Caffe 1808 is Christchurch's first 1808 Caffe, opened in 2016 as the first cafe in Waterloo Business Park and still pouring thousands of coffees from 23 Islington Avenue. Behind the counter sits serious heritage: the cafe belongs to an international chain of coffee bars built on the Molinari family, whose involvement in Italian food and coffee dates back to 1808, and whose Bar Molinari opened in the heart of Modena in 1911 as a meeting place for citizens, artists and intellectuals. More than 200 years of coffee passion shows in the details — the furnishings, the menus and the famous 'Cinque Stelle' coffee, which you can also buy to take home.
Everything on the food side is made in-house by the kitchen team, from the menu options to a fresh range of cabinet food made daily. The kitchen also caters for all sorts of occasions — business meetings, breakfasts, lunches, ladies' lunch gatherings and afternoon teas — and is flexible enough to tailor a spread to your needs. Craving something in particular? Let them know; it might just end up on the menu.
It's a practical spot as well as a welcoming one: a meeting room is available for hire by the hour, half day or full day, the cafe itself can be booked outside opening hours for special events and functions, and there's a secure outdoor seating area, a full licence and plenty of parking on site and at the rear of the building. Open Monday to Friday, 7am to 3.30pm (closed public holidays), with online ordering from 8am to 2.20pm or phone and text orders on 021 310 178.
On the edge of Waterloo Business Park at 23 Islington Avenue, Islington, Caffe 1808 has been part of the neighbourhood's working rhythm since 2016, when it became the first cafe to open in the park. Thousands of coffees later, it remains a weekday fixture: doors open at 7am Monday to Friday and close at 3.30pm, with online ordering available from 8am to 2.20pm for anyone who'd rather skip the queue. Come and meet Olivia and the team — they look forward to serving you, whether it's for a quick coffee, a working lunch or a small celebration.
The name is heritage, not a random number. Caffe 1808 belongs to an international chain of coffee bars built on the Molinari family's long love affair with food and coffee — a story that began in 1808, the first year of evidence of Giuseppe Molinari's involvement in the Italian industry. In 1911 the family opened Bar Molinari in the heart of Modena, a successful coffee house that became a meeting place for citizens, artists and intellectuals. By 1944 Giuseppe and his children were roasting in the city's centre, and the growing company — later Caffe Molinari SpA — invested in research and packaging technology in pursuit of the quality that has made its famous 'Cinque Stelle' coffee appreciated worldwide.
The Islington cafe is the first 1808 Caffe in New Zealand, and that 200-year passion shows in the details, from the furnishings to the menus to the staff. If the coffee wins you over, you can take it home: bags are available on site, or online through The Crowded House Coffee Company.
There's no reheated compromise here: all of the cafe's food is made in-house by its kitchen team. Alongside the menu options sits a fresh range of cabinet food made daily — the counter display that makes choosing difficult — and the kitchen is refreshingly open to ideas. If there's something you're craving, let them know; it might just end up on the menu.
The same flexibility carries into catering. The team prepares fresh, home-made food for business meetings, ladies' lunch gatherings, breakfasts, lunches and afternoon teas — 'you name it', as they put it — and is happy to work with you to fit your catering needs.
Caffe 1808 is set up for working life as much as coffee breaks. A meeting room is available for hire by the hour, half day or full day, and the cafe itself can be booked outside opening hours for special events and functions. It's fully licensed, with a secure outdoor area where you can sit and enjoy a drink or a meal, plenty of on-site parking and more parking at the rear of the building. Small gatherings, meetings and birthdays are all welcome, and the cafe has even been featured in Metropol.
Inside, the cafe carries on the idea that made Bar Molinari famous in Modena — coffee as an excuse to gather. The team describes Caffe 1808 as a place where coffee and great food are celebrated, and the details of the furnishings and menus are meant to carry that sense of occasion through.
You'll find Caffe 1808 at 23 Islington Avenue in Waterloo Business Park, Christchurch. Hours are Monday to Friday, 7am to 3.30pm; the cafe is closed on public holidays, though it can open outside these hours by prior arrangement. Orders can be placed online (8am to 2.20pm) or by phone or text on 021 310 178, and enquiries go to [email protected] — the team aims to respond within 24 hours, so follow up by phone if you don't hear back. Whether it's a coffee before the day starts, a cabinet lunch or a catered function, more than 200 years of coffee passion is behind the counter.