This place has it all, atmosphere smiling service and great coffee! Oh and the food is delicious too! Had a flat white and eggs been with salmon. Fresh hot and fabulous. PS They've moved down and around to Wigan St. Not sure if temporary but certain a charming spot in an old cottage. read more

Fidels Cafe - The entrance to Fidel's new location. - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

The food is awesome. We had breakfast and ordered the Fidel's feast with tea. It was exceptional. The decor and feel really make you feel like you are back in Havana. Only word of caution is to plan for a wait if you ordering to dine-in. They are understaffed and the wait from order to serve was nearly an hour. Lots of GF pastry options for those in need read more

Fidels Cafe - Fidel's feast with poached eggs and no bread. Traditionally comes with sourdough and hashbrowns - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

Easy comfort food of the breakfast and lunch variety. My friend had a mocha and said the coffee quality is good, she is also celiac and they had lots of options for her. I tried the brisket sandwich which was heavy but really tasty! Also enjoyed the seasoned fries. Lunch for two with one coffee was about $60-$70. read more

Fidels Cafe - Mocha - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

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This place is pretty good! We had the Cubano, Cuban burrito, and chicken n waffles. They all had a great flavor and uniqueness to them, tasted very fresh and wholesome made. I think that's why it took our food so long to arrive. I'm not sure why not many people use yelp around here but this place also has over 500 raving reviews on google so we wanted to give it a shot. Pretty great overall, I wasn't as excited as the reviews lead me to be but maybe an expectation vs reality thing. read more

In a whirled of mediocrity it's reassuring to know there exist PROPER cafes like FIDELS, 234 Cuba Street Wellington. A near flawless performance this afternoon ticked every box save the background music / techno pop rock whatever twas didn't hit MY sweet spot, but let's discuss the positives: Warm hospo greeting explains a 10 minute wait to be seated, a busy Labour Weekend in the city, then ushered into cozy back room warm and airy retro themed 50s 60s during Fidel Cs heyday. Ordering process smooth and efficient water for the table refill without asking. Communicative servers, bright and efficient attitude. Food choices abound looking terrific in the cabinets, kitchen pumping out FRESH menu items in a timely fashion. Barista made coffee exactly as ordered AND a very high standard too! FRESH TASTY DELICIOUS to the last drop. No plastic butter substitutes here accompanying the yummy vegan gluten free choco muffin....a generous veritable Square of loveliness. Comfy seating, relaxed vibe, many locals hangin out, loos clean n tidy, a BUSY well run operation to be commended. In our view there are two proper cafes in Wellington, FIDELs and Maranui Surf in Lyall Bay. We liked the environmental concern for overpackaging and discount half a buck for using one's own coffee vessel, REAL crockery no throw away STUFF here = well done FIDEL! A top ten New Zealand coffee experience earns a FIVE star review and unreserved recommendations. Thnx for looking after us today, Fidel management and staff ! Pics will follow. read more

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I've been here tons of times and everytime never fails to impress. This is the kind of place that gets really really busy so you do have to wait to get seated at the front. It does have a sign at the front saying how long food wait is though which I like. Layout kind of sucks, if you don't mind bumping elbows with the person next to you. Parts of the place feel like a very loud lounge room where you can hardly hear yourself think let alone talk to someone your having lunch with. Food is always 5/5 delicious. My usuals are the Eggs Benedict with bacon and a coconut mocha. Today I thought I'd try a hash cake thing with my eggs Benedict but that was a bit yuck. Wait staff are very friendly and will treat you like your in a restaurant. I like the outdoor areas as well they're really nice but again overcrowded. I think this place would be even better if they shut down for a little knocked down some walls and made it more open rather than feeling like a small 2 bedroom house where everyone is in your space. Overall a nice place with average Wellington priced my meal and coffee was $33.50 read more

