Reviews of Federal Diner. (Coffee Shop) in Wanaka (Otago).

Federal Diner

389 Reviews

252 Comments

Coffee shop

Cafe

47 Helwick Street, Wanaka 9305, New Zealand

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Description Map Open Hours Reviews Contact Photos

Description

Information of Federal Diner, Coffee shop in Wanaka (Otago)

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 Federal Diner

Sunday

7am–3pm

Monday

7am–3pm

Tuesday

7am–3pm

Wednesday

7am–3pm

Thursday

7am–3pm

Friday

7am–3pm

Saturday

7am–3pm

Popular times

Sunday

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Monday

7
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Tuesday

7
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Wednesday

7
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Thursday

7
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Friday

7
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Saturday

7
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14

Reviews of Federal Diner

Yummy yummy porridge and great kids menu options. Healthy Hot drink options. And easily accomodating for the Covid regulations😘 it was so good to have a great filling breakfast after driving down from hawea. And the night before from chch our belkies were hungry and these guys had a great range.

Absolutely loved breakfast here. Food selection was good and portion sizes great too. Lovely coffee and friendly staff.

Perhaps the best eggs Benedict in Wanaka or even south island! The cafe is hidden in a small alley and they are one of the few cafes that open real early for breakfast. Service was prompt and quick and the breakfast was really delicious! Coffee was also top notch.

Great coffee, friendly staff, best seafood chowder ever - full of seafood goodness !!! Perfect for the winter months. Highly recommend ✅

What a find! Amazing food from a great menu. Lamb burger with beetroot infused in the pattie. Coffee was pretty good too. Friendly staff were very accommodating with our little baby too

Great food, excellent service and fab coffee. I had rne Hawea Flat. It was so good, not too heavy. My friends loved their eggs Benedict. Will be back.

This place has amazing brunch food! They have several glutenfree and vegan options. It can just get a little busy around midday and then the service isn’t one of the fastest. The staff is very friendly though!

Small inside atmosphere. Wait staff well mannered and knowledgeable on the menu. Rustic decor with outdoor seating that has good sun flow. Food is a little on small side in the breakfast menu. Benedict plate is great. Seems well liked with the foot traffic we had on Saturday Morning

So great we came both days we were in Wanaka. Great fish tacos and kedgeree too. My wife had the pork belly roti (awesome) and halloumi and polenta. Service also great, happy to suggest to replace my coffee order when it wasn't quite as I expected.

Had an epic breakfast and coffee here a few years back before hitting the mountain, was delish. Good service and people that know how to make a good coffee - which are few and far between. Open early so you can get fueled up before a big powder run. Enjoy!

A cafe & restaurant tucked away in the alley way but absolutely hip and cozy. I walked around Wanaka downtown for a good half hour looking for a place with wifi and finally landed here. Latte was beautiful and tasty, but the breakfast dish I had, “Social Climber” looks pathetically plain (I didn’t choose the add on of bacon or salmon, so it’s just two poached eggs and two small half roasted tomatoes on two slices of bread), although it taste better than it looks. I feel like a little bit additional garnish can go a long way. But in the end, its wifi is stable and fast, so well I guess it’s worth it ;)

Nice restaurant with delicious food (especially since there are healthy and vegetarian options). I give one point minus because the atmosphere was quite busy - but I guess this just speaks for federal diner since they have a lot of customers :D

I stumbled across this little hide away place on one of my strolls of Wanaka. What drew me to the menu was the 'Vegan toastie'. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of Vegan options for this place. So one morning before hitting the mountain I decided to try their vegan toastie. Their 'Vegan toastie' was on a bed of crunchy crusty bread with whole sauteed mushrooms and spinach, spicy salsa verde and an interesting savoury granola which consisted mainly of pepitas, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, buckwheat groats and hazelnuts. I paired my toastie with a chai spiced tea which was syrup based and had it with almond milk, usually my preference is for loose leaf chai tea brewed in almond milk however this is quite nice and quite spicy so I was a lovely change from my usual. Overall my experience that Federal Diner was a pleasant one and really set me up for a long day snowboarding on the slopes. #veganoptions #wanaka #vegancheese

Vibrant and energetic. Can get very busy but staff are good at keeping everything moving. Tucked away out of sight with good indoor and outdoor seating. Good food, great coffee. Nice to have a view into the kitchen.

