eggs Benedict which I didn’t realise was served on top of a croissant but still tasted good nonetheless. Coffee was a tad better than okay but nothing noteworthy. Lovely atmosphere and staff were nice.

g.

oh my gosh the food was so good and the chef was singing, staff were having fun.

J.

Best food in town and very friendly staff! Couldn't recommend more.

A.

Had the best experience because of the waiting staff the food was delightful huge thank you to Susan & Michael for looking after us

D.

EDIT: 7 months later my partner and I revisited because chicken and waffles are irresistible and we had appreciated the owners comments. Happy to say we were seated with menus and had awesome customer service from the ladies up the front. Meal was quick (chicken and waffles) even though they looked pretty busy for a Sunday morning. Happy to be pleasantly surprised 👍 OLD POST: Understandably we went in on a busy day for lunch, however the service was terrible. We asked for a seat and were told we would be served. After 10 minutes I went up to the counter to order (because I guess they forgot about us?). Once we ordered (around 5 minutes later) we were told we would have to wait an extra 25 minutes (fine). We had to request for water and our utensils. After 30 minutes and watching people who ordered AFTER us get their meals, we just got up and left. Our order was a chicken salad with fries. They couldn’t handle a chicken salad with fries. They served the people next to us, got their orders at their seat and served them within 10 minutes. What. The. Hell. Not going back, don’t recommend you do either if they don’t like the look of you I guess?

A.

So scrummy...the eggs bene was fantastic. My partner had the open steak sandwich & he said it was very good. Will definitely go back. Busy little place, lovely atmosphere..

B.

Good coffee and great service today - nice to find somewhere open on New Years day as well.

S.

Lovely brunch outside in the sun. Yummy pancakes and a vegie breakfast. Great espresso. Great service. All the best to lovely new owners.

M.

Great food and good outdoor seating. The smashed avo and the eggs Benedict are highly recommended!

D.

Great food, reasonable price, friendly service, good selection of cabinet food and a great menu.

A.

I had a nice breakfast here this morning .service was very good and they were really busy . Reccomend this cafe to everyone.

W.

Food is always great quality. Awesome stop for a quick snack.

J.

The most delicious lambs fry and bacon, the lambs fry melted in my mouth yum.

B.

Quick, efficient service, and a great selection on the all day breakfast. Appreciated the option of a smaller serve with the baby grand meal. Eggs were excellent, and coffee was top notch. Busy, cosy place, great vibe, great staff.

T.

The date scones are to die for. Came with friend and we had to come back the next day for another one. Customer service very good. Enjoyed chat both dsys with chef/ manager. Coffee excellent + nice hot tea. Highly recommended.

K.

The service here is so friendly, the coffee is the best I've had in New Zealand (and better than many places in Sydney), breakfast was delicious and portion sizes were huge. We came back two days in a row and they remembered us. Highly recommend.

B.

Coffee was perfect, food really fresh and the service was very friendly

J.

Coffee was decent, chicken on the waffles was overcooked and dry

P.

Nice food. Good staff

Q.

When we arrived, we were told to have a seat and someone will come take our order...10 minutes later no one so decided to go and place our orders at the counter. Coffee was lovely, we order their big breakfasts which was lovely, we had to ask for butter for the toast but other than that pretty ordinary.

O.

Excellent service and food. I popped in for breakfast and had a really good Eggs Benedict. Later I came back for afternoon tea. Staff recognised me and were friendly. Had to change into a suit for an interview and the washroom was large and clean so this was not a problem. Seems to be busy all day and the staff seem to work hard and work well as a team

D.

By far my favorite cafe in Palmerston North. The staff are always so bright, bubbly and friendly. The food is excellent and the coffee is the best from any cafe I've had in the city. Admittedly sometimes the food time is a bit lengthy, but it's 100% worth it. I work in the public sector and always recommend people to go to Cafe Express for coffee &/or meals close to the city center.

A.

My Palmie go-to for great coffee, a menu with something to cater for everyone's tastes, and warm and welcoming service.

C.