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Fidels Cafe on Cuba Street is completely deserving of it's high rating on Yelp and other rating networks. The carne asada sandwich was served on freshly baked ciabatta bread and filled with caramelized grilled onions and roasted peppers, smothered in some house-made sauce that was perfection. The fries had some light spicy seasoning and came with a ketchup-mayo whip that was a delight to try. This is also a really cool hang out place and has plenty of take-out and restaurant seating. If I were to come back to Wellington I would head back to Fidels to try 2 or 3 more things on the menu. read more

Fidels Cafe - Drinks menu - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

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Great service and located on Cuba street in an awesome neighbourhood, there is a lot to like about this place. You can see a lot of people eating here all times of day, whether it's to get a flat white or to eat one of their bowls. I went for their signature fried chicken, which tastes like it was marinated in buttermilk until sufficiently tender. Most places don't marinate their chicken enough, so it's refreshing to find a place that does this properly. The chicken is then coated in cajun seasoning before being battered an fried, which gives the chicken a spicy full taste that I've not had in any other places. Truly a must try if you're here. I also had a house salad, and their mango smoothie. Very refreshing on a hot summer's day. read more

Highly recommend you pick up a baked good on your stop here. The food is decent but what I think makes them really shine is the bake program. A wonderful and diverse selection of tasty baked treats (including gluten free). We stopped by after dinner to pick up a slice of their chocolate cake and wish we had gotten two slices. The ganash icing was deliciously creamy and not too melty. The chocolate cake texture was not too dense but not too fluffy. Nice moisture level. Stop by earlier in the day for maximum selection options. Another day we stopped by here we ordered their cubano sandwich. Overly mustardy for me but the ham was delicious and fatty. Wish the bread was a little more dense with a harder crust. The sandwich kind of collapsed while eating. Portions are large. read more

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Went for a breakfast here and the fried chicken waffle didn't disappoint. They have a lot of selections but if you are a sweet tooth you won't find pancakes or French toast. Due to this fact I went with the fried chicken waffles. The portion is good amount and maple syrup goes really well with the chicken and waffles. I would recommend ordering it if you have the appetite in early morning. My wife went with the healthy section and choose yogurt with granola (not because she is trying to be healthy but because the dr told her just one day ago to avoid eating heavy food!) she said it was ok which is expected given it's only yogurt. Overall I highly recommend ordering the fried chicken waffles. read more

Fidels Cafe - Fried chicken waffles - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

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Best. Flat whites. EVER. Not sure why they went with this dictator cafe theme, maybe because Cuba street. But what a fun and quirky breakfast place! Plenty of yummy options on the menu, I went with the basic salmon eggs benedict...It did not disappoint. But I want to call out the flat white I had here. I don't know why, but it was seriously the best one I had my entire trip in NZ! If I lived in this area, I'd definitely frequent this place. They have a quick order window for those just wanting coffee and not a sit down meal. It was pretty busy when I came here to eat, but they were able to seat me inside right away. They looked like they had a really big patio outside to sit in too, but it's fenced so you can't see it from the street. I miss the flat white. read more

Fidels Cafe - Flat white is probably the best I've had - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

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Precious - you can feel the odour of cool as soon as you walk into the place. In today's post-covid climate, I find Fidel's rate err silly.

It's hard to talk about Fidel's without mentioning the incredible atmosphere. The place is laid back, relaxed, friendly and fun. The table service is prompt and the time estimates for when the food is due to arrive are usually very accurate. I recommend them as a brunch spot. The Spanish eggs and the Mexican menu options are the standouts if you asked me. The coffee is very very good. The long blacks I usually drink are never over extracted (which is often the case in average coffee shops). This is the kind of place that you can come back to every day of the week without getting bored. read more