Super tasty food and had a fantastic latte and mocha. Highly recommended. Its where all the locals go for the best breakfast, but lunch menu also looks good.

My favorites cheese or date scones. Best ever. Great coffee. Good vibe.

Great breakfast! Opens early. The staff was friendly and the food was quick and really delicious. The banana bread was amazing! Just look down the alley walkway to find it tucked away in the back.

Great vegan options which were super gourmet and delicious!

A hidden gem in the centre of town. A great cafe with a cool vibe and friendly attentive staff. Coffee ☕ is excellent as are the cheese scones. The place to be in Wanaka.

Good food at a reasonable price. Hidden down an alley way.

Always love having breakfast at Fed Diner. Can't move off the Hawea Flat, its my favourite. Great coffee, great service.

Burger was great. Beer was good too but menu said 500ml and was only a 440 can. When a man orders a 500ml beer he wants 500ml of beer.

Great food and service beyond my expectations! Staffs are nice! The dishwasher and server are awesome!

good to start you day here, Scramble eggs, Bacon, egg Benedict are really tasty

Some of the best (and best value) food we've had in NZ. I had the blue cod tacos and they were superb!

Hidden little cafe, that really hit the spot on a cold winters morning. Very popular though, so you may need to wait!

They certainly make a delicious scone and bacon & egg roll!

Looooved my coffee!! Love the little touches of cushions on seats outside with blankies for warmth!!! The waitresses were lovely!!!

Very yummy. Always enjoy the food and service!

My partner and I went here for breakfast this morning. I got a mocha and my partner got an Americano...both were well made and tasted great. It's not often that I find a menu that has a lot of different options that I'd like to try. My partner got The Monk which had roasted tomatoes, bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise on ciabatta which he said was very tasty and loved the tomatoes. I got The Hawea Flat, which had roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach and halloumi on polenta cakes and I had bacon added to my order, which was delicious. Definitely coming back to try more of their breakfast options because that porridge looks like it's gonna be so good.

Highly recommend this restaurant for the excellent food and coffee, and the very polite multi national staff. The date scones are second to none. Light, full of dates and a little crunchy on outside. Delicious. Coffees are great. Service a little slow in mornings when very busy. Evening dining dishes I would recommend are a delicious lamb shoulder cassoulet (enough for 4 moderate appetites) and a succulent tasty, full flavoured braised beef brisket. The side dishes were interesting, fresh and generous. The wine list is a sensible length, offering an excellent range of top local wines. Service very good and quick. A treasure in Wanaka. Wish I had discovered this gem years ago.

Down a side street, beautiful deck that gets lots of sun. Food is always awesome! Indoor is a little noisy for oldies to hear as it’s an open kitchen with air extractor.

Probably best coffee in Wanaka. Overall pretty good service but not always consistent. Cheese scones are nice and food is pretty good. Not the most vegetarian options but has a few. Can be busy but is more relaxing during non peak hours. Don't rush you out so it is a great place to relax nfor a while.

Its hiden diwn an alleyway but worth the effort to find. Has dairy free, gluten free and vegan options and plenty of meat eater friendly food too. Had colouring in books for our son.

Great coffee! Friendly staff. Our breakfast was delicious. Love the setting & being able to watch your food be prepared.

Wow! I got the Social Climber with Salmon...oh my was it all buttery, salty goodness. I couldn't stop telling my friend how good it was.

Excellent food and top service. Generous portions with something for everyone on the menu - even for a fussy 11 year old and a vegetarian 9 year old! Fully recommend the seafood chowder.

We came for dinner just after 9pm to find out that the kitchen is closed. However, the chef said he would cook for us what was really great!! Thank you so much. Food was awesome, we had pulled pork roti which was very moist and juicy. We also had friend chicken, very well presented, crispy but juicy inside. The service was top notch, our waitress was super lovely. Thank you!!

