Savory muffins were wonderful, good coffee, and a laid-back atmosphere. Much needed while recovering from a long flight.

The coffee shop that launched a hundred copies in New Zealand, Midnight Espresso was the beginning of the "coffee revolution" by the Kiwis. It opened in 1988 and while the neighborhood has changed (and calmed down a bit) and the patrons have changed (and are a bit more mainstream), it's a lively little spot with a fun vibe. Food is served around the clock starting with pastries and pancakes in the morning and moving to burgers and nachos later in the day. What's awesome about Midnight Espresso is that they are open late. Way late. 7:30 am weekdays and 8:00 on weekends, closing at 1:00 am. There's music, there's a fun vibe, there's some history. Five stars. This was the best flat white I had all week across five cities of New Zealand. [Review 468 of 2024 - 119 in New Zealand - round number 21500 overall] read more

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Only place open at like 7:30am on a weekday. I was walking around Cuba street searching for food and found this place open with a friend. This place was cozy and eclectic with a chalkboard menu, displays of food and pastries, and people coming in and out for breakfast. My friend and I were impressed with the selection of food, lots of vegetarian and vegan options. My Midnight Big Brekky was really good and perfect for the day. Note: they don't have almond milk, but they do have oat and soy milk options. read more

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Service was good, the worker was a little distracted which made it a little confusing as to where to order. He was on his phone and we didn't know whether he was meant to take our orders. BUT the coffee was amazing best vanilla latte I've had in Wellington. Food looked amazing too...we were very tempted to try it. read more

They clearly don't like visitors. This place gives off "locals only" vibes. The little girls at the counter were rude both times my gf and I came in. The first night, the server threw our plates on the table with a loud clank. The second time, the girl at the counter ignored me outright and served a couple locals ahead of me, then told me I was too late for breakfast even though I wasn't and had been waiting around (because she ignored me). Apparently their posted times are not to be trusted. Honestly, at a place like this, the food isn't good enough to suffer the poor attitude of the staff. They didn't want or appreciate my business, so I won't bother going again. read more

The dark exterior may make it hard to find - but well worth a pop in! The cafe is cosy, with pinball tables, open counter and window tables, and has many flyers from locals. It feels well like Welly. Although the service is a little slow as there were only two employees when I visited, the wait is well worth it. The food was incredible for the price - especially the scones and toast meals which would sell for much higher at similar cafes. The drinks are priced reasonably for Wellington, and the coffees are decadent and tasty. The berry smoothie was sweet and purple, with the perfect amount of berry grittiness. Overall a fantastic experience! read more

Midnight Espresso - Saturday morning queue and order counter. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Wellington, WGN

Hip cafe with plenty of options to satisfy just about everyone. Good coffee, good food, friendly, laid back staff and atmosphere. read more

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If you're a vegan looking for a great meal get yourself here! About half of their cabinet items are vegan and they have a big selection. Came here for breakfast and lunch! For breakfast we had a vegan quiche and scone. Then for lunch we got a delicious sandwich and a big piece of chocolate cake! Prices were the best we found in all of New Zealand! Which is why we came back again! Love the vibe of this cafe. Old/hip theme. Staff was super friendly and they even are environmentally friendly which is always a bonus! Gave us a free coffee that was made in front of us because they didn't want to waste it (they know how to bring back costumers!). Overall our experience couldn't have been any better. read more

Midnight Espresso - All vegan - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Wellington, WGN

Amazing coffees, fresh juices, and the best breakfast. They have HUGE portions! Came for the benedicts and coffee but would highly suggest anything on the menu. I also love the location in the heart of Cuba Street. Great place for people watching while enjoying an amazing brunch. The staff is also really cute and the presentation is amazing. Really good food!! read more

Midnight Espresso - Small flat white. So pretty! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Wellington, WGN