Fidels Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

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OK, it is not Cuban food. It is on Cuba Street. Get that out of your head. And, while there are a lot of pictures and artwork of Fidel Castro, this is not a place for the revolution. So, if you don't mind eating yuppie food with a guy holding a machine gun over your head. Then, this is great. Fidel's is a fun and funky place for a wonderful brunch or lunch. Everything is fresh and flavorful. I passed on the eggs, which look fantastic, because I had eggs for breakfast. Instead, I had the fresh mesculin salad haloumi cheese and smoked chicken. It had huge chunks of avocado. I really loved it with the kiwifruit, apple, pear and lime fruit juice. Nice and tart beverage. Watching the meals go by, everything looked interesting and incentive. A lot of people ordered burgers. But, I recommend being more adventurous. Next time, I am ordering the smoked cheese, lamb and caramelized onion pie. It is a bustling place that is clearly popular. Expect a queue out the door. But things move fast. Perhaps, given the decor and food quality, we should call this the Gastro revolution. read more

Looking for an incredible cafe with amazing food and staff? Fidel's, located on the ever-quirky Cuba st, definitely seems to have it all. If it weren't for this cafés delicious menu I wouldn't of made it through my first year at uni. It was always a breath of fresh air and a much needed escape from the food served at my uni hall. Although there are several different options including many with Cuban flavours I can just never go past the eggs benedict, a hangover cute like no other. Fidel's is always packed at any time of the day which is definitely a reflection of its popularity, and it's not surprising how it's got such a great reputation, particularly with students. Fidel's offers amazing food at an affordable price which is often difficult to come across in the Wellington CBD, and it's amazing atmosphere and Cuban inspired decor is always a winner. Popping in for one of their famous snickers milkshakes or an epic meal it seems to cater on all accounts. I'm just waiting till I'm back in Wellington this year and Fidel's will definitely be seeing a lot more of me! read more

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Come early if you want to sit but expect to wait. Great, Cuban themed restaurant with delicious food and the best milkshakes in Welly. I would sell my firstborn for a banana milkshake. Great spot for fresh OJ, coffee. Great for groups post hangover or after climbing Mount Vic. read more

4 stars, but plus 1 for the Tim Tam Cake because I would go back just to eat that. Cuba St. is literally LITTERED with good cafes and restaurants. So many options to choose from. Be sure to stop by Fidels Cafe, as it seems to be a staple in this area, and rightfully so. While small and unassuming, and most certainly "quirky," this place delivers good food for the hungry in Wellington. If you come between the hours of 3-6pm, you've made it to their Happy hour! Unfortunately, the only thing I really remember from the HH menu was the $15 wine carafes (about 3 glasses) but hey no one said wine improved your memory? Foodwise, the menu is resplendent with what I learned to be classic NZ fare during my time in NZ. This means flavorful and simple dishes made with fresh ingredients. Lots of veggies. I actually did get the salad with the haloumi cheese, avocado and chicken. You know why? I did it for the avocado and haloumi. This combo is everywhere in NZ and I became an avocado crack head while I was in NZ. My mom got the pulled pork which was OK, but honestly in the states they have better Cuban/Mexican places so it wasn't too mind-blowing. The sliders of the day we ordered were just OK. Don't even remember what they were. Lastly, TIM TAM CAKE say what.... a rich, indulgent chocolate party in my mouth!! Not too heavy. Please do yourself a favor and order that. The ice cream sandwiches were also surprisingly fun and delicious (not really a huge ice cream sandwich fan that's why). Service was alright; a bit slow, but it looked like they only had 2 waitstaff that the time so props to them for working the entire restaurant. Pricewise, it's worth it for you to come here in my opinion. You can't miss the Cuban flag roof, check of Fidel's! read more

Having pored over several reviews and having read Wellingtons version of urbanlist, I decided to visit Fidel's cafe for its famous baked Spanish eggs. There are two versions.- the veggie version with eggs in a yoghurt spinach and ricotta sauce or the other version with potato, bacon and beans. Both are served with ciabatta bread. Unlike Melbourne, you don't get a large heaving breakfast dish but prices are comparable. So for 21.50 I got baked eggs and a small trim (skim = trim in kiwi?) Cap. The coffee was ok. The baked eggs were quite disappointing. I expected a tomato sauce base but the eggs, beans, bacon, tasteless potatoes and celery were in water?! The bread was ok. The service is excellent and quick and omg you can pay at the table. The ambience is relaxed with old town music. There's savoury and sweet delectables at the counter which are visible from the front entrance. There are three seating areas with one being an outdoor sort of covered seating area. read more