Great food, slow service and disorganised.

Friendly, helpful staff, absolutely delicious food, nice place to sit, indoors or outside. In fact the food was so good I felt moved to compliment the chef directly. Highly recommended !

Always a good cafe to go to when passing through Wanaka. We had a late lunch here - halloumi, mushrooms and spinach on polenta and chicken tacos. Both delicious and very filling. Breakfast menu open till 3pm. Service was warm and friendly and cafe has a really good vibe about it.

It was very busy, lots of people there for brunch on a cold wet day when the ski-field field was closed. I found it very noisy. We didn't eat there but the breakfasts looked very good. I had a chai latte which was excellent - spicy and not too sweet. My friends said the coffee was great. The kids found their hot chocolates too strong but they liked the sweets that came with it.

Dish I had was tiny bit small but tastes and flavours made up for this. Cool place.

The Federal Diner has high quality food and creative dishes. I had dinner there in mid week. I had the blue cod tacos with a side of grilled asparagus. It was absolutely delicious. The fish was lightly breaded and cook to perfection. I highly recommend this restaurant for dinner.

Came for breakfast and found it a bit noisy. We were at a share table with what seemed to be a group of retired regulars who were quite loud, but with the reflective surfaces of the interior, it was hard to hear our own conversation at all. But, after about half an hour, the place cleared out significantly and we were able to chat and relax. The food was delicious but the Hollandaise sauce was missing from my order. I'm guessing it was because another guest at our table ordered theirs on the side so mine was lost in translation. The staff seemed busy but friendly and it is clearly a popular place with locals and visitors alike.

Beautiful food and friendly staff. Great breakfast and lunch options. No reservations so be prepared to wait if it's busy. Well worth it.

Best coffee in town! Great atmosphere, well priced menu with lots of unique yummy options, including kids

Nice place, service a little slow but food nice

Had the most incredible breakfast at the Federal Diner this morning & it was absolutely delicious! The place was a buzz with plenty of atmosphere yet the food was on our table in no time! The turmeric latte is to die, I most definitely be back!

It was a very noisy place We had breakfast there on Sunday morning and the place was very busy. But I'm sure it's their acoustics, all hard surfaces so it's going to bounce all over the place. It didn't help that the staff member loading the dishwasher was clanking them plates in there making a right old racket and we were at the farthest end of the diner well away from the kitchen. Food was nice but far too noisy I'm afraid.

The breakfast is great and well worth the visit for. But the dinner is undersold. We had a fantastic meal here for dinner. The chefs did an awesome job with the shared plates and the main course of steak and the fish of the day were amoung the best meals we had in New Zealand. If you're looking for a great meal, either breakfast or dinner, order here.

As a coeliac this café was brill for me, the food was delicious and the staff were amazing helping me find a gluten free option. The kitchen staff even washed their hands, used different pans and utensils etc and ensured everything was completely safe for me. 10/10 would recommend

Staff were very good and had a comprehensive allergens menu. food came quick, but my friend's chicken salad sandwich was apparently average tasting ($16) and left her with a slightly upset stomach. My NY steak tasted nice but was very small, especially for a $28 meal.

Friendly staff, fast service, and wow - the food! Favorite food we've eaten in NZ after a week and a half. Definitely worth the stop. We had the monks eggs Benedict and the hawea flat with a poached egg. Delicious!!!

Tasty food with a good selection of healthy options. Staff were very friendly and the ambience pleasant. Great coffee and one of the best date scones we’ve ever eaten.

Such a great place to visit. The food was amazing as always and very fairly priced. Try to get there every visit as the staff are always friendly and helpful. Always recommend this place to friends and family.

Delicious nice surroundings great staff

We came here for breakfast and although there was a little bit of a wait it was worth it. The nitro brew coffee was a tasty cold brew. The breakfast looks small but it was very filling! The pastry was fresh and delicious. We were a little bit sceptical about the salmon kedgeree, but it was very good. The Hawea Flat was also very nice, the polenta was not too oily and the toastes tomatoes were a highlight.

