Since moving from Nelson to Auckland years back I lost touch with the 'hot' eateries in my hometown, which is why I was very dependent on Yelp reviews in determining where I'd eat whilst visiting. Cafe Affair was the highest rated of any joint in the Nelson area - racking up two 5 star reviews for a (then) perfect score. For this reason I dragged myself and family through the revolving doors for breakfast with high hopes.
The menu was very simple - which I assumed was because Nelson isn't as busy as bigger cities and its therefore smarter business practice to provide a few good quality items rather than plenty of rubbish ones. However, I was wrong and as a result, sorely disappointed. I ordered the big breakfast which included sausages, potato hash, bacon, herbed toast and vine tomatoes. Not one element of this meal was enjoyable, let alone worth the $18 I paid for it. Everything was just store bought, plain old supermarket food - but not even good quality supermarket food. I feel bad saying this, because the staff were very lovely, but I could have made a better breakfast with my eyes closed. My mother was similarly unimpressed with her eggs benedict, which I felt responsible for since I had dragged us to Cafe Affair. If it weren't for my uncle (who is short on cash, lives off baked beans and NEVER has the pleasure of eating out) who was very impressed with his French toast, I would have complained and sent the meals back. However, I didn't want to ruin his experience so my mother and I bit our tongues and paid.
While I do think the staff are pleasant, they can't make up for the dreadful food. I recommend people spend their money elsewhere and avoid Cafe Affair entirely. read more