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Friendly staff. Reasonably good food. Lovely outdoor area on a sunny day. A safe choice for a nice meal. read more

Very good breakfast that is served almost all day. Flat White was excellent. Waffle and bacon as well as the burito were also very good. Fun atmosphere and would also be great for drinks and dinner. read more

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Quite possibly the best brunch I have ever had. After a night out, Fidel's cafe was the perfect cure for that morning headache. I got the bubbles and squeak dish and the refried mashed potatoes were wonderful. You can tell that the eggs were fresh and the bacon also went great with everything. Best meal that I had while I was in New Zealand. read more

Fidels Cafe - Fidel's feast on top and bubbles and squeak on the bottom! Would definitely recommend bubbles and squeak - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

While I like what I ordered (ropa vieja)....this is more interpretive Cuban food than it is authentic. The atmosphere is casual and cool. Service is a bit slow. Wife loved the hot chocolate. read more

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The restaurant is billed as a Cuban Restaurant, hence the name Fidel's. I had the Ropa Vieja Quesadilla, which was filled with tender beef shoulder slow braised in tomato, garlic and chilli, served with tomato salsa, guacamole and an iceberg lettuce slaw. My companion had the Fish Taco, advertised as a soft tortilla rolled with cajun spiced fish, shredded jalapeño and coriander slaw, fresh tomato and chipotle mayonnaise. We thought both items were delicious and well seasoned. The fish tacos had a spicy sauce on the side, so you could moderate the heat if you wanted the dish on the mild side. The fish was excellent and appeared to be cod, but I didn't verify. The quesadilla was very tasty and I just wish that there was more of it. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is that, while delicious, the food didn't appear to be Cuban but rather a blend of Tex Mex and Californian grill. They do say that the coffee is Cuban, and it's located on Cuba street, so that good enough for me. I plan to return while in Wellington. read more

Fidels Cafe - Beef quesadilla - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

Cool ambiance and decor. Ordered coffee, salmon bagel, and the spanish style baked eggs. All items were delicious. Highly recommend the spanish baked eggs. Get it. You won't regret it. read more

Fidels Cafe - Flat white. My standard while in NZ - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

Came here during my short stay in Wellington. The cafe has a great location along the vibrant Cuba Street. I came for a late lunch and had the fish tacos and mozzarella stuffed jalepeno peppers. The beer battered fish tacos were delicious, but the jalepeno peppers were the real star. I did not expect them to be so spicy, but they were stuffed with a creamy cheesy mixture and tasted great dipped in ranch. Their prices were pretty reasonable as well. When going to pay for my meal, I could not help but look at their desserts. I ended up getting a nutella peanut butter cookie, which was ooey gooey good. Recommend this place to anyone looking for a good cafe in Wellington! read more

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Every time I visit Wellington - this is A must for me! The simple fact that it has been there for over a decade speaks volume of the place. They haven't tried to change who they are as there really has been no need. Havana coffee is great and their food has always been a winner! Friendly and diverse staff with a good amount of seating with the 2 main indoor sections and a small back yard area and takeaway section (for those in a hurry). We ordered the waffle w chicken (dangerously good!), bacon butty (which had an amazing "bacon" aroma to it which is an exciting prospect) and the Spanish eggs which was filling but not what I really wanted.. (I had been eating way too much and needed to be sensible). Coffees were great and food excellent with a good flow of customers for a Monday morning. It helps that they're a stand alone cafe and not attached to a heap of the cafes like the rest further on Cuba.. a really really good spot to hang and get fed. read more