Awesome service and amazing raw gf df rsf slices

Love this cafe. Hidden down a back alley it has become very popular with the locals in Wanaka with excellent food and very good coffee. For lunch I had a delicious pork and vegetable dish cooked in hoisin sauce - fresh and tasty and only $14.

This was by far the best restaurant I was lucky enough to dine at during my entire NZ stay. Amazing breakfast, best eggs benny I’ve ever had and I have this dish alooooot! Must go!!!!! Great pour over coffee for us Americans that desperately need drip ❤️

Breakfast was nice .lots of people.

Coffee is all right, food is really nice, service was friendly

One of the best restaurants in wanaka. Had the lamb shoulder and the pulled pork roti which BTW was pretty bloody amazing (had to go back the next day for more) and the coffee was pretty good too. Staff were great and very friendly (another reason we returned the next day), went in the winter time and was cold so was closed up however had sliding doors that could be opened up into a courtyard with a cafe and another restaurant. If your in wanaka and looking for a good feed then you can't go past Federal Diner.

Food was great and came really fast. Only downside was that the kitchen had already closed but failed to tell the couple next to us. No last orders, no alert from the staff. In fact, they were waiting to have their order taken for the past 10mins but no one came, only to find out that the kitchen had already closed for the day. Also, the place closes at 3pm, not 10pm, like what google says.

Huge points for being the only cafe we could find in town to understand that providing wifi is as important as providing coffee. It doesn't hurt that the food is very very good - try getting a cheese scone with whatever you choose fot breakfast, it's more fluffy biscuit than scone.

Amazing kedgiree for breakfast. Good locals spot. Excellent coffee and very friendly service

Great food! Good coffee (rare in NZ) and great staff. Oh and they have free WiFi! Fed Diner and Fed Deli are excellent

Wanaka was packed to the brim for the Easter Weekend and we were lucky to wander down an alley way and score the last table at the Federal Diner. Food was exceptional and good value too. I had the mussels in white wine (totally moorish), a side of seasonal veg and pasionfruit creme brulee (perfectly created with toffee crackle on top). Washed down the lot with a cold lager shandy. Service was genuinely friendly. Highly recommend and will certainly visit again on our return trip to Wanaka.

Nailed the piccalo, nice place to come and start your day.

Odd to wander down an alley to get here but worth it. The scone had an odd texture, more suet dumpling than scone texture. Food very good.

Fabulous coffee if you like a dark roast, good service from pleaseant staff. A range of food which was great but could be improved with more green fresh crunchy veggies. I'd definately go back

What a fantastic spot! We arrived around 8 pm on a Sunday night, and easily found a table among the crew of diners present. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and nice Pinot Noir, and we're so well taken care of by Tami. She suggested places to visit in Te Anau, and was happy to answer our questions and chat. Thank you for the nicest food and atmosphere!

This place is seriously good, a cafe operation and a Deli across the walkway, all usual cafe offerings, cooked meals etc, best Cheese Scones in the world we reckon, we even got their recipe and have tried them at home, still scrumptious, great staff, very busy, very quick service, mainly indoor seating with some outdoor, and the Deli has great food as well, A bit had to find entrance from street ,but keep looking, it’s worth it

The cheese scones to die for. Great start. Best coffee I have had in Wanaka

Kedgeree was delicious

Bacon and eggs on toast was flawless and the extra shot in my coffee was delicious and not bitter at all. Friendly and helpful service too.

Had table available on short notice and Easter weekend. Food was delicious!

Had a fabulous night here. Service was great, waiter was spot on, nothing was a bother and food was delicious. The truffle fries were to die for! Will definitely be back.

Dinner was not great. Had the blue cod tacos and it was pretty basic and tasteless. The waitstaff were really friendly and attentive, maybe better for breakfast...

Read some great reviews but was disappointed. Good coffee, friendly staff, food just average. Fed Deli next door was great tho, awesome brownie

Fantastic food & coffee. Wanaka is lucky.

Nice selection of local wine and great NZ food. Everything was really fresh and homemade feeling. Pork roti was our favorite.

