Wander Café, Bistro and Wine Bar

About Wander Café, Bistro and Wine Bar

Wander is a café, bistro and wine bar on Madden Street in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter — the local hub of the neighbourhood, open seven days a week. It moves easily from morning coffees and quick brunch or lunch meetings to relaxed weekend brunches, with an extensive wine list and delicious cocktails for the evenings it trades late.

The kitchen runs an all-day menu covering breakfast, brunch and lunch, with fresh salmon given star billing. The coffee program is just as considered: espresso classics through flat whites and piccolos, soy, almond, coconut or oat milk, Hakanoa chai, and turmeric, matcha and beetroot lattes — iced when the weather calls for it. Beyond coffee there are smoothies, freshly squeezed juices, kombucha and a Harney & Sons tea selection.

The bar side is where Wander stretches out. The wine list ranges across New Zealand — Marlborough sauvignon blanc, Gisborne chardonnay, Central Otago pinot gris and pinot noir — and France, from méthode traditionnelle bubbles and Corsican rosé to Bordeaux, Côtes du Rhône and Louis Roederer champagne. Cocktails run from a Coffee Supreme espresso martini and a Reid+Reid gin negroni to brunch staples like the mimosa and Bloody Mary, with tap beers from Sawmill, Heke and Garage Project.

The space can also be booked for events and private functions for up to 60 people, and Wander sits alongside sister restaurants Ambler in Point Chevalier and Atelier in Kingsland. Tables can be reserved online, and gift vouchers are available through the website.

Wander Café, Bistro & Wine Bar: All-Day Brunch, Wine & Cocktails in Wynyard Quarter

Wander Café, Bistro & Wine Bar sits on Madden Street in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter, and it has grown into exactly what its name promises: the place the neighbourhood wanders into, seven days a week. The team calls it the local hub — the spot for morning coffees, quick brunch and lunch meetings through the working day, and relaxed weekend brunches that stretch into the afternoon.

Underneath the easy-going feel is a simple, hard-working format: one all-day menu covering breakfast, brunch and lunch, backed by an extensive wine list and a cocktail lineup that treats neither as an afterthought. Fresh salmon earns its own billing, and the coffee program runs far deeper than the usual café baseline.

From first coffee to last pour

Weekdays begin at 7am (8am on weekends), and the coffee list runs from espresso, macchiatos and long blacks through flat whites, cappuccinos, piccolos, lattes and mochaccinos. Soy, almond, coconut and oat milk are on hand, and if caffeine isn't the plan there's Hakanoa chai plus turmeric, matcha and beetroot lattes — all available iced, alongside cold-pressed juices, a mixed berry and coconut smoothie, kombucha and a Harney & Sons tea selection.

The food side keeps the same all-day promise. Breakfast, brunch and lunch come off one menu, which is what makes Wander a regular answer for business catch-ups around the precinct, and fresh salmon is given its own moment on the menu.

What the bar does best

Come evening — Wednesday through Saturday — the wine bar half of the name takes over. The cocktail list leans confident and classic: an espresso martini built on Coffee Supreme coffee, a negroni with Reid+Reid gin, a blackberry sour on bourbon, a limoncello spritz, a passionfruit caipiriña, and brunch-ready mimosa and Bloody Mary. Le French Love, with vodka, Chambord, cranberry, pineapple and méthode brut, is the flourish of the list.

The wine list is genuinely wide, running through New Zealand — Marlborough sauvignon blanc, Gisborne chardonnay, Central Otago pinot gris and Gibbston Valley pinot noir — and into France: méthode traditionnelle bubbles, a rosé from Corsica, a Bordeaux and a Côtes du Rhône, up to Louis Roederer champagne for the big occasions. Beer drinkers get Sawmill lager and IPA on tap from Matakana, Heke lager from Waiheke Island, Garage Project's light Fugazi from Wellington and Morningcider apple cider from Auckland, with a non-alcoholic pale ale for anyone driving.

The rhythm of the week

The hours tell you how to use the place. Monday and Tuesday are café-days, 7am to 3pm — coffee, brunch, lunch and out. Wednesday and Thursday run to 10pm, Friday to 11pm, and Saturday opens at 8am and closes at 11pm; Sunday is a daylight affair from 8am to 3pm. In practice that makes Wander two venues in one: a morning-and-lunch café with a serious drinks program, and a late-week wine bar for the precinct's after-work crowd.

Functions and the wider family

The space can be booked for events and private functions for up to 60 people, with inquiries handled by email — the same address covers press and job applications for kitchen and front-of-house roles. Tables can be reserved online, and gift vouchers are available through the website. Wander also has siblings: sister restaurants Ambler in Point Chevalier and Atelier in Kingsland, for anyone who likes the vibe enough to try the others.

That combination — 7am flat whites, working lunches, weekend brunch, then New Zealand and French pours once the lights change — is why Wander has become shorthand in Wynyard Quarter for the local that does everything, without any single thing feeling like an afterthought.

Signature items

• Espresso Martini
• Flat White
• Mimosa
• Le French Love
• Mixed Berry & Coconut Smoothie
• Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir

Menu

Cocktails

• Mimosa — Orange juice topped with méthode brut.
• Bloody Mary — Vodka, chilli, Worcestershire and tomato.
• Le French Love — Vodka, Chambord, cranberry, pineapple and méthode brut.
• Passionfruit Caipiriña — Cachaça shaken with passionfruit.
• Negroni — Reid+Reid gin, Campari and rosso vermouth.
• Espresso Martini — Vodka, Cointreau, coffee liqueur and Coffee Supreme coffee.
• Blackberry Sour — Bourbon and crème de mûre; DF or NG on request.
• Limoncello Spritz — Pallini limoncello, méthode brut and soda.