Fidels Cafe - Spanish Eggs - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

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Having tried to get a kai in here on the weekend but being told there was quite a wait, I thought I'd give it a go during the week. So glad I finally got to try this Wellington institution. Seated straight away. It was busy but service was excellent. Coffee was on point. Smoothie was so refreshing. Food was bloody good. read more

Fidels Cafe - Fidel's feast and spirulina smoothie. - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

This is a very popular place - for good reason. The environment is relaxed and welcoming, with mountains of delicious homey food that's sympathetic to dietary requirements, particularly for vegans, vegetarians and keto's. But meat eaters don't despair - there's burgers, pizza, salads and all sorts of options for you too. The coffee is Cuban (of course) and the desserts are die-worthy. If you come after 5pm for takeaway, you'll get it half price - great for picking up dinner on the way home, which is often what I do. Service is lovely. You can sit inside or out, but depending on the time you may need to wait for a table. At these times, the takeaway option works well. read more

I had the vegan feast, which was pretty good. However, it took me a while to decide what to get. The choice is not that great and they are not able to substitute specific ingredients. Staff is very nice. I didn't really like their interiors. It was cramped and loud... Also, I thought it was overpriced (19 NZD for my breakfast without drinks). read more

Fidels Cafe - Vegan Feast - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

This is a nice cafe. Their breakfast foods are the bomb. I've had the Fidel's feast here and it was delicious. Highly recommend this place. Service and staff are excellent. read more

Delicious food and a cool vibe. We ate outside and got a beer and pizza special for two (available after 5pm). The pizza was a prawn and chorizo pizza. We got the large pizza with 2 beers for $25 on a Sunday; I'm not sure whether this is always on the menu. We also go the salt and pepper calamari, which was delicious; I had never had such thick calamari. The house white wine, which I imagine varies with time, was delicious and very drinkable. read more

Best milkshakes ever! Fidel's is such a unique place - cool vibe, lovely service, great cabinet food, perfect coffee. My favourites are the mocha or snickers shakes, salmon and potato hash breakfast and the choc brownie. Yum! Taste: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Value: 5/5 Must try: shake and potato rosti with salmon and the grilled haloumi Instagram: @oliviaroundtown read more

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I was in Wellington on a 2 week Lord of the Rings tour (don't you look at me like that). And I have wanted to try Fidels since I saw Billy and Dom talk about it in the extras in the Extended Edition of The Fellowship of the Ring (don't you look at me like that). WELL! I was here. I got a Merry crew together (points if you got the pun) and we headed up Cuba Street. There was a long table outside free perfect for our party of 11. The waitress took our drink and food orders and then it kind of went downhill for me. I do not like spicy food. This restaurant is mainly Cajun. I ordered the Salt and Pepper Squid - which did not say contained chilli - took a bite and promptly send it down the table for the others to enjoy. I relayed this information to our waitress (which to be far she had only been working there for 3 days) and she apologised profusely. But she neglected to question why I then ordered the Jerk Chicken. And by gad was the chicken a jerk. I had no idea that 'jerk' was a type of spicy ass seasoning - I thought it may have been the way the chicken was prepared. It arrived, my mouth was on fire and I was unable to send it back without being charged for a second meal. So I proceeded to scrape the seasoning off and slather it with sour cream and it became edible. Tasteless, but edible. For the debacle that was my dinner, I at least got a giant bowl of coffee for free. Now this whole thing could be construed as my own dumb fault, so I'm not giving it 3 stars for that. No Fidels - you lose 2 stars for your lax attitude. The waitress who was there for 3 days was trying damn hard to fix up our mistake and I felt horrible when I looked over to see her being told off by another waitress. Meanie! Also when I asked for additional sour cream it came back 25 mins later and I had just about finished my meal and then I was given an eye roll by the waitress who delivered it. The 3 day waitress did warn us that the food pretty much comes out at random. Hmmm...maybe it shouldn't. We all got our food at different times, even when some dishes were exactly the same. And the whole sour cream thing, that just annoyed me. Look, it's a great place with a great vibe that I can *almost* forgive the lax service, and it probably was the best night I had in New Zealand, but I do really feel like they need to tighten the reigns a bit. read more