There is a captivating buzz when entering this cafe.I was greeted with a smile by a warm friendly staff member at the counter.I had the Thai balls which I recommend and served with a tasty salad.The coffee was really good. There is cabinet food if you don’t want a meal.There are newspapers for reading and free wifi from the square. On a good day there is seating with umbrellas outside.Inside I found the wooden tables a bit high/ or maybe I just have a height deficiency!! the background music is retro and does not impede on the overall dining experience. Next time you are in the square stop in and have a break.

E.

If you want menu-based cafe food this is one of your top 3 options in Palmy. They play a strong breakfast game and have excellent coffee (also smoothies and iced coffee). Good counter food too, with bear claws, ficelles, salads, muffins, slices, and scones. They have free daily newspapers and magazines to read. The only down sides are the kitchen closes relatively early (2pm) and the music selection is just weird: usually too plain-old bad to be called eclectic. Surcharge for Paywave even if it's a debit card, also surcharge for credit cards. Bonus for good outdoor seating under umbrellas, and a lovely outlook over Te Marae o Hine. Large mobility-accessible bathroom. You cannot beat Cafe Express for weekend brunch in Palmy.

J.

Best cafe around town. Quite busy cafe.. staff were polite and friendly. Coffee and meal worth of value. Satisfied with quality of meal.. highly recommend.

C.

It was ok but we had to get our own food the coffee was good and our daughter ordered a toasted bun with bacon ect that was over cooked

C.

Nice quiet snack. Nice welcome with lovely refreshments

C.

Consistently great coffee and they do brunch /lunch until 3pm which is handy. Often get the pasta/risotto of the day, always a good combination of flavours. Tasty selection of tapas too. On a nice day, sit out front and look out over the square.

V.

Awesome lunch had the small chefs platter, the pate was delicious, the dips worked well together, the dumplings were tasty and the pork balls had a nice texture and taste. Definitely going again.

J.

Probably one of the better cafes. Mean feeds, fast service, friendly, love sitting outside. Been here a few times, definitely pay them a visit.

H.

Delicious food , friendly environment great customer service, well recommended with absolute delicious coffee ✌️

J.

I love this little cafe and always eat there when visiting palmerston north. Our last visit we had my daughter with us who is vegan and whilst there wasn't much choice on the menu the chef (susie ?) couldn't do enough to create a lovely meal for her even coming outside to ask her if everything was good and to say that if she came in again just let her know and she'll whip something up for her. I love the location overlooking the square and it's very relaxing sitting in the sun at the outdoor tables. All staff were lovely and friendly and if I lived in palmerston north cafe Express would definitely be my go to place.

B.

Bacon and eggs benedict was on point, great coffee and great service from all the staff. Also salmon and eggs benedict and wedges were great.

M.

Although I haven't tried their food, this is my go to place for coffee in Palmy. I tend to visit Cafe Express once a week. Their coffees are always excellent and served hot and strong.

M.

Great place to eat friendly staff good place to relax with the family loved the outdoor eating.

A.

Great location with tables out in the sun. Food was Ok, chicken salad not especially tasty, calamari good but small. They were very slow this time even though not very busy.

J.

Amazing food, awesome Staff, I wouldn't go anywhere else !

n.

Great food with relaxing environment. Good location.

l.

Nice place nice food but pricey very popular more for business people or those who do not mind paying out alot. They have big sized meals. Coffees etc lovely everything presented well. They do have things in cabinet. Size if their big breakfast and alot on it. The staff excellent. Lication the square so close to shops and plaza and banks. Close to information centre.

L.

Quaint and warm atmosphere. Decent service with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Great for a morning coffee or a brunch with friends

P.

Fantastic place. Food is excellent, coffee is amazing. A lot of us came at short notice and the staff were wonderful with great service.

H.

Nice atmosphere and nice coffee, staff seemed like they didn't want to be there but that's cafe work for you I guess but still an all around nice place.

R.

Only got a coffee to go and if was good. Friendly staff.

C.

Very busy but we were looked after in the time frame advised. Good food especially the lambs fry and bacon.

S.

Fantastic service from front of house. Very fast and efficient with getting coffee order and was delicious coffee. Food was yummy and would highly recommend this place.

G.

Great all day breakfast.

G.

Awesome food & staff !

M.

Nice coffee an cabinet food.great customer service but seriously over 30mins for greasy SHOESTRING chips....if there is a long wait PLEASE inform the customer....

C.

