One Step Closer to Finding New Zealand’s Top Café

The regional finalists in NZ Café of the Year 2016 have just been announced.

It’s no secret that New Zealand is filled with talented and passionate café owners – across the country, everyone has a favourite spot for a faultless morning coffee or a lazy Sunday brunch.

Today, 78 of the country’s best cafés have been announced as finalists in NZ Café of the Year 2016 and have a tense month ahead as they wait to see who will come out on top.

The fourth year of the competition saw 700 entries, with the finalists from six now going head to head for the title of best café in the nation. 

One winner is selected in each of the competition’s four categories – Best Metro/CBD, Best Suburban, Best Rural and Classic Kiwi – from which the supreme winner of NZ Café of the Year for 2016 is chosen by a team of expert judges. The People’s Choice winner is determined through the public vote. The winners will be announced on the 7th of December. 

As well as the glory, the supreme Café of the Year also takes away a $40,000 editorial package in Dish Magazine, a ‘Great Cafés of Melbourne Tour’ valued at $10,000 and use of Renault Kangoo for a year.

For more information on this year’s competition, visit nzcafeoftheyear.co.nz.

The Finalists

People’s Choice winners for each region (determined by the public with 40,823 votes cast in total)

Auckland: Nick’s Café, Waiuku
Upper North Island: Piccolo Licensed Café, Taupo
Lower North Island: Café Jacko, Palmerston North
Wellington: Sweet Vanilla Kitchen, Lower Hutt
Christchurch: Pukeko Junction Café & Deli, Leithfield, North Canterbury
South Island: Jester House, Tasman, Nelson

NZ Café of the Year 2016 Finalists

Auckland 

Best Metro/CBD
Foxtrot Parlour, Ponsonby
Scratch Bakers Headquarters
Wellesley St Kitchen

Best Suburban
Corellis, Devonport
La Fourchette, St Heliers
Luscious Café, Onehunga

Classic Kiwi
Aroma Shed Café, Pakuranga
Carriages Café, Kumeu
VOLT Espresso, Newmarket

Best Rural
Frenchot, Waiheke Island
Red Shed Pallazzo, Karaka
The Jetty Licensed Café, Helensville

Upper North Island

Best Metro/CBD
Abracadabra Café and Bar, Rotorua
Elizabeth Café and Larder, Tauranga
Victoria’s Café Kitchen Bar, Taupo

Best Suburban
Central Deli, Mt Maunganui
LOLA Breakfast Bar & Licensed Café, Dinsdale, Hamilton
Violets Coffee @ Pit Lane, Frankton, Hamilton

Classic Kiwi
Baxters Café, Whakatane
Food For Thought, Thames
Sweet Painted Lady Café, Matamata

Best Rural
Colenso Country Café, Coromandel
L’Epicirie, Whakatane
The Refinery, Paeroa

Lower North Island

Best Metro/CBD
Element, Whanganui (regional winner in 2014)
Little Black Bird Eatery, Hastings
Maina, Hastings

Best Suburban
Aurum Coffee Roasters & Café, Parkvale, Hastings
Gusto Restaurant and Café, Moturoa, New Plymouth
Source, Taradale, Napier

Classic Kiwi
Mothered Goose, Bulls
Aromas Coffee Lounge, New Plymouth
KR’s Café & Catering Ltd, Feilding

Best Rural
Café 39 South, Owhango
Essence Café, Feilding
Kristy’s Café, Whanganui

Wellington

Best Metro/CBD
Prefab
The Flight Coffee Hangar
Victoria St Café

Suburban
Benedicts Café, Lower Hutt
Café Polo, Miramar
Franco’s Trattoria, Seatoun

Classic Kiwi
HOME Café, Thorndon
Mount Cook Café, Mount Cook
​Tiki Lounge Café, Lower Hutt

Best Rural
Saddleback Café, Ohariu, Wellington
The Clareville Baker and Café, Carterton
The Village Grinder, Masterton

Christchurch

Best Metro/CBDBest Suburban

Red Post Café, Culverdon
Thyme Café, Prebbleton
White House Black, Hallswell

Classic Kiwi
Little River Café, Little River, Christchurch
Meshino Espresso, Christchurch
Mocca, Timaru

Best Rural
Arabica Licensed Café, Ashburton
Legends Café, Pleasant Point
Waipara Springs Winery & Café, Waipara

South Island

Best Metro/CBD
Kiki Beware, Refreshment Room, Dunedin
Nova Dunedin, Dunedin
Vudu Café & Larder, Queenstown 

Best Suburban
Graze, Lake Hayes, Queenstown
The Bespoke Kitchen, Queenstown
Vanilla Bean Café, Richmond, Nelson

Classic Kiwi
Chantilly Café, Blenheim
Maggies Kitchen, Greymouth
Vogel Street Kitchen, Dunedin

Best Rural
Kai Whakapai Café/Bar, Wanaka
Melrose House Café, Nelson
Penguin Café/Bar, Takaka