Super place,great food and service/staff! Real busy!😋👍

This place is so yummy, it’s off the beaten track and seems to be where locals spend time. I had the braised pork shoulder with hoisin and the flavors were incredible. I don’t think you can go wrong here!

Great food lovely presentation generous portions. Service a bit slow, but it was busy and managed to get 2of our coffee orders wrong, but quickly fixed. Challenge Wanaka weekend 2016

By far the best place we are in out 10 days in NZ (including restaurant that were twice as expensive). Really great vegetarian (eggplant with haloumi and mushroom roti)

Coffee is absolutely delicious and the lady from Auckland is extraordinarily kind. Enjoyed very much.

great spot for brunch with vegan options. prices are quite reasonable and the space is cool. free wifi too.

We had dinner here and the food was epic! Highly recommend the sirloin. Service was great. Cool vibe at night.

Coffee and cheese scones were delicious.

Great quality food. Great vegan and vegetarian options. Would highly recommend.

Cosy cafe in Wanaka. Great coffee.

Great vibe, service, and food.

Can't stay away from this place. It's busy and there are a few little blips here and there with the service but the staff are great and always put it right. Best place for coffee I have found.

It was a very noisy place We had breakfast there on Sunday morning and the place was very busy. But I'm sure it's their acoustics, all hard surfaces so it's going to bounce all over the …

The staff were attentive and friendly. The food was delicious. We had the Cardrona Lamb Shoulder to share and it was devine.

Always great

Always busy and packed people in the cafe but good food interesting menu. Also there is a little kids space so its one point for it.

Very friendly, fantastic food. great outdoor seating. Would recommend the banana bread for brunch.

Good food, great coffee. Service was a bit slow but to be expected on a busy Saturday morning.

Great coffee, food looks good, although I didn't order any. Quite pricy.

Really great food service and a unique setup with a cool courtyard . Menu is good and the food is oustanding

Best cheese scones ever. And the bacon and tomato eggs benedict is also excellent for breakfast!

We came in with an unwell and unhappy 2 year old. Food was great, wait staff were thoughtful and attentive like ninjas of kindness.

Excellent breakfast. Very friendly and quick service

Great breakfast and coffee, smaller portions but still a decent value for the money.

Great coffee and spots to sit outside if the weather is sunny! Fresh sandwiches and raw treats from the deli too

Great food! Friendly arrive. Good to see a baby change table in the bathroom too.

Excellent cafe, great coffee and the best cheese scone I’ve ever tasted!

Really nice place - great bacon sandwich cheers guys ☀️🤗☀️

You can have your quick meal here from 7am onwards. They serve breakfast up until 3pm for those have late brunches.

Excellent all round, great food, menu, coffee and most importantly service. Highly recommended

One of the places for Breakfasts in Wanaka. I enjoy the local feel and the variety of dishes. Good place great people.

Came in here on a dusty morning

Great quality food. Great vegan and vegetarian options. Would highly recommend.

Phenomenal scones (both date and cheese (independently of course)) and very good coffee.

Love the cosmopolitan feel of this place, friendly staff and cheese scones are to die for!!

The food was amazing and staff attentive, good range of beer and helpful input with matching.

Average coffee, staff seem a bit unaware of what's going on. Hot chocolate was good though.

Coffee was outstanding and breakfast was superb!

Great little cafe down a cool lane in Wanaka. Coffee & service A+

Yummy breakfast and great service.

Excellent coffee. Best beans and barista in town

Great food and service!

Fast friendly service..delicious well presented food..highly recommend

Good food which is usually different to the average. Nice coffee.

amazing fresh local produce great coffee and sun trap

Good food, but the acoustics make it noisier than it is and makes conversation sightly harder than it could be.

Nice food. Great service Poor beer taste

Just awesome. You will not be disappointed dining at Federal Diner

It can get noisy inside. Food was nice :-)

Quite simple but a very well executed breakfast, yummy!

It’s alright, quite pricey for the portions but tasted good

We had an awesome waitress who was also from the states. Great food!

Great fusion food! The pork in Roti n Roll was juicy and tasty!

Best place in Wanaka for brunch! The roti n' roll is my favorite!

Great coffee, tasty food, amazing atmosphere.