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As an Aucklander I will admit I envy the inhabitants of the middle of middle earth. They have Midnight Espresso. You can't get good coffee after 10pm in Auckland and Midnight Espresso understands people need coffee all hours of the day which is why they are open from 7am to 3am. The coffee is Flight, local and boutique of course. Being vegan I was impressed by the amount of food I was able to eat there. With a menu influenced by hipsters and animal rights activists perhaps, basically anything on the menu has a vegetarian or vegan opinion so rest assured your arteries are safe here. The menu is so diverse it requires some critical thinking. For a very satisfying herbivorous meal go for the tofu salad or tofu burger. These guys don't skimp on tofu or portions for that matter. Wash it down with a Dr Nix packing a punch with beets and tobasco. There is a large range of cabinet food that varies, because variety is the spice of life. I love the vegan chocolate cake, well pretty much anything I've ever had there. The bliss balls are huge, and fragrant with coconut, they melt in your mouth. Seriously good and cheap. The space is quirky as, even the toilets are cool. With funky art work scrawled all over the walls, the arcade machines and the tables and chairs that remind you of primary school, Midnight Espresso serves up great food in a cool space by cool folk. read more

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Love the grit and realness of this cafe. One of the primal cafes. Been here for 20 years plus serving good coffee and great food till the wee hours. Sit up at the front window and watch the interesting people past by. read more

This place reminded us of some of our favorite haunts back in Brooklyn, San Fran, and Boston. Squinting my eyes, I was back at the Life Cafe in Bushwick (before it got icky). I was stunned at the quality of the food, much better than I expected from the coffee shop layout. And the portions are ginormous. Do not get the large nachos unless you are very very hungry. But do get them, because they are amazing!!! (they have a smaller size option). We also split the tofu burger, which was incredible. So fresh, so many yummy toppings, so incredibly gigantic. Two hungry people could split one burger or one large nachos here and be more than satisfied. The Havana coffee on order is great. Lots of giant and yummy looking dessert options available. Friendly service, funky with the right amount of dingy atmosphere. Come and be amazed by the delicious food and plentiful vegetarian and vegan options! read more

Midnight Espresso - Cappuccinos are yummy - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Wellington, WGN

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This place is very unique. Great food and drinks. Vegan options available as well as gluten free. Almond and coconut milk options for great coffee. My friend had the muesli breakfast option it was huge and delicious especially the fresh yoghurt (he said). I had poached eggs on gluten free bread with a side of avocado. Eggs were cooked to perfection. read more

I went in thinking I would get just pancakes with fruit. I was wrong, I received a piece of art filled with flavor! I would recommend the pancakes,100 percent! read more

Midnight Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Wellington, WGN

Hands down one of my favorite coffee shops. It's fun and quirky, with a pinball table and a few old arcade games lying around. Why go? - The hours are amazing!! One of the only places you can go for coffee past 5pm. - Baked goods are very very good. They do rotate what's in the cabinet. My favorites are the date scones (which are huge!!) and the rasberry brownie. - Smoothies and juices! - The price! I'd get an Americano with milk on the side for $2.5. Very happy with it. In the mornings, Midnight is pretty laidback, like that's where you want to go and do your crossword puzzle. It starts filling up in the evenings. Music is pretty loud and can be distracting though, depending on what you're trying to get done. Highly recommend Midnight. read more

I visited Wellington for a week and a half. I found myself drawn to this place almost every morning for incredible coffee or delicious food. Coffee is cheap at 3.5 for a regular flat white. Food options are numerous and everything I had was fantastic. They have lots of preprepared sandwiches, bagels, pies, scones, lasagnas, muffins, etc. They also have a full breakfast and lunch menu with dishes prepared fresh in the kitchen. My favorite part about this place is the colorful and eclectic art/decor. Some retro arcade games, a dope playlist playing, and fresh & friendly baristas top off the perfect environment here. 10/10 will recommend and (hopefully) come back read more

I enjoyed a fabulous chocolate and raspberry tart here late one Friday night. The place was busy, but there was plenty of food to choose from. The surroundings are eclectic and colourful. The whole place has a very relaxed, welcoming and "take your time" vibe, which I enjoyed. Coffee is excellent and all the food looks delicious, with lots home made I'd say. I recommend the tart and would come here again, thank you. read more