The food was good polite staff didnt like the coffee

C.

Beautiful place Breaks before we head off

M.

arrived in Palmerston North for the weekend so went here for brunch. Food nice and service good as well.

J.

Food is good + well priced and portions are generous. Only 3 stars due to a rather sour/grumpy server.

C.

Food I had was not good, but staff were great and happy to refund. Other people's food in my group was OK. Iced chocolate was yum.

N.

Great coffee and tasty food. Good service too.

S.

Very nice hot coffee

D.

Fairly good service....the coffee is certainly drinkable but could be better

R.

Good service late in the day.

R.

Called in for breakfast. A tad expensive, but breakfast pancakes were light and fluffy, eggs Benedict were well cooked and good coffee.

F.

Had a nice breakfast there with work colleagues. The coffee was also good. Service was very good.

K.

This place was OK. Something wasn't quite right with the green tea (too bitter) or the Berry pancakes (too much apple not enough berry). I think they could change the name to something more interesting too.

L.

She loved her cappucino he thought his hot chocolate was the best he ever had service was really good muffins n stuff right up there.

B.

Great coffee. Excellent breakfast. Good service and friendly staff. Reasonably priced too.

E.

Great coffee. Omelette one of the best I've eaten, also eggs Benedict were very nice as well

F.

Great staff, good coffee & breakfast 4 size & value. As a tea drinker plenty of taste & hot water

W.

Like I said , but to the wrong cafe express. Right one in the square PNth. Orsum as usual. That young girl, been here a week. Doin well. That bread was scrutiny. . .

d.

Delicious and generous portions. Friendly staff and great coffee

C.

Nice atmosphere but service could improve.

J.

Awesome food , great service and value for money. Addicted due to such a nice quality and taste of food.

T.

Absolutely excellent coffee and a delicious breakfast. Great to find a place with table service.

L.

Good food and atmosphere however felt the service could have been sharper and the staff less casual

A.

Every time this place hits the spot especially today on international Nutella Day... SENSATIONAL Nutella scrolls... Yummmmmmy

B.

Great coffee and food

J.

Good coffee, easy parking. Nice place to start the day. Will be back when next in PN

W.

The food was excellent music absolutely to our taste and iced coffee was a real iced coffee

D.

Great food, good ambience. Great for a weekend lunch

K.

quite possibly the best breakfast pancakes ive ever had. the savory mince is also delicious!

S.

Great coffee, proper iced chocolate (with ice cream and cream). Excellent food, eggs cooked perfectly.

M.

Great coffee, really nice food. Will go back

S.

The food was great the service was excellent with a smile

M.

Awesome food, good gluten free options, service was the only let down.

J.

Nice Cafe, nice coffee 👍🏼

M.

Best big breakfast in town, and the most consistent providers of excellence coffee.

k.

Wonderful experience ..had lots of fun with my friends. Nice food and service also good

f.

A favourite place for our family as it was the first place we had breakfast when we arrived in Palmerston North!

L.

Great breakfasts. Open early in the morning so you can go before heading into work.

T.

Nice food and coffee, too noisy for me.

S.

Super fast service! I guess that's why it's called Cafe Express. Had the poached eggs with bacon, which were perfect.

M.

Fantastic food and great service Really good menu also

V.

Good service, very tasty date/cinnamon scones!

C.

Efficent and friendly service. Great variety of options on the menu to suit all tastes.

N.

Good quick friendly service with good coffee.

S.

Cafe Express never fails to please us. Excellent food, excellent service and excellent atmosphere.

C.

Good service, good food. Coffee okay to nice.

D.

Bit of a wait but food worth it !! (GRAND BREAKKIE )

J.

Lovely atmosphere, shady outdoor seating. Great coffee.

B.

Local public WiFi to use

c.

Good cafe on the square, yum eggs bennie the pettite grand is good for a smaller breakfast

C.

Awesome staff, reasonable prices, great food. Week after week.

P.

Food is great if you don't mind a long wait

s.

always come here for lunch staffs very friendly food so good our fervor place in town

A.

Great quality food. Can spend quality time with loved ones.

A.

Great coffee, food and staff. By far best cafe in p.north

S.

Always have good coffee. Vibe continues to stay high. Great destination.

C.