Great food & coffee; a place to hang out/meet up on a cold day

Coffee and cheese scones were delicious.

Great little place to grab a quick bite for a reasonable price near other shops and eateries.

Love this place - awesome team and great atmosphere

Great food but 's bit noisy

Heart warming Soul soup.

Top cafe in Wanaka

Great food and service at fair prices

Amazing coffee and perfect almond croissant

Really nice cafe in the middle of the town. Chai was good

Awesome service, super good food great price

Nice food. Good service. Loved it

Maaaaaan those eggs were sooooo nice and ultra yellow...thats organic for ya!

Tasty but pricey. Limited service if you sit outside

Great food, good value, friendly service

Excellent coffee and food, friendly staff

Best Sausage roll....ever....in my life

Very good coffee and the best croissants.

Cosy cafe in Wanaka. Great coffee.

Great food, great coffee, great service. Thank

Good food and atmosphere just the coffee let me down

Awesome place for coffee and food looks fantastic

A Delicious coffee with a great staff!

Great coffee atmos and food

Good coffee, breakfast and baked treats.

First great coffee we had in New Zealand!

Great service and awsome food!

Enjoyed my cheese scone with my coffee while surfing on the free internet

Great menu and excellent friendly service

Favourite Cafe in Wanaka, great coffee, food and ambience

Best cheese scones in NZ

Coffee like warm, breakfast good.

Great place with a takeaway side as well

Delicious BaBa burger and coffee for lunch, thanks team!

Excellent food. Excellent coffee.

Best place for coffee and brunch in Wanaka

That Kedgeree... and those Cheese Scones...omg... YUM!

FOOD good but very noisy

Great coffee and World famous scones

The Lamb shoulder with lentils was delicious.

Delicious breakfast and great coffee

Excellent service and great food.

Good food, smallish menu.

Great vibe, service, and food.

Coffee food and service! Brilliant!

Loved the good food and atmosphere

Good service here, nice food

Good food and friendly helpful staff

Fave lunch spot in Wanaka

Fantastic food and staff

Good coffee, nice vibe

Great place for food coffee etc

Locals secret. Best cheese scones

Great coffee, great vibe

Exceptional croissant. Good brekky.

Nice food, coffee and service

Beast chowder. Relaxing place to sit

Great breakfast and coffee.

only had coffee and that wasn't great

Always great

Food and service first class.

Reasonably good food and drinks.

Great coffee and meals

Good food

Nice staff, nice fireplace.

Loved it!

Delicious scones

Excellent food & service

Food and service were great. Nice ambiance too. Altogether a good experience.

Great food and service, best fries in Wanaka!

Nice place with Great food

Awesome coffee !

To busy at our visit

Great coffee!

Baked egg hmmmmm

Really nice food

Very good meal

Awesome as always thanks

Great coffee

Superb

Always great

Great coffee

just awesome

Great Lunch

Gotta go here.

(Translated) Breakfast is honestly a bit too salty for Taiwanese. Only hawea is a bit lighter! But the decor and atmosphere are pretty good! (Original) 早餐老實說對台灣人有點太鹹了只有hawea比較清淡一點！但裝潢和氣氛也蠻不錯的！

(Translated) I ordered mussels and seasonal vegetables. The mussels were delicious, but they were salty, the crusty part was hard, the seasonal vegetables were great, and there was a yogurt on the bottom. The male clerk is very kind ~ (Original) 點了淡菜和季節時蔬，淡菜很好吃，不過滿鹹的，麵包皮的部分好硬，季節時蔬很棒，底部有優格。男店員很親切～

江.

(Translated) The Buddha is delicious! You can try to eat light taste, and the mushroom spinach is delicious! (Original) The Buddha 好吃！習慣吃清淡口味的可以嘗試，香菇菠菜水波蛋都很好吃！

(Translated) Very good salad and good atmosphere for resonable prices in a tourist town. A little away from the passage, so rather peaceful. (Original) Très bonne salade et bonne atmosphère pour des tarifs résonnables dans une ville touristique. Un peu à l'écart du passage, donc plutôt paisible.