Cold Drinks

• Freshly Squeezed Juice — Seasonal selection — ask staff for today's pick.
• Smoothie — Mixed berry and coconut; vegetarian and dairy-free.
• Kombucha — Newleaf Earl Grey or Butterfly Pea Flower; non-gluten.
• Juices — Orange, apple, pineapple, cranberry or tomato.
• Fizzy — Coke, Coke Zero, lemonade, ginger beer, lime & soda and more.
• Antipodes Sparkling Water — New Zealand sparkling water, 500ml or 1000ml.

Iced Drinks

• Iced Americano — Espresso and cold water over ice.
• Iced Latte — Espresso and chilled milk over ice.
• Iced Chocolate — Chocolate and milk served cold.
• Iced Mocha — Coffee and chocolate, chilled.
• Iced Hakanoa Chai — Spiced chai served over ice.
• Iced Turmeric Latte — Golden spice latte, cold version.
• Iced Matcha Latte — Green tea latte served chilled.

Beers & Wines

• Sawmill Lager — Lager on tap from Matakana.
• Sawmill IPA — IPA on tap from Matakana.
• Sawmill Bare Beer — Non-alcoholic pale ale.
• Heke Lager — Lager from Waiheke Island.
• Garage Project Fugazi — Light 2.2% beer from Wellington.
• Morningcider Apple Cider — Apple cider from Auckland.
• Veuve du Vernay Bubbles — French méthode traditionnelle sparkling.
• Louis Roederer Collection 244 — Champagne from France.
• Domaine Fazi Rosé — Rosé from Corsica, France.
• Rose & Rose Sauvignon Blanc — Sauvignon blanc from Marlborough.
• Odyssey Chardonnay — Chardonnay from Gisborne.
• Saddleback Pinot Gris — Pinot gris from Central Otago.
• Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir — Pinot noir from Central Otago.
• Barton & Guestier Cuvée Rambaud — Bordeaux, France.
• Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône — Côtes du Rhône, France.

Coffee & Hot Drinks

• Espresso — Straight-up shot, the house baseline.
• Short Macchiato — Espresso marked with a dash of milk.
• Long Black — Espresso lengthened over hot water.
• Long Macchiato — The long-black take on the macchiato.
• Americano — Espresso topped with hot water.
• Flat White — Espresso under silky steamed milk.
• Cappuccino — Espresso, steamed milk and foam.
• Piccolo — Small, espresso-forward milk coffee.
• Latte — Espresso with plenty of steamed milk.
• Mochaccino — Latte with chocolate through it.
• Hot Chocolate — Steamed milk with chocolate.
• Hakanoa Chai Latte — Spiced chai made with Hakanoa syrup.
• Turmeric Latte — Golden, caffeine-free spice latte.
• Matcha Latte — Green tea whisked into steamed milk.
• Beetroot Latte — Earthy, vivid caffeine-free latte.
• Fluffy — Frothed steamed-milk classic.
• Harney & Sons Tea Selection — Tea and herbal infusions.
• Alternative Milks — Soy, almond, coconut or oat for any drink.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Wander Café, Bistro and Wine Bar located?

2 Madden Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland 1010 — on the waterfront edge of the city.

What are the opening hours?

Open 7 days: Mon & Tue 7am–3pm, Wed & Thu 7am–10pm, Fri 7am–11pm, Sat 8am–11pm, Sun 8am–3pm.

Do I need a booking?

You can book a table through the website. Larger group bookings, events and press inquiries are handled by email at [email protected].

Can Wander host private functions?

Yes — the space can be booked for events and private functions for up to 60 people. Email [email protected] to enquire.

Are there dietary-friendly options?

Vegetarian, dairy-free and non-gluten items are marked on the drinks menu, and some items can be made DF or NG on request. The kitchen can't guarantee against cross-contamination, so tell your server about any allergies.

What does the drinks list cover?

A full coffee program with alternative milks and iced options, smoothies, juices, kombucha and teas, plus cocktails, tap beers and an extensive wine list spanning New Zealand and France.

How do I apply for a job or make a media enquiry?

Email [email protected] — it covers group bookings, events, press inquiries and CVs for kitchen and front-of-house roles.

Tips

• {"body":"Mon, Tue and Sun wrap up at 3pm, so save wine and cocktails for Wed–Sat, when Wander trades until 10pm or later.","title":"Pick your evening"}
• {"body":"Weekend brunch is a relaxed affair from 8am — reserve a table online to be sure of a spot.","title":"Book for weekend brunch"}
• {"body":"Weekday coffee runs start at 7am — flat whites, chai and matcha lattes before the precinct fills up.","title":"Early doors"}
• {"body":"The freshly squeezed juice changes with the seasons — ask the staff what's in the press today.","title":"Ask about today's juice"}
• {"body":"The space hosts private events for up to 60 people — email [email protected] well ahead.","title":"Planning a function?"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Vegetarian, dairy-free and non-gluten options marked; some items DF or NG on request — advise staff of allergies."}