We had to wait what seemed like a million years for our food, perhaps I was a bit too hangry, but they also lost our coffee order so all that waiting was sans coffee -- not a pretty situation. The comments about the perfectly coordinated rotating waitstaff was not our experience, hence the lost coffees and a dangerous hanger situation. When the food did come out it was pretty great. I wish I could give this 4 stars, but the waffles were just okay. Not bad, just standard and not much to write home about. The vegan breakfast, on the other hand was super delicious. They were able to swap the crispy potatoes for poached eggs (not a vegan), and that was exactly what I wanted. The mushrooms were substantial, and the tomato relish thing was extra delicious. If I hadn't split the vegan and the waffles, I would have been more hot on this place. Likely would recommend this place, but you do need to keep the waitstaff on their toes if you're left waiting too long... and recommend the savory over sweet brunch options. read more

Fidel's lives up to its reputation! For brunch, lunch, or dinner (I went for all 3), you have so many options. I always went for the vegan breakfast and one of their many fruit smoothies, but they have options for all diet types, including fried chicken and waffles! You can also just stop in and grab something from their desert/coffee bar! Fidel's shouldn't be missed! read more

Fidels Cafe - Vegan breakfast! - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

We were staying in the City Apartments just down the road from Fidels, and this was our first foodie stop after arriving in New Zealand. What a spectacularly good choice from the Silent Reviewer. The waitress serving us was fab, giving us good recommendations, and as per the parents in law, they had 'the finest burgers they have ever had'. The Silent Reviewer Was Not Happy - he had the pork belly, which paled into insignificance both in portion size and flavour (I can't say whether it was good or not, envy was dripping from every bite). I had the vegetarian pizza, which was pretty delicious, with a healthy smattering of vegetables on top, which always makes me happy. Highly recommended. read more

I've been away from NZ for two years now, and still miss Fidels. It was always packed for lunch, but getting there early ensured deliciousness, coffee was top, and the atmosphere perfect. I can't imagine the legacy of fidels changing much -- was also my aunty's favourite cafe when she was a student. Can't wait to come back. read more

Amazing breakfast and coffee. Went there twice just to try out the waffles with banana and bacon. Didn't disappoint. I had two cups of mocha as they were so good! If you're in Wellington, must definitely come here once for breakfast. Friendly staff as well and might look small but quite spacious on the inside. read more

Loved the decor and the service was pretty good too. I have to say the good was generally fairly mediocre, especially for the price. I had a chicken Caesar salad, but had to pull out every piece of hard, brown piece of chicken. Don't get me wrong I like chicken thigh and drumstick, but I don't feel it belongs on a chicken Caesar salad. Ordered the mozzarella Jalepenos ($10 for 4) and left half of them - overly greasy with a weird orange, American can-style cheese sauce in the middle - definitely not mozzarella. The service was ok, but not overly cheery or friendly by any count - of course one person is not a reflection of the overall service of a place though. From other reviews it seems like brekky may be the way to go here. I'd say give it a go as I'm sure other items on the menu are great, just wasn't impressed with mine. read more

I have lost count of the number of times I have come here for Sunday (hangover curing) brunch with my friends. Incredibly delicious every single time. There are often lines and service can be a little slow but man the food is worth the wait! The cafe itself is so cool too, awesome interior and attention to detail! There is also a whole cabinet of amazing salads, sandwiches, pastas and baking if you just feel like popping in quickly. Do not leave without trying the snickers milkshake, it's to die for. read more

Fidels Cafe - Scrambled eggs of sourdough with bacon and avocado - Cafes Near Me - Wellington, WGN

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