Loved this place. I didn't get a drink, just a fruit salad w/yoghurt + honey (small, $5, super decent size), and a vegan afghan cookie. The vibe is super hodgepodge, like old video games and broken couches and random seating. If that's not your thing, there are more normal looking tables with regular old chairs, both inside and out. Their whole cabinet looked delicious, lots of vege, vegan, and GF options. The shakes looked amazing too! If I lived in Wellington, I'd be here way more often. All in all: funky vibe, good prices, great food. It's a win! read more

I'm based in the UK now, and still dreaming about cafés back in wellington. Midnight espresso makes me homesick. Coffee is always phenomenal, and the cakes! And colour!! always the perfect energiser for day or night. I've ordered some coffee beans from their website, and got people bringing them all the way over to me. That's how much I miss this place. Cheers Midnight Espresso people, if you're reading this! X read more

check out their food corner. yum dessert and great coffee! must go and will return for sure! :) read more

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Excellent food, kind staff, and plenty of vegan options- make sure you try the nachos!

* Great burgers and nachos * Vegetarians will find this place quite satisfying * Good desserts * Staff are friendly * Go to there for inner peace and happiness, you know, the kind you get after eating... read more

Whether you're into people-watching or cheap, delicious veggie food, Midnight Espresso is the place to be! Its seating isn't the most luxurious or pretty - but this funky cafe has major quirky charm and is a popular student hangout. It also has one of the best selections of vegetarian and vegan food. At a time when so many upmarket, pretentious places are opening up, there will always be a place for good, honest, cheap tucker and an eclectic mix of punters. It may be affordable but boring it's not - the hard part is choosing which delectable item from the counter display to have! The other great thing is that Midnight is open long after everything else has shut - making it an obvious choice for a post clubbing chillout. Oh - and the coffee is fantastic! read more

Great coffees and pastries! Eclectic crowds and a great sitting area for people watching on Cuba street. read more

Midnight Espresso - Flat white - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Wellington, WGN

Great cafe.... shocking music. Asked to turn it down, was told it was for the 'vibe'. All I could see was people with frowns on their face and fingers in their ears. Asked again and was basically told no. Go for takeaway next time read more

The absolute best banana pancakes of my life. This place was across the street from my flat and I felt so spoiled to have the ability to walk down stairs and get a cuppa when ever I wanted. read more

From Aukland on business trip, I love coffee and was surprised how cheap it was. And delicious!

The coffee is simply the best in Wellington. Kind staff, and great atmosphere. I haven't eaten there so can't comment on the food but worth checking out for coffees. It's a Wellington staple and has been around a very long time. read more

The fries were delicious and came with a really good vegan mayo! We stopped in kind of late on a Friday night and the man at the counter and serving us was super rude. He was condescending and unhelpful which is why this place gets a lower rating. The place has good decorations and lots of vegetarian options. read more

A busy little eclectic cafe with an at the time very highland feel music playing, great atmosphere. Good selection of GF food and metal straws to suck back your iced coffee, how cool is that. read more

FAVORITE late night spot for tea and a snack. Great selection of treats, especially for folks with food restrictions, and the staff puts a lot of care into their work. I just wish there was a place as good as this in the States. read more

Cozy & comfy environment, friendly staff, and great foods and coffee served! They served variety of tasty food, please to refer to the friendly staff if you not sure what you want for the day. read more

Amazing food and friendly staff! Since it is so popular and busy, the cafe's design is a bit too narrow - could be more spacious to accommodate the large amount of people. But other than that, great cafe. Love how it is available past midnight, extremely convenient for those working overnight shifts etc. The usual customer service; friendly, polite, definitely not rude. The interior design is very interesting - I like the wallpaper and range of furniture used, the colour. Glad that they have slightly healthier options like vegan desserts. Reasonably priced too for its quality ingredients. Overall an awesome cafe, definitely would recommend! Especially their cheesecake and chocolate cake! read more

Terrible service. Waiter (with glasses and I think a ponytail) was extremely rude when I didn't hear his co-worker in the very loud café environment. I'll never come back here. read more