Nice breakfast. Lovely staff. Quick service

K.

Good service and lovley food I'm happy to recommend this cafe

D.

We have just enjoyed a savoury omelette absolutely amazing very filling

S.

Had another fabulous lunch there today love the pinot gris

T.

Awesome Vegan food ever + good service.. enjoyed it

D.

The coffee ain’t bad, and the cabinet treats are good.

C.

Great coffee and good food.

K.

Same good coffee, menu choices good, new management in 2019.

C.

Called in for a morning coffee and scone, was impressed with the service and the food.

M.

Nice food yummy iced coffees for tbese hot days

D.

Great fast service...awesome place to eat on a Sunday morning

T.

Lovely muffins, good coffee, friendly service

N.

Excellent cheese scones, and lovely outdoor seating

T.

Food was great and service was fast and amazing

L.

Lovely place to have a meal and coffee

N.

Great, lovely staff, nice food

D.

Nice food good menu great coffe

P.

Amazing Food and Coffee. Really enjoyed here.

L.

Great place to dine coffee is great too

D.

Excellent service, Good food.

J.

Five stars for a perfect flat white served in a tulip, well done!

V.

Very accommodating, friendly staff and delicious food

B.

Good food, friendly staff

G.

Good place for coffee lunch and a business meeting!

D.

Good food and nice atmosphere, expensive though

K.

Nice breakfasts and iced drinks, nice and relaxing place.

n.

Hands down best coffee I've had in palmerston north.

M.

Great service and awesome food.

A.

Great atmosphere. Food top quality.

M.

The Big Breakfast is best in town, huge portion and tasty

B.

Brilliant food. Awesome service .

B.

Good food. Very clever menu

C.

Great food, great location & delicious food!

R.

Food was good service could be better

R.

An absolute must in the menu is the eggs beni on a croissant 🦋

J.

Not for smokers.

R.

Great service from our waitress 👌😊

S.

Great coffee, great times!

G.

Fast service, good coffee and good food.

S.

Fast efficient service and good coffee

G.

Great food service and coffee

J.

Delicious breakfast and great service

J.

Excellent coffee and friendly service

T.

My regular Thursday morning cafe spot. Always on point.

Y.

Great food & friendly atmosphere

D.

Good for casual lunch, friendly staff

B.

Yummy food. Great coffee

s.

Great service and love the pork belly

R.

Good food. Great service.

D.

Is was a pleasant place to eat

G.

Nice place needs acoustic walls bit noisy

T.

Great coffee top service!

R.

Good place for an early morning breakfast.

S.

Great food, great service

C.

Great eggs bene and bacon

B.

Enjoyed an outstanding lunch

M.

Nice coffees and breakfasts there

D.

Good food. Coffee ok

D.

Best smoked salmon ever!

R.

Some of view the best food in Palmy

D.

Good food very good service

P.

Nice coffee. Too slow in Coming

K.

Good food and service

t.

Very good food and service

D.

Awesome salmon eggs benedict

N.

Good food and service.

C.

Great service!

m.

Great food and great service

R.

Excellent service

M.

Best Breakfast in Palmerston North.

2.

great food great service

L.

Lovely food and coffee

I.

Great meal & service

K.

Great coffee and atmosphere

J.

Beautiful food

R.

Nice feed

N.

Has great coffee.

A.

Great breakfast place

D.

Great spot for breakfast

K.

Ok, not going out of my way...

W.

Good food and service

r.

Chicken waffles... yummo

C.

Savoury mince is a must.

P.

was ok for a quick bite

M.

Great friendly environment

N.

Nice spot for lunch

J.

Your food is so good

R.

Nice service and coffee

N.

Food and service good

B.

Yummy

M.

Good service.

E.

Quite and peacefully,

D.

Great food

D.

Love this place

S.

Friendly

T.

Lovely food

R.

Coffees took ages

A.

Great food

L.

A range of tapas

G.

Good fòod.

L.

Very noisy

R.

Good breaky.

P.

Good coffee.

F.

Food

C.

Great coffee

A.

reasonable coffee

R.

Always good

K.

Yum breakfast

W.

Fantastic milkshakes

p.

Good coffee

G.

Delicious food

B.

Top service

P.

Cold coffee

D.

N.

S.

D.

Contact

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