Cute little place to stop for breakfast. A variety of sweat and salty pastries, pies, frittata for…read moreeveryone. Friendly staff and great wifi. Recommend the vegetable roast frittata and fudge which goes nicely with a big mug of coffee or glass of fresh juice.

Easily the best coffee in Oamaru and with very good baked goods too. The coffee is roasted on-site…read moreby the owners and is made just perfectly. The perfect stop for a light breakfast (the date scones are amazing, as are the brioche) or lunch (great sandwiches and salads, and soups during the cold season). Highly recommended!!

Best breakfast I have had in this South Island trip with poached eggs, halloumi, grilled mushrooms…read moreand tomatoes!!

My friends and I stopped by this town to rest up and bit. We walked into this cafe for a coffee and…read morewifi and we got just that. The coffees were great and I ordered the most delicious mocha I've had in NZ. The presentation was beautiful and pricing was good too. The cafe turns into a bar-like area at night and place looks a bit rustic but quality seems pretty good to me. For wifi, just ask the barista and they'll give you a slip of paper with the password. Regarding service, this lady barista (I never got her name) was so considerate that we were from out of town and helped us with the wifi and giving us suggestions on what to order. I don't know how this cafe is normally, but at 5PM on a Monday, we were the only customers there. But all in all, if I ever find myself in Oamaru again, I'll definitely hit this place up for a good cup of Joe.

Fuel for the Soul Before the Summit…read more We stopped into Vanessa's Cottage Café in search of a quick bite and a caffeine fix before the 3-hour drive to Mt. Cook, but the moment we stepped inside, we were swept away by the warm, nostalgic aroma of pot pies, quiche, brownies, and fudge. Our caffeine cravings were quickly replaced by pure sensory bliss. The meat pies were sadly sold out (clearly a local favorite!), so we went with the gluten-free bacon, onion & cheese quiche, and WOW. Buttery, flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth perfect. You could taste the care (and the cheese) baked into every bite. Then came the sweet temptations. The dessert case is beautifully displayed and gave me the sense that this is where Vanessa's heart truly shines. We grabbed a chocolate chunk brownie and a blueberry banana dark chocolate muffin to-go, and both were absolutely divine. Moist, rich, and perfectly balanced. For coffee, we ordered a long black, a double shot of espresso with hot water (think a bolder Americano). The beans were decent - not the star of the show, but more than good enough to sip alongside all the baked goodness. If you're heading toward the mountains, make this your fuel stop. Stock up on real, homemade food that feeds both your body and your spirit. Vanessa's isn't just a café...it's a cottage full of comfort, care, and culinary charm. Safe travels and we'll see you down the road! MLA

It was great and must be good most of to PD was there for breakfast. Coffee comes in a soup cup so…read morebe prepared.

My favorite place in Oamaru 5 years ago. Back today for more. Love love love it and they're busy as…read moreusual.

pretty average, will do if you need somewhere to pop in but it seems as though they have had the…read moresame food menu for years and years

Ordered a build your own sandwich and an iced chocolate. The iced chocolate came with a scoop of…read moreice cream in it. The build your own sandwich was larger than expected and had melted butter on top. Was with a group of three on a weekend around brunch time, and was able to find a table, however, some other groups had to wait.

This was a great place to eat breakfast. We popped in before our day out on the Otago Peninsula and…read morewere delighted to find something for everyone. The eggs Benedict with salmon was excellent as were the scrambled eggs, porridge with berries, and the chocolate pancakes. The presentation was perfect. Service was good too, the friendly staff ensured we were welcomed.

AMAZING food. The food is fresh, made with local ingredients, creative, and so good with every…read morebite. See photos for what was ordered. This was such a pleasant surprise in a small town, especially after a long hike through the snow. I called ahead to make a reservation so we were seated right away when we arrived. We were there on a weekday but think this place would be really busy on a weekend so plan ahead on that if needed. As for ambiance, it felt more like a cafe than a restaurant. We were right across the fireplace which worked well for us especially when we could feel the cool air every time the door was open. Overall, we loved our experience and enjoyed the food. Will recommend to a friend who will be in the area in the next few weeks.

Probably my favorite meal in my 10 day journey of the South Island. Recommended by our motel staff,…read moreit was a short walk away. We sat out on the patio for an early dinner which was really nice. The food was phenomenal. And I don't just think that about all meals. The bread was super fluffy and fresh to start. This place cooked the salmon perfectly and the filet was out of this world. If I lived closer I'd be here all the time.

Though we only very briefly pit-stopped in Twizel, for gas & takeaway, we enjoyed our time…read morestrolling through the town-with its quaint, family-friendly vibe, and welcoming locals. The café was quite cozy-offering pre-baked goods and made-to-order platters, loads of drink variety, and an in-house bookshop to enjoy while waiting. We opted to select a variety of pre-baked goods, warmed, and packed to go, including a date scone, salmon frittata, bacon egg & cheese sandwich, bacon egg & cheese quiche, ginger crunch, and two flat whites. We did have errors with our order-they warmed up the wrong salmon option, giving me instead a salmon bagel (I was able to correct this immediately) but after driving away, I realized my date scone was not the big item underneath the ginger crunch, it was a weird folded napkin (oops, so it was forgotten) Though the food we did obtain was quite tasty. The ginger crunch was moist, with a bold flavor profile-tart sweet ginger with a creamy light icing-so yummy I want to try recreating at home! The savory bacon breakfast items were layered with ingredients all well-seasoned, and a balanced amount of sauce between. The salmon frittata had large chunks of creamy flaky salmon, well folded within the layers of egg, cream, and butter- with just enough seasoning to give a pop without overpowering. Overall, I recommend giving them a visit, triple check the order; the food is very tasty.

A warm and cozy feeling cafe with great food and nice attention to detail in their items. I ordered…read morean egg/bacon/fried tomato breakfast and had a muesli parfait on the side that was garnished with a little rose as a nice touch. It was certainly a tasty and photo-worthy brunch.

Amazing location overlooking the beach and boulders. Easy path down onto beach…read moreCoffee was good and pinwheel scone tasty but with cheap slice of ham. Pricey at $21.50 for two coffees and a scone, but a good standard for such a tourist Location.

Fish was excellent. Garlic bread very good. A little dry…read more Soup was hot and tasty. Omelette was okay. Salmon spinach and mushrooms. A little soggy. Coffee was hot and strong. Very good! Staff were friendly and accommodating.

Probably the best cafe in Dunedin! My poached eggs/smoked salmon/potato cakes breakfast was…read morewell-portioned as well as flavoursome AND they added a generous serving of yummy hollandaise for only a dollar (seems crazy good to me as an Aucklander - here such an add-on would cost you at least 3 dollars). The cinnamon bun/scroll is HEAVENLY: think soft, pillowy, buttery layered brioche swirled with sugary, cinnamony deliciousness. I recommend getting up early in the morning to get one of those babies nice and hot out of the oven - I did and I did not regret it. The service was impeccable: I told the guy behind the counter that I was in a bit of a hurry and the food was brought to the table in less than 10 minutes. Everyone including all the waiters I chatted with were lovely. Will definitely come back when/if I am back!

The Good Oil is a reliably cafe for good coffee and lunches on the main shopping street in Dunedin…read more The guy who owns and runs it is lovely and the other staff are also always friendly. There is usually a busy atmosphere in there these days as it's become a deservedly popular spot to meet friends and colleagues for coffee or lunch. The brunch menu is good, with enough vegetarian options, and the cooks will also make non-meat versions on request, which is great. The cabinet is full of interesting salads and nice cakes too! Service is prompt and if you don't like your coffee they will remake it without being grumpy about it - as real baristas should. Unfortunately, the coffee does not appear to be Fair Trade - it would be great if this could be looked at, as then the Good Oil would deserve a 5 star rating.

It's called Mrs&M's now Great friendly service and the…read morecoffee and breakfast was great good price I also listened to a girl play the violin today it's been productive

If there is one thing in which Sydney abounds these days, it is groovy bearded guys. So it was kind…read moreof comforting to walk into 2 stags to be greeted by a friendly bearded barista, even better when they proved to make proper coffee. Good flavour and pour, hallelujah! I ordered the spicy pumpkin soup, which came with 2 South Island cheese rolls for the princely sum of $12. Great place, delicious food and if I lived in Timaru this would absolutely be my local!